build again the altars

12 Pages·2016·2.03 MB·English

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“I have been very jealous for the compromise, apostasy, and mockery
Lord God of hosts: for the children of of the holy things of God and stan-
Israel have forsaken thy covenant, dards of righteousness and truth.
thrown down thine altars, and slain God’s covenants are broken and His
thy prophets with the sword; and I, altars torn down. I believe that we
even I only, am left; and they seek my must be the Elijahs of this age. Elijah
life to take it away” (1 Kings 19:14). was the prophet who seemingly stood
These are the desperate words of alone against all of the false prophets
the prophet Elijah (words I have felt of Baal. He stood against the wicked-
like praying myself!). Elijah lived in ness, ungodliness, whoredoms and
a day when the land was filled with fornications of his day. The situation
many false prophets. King Ahab and became so dire, until Elijah declared,
his wicked wife, Jezebel, actually fed “Lord, only I am left, and they seek
and kept 450 false prophets of Baal, my life!”
while God’s altars were torn down, Elijah interceded against Israel’s
and the land was steeped in idolatry, wickedness, saying, “Lord, all day
immorality, and abomination. long they tear down thine altars...”
We are faced with the very same The spiritual application: They tore
conditions today: “In the last days, down the true way of worship! They
many false prophets shall arise and forsook the old landmarks of righ-
deceive many.... and some shall teousness and tore down the stan-
depart from the faith” (Matt. 24:11, 1 dards of holiness and godliness.
Tim. 4:1). Ahab and Jezebel introduced reli-
More and more, we are faced with gious wickedness to Israel. Through-
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out the Bible, we find that Satan has drink, the food we eat, but the greater
used false religion to tear down threat is the polluting of the Word of
God’s Word. Even today, there is not God. Perverted doctrines not only
a famine in the land for religion. cannot save, but eternally damn the
There are multitudes of religions in soul. Satan is trying to tear down
existence, and if you don’t like any God’s altars and pervert God’s way
of the existing religions, Satan will of righteousness, to remove the true
oblige you by manufacturing a new way of salvation and substitute a reli-
one, even making you the head. gious form or cunningly devised lie
But the prophet Amos declared that cannot save, but in fact, will
that the time would come when damn men’s souls!
“there would be a famine in the land We have more churches today than
for the hearing of the Word!” (Amos at any other time in the history of
8:11). People don’t want to hear the mankind. We have more religions
Word today—they want to hear a than at any other time in the history
word! of the world. Satan is not against reli-
“For the time will come when they gion—He is against God’s plan of
will not endure (tolerate) sound doc- salvation! He is out to dig down
trine; but after their own lusts shall God’s altars—where man meets God,
they heap to themselves teachers, and God meets man!
having itching ears; And they shall God’s altar in the land of Israel
turn away their ears from the truth, was a symbol of true worship. But
and shall be turned unto fables Israel had become so wicked, until
(lies)” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). Ahab married the idolatrous Jezebel,
This verse has an interesting con- and went and served Baal and wor-
struction in the Greek text. The verb shiped him. He built a house of Baal
form “and they shall turn away their and reared up an altar for Baal in the
ears...” is in the active voice, which house that he built for him. Then he
means they are performing the made a grove where the false proph-
action. “And shall be turned unto ets of Baal gathered and committed
fables” is in the passive voice, which their abominations in the sight of
means something or someone is per- God. Together, Ahab and Jezebel
forming the action on them. In oth- introduced many foul and abomina-
er words, when they rejected the ble ways of worship into the land of
truth, they could not remain neu- God’s chosen people. They tore
tral—but were then turned to the lie. down God’s holy altars and desecrat-
ed His holy way until Elijah
A Polluted Gospel
declared: “I, even I only, am left!”
We have reached a point when our Satan’s plan is to tear down the
existence is threatened by pollution altars of God. He wants is to remove
of the air we breathe, the water we you and me, the intercessors. If you
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BUILD AGAIN THE ALTARS
are living righteously, he wants to They offer as proof of their knowl-
remove you, because you are a shin- edge of God material blessings and
ing light in this darkened generation. worldly riches, fulfilling the Scrip-
“You are the salt of the earth, but if ture, “They count gain as godliness;
the salt hath lost its savor, wherewith from such withdraw thyself” (1 Tim.
shall it be salted?” (Matt. 5:3). 6:5). Meanwhile, the enemy is tearing
If you are a real Christian, and on down the altars of God, digging up
fire for God, that is why you are feel- the altars of righteousness, and substi-
ing so much pressure and buffetings tuting false worship in its place.
coming against you, and why the ene- Satan is trying to get you and me
my is fighting you so intensely, espe- to tear down our altar of prayer and
cially in your prayer life! You and compromise our standards of holi-
those who are standing true to God ness and godliness. We have reached
with you, are the most detrimental a true parallel to Elijah’s day, when
force to his kingdom. He wants to Elijah became convinced that there
tear you down, because you are was no one left who had not compro-
building up the altars of God! You mised. They had become so wicked
are a light, and light always conquers and abominable that he began to
darkness. You can be in a pitch-black intercede against Israel!
dungeon and strike one match, and Paul brought this out in Romans
the darkness is pushed back, and the 11:2-3: “...Wot (Know) ye not what
light shines forth. the scripture saith of Elias (Elijah)?
How he maketh intercession to God
Turn Away From
against Israel, saying, Lord, they
God spoke to me, “Son, the same have killed thy prophets, and digged
spirits that deceived the people down thine altars; and I am left
through Ahab and Jezebel are blind- alone, and they seek my life.”
ing the minds of this generation: That Elijah felt that he stood all alone
there is no one right way, while the against the tide of wickedness, and
people that are called by My Name, his enemies, especially wicked Jeze-
My Church, are playing church and bel, sought his life, and there would
seeking earthly riches.” be none to stand for righteousness.
The Church has become so toler- “But what saith the answer of God
ant, liberal, and compromising, and unto him?”
many possess a religious spirit.“They “I have reserved to myself seven
have a form of godliness, but they thousand men, who have not bowed
deny the power thereof, from such the knee to the image of Baal” (vs. 4).
turn away. They have a name that Today God is calling to His 7000
they live, but they are dead!” (2 Tim. and to His Elijahs to come up on
3:5). What they really have is a reli- Mount Carmel, the mount of prayer,
gious spirit, and they are deceived. to call on God to send His power
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BUILD AGAIN THE ALTARS
upon the altar of the Lord. We must “There is one God and one mediator
stand up against the Ahabs and Jezeb- between God and men, the man
els and false prophets and preach the Christ Jesus.” Not Mary. Not
whole counsel of God! I’m not afraid Mohammed. Not Buddha. Jesus said,
of Jezebel and Ahab! I’m not going to “I am the way, the truth, and the
compromise, because the only way life...” (John 14:6). Does this seem
we are going to see revival is for exclusive? It is not exclusive in the
God’s 7000 to build again the altars sense of who may come to God: “For
of righteousness! I believe the Lord is God so loved the world that he gave
weeping over our nation as He did his only begotten Son, that whosoev-
over Jerusalem: “How oft, how oft er believeth in him should not perish,
would I have gathered thee as a hen but have everlasting life” (John
gathers her brood, but thou wouldest 3:16).
not!” (Matt. 23:30). Oh, how God is Peter said, “...God is longsuffering
trying to gather His people together to usward, not willing that any
to stand up against false worship! should perish, but that all should
come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9).
The True Worship
Paul declared, “Who will have all
Elijah went up to the top of Mount men to be saved, and to come to the
Carmel and restored the altars of God. knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:4).
The altars had been torn down, and he God excludes no one from com-
had to rebuild them. The altars of ing to Him, but He is exclusive in
righteousness today have been torn the way we can come to the Truth,
down, and you and I must build again because the Truth is in His Son,
the altars of prayer! Where there are Jesus Christ.
no walls of righteousness, every foul Jesus told Pilate: “To this end was I
and unclean spirit invades. We are born, and for this cause came I into the
going to have to walk with God and world, that I should bear witness unto
worship Him in true worship. Jesus the truth. Everyone that is of the truth
said in John 4: 23-24: “But the hour hears my voice” (Jn. 18:37).
