A large church in Florida impresses me every time they end a service. Intentionally, time is left after the sermon for people to come forward to kneel and pray. Common place individuals visibly respond to the Word of God and to the Uncommon God. They lay their hearts open to the Holy Spirit, some for conversion and others hand over the direction of their lives and circumstances to God. Both hearts and wills are placed on the altar.
BUILDING AN ALTAR IN THE MIDST OF FEAR
An altar is mentioned in Ezra chapter three, the first public structure built by the Jews returning from the 70 year exile. “They established the altar on its foundations, even though they were in terror of the local peoples, and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and the evening offerings.” The destruction of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. left an indelible psychological and spiritual imprint upon the Jews. Persian King Cyrus the Great miraculously gave them permission to return to their home country to rebuild the Temple. However, deadly adversaries surrounded the returning people. The returnees had good reason to be afraid. Yet they built an altar. Shouldn’t they first build fortifications and barricades against their foes?
WHAT IS AN ALTAR?
The answer is: they did. They laid their hearts on God’s altar. “An altar represents a person’s desire to consecrate himself fully to the Lord. Every human heart has an invisible altar where the war between the flesh and the spirit rages. When we surrender areas of our lives to the control of the Holy Spirit, we are in effect laying that area on the altar before God.” God can then build fortifications and barricades against our foes. The spiritual battle we engage in becomes God’s battle. It is no longer ours alone.
CHRIST WILL PLEAD FOR ME
Thomas Brooks wrote: “A humble soul being once in a great conflict with Satan said to Satan: ‘Satan, reason not with me—I am but weak. If you have anything to say, say it to Christ; He is my advocate, my strength, and my Redeemer, and He will plead for me.’ A humble soul is good at turning Satan over to the Lord Jesus, and this increases Satan’s hell.” Thomas Brooks (1608-1670) was a puritan who wrote one of the best works on temptations and Satan’s onslaught against the Christian soul. He knew firsthand about going to battle and laying everything on the altar before God.
COME TO THE ALTAR
Is the battle too much for you? Do you feel exhausted, alone and beyond all hope? Has Satan gotten the upper hand? Come to the altar. Place your burden down. Remember, “a humble soul is good at turning Satan over to the Lord Jesus, and this increases Satan’s hell.” Proclaim with centuries of believers: “Christ is my advocate, my strength, and my Redeemer, and He will plead for me.”