5 Lessons from the Altar

Things I’ve been Learning Since I wrote Altars over Thrones: How a Revival of the Altar Changes the World

Every time I write a book I learn so much from the experience and continue to learn even after it’s finished. I was joking with another writer about how our books and songs never really feel done. There are always more ideas that pour in even while finishing a book (or a song or any creative endeavor) and at some point you just have to send it and get it printed. But I want to share some reflections and insights I’ve been meditating on since finishing Altars over Thrones: How a Revival of the Altar Changes the World, some of these themes are in the book and some are a little bonus content.

1. Altars make you better or worse.

In Genesis 4, we see one of the first glimpses of the altar. The word altar is not used in the story of Cain and Abel. However, they offer sacrifices to the Lord and so there must have been some type of altar to offer these to Him. Abel brings an acceptable sacrifice and Cain brings an unacceptable one. Cain kills his brother Abel and God curses Him. This theme runs throughout the Bible even to the table of Communion, where Jesus is betrayed, Judas is exposed and the disciples are blessed. The altar makes you blessed or curse, better or worse.

2. Altars are tied to miracles.

A life at the altar has much to do with prayer and wherever we see a prayerful life in Scripture or in history we see God working miracles. In Acts 3, when Peter and John are on their way to pray, they work a miracle in Jesus name for a beggar who was lame from birth. He gets up, walks, leaps and praises God! The apostles in Acts are coming from prayer meetings and going to prayer meetings! Their lives are saturated with prayer. They did ministry from the altar and their lives were surrounded with miracles. So it is with us, time at the prayer altar releases the miraculous in our lives to the joy of others and the glory of God.

3. Altars bring God’s blessing and provision.

In Deuteronomy 28, we see God’s blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience over His chosen people Israel. When we walk in obedience to God in bringing gifts and offerings to the altar of the Lord as the people of God are instructed to throughout Deuteronomy (and really throughout Scripture) God brings supernatural blessing and favor on us financially. Many Christians have a problem with focusing on money it seems, but we learn about God that He is glorified in blessing us for obedience. We should not love the blessings more than the Blesser, but we should not despise the blessings that the Blesser pours out for us. Altars are a place of giving our offerings to the Lord, but in that place of surrender He blesses us. I wish I explored this more in my book, but of course there can always be an updated version in the future.

4. Altars release the power of God.

The whole idea for this book title came from the encounter that Elijah had with God as He confronted the altar of Baal, a false god that Israel worshipped in times of rebellion against Yahweh. Elijah had an answer to demonstrate who the true God is as He rebuilt the altar of the Lord. God answered Elijah in 1 Kings 17 by fire. The crazy thing about this story is that in the New Testament, James 5 says all of us have a nature just like Elijah and we can pray to see miracles in answer to fervent prayer. If we really knew what was available in prayer and how we really can’t do certain things in our family, business, church or nation without the power of God we would clear our schedule and spend more time in heartfelt prayer. There are some things that only God can remedy and accomplish and He does those things through people who release His power in prayer at His altar. The altar is where we surrender but that becomes a place of power where revival and awakening are released.

5. Altars promote the fear of the Lord.

As I’ve been writing this book and preparing to release it, I find myself living in a holy awe of God. A lot of Christians don’t prefer the term “the fear of the Lord.” People misunderstand this term in two ways. One they just describe it as reverence and honor while stripping some of the weightiness of its meaning. Others see this term as being afraid of God in an unhealthy terror and holding back from God. Some even wrongly regard this reality of the fear of the Lord as Old Covenant theology, but a reading through much of both 1 and 2 Corinthians says that God is calling us even in the New Covenant to turn from carnal behavior and live a life of holiness. The altar message throughout Scripture shows us that God is examining us and He does not play games. I find God convicting me, cleansing me and turning up the holy fire in my life. I don’t always like His examination, exposure and discipline when it begins in my life but I’m thankful for the intimacy and fruitfulness it produces in me. God wants us to be a holy people. I wrote this book on altars not as the expert who has arrived but as a fellow traveler to the altar of the Lord who is learning to live in holy awe and the fear of the Lord.

Coming Soon…

For more on this topic, please pick up my book Altars over Thrones: How a Revival of the Altar Changes the World starting April 2 on Amazon as paperback or Kindle e-book. It will also be for sale April 3-5 at The Way Conference and where ever I speak in the foreseeable future. If you would like to stock my book in a bookstore or have me share on this topic to a group or in an interview, please contact me.