cometh, and now is, when the true Jesus did not say “God” seeks for
worshipers shall worship the Father worshipers—but the “Father.” This
in spirit and in truth: for the Father denotes relationship. Worship is
seeketh such to worship him. And they about having a personal, intimate
that worship him must worship him in relationship with the Father! It’s not
spirit and in truth.” about “where” or “which mountain;”
The fact that Jesus stated there are it’s about “Whom”—the Father! And
“true worshipers,” means there must Jesus said, “No one cometh unto the
also be false worshipers, or those Father but by me” (John 14:6). Paul
who are not worshiping the true God said in Ephesians 4:5-6, “There is
of the Bible. Paul said in 2 Tim. 2:5, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, One
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BUILD AGAIN THE ALTARS
God and Father off all, who is above worship you know not what: we know
all...” There is no other God. Not what we worship: for salvation is of
Allah, but the God and Father of the the Jews” (Jn. 4:22). In other words,
Lord Jesus Christ. This is true wor- Jesus clearly stated, “Salvation is out
ship. of Judah.” This is a direct prophecy
The woman to whom Jesus spoke from Micah 5:2 which states “Out of
these words was an adulteress and a thee (Judah) shall he come forth unto
harlot, but she was also a Samaritan. me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose
Their discourse turned to religious goings forth have been of old, from
matters when she asked Jesus whether everlasting.” This is a Messianic
they were supposed to worship at prophecy. Jesus did not tell her that it
Jerusalem or at Mount Gerazim. The was all right to serve God in her own
question is “How did the Samaritan’s way as long as she served God. No,
religious sect begin?” The answer is only “true worshipers” can worship
found in 2 Kings 17:23-41: the God and Father of Jesus Christ.
After the Jews of Israel were car- We are seeing a parallel today as
ried away into captivity to Babylon, many seek to elevate Islam to the
and only few were left to tend the same level as Christianity and
land, the king of Assyria sent Babylo- “other gods” to be equal with the
nians to Israel to inhabit the land. God of the Bible and His Son,
Judgment, in the form of lions, Jesus the Messiah.
devoured the people, and so they
Tolerance VS. Compromise
asked the king to return a priest of
Israel to the land to teach them the People are afraid of being accused
ways of God. They thought this would of being intolerant or exclusive. It is
stay God’s judgment on the land. one thing to be tolerant of other peo-
This might sound like a good thing ple’s rights to choose to serve whom
on the surface, but it wasn’t. What they will. God Himself said,
happened was, the people added the “Choose ye this day whom ye shall
Judaic worship to their own gods. serve...” (Joshua 24:15). God won’t
They did not adopt Judaism as their make anyone serve Him who doesn’t
faith, but they mixed it in with their want to. But it is another thing to say
false worship. The result was a pol- that all faiths are equal, all gods are
luted form of Judaism which contin- equal, and all ways to God are equal.
ued even until Jesus’ time. This is Clearly the Scriptures teach other-
why there was so much hatred and wise. This is not being intolerant.
hostility between Jews and Samari- God even tolerates the devil at this
tans. The Jews regarded them as time. We are free to make our own
“half-breeds.” They were not allowed choices, but we are not free to choose
to worship in the temple at Jerusalem. the consequences of our choices.
Jesus answered the woman, “Ye God has said, “I set before you life
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BUILD AGAIN THE ALTARS
and good, death and evil... Choose ye them to the test, and when they come
life that ye may live... For there is a forth they shall be as pure gold, and
way which seemeth right unto a man; not as the chaff which the wind
but the end thereof are the ways of driveth away!”
death” (Deut. 30:15-19, Prov. 14:12). Elijah was feeling sorry for himself.
All around us the Ahabs and Jeze- He had seen God answer by fire and
bels of this day are tearing down the consume the sacrifice. He had pre-
altars of God and instituting false vailed over the prophets of Baal and
worship to false gods, but I believe slew them, but even after that great
that God has reserved unto Himself victory, he fled in fear at the rage of
7000 who have not bowed their Jezebel. God rebuked Elijah saying,
knees to the idol of compromise. “What are you doing here? Get up!
When Elijah thought that he stood all You are not the only true prophet
alone against the false prophets, he left. I have left to me 7000 in Israel
feared for his life, and when he who have not bowed to Baal.”
