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Life Laid on The Altar
2
Life Laid on The Altar
© OLURANTI A. OLUWAFEMI
First printed 1992
Reprinted 1998
Reprinted 2009
Edited 2017
For free copies of this book
write to:
Festac Post Office Box 485
Festac Town, Lagos, Nigeria
E-mail: [email protected]
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CONTENTS
FOREWORD ............................................................................... 4
CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................. 8
Life Laid on The Altar
CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................... 14
Lay Your Life on The Altar
CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................... 22
Live Your Life on The Altar
CHAPTER 4 ............................................................................... 28
Be Sealed on The Altar
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FOREWORD
To start with, it is instructive to know that, it is only someone who has repented and received Jesus
Christ as Savior and Lord who can consecrate [lay] his life on God’s Altar. If you have not, I encourage
you to repent of your sins, receive Him as your Savior, and be washed in His precious blood that was
shed on the CROSS of Calvary for the redemption of the whole world. This presentation of your life to
your Redeemer as a living sacrifice will enable Him to work in and through you. The scripture says,
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10, KJV).1 Having yielded your life to Him, you become
His portion and inheritance and become available for the Holy Spirit to impart divine character into
you as you grow up in Christ.
The Bible says,
For the LORD'S portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land
and in the waste-howling wilderness, He led him about, He instructed him, he kept him as the apple
of his eye. As an eagle stirreth her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh
them, beareth them on her wings: So the LORD alone did lead him and there was no strange god with
him. He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and
he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock. (Deut. 32:9-13)
The waste howling wilderness, otherwise called the terrible wilderness wherein were fiery serpents and
scorpions and drought, was indeed a place where God led the Israelites and tested them in order to humble
them and prove them, so as to know what was in their hearts. The wilderness was a place to prove their loyalty
unto Him as a God who desires and demands absolute worship from His creatures. Notwithstanding, His grace
sustained them and delivered them from the fiery serpents, scorpions and drought that would have consumed
1 All Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version unless otherwise noted.
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them.
This terrible wilderness is a type of our spiritual experience as disciples of Christ these days. The word disciple
comes from the word discipline. For one to be called a disciple means that one is submitted to the discipline
of JESUS CHRIST. Are you under the tutelage of the HOLY SPIRIT? Are you submitted to His discipline?
As long as the servant is not greater than His master, we must therefore go through our own wilderness
experiences. It is written, "JESUS being full of the HOLY GHOST returned from Jordan, and was led by the
Spirit into the wilderness" (Luke 4:1). There, He went through total or absolute fasting for forty days and
nights, after which He was tempted by the Devil, who is also called Satan the Destroyer. The fiery serpents
are types of Satan and principalities and powers while the scorpions stand for demons. We must wrestle with
all of them, but glory be to God,
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of CHRIST. (2 Cor. 10:4-5)
My understanding of warfare or wrestling in this context is yielding to the Holy Spirit to enable us enforce
the victory that our Lord Jesus Christ had over Satan and his cohort (see Colossians 2:13-15).
The drought also speaks of the tests and trials and sifting that we have to go through. There is no one who
can survive these experiences without the grace of God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. But glory is to
God whose express will is still to lead, instruct, train, and keep His sons and bless them abundantly (most
especially spiritual blessings in heavenly places in CHRIST JESUS). The Most High God said, "I will instruct
thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with my eye" (Psa. 32:8). In order to
withstand the test and trials in our lives, the LORD says, " ... in returning and rest shall ye be saved, in
quietness and in confidence shall be your strength ... " (Isa. 30:15).
The Psalmist responds
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"TRULY, my soul waiteth upon God, from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, he
is my defense, I shall not be greatly moved" (Psa. 62:1-2).
The LORD is asking us to withdraw from self-life and programmatic activities and enter into His rest on His
Altar. He is asking us to stop flying about like butterflies, but instead, to be like bees. The butterfly has no
time to dig deep into the honey of a flower. It moves from place to place, “sweating,” so to say, but a bee
stays in one place to dig deep and deeper still into the honey of the flower. Thus says the LORD, " ... The
remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward" (Isa.
37:31).
God wants us to be on the altar until we grow out roots in Christ so that we may be able to lick the honey of
His word of grace that is able to build us up into the full stature of sonship of God. This rooting will enable
us to wash our steps with butter (the word of God) and make the rock to pour out rivers of oil (the anointing
of God) on us (see Job 29:6).
Having been rooted in CHRIST, one will be able to draw life from Him and become abundantly fruitful.
Remember, He is the Vine and we are the branches, and we can do nothing without Him.
Entering God's rest is to be under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. This means to be led, ruled and
disciplined by the Holy Spirit.
There on the altar, the Holy Spirit opens our ears so that we may be able to hear God's instructions and carry
them out faithfully. He opens our eyes to behold wondrous things out of God's word. We move when the
cloud of glory moves and we stay when the cloud of glory stays. We dare not do anything unless He tells us.
