“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;”
Genesis 4:9-11 KJV
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
1 Corinthians 3:10-11 KJV
For many of us, tracing back our foundation, our predecessors may have not built a solid foundation based on the one true God. Yes, we have done well coming into Christ, but you must realize that though salvation is free, but deliverance is not automatic. With your new life in Christ it is your duty to service this new altar, to undo the damage of generational altars. When these left unattended to, can cause patterns and cycles as well as even destiny altercations . Today we delve into reasons why we must ensure an effective altar.
Take Abraham, the patriarch. The issue of barrenness was not merely a coincidence; it traces back to the altar of his foundation. Originating from a foundation of idol worship which backed by the iniquity of lies (Genesis 11:31,Joshua 24:2), would have caused the patriarch to miss out on the promises of God. But by faith and obedience ,the mercy of God encountered Abraham to depart and go into a land where the Lord could bless him(Genesis 12:1).
“And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: for he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”
Exodus 17:15-16 KJV
Whenever men, set up altars, it was a divine investment to secure the hand and favor of God for His spoken word unto them. Concerning Abraham the Bible records 4 altars he built; Genesis 12:8, 7 , 13:18, 22:14 with each in support of the promises of God.
Altars establish and admonish covenants. The services to the altar raised,secures strong covenants . This was the situation of the altar of Abel, the sacrifice of his life was upon the altar he had raised unto the Lord. His pleasing sacrifice was not the only reason for the Lord to avenge his death. When you read the verses further, we realize the impunity that was placed upon Cain as a result of the blood of Abel. Not only was the consequence upon him, but it also run down to his descendants. A life given to a divine altar safeguards destiny, and battles and contends against forces of darkness.When men set divine altars and walk diligently, it moves God to act on their behalf.
“Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.”
Luke 11:49-51 KJV
The effectiveness of your altar determines and reflects your manifestation. In today’s world many attempt to rise by bringing down others, by self promotion or even by manipulation . But you beloved, in the kingdom we rise by obedience and the authority bestowed through our obedience. The strength of your obedience is relative to the authority you carry and the later to the manifestation of your calling.
Your altar supports your calling and lays the groundwork for longevity. From our second scripture of study, Apostle Paul reckons how we ought to build. How a man builds will ensure how long he lasts and whether the altar will set a mark in eternity. According to the parable of Jesus in Luke 6 , there is no other foundation that lays a strong groundwork than Jesus. There are demonic altars which are raised on the premises of iniquity and sacrifices of bloodshed. But to ensure our altars as believers thrive, our solid rock and cornerstone cannot be denied. His very life and only life carried and manifested the requirement of a lasting covenant which authenticates divine altars.
“he is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.”
Luke 6:48 KJV
By strong altars God is exalted and his power manifests. The effectual and fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much according to James 5:16. The chapter then goes further to describe the power of the prophet , Elias who was a man subject to like passions as we are, yet he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit(James 5:16-18 KJV). Elijah was just like us, but yet he had something with God, so powerful and potent that it commanded results. If we set our hearts right with God, and begin to build with diligence, faith and intimacy with God, our lives will be a sign and a wonder.
Build an effective altar to secure your glorious destiny and command results. Good morning Beloved.