learned that Jezebel was out to get
The Last Days’ 7000
him, he ran for his life! But while he
sat under the shade of the juniper tree The same scene is set for these last
and requested for himself that he days. We are in the “perilous times”
might die, the angel of the Lord Paul spoke of, “when men shall be
touched him and prepared a heavenly lovers of pleasures and lovers of self
meal for him that sustained him for more than lovers of God, and haters
forty days while he went up into and despisers of them that do good”
Horeb, the mount of God, where he (Ref. 2 Tim. 3:1-3). But in the midst
lodged in a cave. Then the word of of this gross wickedness, even while
the Lord came unto him, and said, the wicked are ruling and the false
“What doest thou here, Elijah?” prophets are prophesying in high
“And he said, I have been very jeal- places, God has His 7000 and His
ous for the Lord God of hosts: for the Elijahs who will build again His
children of Israel have forsaken thy altars! God is preparing His 7000
covenants, and thrown down thine that He has reserved for this last-day
altars, and slain thy prophets with the revival, and I don’t know about you,
sword, and I, even I only, am left; and but I’ve made my mind up I’m going
they seek my life to take it away.” to be one of them! I’m going to build
But what was the answer of God again the altars of prayer the enemy
to Elijah? “Yet have I reserved unto has digged down and the tabernacle
me seven thousand that have not of prayer he has wasted. I’m going to
bowed their knee to Baal! I have hid- maintain the standards of truth and
den them in the caves and fed them holiness that saved me and have kept
on bread and water. And I have been me 63 years, while many have
trying them in the fire, and putting departed from the faith!
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BUILD AGAIN THE ALTARS
Paul said in Rom. 8:19-22, “The who have a form of godliness but
whole creation awaiteth the manifes- deny the power thereof”—and that
tation of the sons of God!” They are “we withdraw ourselves from those
travailing, waiting for God’s real who count gain (the prosperity gos-
sons to be manifest, those who have pel of greed) as godliness!” (2 Tim.
not compromised or been infected 2:19, 3:5, 1 Tim. 6:5).
and contaminated by the world and We are in the battle. We are being
false worship. The world is groaning pressured to compromise on all sides
under the burden of Satan, waiting and all fronts. But we must not run
for their deliverance, for the 7000 from the pressure! We must dig our
who have walked with God upon the heels in deeper. We must consecrate
mount of prayer! ourselves and dedicate ourselves
We must show the world the power more to prayer and fasting, and God
of God! We must show them the glo- will strengthen us for the challenge
ry of God. They must see our good of the enemy as He did Elijah.
works, and then they will glorify our
Breaking Through In Prayer
Father in heaven. We must hold up
the blood-stained banner which the Prayer and fasting can be likened
devil hates so much and seeks to dis- unto a great jet airplane taking off. In
annul. We must build again the altars order for a jet to get all those tons of
of righteousness, of holiness, of steel up off of the ground and
prayer and fasting, and walking in the through the clouds, it strains its
Spirit. God’s Word declared, “Righ- engines at full capacity, revving with
teousness exalteth a nation, but sin is great power and force, struggling to
a reproach to any people!” break through the heavy atmosphere
(Prov.14:34). and air currents. They vibrate in pro-
There is no other foundation but test as the plane’s nose pushes
righteousness: “The foundation of through the bucking currents. But
God standeth sure, having this seal, when it reaches a certain altitude, it
The Lord knoweth them that are his. breaks through to the jet stream and
And let every one that nameth the smoothly levels off. There it is
name of Christ, depart from iniquity” pushed along by the tail winds as it
(2 Tim. 2:19). glides gracefully through the heavens
It can be no clearer than this, that at tremendous, but gentle speeds.
in order to name the Name of the Likewise, while one is pressing his
Lord, we must depart from iniquity! way through to a higher spiritual lev-
Don’t name the name of Christ— el, he is struggling and straining in
Don’t call yourself a Christian if fasting and prayer, bucking against
you’re still living in sin! God’s Word the opposition of the enemy and of
demands that we “depart from his flesh. Then all of a sudden, he
iniquity”—“turn away from those feels that explosion in the spirit, and
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BUILD AGAIN THE ALTARS
he knows he’s broken through the God is going to send a rainstorm of
spiritual warfare, through the devil’s revival, and those who are not real for
domain in the heavenlies, and God, and who are false prophets are
through to heavenly places with going to be consumed as they were in
Christ! (Ref. Eph. 6:12). Elijah’s day!