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" (Rom. 8:14).
Before, I was so preoccupied with activities that I missed God here and there, until, by His grace, I surrendered
my life on His altar. Now, the difference is clear, and it is getting clearer every day. It is now that I am entering
into the rest of God. It is now that the Lord is giving me an open door of utterance to declare the Mystery of
Christ Jesus. It is now that I am encountering God's glory, power, and truth in ever increasing manner. The
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choice is yours. Choose either the sweat of self-life or the rest of God that leads to fullness as you walk under
open heaven.
A songwriter cried unto God thus:
"Take me past the outer court,
through Your holy place,
Pass the brazen Altar,
LORD, I want to see Your face.
Pass me by the crowded people
And the priests who sing Your praise, Lord.
I hunger and thirst for Your righteousness,
But it's only found in one place.
So take me into the Holy of Holies.
Take me in by the blood of the LAMB.
Take me into the Holy of Holies.
Take the coal, cleanse my life, here I am
Take the coal, cleanse my heart, here I am."
Beloved, won't you crave for the glorious Altar of God which is not found in any other place but in the Holy
of Holies, the very presence of God?
Just like the experience of Isaiah, God wants to cleanse your life:
"Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.
With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin
atoned for’" (Isa. 6:6-7, NIV).
- Oluranti A. Oluwafemi
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CHAPTER 1
Life Laid on The Altar
As I waited on the Lord on the 16th February 1990, the Holy Spirit in my heart quickened a text of scripture
and it became much alive to me and the understanding very clear. For it is written, "There is a Spirit in man
and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding" (Job 32:8).
The scriptural verse quickened in me was Exodus 29:37. God instructed Moses thus:
“Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy;
whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.”
On reading it, the truth about holiness immediately dawned on me, for thus says the Lord, “Be ye holy for I
am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16). We are also told to renew our mind and to put on the new man who, after God, is
created in righteousness and true holiness (see Ephesians 4:24). This true holiness of God, I believe, is gotten
on the altar of God. God can only sanctify a life that is fully yielded to Him on His ALTAR. Be warned,
without holiness, no one shall see the Lord (see Hebrews 12:14).
During the Old Testament time, there were two agents of sanctification of the altar:
1. The blood of a spotless bullock (Ex. 29:36), and
2. The holy oil of anointing.
Without an iota of doubt, when this was done according to the Divine Order; the altar became most holy and
whatever touched it was made holy. Prophet Zechariah testifies to this, saying, “… And the pots in the
LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be
holiness unto the Lord of hosts, and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein”
(Zech. 14:20-21). Above all, the Lord Jesus Christ himself confirmed this in Matthew 23:19, “Ye fools and
blind; for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift?”
In actual fact, this was a type and shadow of the spiritual reality that was accomplished in Jesus Christ.
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Abraham built an altar for God on mount Horeb where he kept a divine appointment with God (see Genesis
22:9).
On that altar, he demonstrated absolute obedience when he laid his only son on the altar for a sweet-smelling
savor unto the Most High God. Glory is to God who immediately responded to his loyalty by giving a lamb
as a substitute for his son. I feel the Lord is asking, are you willing and ready to lay that which you cherish
most, even your life, upon My altar, so that I can do that which I am pleased with it? If you respond positively
to His Divine desire and wholeheartedly abandon yourself on His Altar, I am very sure that the blessings of
Abraham will be at your disposal.
When Jacob encountered God at Bethel where the heaven was opened on him and saw God in His grandeur,
he built an altar for God (see Genesis 28:10-18). The expression “open heaven” is worth noting in the life of
our Lord Jesus Christ as well, so that we can desire the glorious experience. As for Him, an open heaven was
the heavenly might at His disposal. Remember that as soon as He came out the water having been immersed
in river Jordan, the Holy Spirit descended, lighted and rested on Him (see Matthew 3:16-17). Since then, His
manner of ministration was always accompanied by the manifestation of God’s glory. Hence, all His saints
who dwell in Him will also experience open heaven. The place of open heaven is where God comes down to
communicate with His people and His glory abides therein. It is an awesome experience, when the veil is
removed and there is no more closed dome over you and you see and communicate with JESUS CHRIST and
continually receive growing revelation of Him. All Glory belongs to our God who commanded the light to
shine out of darkness, and has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ (see 2 Corinthians 4:6).
During a showdown with the false prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Elijah built an altar in the name of the
Lord (see 1 Kings 18:32). It was a usual practice of the Israelites at that time to build physical altars unto the
Lord God. But when the appointed time came, the Lamb of God came with the reality. John the Baptist
testified, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Hallelujah! The Lord
Jesus came to build the spiritual altar and atoned and sanctified it with His blood, the very blood of God and
His anointing. Whoa! If the blood of a ram could make an altar most holy, how much more the blood of God,
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flowing in the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Glory be to God! His precious blood has made available the most holy
altar of God on the mountain of His Holy Presence.
