You also are like living stones, and God is using you to build a spiritual house. You are to serve God in this house as holy priests, offering him spiritual sacrifices that he will accept because of Jesus Christ. [1Peter 2:5 ERV]


God has been longing to make His permanent home and dwelling within a human heart – The utmost desire of God for His tabernacle, home and dwelling, is never to locate it in a physical BUILDING or upon GADGETS or MATERIALS... He wanted a human life. In fact, the reason why He CREATED man was because HE wanted friendship, companionship, fellowship, communion and worship WITH HUMAN LIVES AS HIS SANCTUARY.

Men of old built altars TO MARK the dealings of God with them. They built their relationships with God AS THEY BUILT altars. If you saw any man who walked with God, one thing always marked them out - they built personal altars where they related together with God. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PERSONAL ALTAR, THEN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD HAS NOT EVEN STARTED.


WHAT IS ALTAR?

At the First mention of ALTAR, everyone first thinks of something physical. The reason is because this was the practice in olden times. BUT TODAY, THINGS HAVE CHANGED BECAUSE JESUS HAS GONE TO THE CROSS…

Your altar is a place of intimacy with God. Your altar is the place where you and God find expression for love. A place where 2 lovers fellowship together and discover and know themselves in a deeper way. The altar is a place of communion, a place where relationship, love and affection grows between 2 parties.
Altars today ARE NOT PHYSICAL, THEY ARE SPIRITUAL

God is a spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth [John 4:24].

Your altar is the place where you build a personal relationship with God. A place where you discover God. A place of prayer, where you daily meet with the Lord.

Lots of people have reduced the altar of prayer to JUST the issue of making your requests to God. The altar has become “whatever you need, just ask God and receive it…”. “Do you need money, pray… do you need healing, pray… do you need breakthrough, pray…” So God has been reduced to an ordinary problem-solver, He is no more a Father, a Friend, a Companion, a Lover… This is the reason why many do not seek the Lord, they only remember HIM WHEN THET HAVE NEED

As a rich man possessing many things, everything seems to be moving beautifully for you in the world, and quietly you think you do not need Jesus. You see Him ONLY as One who just provides needs… YOU ARE MISTAKEN. GOD is more than a provider. You need a communion with HIM. YOU NEED AN ALTAR WHERE YOU CAN MEET HIM AND KNOW HIM EXPERIENCIALLY.

The Altar is a place where you discover God, where you know God, grow into God, cultivate Him and blend into Him, AND God in turn blends into you. THIS ALTAR TODAY, IS YOUR HEART,.

The Old Testament concept of building a physical place WHERE YOU NEED TO GO before you can meet with God has now changed. Gods divine altar has shifted to our hearts. [1Peter 2:5 ERV]

Many people today still regard physical altars as the main altar. No wonder, men regard the church buildings as the place to worship God, AND NOT THE HEART. They go to church with a sense of "I want to go and worship God, not knowing that the real church is now within their hearts. The REAL CHURCH WHERE worship to God, honor to God, righteousness and divine reverence to God ought to go on every moment IS THE HEART. Whether you are at home, in the bus, in the market or in the seminary, continuous relationship with Jesus should NEVER STOP.

For many people, they confine God to only a physical location where they can meet with God. Therefore unconsciously, anytime you are going to church, you dress well, you put away smoking, uncleaness and bad things, you dont womanize at this time, you conduct yourself holily and righteously, and when you get to church, you will not get angry, you will be obedient, you give generously, you are gentle, kind and loving, you lift up your hands in reverence to God to honour and praise HIM. THIS GOES ON FOR at least the 2-3 hours that church will last. But once church is over, you heave a sigh of relief and say “praise God, now I am free, I have left the presence of God, I have left the house, the sanctuary, the altar of God, now I can continue my normal life...” what a deception.

The altar of God is not located in a physical sanctuary CALLED CHURCH, RATHER, IT IS BUILT upon YOUR VERY heart. The way you reverence church as Gods house is now the way you should reverence your heart and TAKE IT as the permanent abode of the Almighty God. I wish it can dawn on you today that where God wants to be worshipped, praised, served, feared and honored, is not in the church, it is in your heart.

Your heart is the divine altar where God has erected His throne. Even if you are in church and your heart is not yet the divine altar for God, all your activities of worship - be it singing, giving, counseling, praying or even preaching, are unacceptable before the Lord.

Your Altar is NOT an activity or a duty we perform, it is NOT a routine, it is a relationship – AND IT IS TO BE ENJOYED.

You may be praying everyday, but this does not mean you have an altar- THE QUESTION IS DO YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS?.