I’ll tell you how to get there: Start The prophet Isaiah spoke a word
building again the altars of God, the concerning the conflict of light and
altars of prayer in your home. Learn to darkness before the coming of Christ
wait on the Lord, and you will not get to set up His millennial kingdom, and
weary. You’ll run and not faint. But he sounded a clarion call to the peo-
like the eagle, like that jet plane, you’ll ple of God to rise up in the strength
flap your wings and mount up into of God:
heights sublime in the Spirit, far above “Arise, shine; for thy light is come,
the beggarly elements of this world and the glory of the Lord is risen
and the fleshly lusts that war against upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall
the soul! (Ref. Gal. 4:9, 1 Pet. 2:11). cover the earth, and gross darkness
If you are living right, the enemy is the people, but the Lord shall rise
trying to remove you and tear down upon thee, and his glory shall be seen
your altar of prayer, so that this world upon thee” (Isa. 60:1-2).
will not know anything but wicked- On one hand there is gross darkness
ness. (Ref. 1 John 5:19). Satan is try- and spiritual deception, but on the oth-
ing to put your light out. God is look- er hand, God’s glory and the light of
ing for a people who will let their His truth shine brightly upon the peo-
lights shine. He is looking for a rem- ple of God! But we must rise up! This
nant out of the church, even His 7000 is often the case in times of God’s
who will be vessels of honor in His judgment. When it seems to be the
great house: “But in a great house darkest hour of the night of the soul,
there are not only vessels of honor, God calls to us in His mercy to lift us
but some to dishonor.... And if a man up and deliver us. I believe God’s
will purge himself, he will be a vessel voice can speak to us through the
of honor, sanctified, meet for the Mas- prophets words:
ter’s use, prepared unto every good “With my soul have I desired thee
work” (2 Tim. 2:20-21). in the night; yea with my spirit within
What are the good works? “Letting me I will seek thee early; for when
our lights shine before men!” And in thy judgments are in the earth, the
the midst of gross darkness and false inhabitants of the world will learn
prophets and false worshipers, God is righteousness... Lord, in trouble
going to send revival! He will bring have they visited thee; they poured
His mighty remnant together and out a prayer when thy chastening
prove who is the real and living God, was upon them...
and who are the true prophets of God! “Come, my people, enter thou into
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BUILD AGAIN THE ALTARS
thy chambers, and shut thy doors unlawful sex acts to consummate
about thee: hide thyself as it were for their worship. That is why God hated
a little moment, until the indignation it so, and why He destroyed it.
be overpast” (Isa. 26:9, 16, 20).
Silence the Truth
Just as God answered Elijah when
he interceded against Israel, and Jezebel set up 450 false prophets
declared that He had 7000 reserved of Baal, until all Israel had become
unto Himself that would not bow idolatrous and dug down the altars of
their knee to Baal, God has a people Jehovah and righteous worship.
and a remnant reserved unto Him this Instead, they built groves and altars
day according to the election of of Baal, of whoredoms and homosex-
grace. They will not bow their knees uality. The false prophets flourished
to the Baals of this generation! He in the house of Ahab and Jezebel. It
has tested them to see of what sort became so wicked until Jezebel
their works are, and He has tried killed all of the prophets of God. She
them in the fire to see if they will wanted to get rid of every righteous
stand up for righteousness and come voice, so that the people would know
forth more precious than gold. He nothing but her unholy, vile worship!
has preserved them as He did the
The Mount of Prayer
7000 in Elijah’s day to build again
His holy altars. We read in 1 Kings 18 that Ahab
They will lift up their voices gathered the 450 false prophets of
against the Jezebels and declare, Baal together with the 400 false
“You are a false prophetess! You are prophets of the groves which ate at
a sinful woman! ...And as for you, Jezebel’s table. He gathered the 850
Ahab, you murdered to get what you false prophets together with the chil-
have, and you disobeyed God and dren of Israel unto Mount Carmel.
married that idolatrous woman!” Elijah then spoke unto the people:
Ahab had taken Jezebel, a strange “How long halt ye between two opin-
woman of a foreign nation for his ions? If the Lord be God, follow him:
wife, a practice that was clearly for- but if Baal, then follow him. And the
bidden by God. Consequently, Jezeb- people answered him not a word!”
el introduced all of her false religions (vs. 21).
and vile worship to God’s holy peo- Please note: The people answered
ple. This worship was associated not a word! Where were the cries
with whoredoms and perversion. In against the false god of Baal? Where
their temples were female and male were the protesters against the wicked
prostitutes who served at the altars Jezebel and her false prophets? Was
and worshiped the gods and goddess- there none to stand up against the
es of fertility. When people came to evil? Was there none to lift a faithful
worship, they committed unclean and voice to declare God’s righteousness?
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