It is written: “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and of the inhabitants of
Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness” (Zech. 13:1). This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus Christ bled and
died on the mount of God at Calvary. The fountain of His precious blood is still fresh and flowing deep and
wide from the altar of God in the most holy place in heaven.
The altar of God is a place of sacrifice, consecration and commitment. It is a place where all is laid down
without reservation. It is a place where we keep divine appointments with God. It is a place where one
encounters God and becomes humble. Sometimes like Jacob, you stumble into it unknowingly. No wonder
Jacob exclaimed, “… surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not” (Gen. 28:16).
Saul (who later became Paul), full of bitterness and rebellion against Christ, stumbled into the very presence
of God as one stumbles on hidden mines [explosives] on the battleground. There he got arrested and broken.
He reported:
At midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining
round about me and them which journey with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a
voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is
hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And I said, who art thou, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom
thou persecute. But rise, and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to
make thee a minister and a witness both of these things, which thou hast seen, and of those things in
the which I will appear unto thee. Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles unto whom
now I send thee. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are
sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:13-18)
Moses, having escaped from the palace of Pharaoh and was innocently keeping the flock of Jethro his father-
in-law, stumbled into God's presence on mountain Horeb. The scripture says that,
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... The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked,
and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed ... God called unto him out of
the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh
hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground ... Come
now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children
of Israel out of Egypt. (Ex. 3:2-10)
The heavens were opened on Isaiah as well, and he encountered God in His glory. The reflection of the glory
of God brought to the open Isaiah’s utter sinfulness which he detested, confessed, and from which he was
cleansed. It is written in Isaiah 6:4-8,
... The posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke
(God's glory). Then said I, woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I
dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the king; the Lord of hosts.
Then flew one of the Seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the
tongs from off the altar. And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, lo, this hath touched thy lips, and
thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, whom
shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I, send me.
These ordinary men of Extraordinary God, had a taste of eternity within a touch of time, and their lives were
transformed. They received their call and commission there and then on the altar of God! One thing that thrills
(gladdens) me is that none of them ever took a vacation from the altar of God after the encounter. They knew
that God has nothing to do with any ministry: ministries are no longer instruments of His actual presence.
Despite these sovereign acts of God, there is a standing order to seek the Lord with our whole heart. The Lord
told us in one of our times of fellowship thus in a Chorus:
"When you seek Me,
When you seek your Lord,
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When you seek your Lord,
With all your heart,
Then you will find me."
Isaiah 55:6 says "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.”
Proverbs 8:17 also says, "I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me."
David in Psalm 63:1 says, “Oh God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee …”
So, in humble obedience to the word of God, you can decide like David to seek the Lord right from your
childhood. You can decide to lay your life on the altar of God so that God can break you, melt you, mold you,
and fill you with Himself.
It is written, " ... thus saith the High and lofty One that inhabits eternity whose name is Holy. I dwell in the
high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble,
and to revive the heart of the contrite ones" (Isa. 57:15). Remember, " ... the sacrifices of God are a broken
spirit; a broken and contrite heart ... " (Psa. 51:17).
There is no one more beautiful than one who is broken. Jesus is our perfect example. On the altar of God,
Jesus submitted His will to the will of His father. He laid all on the altar. He demonstrated the characteristics
of brokenness. You see, a broken spirit is a spirit that has come totally to the end of itself. It makes no claims,
offers no arguments. All independence, all self-will, and all self-righteousness have been purged out. Such a
person is fully yielded to the dealings (the breaking, the melting, the molding) of the Lord Jesus Christ on His
altar.
Isaiah 53:7 has something to say about it; "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his
mouth, he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not
his mouth."
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Peter strengthens the truth of CHRIST'S brokenness thus: "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his
mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed
himself to him that judgeth righteously" (1 Pet. 2:22-23).
David, in the Messianic Psalm 42:6, said, “But I am a worm, and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of
the people." Hence, to be like Christ Jesus, we ought to follow His example of complete submission to God
on the altar that is most HOLY.
By God's grace, I declare my stand with the wordings of this song:
"In God's step, I have chosen to follow
Reaching out always to the unknown
Giving my life, giving my time,
A living sacrifice I am called to be.
I will give, give,
I'll give all that I have
So I can see, see
The deliverance of the LORD
Upon this land and in my time
A living sacrifice I will always be."
What about you, oh! son or daughter of God?
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CHAPTER 2
Lay Your Life on The Altar
It pays rich dividends to lay one’s life on the Altar that is most holy. Permit me to dig deeper into the word
altar in Hebrew; for it will enable you to lay your life down with understanding. The Hebrew word for an
altar is "mizbeth". It is a place of blood sacrifice. It was derived from the word "zabah" which means, "to
slaughter" or "slay a victim." The altar was also used for the presentation of the bloodless meal offering and
the libations of oil and wine. It was also used for burning sacrificial animals. Before the consecration of
Tabernacle by Moses, the altar was made up of one or more unhewn stones (see Exodus 20:24-26). But after
the Tabernacle was built and consecrated, two types of altars were constructed according to due order:
1. The bronze altar installed before the door of the Tabernacle which was used for blood-sacrifices only. It
was fashioned of acacia wood overlaid with bronze and equipped with a horn at each of the four corners.
2. The golden altar made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. This stood right before the inner veil for
the burning of incense whose smoke will cover the ark of the covenant in the Holy of holies,
It is written, “…Bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar” (Psa. 118:27).
The spiritual reality of these altars now exists in spiritual Zion, the city of the living God (see Revelation 8:1-
5).
The altar is any secret closet, which is any place one falls before God to worship and pray. This consecrated
altar is found in the mountaintop of God’s presence.
David Wilkerson said, "It is an altar not made with hands. It is a spiritual place - a place known only to God
and you, where the heart truly worships and glorifies the Lord."2 However, it is very shocking and alarming;
very disappointing indeed, to know that the altar of God is almost empty. If an ordinary bird desires the altar
of God for refuge, how much more you, oh Child of God?
2 Wilkerson, David. Babylon is Falling. 1999.
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Psalm 84:3 says: "Yea the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may
lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of Hosts my king and my God." Be informed, there is an urgent call
of the Lord to us (the hungry hearted) to go back to the altar of God. Joel 1:13 says, "Gird yourselves, and
lament, ye priests: howl ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth ye ministers of my God: for
the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God."
Be warned, there is now stocktaking by the Lord of Hosts of the lives laid on the altar for purging, dedication,
sealing, and overflowing (fullness) (Rev. 11:1).
In Hebrews 4:12-14, the Holy Spirit compares the believer to a sacrifice on the altar. For instance, in the Old
Testament time, the sacrifice, which the people presented, was bound to the altar. Then, the High Priest would
come to kill it with a sharp knife, part it into two, and pierce it to divide the joints and marrow. Thereafter, it
was burned as an offering to God. Just as the priest of old split the sacrifice, so our High Priest, the Lord
Jesus Christ, divides our soul and spirit now on the altar. Hence, our freewill offering, well pleasing to God,
is to lay our lives on the altar. This will enable our High Priest to use the sword of the Spirit to divide our
soul and spirit. This will enable us to walk and live in the spirit and consequently lead us to spiritual maturity
in CHRIST.
One thing that is certain is that those of us who have heard the sheep call and obeyed are to be readily available
on the altar for purging and cleansing. The coming out of the court of mixture is not an end to itself but a
means to an end. Thank God for the grace to celebrate the Passover feast and the feast of Pentecost but the
greatest is ahead which is the celebration of the feast of the tabernacle. This is the celebration of the
ingathering of the processed fruits. God is now taking us through the process of spiritual maturity.
Paul said: "I count not myself to have apprehended ... I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 3:13-14). The price for this high calling of God in Christ Jesus is a life laid on
the altar, tied to the horns of the altar Unmovable (without murmuring and disputing).
Paul the Apostle passionately says:
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I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good and acceptable, and perfect will of God. (Rom. 12:1-2)
The Lord of Hosts is saying, "Gather my saints together unto me (on Mt. Zion), those that have made a
covenant with me by sacrifice" (Psa. 50:5).
The Lord expects a total abandonment of self on His altar. For instance, in the Yoruba land, in Western
Nigeria, there is an example of this living sacrifice. Sometimes, an occasion may warrant a live goat being
taken to a shrine and be left there to the god without killing it during and after the ritual. Henceforth, the goat
belongs to the god. Even if the owner sees the goat any other time walking about, he dare not claim it as his
own. It henceforth belongs to the god.
In the light of this, a life by faith laid on the altar henceforth belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ, and not to any
other lord. "O Lord, our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us. But by thee only will we
make mention of thy name" (Isa. 26:13).
Therefore, our desire should be as expressed in the wordings of this song in Psalm 27:4:
One thing have I desired of the Lord,
That will I seek after,
That I may dwell in the presence of my Lord,
All the days of my life.
To behold the glory, the glory of my Lord,
To inquire in God's temple,
The temple of my Lord.
To be made into God's likeness,
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The likeness of my Lord.
To partake of God's fullness,
The fullness of my Lord.
The Lord is a covenant keeping God, and He expects us to enter into a covenant with Him, like the children
of Judah in the days of Asa, to seek Him with all our hearts. 2 Chronicles 15:12-15 says, "And all Judah
rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire,
and he was found of them and the Lord gave them rest roundabout.”
