ECG

1 kings 18:³⁰ “Then Elijah called to the people, “Come over here!” They all crowded around him as he repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down” (emphasis added).

Today’s scripture reference shows us the process of building an altar. Note that it was done openly and not in secret. All of God’s people should know how to build an altar. There is no hocus-pocus, no secrets; it is not a secret cult. Which is why in God’s Favourite House, we do not just want people to show up at our special services and be dumbfounded. They do not know what has happened or how it happened and so they cannot replicate it in their own lives. That is not God’s model. This is why we encourage people to go through the process of altar building. Like Elijah, we say, “Come over here!”

We start with daily prayers; we are building the altar. Then daily praise (praise chain), we are building the altar. Then we move into daily vigils, we are building the altar. Then on the day of the special service, fire falls from heaven. Boom! The point is, you know how to build the altar because we built it together by the grace of God. And that is God’s heart; the veil has been torn; the days had gone when one strange mysterious looking man will come and bamboozle everybody. God wants His people to know His operations. Let us examine the different components Elijah used – the bull, the stones, the water, and the wood.

THE STONES: The first thing Elijah did was to gather the stones. 1 kings 18:^31-32 “He took twelve stones, one to represent each of the tribes of Israel, and he used the stones to rebuild the altar in the name of the Lord…” (emphasis added). As we engage in altar building, spiritually some stones are being put together. The question is this; when God looks down, will He see your stone? Will God see a stone representing your family, your tribe? What do the stones represent? The stone represents our hearts, our lives, the seat of our hearts and lives. 1Pet.2:⁵ “And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God” (emphasis added). The King James Version reads, “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (emphasis added). We are the stones – our hearts. Is your heart into this movement, this build-up, this altar? Will God look down from heaven and see that your heart is in it? Where is your heart?

Prayer (song): Lord, I give You my heart, I give You my soul, I live for you alone. And every breath that I take, every moment I’m awake, Lord, have Your way in me. Amen!