Understanding Altars (Series)

UNDERSTANDING ALTARS (PART 1)

INTRODUCTION
This study seeks to give us an understanding of the different kinds of altar available.
There are those that are built for our good and some to the contrary.
May God bless us as we study together in Jesus’ name (Amen).

CENTRAL BIBLE TEXT: EXODUS 20:18-26

A. UNDERSTANDING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT ALTARS
An Altar is a place of prayer or worship of God or gods. It is a contact place with the spirit or spiritual world. It is a place of discussion, dialogue, communication with the spiritual powers. It is a place of spiritual sacrifice or of making of covenants. God blesses His people at the altar of prayer. The foundation for a successful Christian life and ministry is rooted in the altar of prayer. Gen. 8:20-22; Gen. 12:6-8; Lk. 24:49

OLD TESTAMENT ALTARS
In the Old Testament, an altar is used to be built on the land where you could kindle fire and burn the animal offered in sacrifice while animals were a common sacrifice in the Old testament, altars were used to sacrifice grain, fruit, wine and incense. God smells the aroma from it as the burnt sacrifice ascends unto Him and thereby comes to grant the requests of those who had built the altar and offered sacrifices on it.

I. Noah Altar – Gen. 8:21-22; 9:1-3
II. Abrahams Altar – Gen. 126-8; 13:17-18
III. Isaac’s Altar – Gen. 26:23-25
IV. Jacob’s Altar  – Gen. 28:10-15, 16-19; 33:18-20
V. Mosaic Altar – Ex. 20:23-26; 33:7-11
VI. David’s Altar –  2 Sam. 24:18-25; Ps. 55:17
VII. Daniel’s Altar – Dan. 6:10, 16, 22, 26-28
VIII. Elijah’s Altar – 1 Kings 17:1; 18:30-39, 42-45

NEW TESTATMENTS ALTARS
In the New Testament, an altar is that place of contact with God; you are no longer commanded to build physical altar but spiritual ones of prayer, praises and worship unto God.
Jesus Christ is considered as the ultimate sacrifice who puts us right with God and is ever making intercession for us. And as such we do not require any further sacrifice of material things to make atonement for our sins. Heb. 10:1-14, 19-25; Heb. 13:9-15.
What we require now is offering unto God fervent praises, worship, prayers, supplications unto God in spirit and in truth. Jesus talked the new altar in Jn. 4:19-24; Matt. 6:5-13; Lk. 18:1; and James, the Apostle in Jam. 5:16-18.

New Testament examples include the following:
I. Jesus and the disciples at the mount of transfiguration. Mt. 17:1-9
II. Jesus at the garden of Gethsemane. Mt. 26:36-46
III. The disciples at the upper room. Acts. 1:4, 8, 12-14; 2:1-4
IV. Fellowship gathering of disciples after persecution. Act 4:21-31
V. Peter at Joppa housetop. Acts 10:9-20
VI. Disciples at the church in Antioch. Acts 13:1-3
VII. Paul and Silas in the prison at Philippi. Acts 16:23-26

Please brethren, building a living consistent and enduring altar before the Lord can make a difference between life and death, success or failure in life. Eph.6:12-13,18; Phil 4:6-7

UNDERSTANDING ALTARS (PART 2)

INTRODUCTION
In the last part of this series, we looked at positive altars, otherwise referred to as the altars of righteousness. In today’s study, we would be looking at negative altars and how to deal with them. May the LORD of hosts bless us as we study in Jesus’ name (Amen).

CENTRAL BIBLE TEXT: EZEKIEL 8:1-18

A. EXAMPLES OF NEGATIVE ALTARS
As positive altars are raised to bless people and lands (Ex. 20:24; Gen. 8:20-22). Negative Altars are raised for a contrary ministry; to curse, to afflict and destroy people and destinies. They are like the operational base of the powers of darkness and satanic intermediaries. A negative altar is a high place, shrine, occultic centre, a place of meeting between men and spirits – a place of contact with the spirit world; a place of sacrifice and invocation of evil spirits. It’s a place of monitoring the progress of people, to understand and control people. It is a place of intimidation. Ezek. 8:16-18; Acts 23:12-13
Other examples include the following: