The Power of The Altar | The Altar Series

And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him.

And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel, and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord.

Genesis 12: 7-8 (KJV)

Today’s church does not understand what the power of the altar is. We dress up and look good for church, but we go home the same way we came in. We are not aware of the Lord’s presence and the holiness in His dwellings. We are not aware of what we carry inside of us. We do not understand who we are, yet we call ourselves Christians.

Theologians have called Abraham an altar builder because wherever he goes, he builds an altar to worship the Lord who is protecting and guiding him. The same is said for Isaac and Jacob, his descendants. The Bible said that when two or three people gather together to seek the Lord, He is there. We as the church gather, but we are not aware of the Lord’s presence, or maybe we don’t really believe in what the Bible says. For example, some people in church are always on their phones on social media. Yet, they complain that their life situations are full of challenges. What are they looking for? I’m not sure, perhaps a miracle, but a miracle doesn’t happen with unbelief. Our God is not a magician; for Him to perform a miracle, we have to believe. We have to believe that He will do what He said He will do.

Some people come to church and leave the same. Why? Because they don’t understand the altar that they’re approaching. The orthodox church, on the contrary, understands the seriousness of the altar of God. They understand that the altar is pure and sacred. We live in the city (Rome) where we have thousands of religious altars, but the city is dying; it is not spiritually strong. For example, if you pay close attention to the Colosseo, at the entrance, you can see the altar of Moloch. Moloch is a pagan god that asks for children sacrifice, so it was probably brought to Rome by the Canaanite slaves. Moloch represents a destroyer of the new generation, and you can find his altar in front of many historic spots here in Rome. No wonder Christianity is slowly dying here, with each new generation.

But in ICCR, we believe God is raising His army to fight against this spiritual decay. We need to understand that many of us come from a family that has altars positioned against our life.

What Is an Altar According to the Bible?

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

1 corinthians 6: 19 (KJV)

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1 corinthians 3: 16 (KJV)

Based on the scripture, we are the altar of God. The Holy Spirit dwells in us, and our body is sacred. Did you know that in the Old Testament, the Israelites had to build an altar before God to approach Him, whether for asking something or after God had done something for them? But after Jesus came, we become the altar.

An Altar Is Powerful But Costly

How strong is your altar? To understand the importance of the altar, let’s briefly look into the story of David when he committed yet another sin against God (2 Samuel 24). David conducted a census to size up his men, angering the Lord. The Lord then gave David three punishment options: three years of famine, three months of fleeing from all his enemies, or three days of plague. David chose to be punished by the hand of the Lord (the plague) rather than be defeated by his enemies, and so 70,000 Israelites died. David even saw the angel inflicting the plague and repented. God then told him to build an altar so that all Israel wouldn’t perish, and he built the altar on Araunah’s land, where the angel of the Lord had told him to build it. Araunah offered his land and all the materials to build the altar for free, but David refused, knowing that to repent for his sin, the altar needed to cost him something. So he paid Araunah more than his fair share, and the plagues stopped. Israel was spared.

An altar is a place of Sacrifice

And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Genesis 8:20-21 (KJV)

Noah made a considerable sacrifice, and God promised never to punish the earth like that again. We are alive today because God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the altar for us, in addition to the oath He made to Noah. This implies that as a human race, we have committed an abominable sin surpassing even the time of Sodom and Gomorrah. What occurred in 2020, I (Pastor Lawrence) believe, was the judgment of our sin. God did not cause it but allowed it to happen because we turned towards sin instead of Him. Repentance, living pure as a “sacrifice,” worshiping Him, and seeking His heart can stop this punishment. This is not a new phenomenon on earth.

What is happening in your life? Have you been praying or worshiping? How is the condition of your altar? If the enemy has come to the altar of God, you have the power to remove things hindering your worship and prayer.

An Altar of Sacrifice Is a Place of Communication

Through sacrifices, altars become a place where humanity and divinity meet. Consider the story of Balaam, a wicked prophet indulging in greed, corruption, and betrayal. Despite his ways, God spoke to him because he frequently raised altars with significant sacrifices.

And God met Balaam: and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram

And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak.

Numbers 23: 4-5 (KJV)

It’s impossible not to hear from the Lord when you raise an altar, as your body is now the altar. However, the sacrifice must be meaningful and costly—living right and pure before God—to truly hear from Him.

An Altar Is a Place of Power

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah faced the prophets of Baal, and God answered with consuming fire, showcasing His power.

And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.

The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

Leviticus 6: 12-13 (KJV)

Presenting your sacrifice on the altar means acknowledging God’s presence, even if you don’t feel it. An altar is a place of manifestation; believe it before it materializes.

In Luke 1:11, an angel stood beside the altar after the priest offered burnt incense, yet the priest couldn’t see the angel.

The highest altar on earth is Calvary, where Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for humanity. Jesus, the perfect sacrifice, declared, “It is finished,” and John 8:36 confirms, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

Church, embrace the power to overcome through the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ. Rise up, tend to your altar, and live for Jesus. Fill your altar with worship and prayers; God desires your utmost best. Jesus said, “If you believe it, you can have it.” Stand up and build your altar of sacrifice, where the fire burns continually.