Good Morning Sunshine! Are You Living On The Altar? 

Romans 12:1 ERV ~ “So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him-an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way.”

As I reread the devotionals on the Altar from this week, my mind fell on BBQ, and when my dad tried to teach me how, (y’all let me just say, that it was a full-time job, lol.) My dad took this very seriously, he loved it, so much that he built his own grill to perfection just like he wanted it. Grilling was an art form to my dad; he had all the utensils and stuff! But as I thought about the grill and how and what we put on it, I thought about how and what we put on the altar when we go to our Father! 

As for the grill, you had certain steps to follow, first you had to have the right type of coals, then you needed lighter fluid; you had to the soak the coals in the fluid, and they had to be positioned just right on the grill so that everything could cook evenly and perfectly. So, if grilling has all these steps, just think about what you have to do in order for your altar to be just right. First you need to start with your heart, Psalm 51:10, your heart must be right, and you have to be willing to come clean and let go. I love this quote by George Hartwell, he said this perfectly, “I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all, but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” So, whatever you want to keep it will destroy you and you will lose everything. But whatever you put in God’s Hands on the Altar, God takes care of it, through the continuous burning of the fire. Leviticus 6:13! 

I am in no way comparing God’s Altar to grilling, but just because so many people are at different stages I wanted to use this analogy. Here’s the differences between putting something on the grill and laying it at the altar, on the grill you consume what has been sacrificed.  But on the Altar, God consumes what is sacrificed. Did you get it, the grill you choose what you will give; but on the Altar, you give it all up, you lay it all down! So, what are you putting on the Altar today? What do you need to get rid of? You need to make a conscious decision to live on the Altar, it can’t be a one-time thing. All of us reading this devotional needs to be living on the Altar, embracing the Shekinah Glory! You see you have to make the decision to stay there, and you know that we don’t like to be anywhere for too long, it becomes a problem being a living sacrifice every day, we get tired, and then we just crawl off the altars when we no longer want to be obedient. You need to pray this scripture every day, Romans 12:2 NKJV, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Learn how to tarry at the Altar!

I want you to hear me clearly, you must stay on the Altar as your life is being refined and presented to God as a living and holy sacrifice! This is what I want you to learn and get it in your spirit about today’s scripture, it matters to God how you live your life! Just because you are saved by grace does not mean you have been given a free pass to live however you want to live. You are called to live Holy and Righteous lives. It is incumbent upon you that you live in a manner that is pleasing to God. It is not enough to God that you are saved. God desires for you to be sanctified and conformed into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ daily!

Today, ask God to cleanse and strip everything off of you that is not like Him! Release, Release, Release! It’s time to release it and what better place, than the Altar! It’s at the Altar that you will find Glory in the cross, it is where you can lay flat on the threshing floor, the place of separating, it is the altar of God; just be still and watch God do a separating in your life, for everything that is not like God, gets consumed by Him at the Altar. It is also in this place that God feels you with everything that you need to blossom in Him. Yes, I know it’s not an easy journey, but I need you know it’s necessary for you to live! Ask God to make you attentive in this place, where your eyes and ears are aligned to His Will, Way and Word! 2 Chronicles 6:40, “Now, my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.”

I know that you have heard this before but find yourself a sacred place in your home where you can offer up of prayers to your Father who is in Heaven and is listening to every word that comes out of your mouth, and He loves to hear you pray His Word back to Him! Today, pray that the place where you are praying becomes the place where The Lord meets you and answers your prayer and where you see and believe that you serve a prayer answering God! It’s where the Shekinah Glory settles upon you and dwells, there with you! 

It’s in this sacred place and time of prayer that your prayer life is birth and built! It becomes personal right here! This is where you learn what an Altar’s real purpose is and what it’s not. You move from selfish to selfless! Your Altar is not for performing, it’s for worshipping! It’s not a place to compete with anyone else, it’s a place where God completes a thing in you! Your Altar is not for personal applause; it’s for the Glory of God to be seen in you and by you, it is called your audience for One! Your Altar is where you serenade the King of kings and Lord of lords! Your Altar is where every imperfect thing in you is perfected by Him! Your Altar is where you ascend; an where God descends and delivers heaven’s edicts! Your Altar is the place where God has full access and control, it’s where you are renewed and refreshed before your day starts and it’s your cleansing place when your day ends! 

Let’s Pray:

Father Thank You for the gift of prayer. Thank you for making your eyes and ears attentive to my prayers that I’m praying at the Altar! Father, as I come to You now, on the Altar, I’m seeking You and Your Word like never before. I ask that Your grace would be upon me and that You would work through me, purge and prune anything ungodly from me on the Altar, that I may be Your mouthpiece to speak and teach Your Word to a dying nation. Father, I pray that You would go before me to every person that I will meet today and give me wisdom and discernment before I open my mouth. Father, I desire that Your Holy Spirit be at work in the mind and heart of everyone who will read and study this devotional today. Father may Your blessings be upon me this day and turn every ordinary moment into an extraordinary moment because I didn’t go on my own, but I went way of Your Altar, and you changed me. Thank You Father for what happened to me at the Altar, You made me over, afresh and anew, and I met You there and I have never been the same! It was for my good and Your Glory! 

Blessings…

Minister Jean