altar

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2 Chronicles 4:1 A Place For Sacrifice

He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and ten cubits high. 2 Chronicles 4:1

Most religions around the world have physical altars for various purposes. They are used for worship, prayer and sacrifices. Some of these are very plain and simple, while others are extremely ornate and fancy in design.

The world also has unseen altars that they sacrifice the things of life on in order to get what they desire and to worship what they have in life.

Solomon had a bronze altar built that was twenty (about 30 feet) long by twenty cubits (about 30 feet) wide by ten cubits (about 15 feet) high.

The extremely large altar that Solomon had built would later be used to sacrifice thousands of animals on each year for the sins of people and for the thanksgiving of the people of Israel. After Jesus died upon the cross and arose from the dead, the need for physical sacrifices were done away with.

Although those sacrifices were done away with, the need for sacrifice is still there.

People are quick to sacrifice many different things in order to get something that they want. The greater the desire, the greater the sacrifice will be made.

Many believers claim to want to know God and be like Jesus but are unwilling to place their lives upon the altar to be a living sacrifice to God. They will hold on to the things and ways of this world, refusing to change. This can be seen in many churches when they have taken out the altars to be replaced by a stage or platform. They want to be seen by the world, rather than offered to God.

Every believer needs to lay down his life upon the altar of sacrifice to be a living sacrifice unto God.

As a believer, you are to be in the constant process of becoming more and more like Jesus every day. The world and its ways will always be tugging at your heart to keep you in its ways.

In order to change, you must be willing to sacrifice your life upon the altar to God’s ways. Kill off the old ways of sin in your life and become a new creation who is created to do good works unto God that will last into eternity.

Are you willing to get on the altar for God?

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will sacrifice your wants and desires to gain God’s desires; that you will live your life honoring and obeying God; and that God will give you strength to sacrifice any sin in your life upon His altar to be forgiven and made new.

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1 Chronicles 22:1 A Place For God To Stay

Then David said, “The house of the Lord God is to be here, and also the altar of burnt offering for Israel.” 1 Chronicles 22:1

Having a place to stay is important for every person. Most people have to search for a good place to live and then rent it. Some will get the opportunity to purchase the place, while a few will have the opportunity to build a new place.

To build a new place takes a lot of planning and decision making. One has to decide where to build it and how to have it built.

David wanted to have a temple built for God to dwell in and have the burnt offerings offered in. He chose the house of God to be built.

The world is always seeking a place to live, but very rarely is seeking a place for other people to live, unless it is for a profit. The dwelling places of people are always temporary and come with a lot of challenges.

One thing the world does not seek is where God can dwell and a place where offerings can be offered up to Him.

While it is important for believers to have a place to physically live, it is more important to make a place for God to live. Every believer is to be the temple of God and a living sacrifice. Their lives are to be a place where God can live and they offer their whole lives up to be a sacrifice unto God for what Jesus has done for them.

Jesus provided forgiveness and cleansing from sin for every believer, giving them the opportunity to be the temple of God. Now the believer can live the holy life Jesus provided and make his life a place for God to dwell in for the whole world to see.

Although you may go to some church, the place where God really dwells is inside you, if you are a believer in Jesus. Live your life for God in such a way that God is pleased to make your heart a place to dwell. Offer your whole life up to God as a living and pleasing sacrifice to God.

Do not allow your life to be filled with the world and sin that will evict God from your life. Be the purified and holy temple of God that Jesus died on the cross for you to be.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will be the holy temple of God to dwell in; that you will live a holy life that Jesus has provided for you; that your life will be a sacrifice of love to God; and that the world will see that God dwells in you.

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Exodus 38:2 Giving God The Power And Authority

They made a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar were of one piece, and they overlaid the altar with bronze. Exodus 38:2

Having authority and power and never admitting one is wrong is something that many people desire. The more one can have and control, the more successful one feels he may be.

Giving up things and authority is often seen as a weakness or a failure. Admitting that one is wrong or did something wrong goes against the feelings and ways of most people.

The altar of burnt offering was made with horns of bronze on each of the four corners.

Horns in the bible often refer to power and authority. As sacrifices were offered, one was giving God power and authority.

Offering something for sacrifice upon the altar of burnt offering was to be done as an atonement for sins. It was an admission of being wrong before God and giving Him the power and authority over one’s life. The offering was to be completely burnt up with nothing left over.

Physical sacrifices of animals on an altar are no longer required of God. Jesus took the place of the animals, providing one sacrifice for all people, for all time.