We surely need to seek God with an undivided loyalty in order to enter into the rest of God, which is the goal
of our salvation. Azariah Oded, the prophet, told Asa that there should be no hide and seek game with the
Lord. As a matter of fact, if you play games with the Lord, He will play games with you in return. But if you
really seek Him, He will be found of you. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you (See 2 Chronicles
15:1-2).
King David sternly declared, "with the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, with an upright man thou
wilt shew thyself upright, with the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure, and with the froward thou wilt shew
thyself froward” (Psa. 18:25-26). If truly we desire Christ's fullness and seek Him with our whole heart on the
altar, He will surely come and cleanse us and make us fit for our Master's use. It is written,
... and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple.... For he is like a refiner's fire and
like fuller's soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi
and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
(Mal. 3:1-3)
As you know, after the trumpet (a clear message of God through the mouth of the anointed saint), is the
atonement and, finally, the celebration of the Tabernacle. We are really in the time of atonement which is a
day of fire, of cleansing of purifying and of forgiveness. It is indeed a time of repentance, repudiation and
restoration. Be consecrated daily to ADONAI!
It is a time we are saying: O Lord, here I am on your altar, search me and know my heart, try me and know
my thoughts, and see if there be any sin in me, cleanse me and lead me in the new and living way. 1 Peter
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1:16 instructs, "Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." Therefore, let us not go into service and
bypass the necessary preparation. Our lives must be laid on the altar, and we must pause at the brazen laver
long enough to know what sanctified living is all about. Laver speaks of separation, of sanctification, and of
holiness.
Are you separated unto God on His altar? You must be, for it is written: "Therefore thus saith the LORD,
if thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shall stand before me: and if thou take forth the
precious from the vile, thou shall be as my mouth: Let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto
them" (Jer. 15:19). From this scripture, we can infer that there is no relationship between the precious and
the vile.
Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. But as one lays on the altar, and says;
“Purge me Spirit of righteousness
O! Spirit of the living God
Purge me Spirit of holiness
Purge me Lord,”
He reminds us of our emotional sins, such as the fit of anger thrown towards our wives, or children or
neighbors, our impatience with people, sins we commit in words and deeds, and our wrong motives in doing
things. As we humbly confess and plead and appropriate the cleansing power of the blood of Christ, we are
cleansed. We must take time to bathe in the washing of the water of the Word. That is, finding time out of no
time to meditate long enough on the word of God in order to renew our mind.
ADONAI YESHUA MESSIAH prayed: "Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth” (John 17:17).
The water in the laver is the word of God, and Jesus is the written and living word of God. Living in the word
of God on the altar is the best antidote to the filth and smut to which believers are constantly exposed. No one
(except Jesus) has arrived yet at the place where he never becomes defiled by this world. We need to be
thoroughly cleansed, because God will not use dirty vessel. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die, but if
ye through the Spirit do mortify (put to death) the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Rom. 8:13).
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The putting to death of the deeds of the body reminds me of the three deaths and three resurrections which
Brother Thompson discussed in his book, The Feasts of the Lord. It is evidently clear in the Bible that it is
dying and not doing that brings much fruits. The Lord Jesus said, "verily verily, I say unto you, except a corn
of wheat fall; into the ground and die it abideth alone: but if it dies it bringeth forth much fruit ... And if I be
lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me" (John 12:23, 32). This proves that death precedes
resurrection and fruitfulness.
The three hangings of the Tabernacle of the congregation symbolize the three deaths. The first hanging was
the gate of the courtyard that led into the court of the tabernacle wherein stood the bronze altar and the laver.
The altar of burnt offering and the laver typifies this death, which is forsaking one’s righteousness. This is to
accept the blood of the Lamb of God and water baptism, which means death to Adamic sins and our sins,
burial and resurrection. The old man is put on the cross through the authority of the blood of Christ and the
power of the Holy Spirit. Hence, we become free to choose to serve God in righteousness and holiness. The
first death, which every Christian must experience, results in the resurrection of our spirit. This occurs when
the Holy Spirit quickens our spirit and makes it alive and sensitive to the Most High God.
The second hanging was the door of the Tabernacle. This is death to the sins which we commit as Christians
as the Holy Spirit puts to death the deeds of the body.
1 John 1:7-9 says,
But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and the blood of
Jesus Christ, His son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. See also 1 John 3:3 and 2 Corinthians 7:1.
When we are baptized into the Holy Spirit, we come under the law of the Spirit of Life (see Romans 8:1-2).
When this happens, the glory of God radiating in our spirit penetrates the realm of our soul.
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The wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ enable us to sit in judgment
of the sins in our own life. We judge the sins of deed, word, imagination and motive that we are committing
as Christians. It is a step-by-step over-coming of sin and a step-by-step movement into a progressively greater
obedience to the Holy Spirit. The end result of this death is the resurrection of our soul in righteous and holy
living.
