Spread the Fire - January 2008 - (Page 10)

REPAIRING THE ALTAR OF GOD God called Elijah to challenge the evil principalities and powers with a simple act of obedience. Elijah summoned everyone in Israel and the prophets of Baal to stand before the altar of God on Mount Carmel. He then asked his nation, ‘How long will you halt between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him’. Nowhere in scripture do we find a starker picture of man’s two approaches to God who alone holds the power to bless. On one side the fanatical prophets of Baal stood exhausting their repertoire of spiritual antics, shouting, screaming, leaping and cutting themselves. I sometimes wonder if all our efforts to obtain revival by religious works don’t rival these pagan forms of self-abasement. Instead of this, Elijah stepped forward and ‘repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down. He repaired the place where bankrupt mankind places by faith all he possesses at God’s disposal and where mankind gives to God only what He asks for, our loving obedience. “ the real sp o i l e r t h a t d i v i des brethren hap p e n s w h e n we depart from t he truth. THE GREAT VISITATION WE SEEK If we are to see another divine visitation in our day, we must forsake the antics of Baal and return to rebuild the altar one essential stone at a time just as Elijah repaired the altar. ‘He took 12 stones according to the number of the tribes.’ I have observed a paradox: visitation divides as well as unites the Body of Christ. It can split churches and families, and yet also reunite brethren across denominational divides. God wants everyone to experience the visitation we are seeking. If we rebuild the altar together and embrace those few precious truths we have in common, we won’t be part of the division left in the drought. Elijah stood before the altar and simply prayed, ‘Let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel… and that I have done all these things at Thy word.’ Visitations come, stay, and return only ‘at His word’. In our sincere desperation not to quench the Spirit during the dry times, we are often tempted to tolerate faddish teachings, practices, and so called ‘visions’ that just do not exalt Jesus Christ nor have any foundation in the written word of God. They are not the essence of real revival, either. Perhaps this is why our ranks thin and true visitation turns to drought. While unusual but genuine manifestations during visitation are often a source of tension in the body of Christ, the real spoiler that divides brethren happens when we depart from the truth. Sincerity is no substitute for the truth. Jesus is the truth. When Elijah finished restoring the altar, ‘Then the fire of the Lord fell…and when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, the Lord He is God.’ Do you want to see revival fire fall and unbelievers forsake today’s prophets of Baal? Let’s return to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, hide ourselves in Him and see His Kingdom, His Power and His glory come. ” S TF - 1

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Spread the Fire - January 2008

Spread the Fire - January 2008 Contents In the River Thriving Between Times of Revival How the River Changed Our Church Taking Our Revival Temperature Therefore, Go... International Itinerary Resource Center Catalogue Upcoming Events Visitor Information

Spread the Fire - January 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.