Instead of physical sacrifices, believers now place their sins, actions, and self upon the altar of burnt offerings. It is laying down everything that is sin before God, allowing Jesus to remove the guilt and corruption. Everything about sin and self is allowed to be burnt up and done away with.

The believer becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus upon that altar. God is placed upon the throne of the new heart and given all authority and power.

Without these sacrifices of self, God has not been given power or authority over one’s own life.

As a believer you will make sinful choices at times. Go before God and offer those sins and sinful habits upon the altar of burnt offerings to God. Give Jesus the power and authority to remove those things from your life, making you clean, pure and holy before God and man.

Doing this may be a little painful as God burns them out of your life, but in the end, you will have a greater life that extends into eternity.

Once this is done, allow God to have complete power and authority over your life.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will offer your life upon the altar of sacrifice before God; that you will give God complete authority and power over your life; and that you will allow Jesus to burn out any sinful habits in your life.

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Genesis 13:18 Build An Altar To The Lord

So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord. Genesis 13:18

People love to build up places to honor and lift others up. Some will have whole rooms dedicated to some celebrity, filled with pictures and things of that celebrity. Web pages are made by fans that are dedicated to worshipping a celebrity.

Having things like this shows where a person’s heart is. It reveals to everyone else what that person really worships and desires and puts first or highest priority in his life.

Abram had begun to live in the area of Mamre. One of the first things he did was build an altar to God.

The altars of the Bible were in place for sacrifices, offerings and to hear from God. They were a testimony of what God had done and brought people to focus upon God.

While focus upon the Lord should be the first priority of every believer, it is often not the case. Being tempted by the things of the world, many put other things first. Not always are these things bad, such as family, work, health, but they do take the place of God on His throne.

In order to combat this type of action or attitude, the believer should build an altar to the Lord first. This altar does not have to be a physical one, though it could be, but one in his heart.

The altar for the believer is putting God first in his life in such a way that others can see it. It is a place of going to God for forgiveness, guidance, mercy, provision and anything else needed. It is also the place to lay down sacrifices and sin before God.

Going through your days, do you have an altar to God in your life? You need times when you can go to God for forgiveness, or to offer sacrifices of praise and repentance, or to seek His wisdom and direction.

Do not allow altars to the things of this world to be built up in your life.

Although you could build a physical altar to God, it cannot always be with you or you with it. Build an altar to God in your heart. Make your heart a place that seeks to worship and honor God in all that you think, say and do.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will have an altar to the Lord in your heart; that you will place the focus of your life upon God and His desires; and that the world may know you serve God with all of your life.

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Exodus 17:15 The Lord Is Our Banner

banner of three crosses

Moses built an altar and called it The LORD is my Banner. Exodus 17:15

Everywhere a person looks he can see banners being flown or set up. Banners are a sign of someone or something of some importance. It is wanted to be known that the person or entity is there.

Flags of nations are the most common banners to be seen world-wide. Yet, there are millions of other banners showing businesses or organizations. Many organizations have their own flag or sign that they put up everywhere signaling who they and that they are there.

When the banner is removed, it is a sign that the person or organization has moved out. They are no longer there. It has been taken down.

Moses and the Israelites were fighting against the Amalekites. As long as Moses had his hands raised, they were winning. As soon as his hands dropped, they would lose the battle. After they had won the battle, he built an altar to God and called it “The Lord is my Banner”.

In order for the Israelites to win the war, Moses had to raise his hands to God. It was a surrender to God’s will and power. The Israelites could not win the battle on their own, it was God’s battle. God’s banner had to be lifted up to let the world, the Amalekites, know that He was there and was fighting the battle.

Often people try to fight the battle on their own. They think that they can win the battle. They take down God’s banner and do not allow His presence in their lives. Many believers have fallen for this problem. They forget to lift up God’s banner and accept Him into their situation in their life. They try to do it on their own, and get defeated.

As a believer, you must always allow God to be in the center of your life. Raise His banner high and let the world know that He is there and is in control. Do not be ashamed of Jesus and hide His banner. He is the great general who will win every battle in this life.

There is no battle so great in your life that Jesus cannot overcome. When you remove His banner, you are saying that you are the one in control and can win the battle on your own. You will fail.

Raise the banner of Jesus for the world to see.

I pray today that you will know Jesus as your Savior; that you will raise God’s banner up in your life; that you will let everyone know God is in control; and that you will trust God to win the battles in your life