The third hanging was the veil that concealed the holy of holies. This is not death unto sins of the past or
present but rather the death of that which is lawful but not expedient (See 1 Corinthians 10:23). It is death to
serving God in our own wisdom and power. It is death to self-achievement, even self-achievement in the
things of God. It is a crucifixion of the will, which is the deepest death of all. The death of the veil is a
protracted (prolonged) death, as God brings us into the sufferings of Christ. We are being transformed into
His glory.
To enter into the work of judgment with Christ, in the destroying of sin out of the earth and the installation of
the kingdom of God requires the death of the veil. This, by the power of the HOLY SPIRIT, gives us access
into the THRONE ROOM of God, and we will safely go in and out and find pasture to mirror Heaven on earth
(See John 10:9). The end result of this death is the redemption and glorification of our mortal body, which is
the clothing-upon with the house, which is from heaven (See 2 Corinthians 5:1-4).
The person who is willing to go this final route cannot be hurt by any death. He is dead, but he is eternally
alive. It is Christ, the living fire of God who is living in him. Beyond this death is a resurrection in God
himself, which is so glorious, so holy, so wonderful, so eternal, and so incorruptible, that the believer will be
able to stand in God's presence forever, to see His face and to serve Him. Amen.
Please sing with me this Holy Spirit -inspired chorus:
Tear down my veil
That covers your light
Tear down my veil, O LORD.
Tear down my veil
That hides your face
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Tear down my veil, Jesus
Rend my veil
That covers your light
I need your light, Jesus
Rend my veil
That hides your face
I need your glorious light
A.W. TOZER said, "self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us.”3 As long as the veil of our
fleshly fallen nature lives on our hearts, un-judged, un-crucified, and un-repudiated, (these self-sins, are, self-
righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love, self-complacency, self-
opinion and self-conceit, etc.) we cannot see God.
Self-sins dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our nature to come to our attention until the light
of God is focused upon them. It is only God that can rend this veil as we yield and trust Him on His altar.
If ye then be risen with CHRIST, seek those things which are above, where CHRIST sitteth on
the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are
dead, and your life is hid with CHRIST in God. When CHRIST, who is our life, shall appear,
then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Col. 3:1-4)
Summing up from the scripture quoted, we discover that there can be no resurrection without death. So, if we
patiently go through these three deaths on God's altar, we will be secured in God, and God will live out His
life in us and through us. We shall eventually live with Him in glory.
Amen.
3 Tozer, A.W. The Pursuit of God. 1948.
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CHAPTER 3
Live Your Life on The Altar
One day, in an open vision, as we gathered in the presence of His Majesty, ADONAI revealed a mirror before
us on which we focused. Then a man came out of the mirror and started to wipe our faces and to remove veil
from our faces. Then, we started to climb a ladder and a voice kept saying, “go ahead, for you are almost
getting to the top of the ladder.”
Then the understanding came that the mirror is the word of God. The word is the mirror of our soul to x-ray
our mind for cleansing, and Jesus Christ is both the living and the written word of God. Hence, the man who
came out of the mirror is the Lord Jesus.
It is written, "Nevertheless when he shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away" (2 Cor. 3:16-18).
David, in Psalm 17:15, also said "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied,
when I awake, with thy likeness."
Paul also has this to say: God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts
... in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 4:6).
Jesus is the radiance, the effulgence of the glory of God. As we habitually live in His presence on His altar,
the glorious light shines forth from our Lord to us to dispel the covering of darkness. "And he will destroy in
this mountain the face of covering cast over all people and the veil that is spread over all nations” (Isa. 25:7).
This helps us to see and behold wondrous things out of His word, and start to ascend spiritual heights in Christ.
He starts to change us from glory to glory, and we begin to grow in His likeness. Without any shade of doubt,
as we are lost into the contemplation of God’s holiness, righteousness, greatness, and loving kindness in the
pages of His word, we continue to be enlightened and grow in the revelation knowledge of our sovereign
Lord.
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The altar is a place of consecration (dedication). As I waited on the Lord to throw more light on this message,
He gave me another revelation. In the revelation, He revealed to me a house that was once occupied and later
deserted because of a terrible phenomenon [incident] that happened one night. There was a tremor that night,
which never affected other houses around it. This made the house to remain desolate for a long time while
other houses beside it were occupied. Then, it was revealed to me that the cause of the frightful phenomenon
and desolation was because the owners of the house did not dedicate the house to God. So, I led the owners
to dedicate the house to the Lord.
I believe the Lord is saying that we are the house of God, and if we are not dedicated to God, we will be
vulnerable to the attack of the devil. We will also be empty of the glory of God. God wants us to dedicate
ourselves on His altar so that He may hide us in His holiness and in the secret place of His presence.
