Broken Down Altars # 5

Broken Down Altars # 5

Rebuild Your Broken Down Altars

He repaired the altar of sacrifice when it was broken down. Oh, God's warriors must first be God's worshipers. Get things cleared away if you want Heaven on your side, the broken down alters must be rebuilt in your heart. Give yourself to God. Confess your sins. Stand as a solid phalanx for Christ.

There are enough men and women in this tabernacle tonight to rewrite the religious and moral history of this God-forsaken, whiskey-soaked city and transform it for Jesus Christ. If you would go out and do God's will, if you would line up absolutely as one man and woman for Jesus. But before God will pay any attention to a call for fire, Christians must get right. It is a great mistake to expect a crop without planting the seed. It is a great mistake to expect a blessing without first doing your part.

Christian, can anything more important command you attention than to give God a chance in your heart? Perhaps years ago something crept in your life and you have never had a moment of peace since. Whatsoever it was has poisoned your joy and has made serving God the hardest joy in the world. Perhaps only God and you knew about it. Your friends never suspected, yet it has been there blighting and blasting. Wherever you go, that secret goes with your. You have cried and sighed to be free. But you haven't taken the course God pointed out to you. You have crucified your conscience.

Nothing will give back that peace until you build up that altar in your heart, renew that vow and covenant. Take a clean-cut stand for Jesus. Until you do, you will stay as cold and unresponsive as a stone. Did you quarrel with someone? Did hate get a foothold? Did someone wrong you whom you think you can never forgive? Ask God to take the bitterness out, or give you grace to get rid of it. God stands pledged to help; you do not have to do it in your own strength.

No matter what has broken down the altar, build it up. Maybe it is the breaking of vows, or neglect of prayer, or neglect of family worship, or failure of get anything worthwhile done for God; maybe it is that you never go to prayer meeting, or that your business practises are crooked, or that you have been a coward about witnessing for Christ. If you have one drop of red blood in your veins, then when a man talks about your country or you wife, you will knock him down. Yet you will stand around and let somebody damn and curse God and spew out his maledictions against the church, and never open your mouth in protest! Brother, your altar is broken down! Build it up and see what the Lord will do.

The broken down altar at Mount Carmel was built up not in the name of the prophet, not in the name of the scribes, but Elijah built up the broken altar in the name of the Lord. And the fire of God fell. The man who undertakes anything in His name will not have the devil for a silent partner!

The mother who undertakes to train her child in the name of the Lord will have more anxiety about his salvation than she will about her own standing in society.

Note how carefully the broken down altar was built up. Elijah began at the ground and cleared away the rubbish. A stone represented each tribe. He took the stones according to the twelve tribes of Israel, leaving out not one stone; if he had, there would have been no fire all that day. God is particular about important things. Now don't try to short measure God. When God says 36 inches for a yard, don't make it 32. When God says one hundred cents on a dollar, don't make it 94. When God says 2,000 pounds for a ton, 1,700 won't work. Don't try to put one over on God.

Do you remember what happened to Ananias and Sapphira when they held back part of the possessions and lied? Yes, their dead bodies were carried out to the place of the dead. If God says 12 stones, He won't take 10. You can't get through with 11 if God says 12. Don't try to cover up the rubbish. No, clear it away if you want His blessings.

How particular the surgeon is to sterilize his instruments in order that all the dangerous germs may be kept from the wound and thus keep the patient from being put into the grave. And before fire will fall from Heaven there must be a clean place for it to fall. If the clean place is prepared, then it will come!

How is your praying? Unselfish? Or is it, "God bless me, my wife and my son John?" Are you unselfish in what you want to do? Is there anybody you won't speak to? When you get down on your knees, is there hatred in your heart against someone? Then He won't listen. The command to forgive is as positive as the command as the command not to steal, not to commit adultery. No difference. It is just as positive as the command to insulate before you touch a wire.

Do what God says step-by-step, not mile by mile. Never mind about tomorrow. We may not have a chance to do anything tomorrow; do it today and see if God doesn't bless you.

~Billy Sunday~

(continued with # 6)