Week 3: Familial Altars (2nd - 8th September 2016)

²⁴An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.
Exodus 20:24

“Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.” (vs. 3).
Revelation 8:3

Altars are places where the realm of the spirit meets with the natural realm. They could also be referred to as gates or doors from the physical realm, which we can relate with using our five senses into the unseen realm where spirit beings, good or evil dwell. Like all created things, the origin of altars was with God but like most things started by God, Satan provides a counterfeit operating on the same principles to advance his kingdom.

“The highest heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth he has given to man.”
Psalm 115:16

The earth was not created for spirits but for men; spirits were created to operate in a different realm and require the invitation of men who were created to operate on the earth in order to exert their influence on the earth. This meeting point is what is referred to as an altar. Once this meeting takes place subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions, a gate is created. It is important to note too that man is a spirit, lives in a body and has a soul. Therefore man has the capability to relate with the spirit realm.

The Origin of Altars

This verse highlights that there exists an altar in heaven before the throne of God. On that altar, there is a fire burning, and a ministering spirit (the angel) in front of that altar. It is important to note that every altar (godly or satanic) has a ministering spirit. In verse 5 the ministering spirit takes the censer, fills it with fire (prayer requests recorded in heaven) from the altar, and hurls it on the earth. In the control centre of the universe, there is an altar; and when we call upon the Lord in prayer, that’s where our prayers go.

It is noted in verse 3, that upon every altar there is a ministering spirit (or supervising spirit); and that every throne must have an altar. The golden altar is before the throne, implying that every throne needs an altar. This pattern comes from heaven, and therefore, the origin/source of altars is God, not Satan.

The Purpose of Altars

The purpose of altars is to provide gateways
A place of sacrifice (Deut. 27:4-7, Matt. 5:23)
A place of dedication (Gen. 28:18-19)
A place of making covenants (Gen. 28:20-22; Gen. 8:20; Gen. 9:17)
A place of communion with spirit beings (Gen. 8:20, 9:8; Num. 23:1)
A place of worship
Literally, a structure on which sacrifices are offered
Link between man and the spirit world
A consecrated place where man draws spiritual strength
A gate in the realm of the spirit

Categories of Altars

Each of the two classes of altars can be sub-divided into seven (7) categories:

(i) Personal altars (e.g. Jacob built personal altars) – body cuts

(ii) Family altars (e.g. Noah’s altar) – influence the family members; it’s a gate through the family.

(iii) Community altars

(iv) Clan altars

(v) Tribal altars-serviced by the elders of the tribe, e.g. circumcision

(vi) National altars (e.g. Altar at Mount Carmel – 1Kings 18)

Examples of Positive/Godly Altars in the Bible

Noah – humanity and the entire creation was blessed (Gen. 8:20-22)
Abraham – revelation of inheritance; to seek the LORD; and to possess the land (Gen. 12:6-9😉
Isaac – built an altar after God appeared to him (Gen. 26:23-25)
Jacob-notice that God takes pleasure in altars that He commanded Jacob to build one (Gen. 35:1)
Moses (Ex. 17:15)
Elijah-built an altar to deal with idol worship and to pray for the drought situation. An altar of national revival (1 Kings 18:30-32)
Gideon (Judges 6:26-27) Family Altar
Samuel (1 Sam. 7:17) National Altar

Examples of Negative/Satanic Altars in the Bible

Gideon’s Father (Judges 6:25)
King Jeroboam (1Kings 12:32-33)
Artemis (Acts 17:23)

The Significance of Altars

An altar is raised up for a definite purpose: you raise an altar to bless, to seek favor, to enhance, to cast down, to frustrate, or to destroy:

(a) Godly Altars

To secure the promises of God (land, property, life, etc.) Gen. 12:7-8
To dedicate the land, property, and life to God Gen. 13:14-18
To exercise control over the people of the land or property Gen. 33:19-20
To make covenants, agreements, vows with God Gen. 8, 9

(b) Satanic Altars

To act as a place of invocation of evil spirits to attack and reverse God’s purposes
To drive the presence of God away from His people through sorcery, witchcraft, enchantments, etc. Is. 25:7, Ex. 8:2-11
The altars act as a registry of what happens upon the people and the land (births, marriages, employment, leadership, finances, etc.)
To enslave the people, their resources, institutions, government, economy to satanic control

Reflection

Are there ways that you or your immediate family have raised evil altars? During this week ask God to open your eyes to things you may be blind to.
Ask His forgiveness and release from consequences that may have arisen as a result of satanic altars.
Renew your family prayer altar and pray for the spiritual, mental, emotional, physical and material needs of your family.
Pray and consider gathering family both – nuclear and extended – for a time of prayer over issues that affect them.

2062 SECTOR FOCUS: MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION

We desire to see God’s Kingdom fully manifested in the Media Sphere of Uganda by 2062

The media sphere refers to news outlets that establish and report news; it includes print (newspapers, magazines), audio (radio), visual (television networks), and cyber (computer generated). This sector has great influence in the national affairs of a nation. It is the main way people get to know what is happening. It is a tool for influence for either good or evil. The power of the media lies in its ability to shape the thinking process and opinions of millions of people every day, thereby influencing the nation’s consciousness for either righteousness or wickedness. Those in media among other things decide what is newsworthy and what is not. They can actually create news or make a non-story a big story and turn an important story into a non-story. They can slant a story to say what it is not saying. Modern media is predominantly preoccupied with the spreading of bad news and thus causing fear.

Items for thanksgiving:

The positive ways that media is being used to promote the purposes of God including the propagation of the gospel of the kingdom in every sphere.

Ask God’s forgiveness for:

The negative ways that the media is being used to promote the kingdom of darkness including:

The propagation of pornography,
The propagation of lies and fear,
The propagation of idolatry, and
The provocation of hatred, disunity, immorality, and any other vices.

Pray that the media sector will:

Become much more of a force for the promotion of God’s purposes in every sphere of our society;
Uphold and promote righteousness, truth, honesty, morality and responsibility;
Become a powerful tool for discipling the nation in fulfillment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20);

Strongly discourage and oppose the propagation of immorality, lies, fear, and the manipulate or distortion of information;

Be filled with bearers of good news (Isaiah 52:7, Isaiah 61:1, Isaiah 40:9) for every sphere.

Pray that:

Those whose calling is to serve in this sector will be awakened and arise to take up their calling to fulfill God’s purposes for our generation;
The principalities that rule over this sector and serve Satan’s agenda in our society will be dethroned.
GOD WILL BE GREATLY GLORIFIED IN THE MEDIA SECTOR IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO 2062