Psalm 91:1-5 says,
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say
of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust. Surely He will save you
from the fowler's snare, and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with His feathers, and
under his wings you will find refuge. (NIV)
It is very suicidal to lose one's consecration. For instance, Satan, through Delilah, made Samson to lose his
consecration. The word of God says, "And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words and
urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death; and he told her all his heart” (Judg. 16:16-17).
As soon as he revealed the secret of his consecration, his consecration was tampered with, and he lost it.
Consequently, God left him because the loss of consecration means the loss of power, the testimony of
separation from sin, and the loss of the presence of God. It is written, “... Whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent
shall bite him" (Eccles. 10:8).
An hedge is God's presence with us and around us. When our consecration to the Lord is intact, as it should
always be, He sets a wall of fire around us and his canopy of Glory over us (See Zechariah 2:5). The Prophet
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Isaiah added, "And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion and upon her
assemblies a cloud and smoke by day, and shining of flaming fire by night; for upon all, the glory shall
be a defense" (Isa. 4:5).
No Philistine could spoil Samson before he lost his consecration, but the moment he lost it and broke the
hedge, he was shamefully and cruelly dealt with. What a tragedy, the enemies removed his eyes and chained
him! He eventually committed suicide by pulling down their temple over the Philistines and himself. In like
manner, any Christian who loses his consecration will be spiritually blind. His end also will be suicidal if he
does not repent.
It is very glorious to be fully dedicated to the Lord. Let us examine few instances of the miracles of dedication.
1. The dedication of the tabernacle in the day of Moses
Exodus 40:33-35, Leviticus 9:24
When Moses finished the building of the tabernacle according to the Divine Order; he dedicated it back to the
Lord, and there was an overwhelming presence of God. The glory of the Lord so filled the tabernacle that
Moses was unable to enter the tent of the congregation.
“On the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the
testimony and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning”
(Num. 9:15).
2. The dedication of a hallowed ground to the Lord by David
1 Chronicles 21:18-26
By the leading of the Lord's angel, David went to the threshing floor of Ornan in order to purchase it and build
an altar where to offer sacrifice to God as remedy for the plague that had claimed the lives of seventy thousand
men (verse 18). When David made the request, Ornan asked him to take it without cost. He also offered David
oxen, wood and wheat for the sacrifice. But David refused to offer burnt offerings to the Lord without cost.
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So, he paid the full price, built there an altar unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.
God honored his genuine dedication by sending fire upon the altar to consume the sacrifice (verses 22-26).
It is evident here that God will not make do with a sacrifice that does not cost anything. I have a price to pay,
and you have a price to pay also. Self must be crucified. We should separate ourselves from every person,
group or thing that is seducing our hearts from the presence of God. We should be willing to bear the reproach
by boldly identifying with Christ outside the camp of religion. Get out of hypocrisy and forms of godliness
without power of God. Enough of ritual motions without righteous emotions. We must be willing to give God
the best of everything that we have, even our whole self. But be warned, God will not tolerate polluted
sacrifice. He desires pure offering.
Malachi 1:6-8 says,
A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master, if then I be a father, where is mine honour? And
if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, o priests that despise my name...
wherein have we despised thy name? ... Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And if ye offer the
blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy
governor, will he be pleased with them or accept thy person? saith the Lord of hosts.
God expects our time, our talent even our ministries to be laid on His altar. It is everything that is laid on the
altar that becomes a useful tool or vessel in God's hand. However, we must not be deceivers that bring that
which is torn, lame, and sick on to the altar like Cain.
3. The dedication of the Temple by Solomon.
2 Chronicles 7:1-3
As God would have it, it was that same hallowed ground, which King David dedicated to God, that Solomon
used to build the Temple for God. After Solomon had finished the construction of the Temple, he went ahead
to dedicate it to the Lord. On the occasion, as the singers and trumpeters
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worshiped God in the beauty of His holiness, the glory of God so filled the Temple that the priests could not
stand to minister.
Also as soon as Solomon finished his prayer of dedication fire, came from heaven and consumed the burnt
offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the house. When all the children of Israel saw how
the fire came down and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the
ground upon the pavement and worshiped, and praised the Lord, saying: For He is good, for his mercy
endureth forever.
4. On Mount Carmel, Elijah rebuilt the Altar of God
1 Kings 18:32-39
"And with the stones, he built an altar in the name of the Lord. And he put the wood in order, and cut the
bullock in pieces and laid him on the wood ... " Elijah then cut the sacrificed bull into pieces, and placed them
on the altar and offered a prayer of dedication to the living God. God answered him by fire and God was
glorified for it. Each piece of Elijah's bull can stand for every part of our lives, which must be placed on the
altar of God. Before God will release His power in our lives there must be reckless abandonment of our lives
on His altar. Better still, before we enter into God's fullness, we must abandon our lives on His altar.
Dedication to God's will brought the four supernatural fires in the Old Testament time. Also in the New
Testament, the prerequisite qualification for the Holy Ghost fire and God's fullness is genuine dedication to
God. The disciples dedicated themselves to God in the upper room, and the same fire of the Holy Ghost fell
on them. It is written,
“when the Day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the
mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They
saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest upon each of them. All of
them were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them
utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
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They became flaming ministers to the glory of God. Is your life laid on the altar daily? It is a life that is laid
on the altar that will be purged and cleansed and filled to overflowing? The fire of the Holy Ghost purifies,
and purity of life brings power. Watchman Nee said, "If our consecration to the Lord is absolute and we
ourselves are humble, it may be that we will receive mercy to be kept from error."4
It will not be out of place to say that, by the grace of God, a few of us have been living our lives on the Altar
of God for more than nineteen years now, and we have no cause whatsoever to regret the sacrifice. We are
into a covenant of life with Him in response to His command. I believe there are other consecrated remnants
scattered around the world. Very soon, deep will be calling to the deep in Yeshua Messiah’s name.
THE KING OF GLORY said, "Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant
with me by sacrifice" (Psa. 50:5). God's eternal purpose is to reveal His glory in and through yielded life.
This was manifested first in and through Jesus Christ who dedicated himself to God, then the Apostles, and
now, He has also found dedicated vessels through which He will reveal His glory in these last days. I believe,
and it is sure, in the name of Jesus Christ, that the enemy will not be able to tamper with our consecration as
long as we maintain our gaze on JESUS CHRIST, the Sun of Righteousness. It is written: "Looking unto
Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith: who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God" (Heb. 12:2).
4 Nee, Watchman. The Orthodoxy of the Church. 1970.
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CHAPTER 4
Be Sealed on The Altar
SEALING:
There is a standing order of the Lord to the priests and ministers of the altar, to lament and howl (groan).
“Gird yourselves and lament, ye ministers of the altar, come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye minister of
my God" (Joel 1:13).
We must understand that this is a time of atonement that will lead to the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacle
(the in gathering of the processed fruits). God really expects us to be groaning, travailing, weeping, and
repenting on the altar for the stinking sins of mankind and for the imminent judgment of God that is
forthcoming.
And the Lord said unto him, go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem,
and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations
that be done in the midst thereof ... Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children
and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary.
(Ezek. 9:4, 6)
There is also another reference of this prophecy in Rev. 7:2-3, saying, "Do not harm the earth, the sea, or
the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads."
As I have said earlier, a stock taking of the lives laid on the altar is on right now. Revelation 11:1 says: " ...
Rise and measure; the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein." Without any
shadow of doubt, the mark or the sealing of the living God is obtained ONLY on the altar of the MOST HIGH.
The epistles further illuminate our minds on the seal of the living God.
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That we should be to the praise of His glory who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted
after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: In whom also after that ye
believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance
until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Eph. 1:12-14)
This means that it is our implicit faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that qualifies us for the seal. One must have
received Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord before being sealed by the Lord. It is also said, "Now he who
strengthens us with you in Christ and hath anointed us, is God. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest
of the Spirit in our hearts” (2 Cor. 1:21-22). Paul further warned, "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God,
whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
In the light of this, one can conclude that it is the Lord Holy Spirit that seals any life that is fully yielded to
Christ on His altar. No wonder the LORD JESUS CHRIST insisted and commanded that His Disciples should
wait on Him until they were baptized with the Holy Ghost and be empowered and sealed from on high (See
Luke 24:49). You can see the importance of being filled with the Holy Ghost, for without Him, you can do
nothing.
The 'sealing' of the Holy Spirit signifies these things:
1. Ownership
2. A finished transaction
3. Security
1. Ownership
My father was a plank dealer. When logs of wood were cut in the bush, he used to put his own seal, which he
obtained from the government, on both sides of each log of wood. This seal proved that the logs belong to
him and that nobody should trespass. So also, when we appropriate the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus
in our lives and we become blood-bought, blood-washed, and spirit-sealed, we automatically and
authentically become God's property. See John 3:33.
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"But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name" (John 1:12).
"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, THE LORD knoweth them that
are His. And let everyone that nameth the name of CHRIST depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 2:19).
As soon as we become God's possession, it becomes a grievance for the devil to trespass. The devil has no
dealings with us anymore because it is written:
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us to be partakers of the inheritance of the
saints in light. Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into
the kingdom of his dear Son. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the
forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:12-14)
Since we are in the kingdom of God, we have no dealings with the kingdom of darkness. We should therefore
not compromise with the instruments of darkness. For the Jews of the heart, the circumcision of the heart and
not of the flesh has no business with the gentiles. We should remain separated unto the Lord on His altar. The
altar of Baal must not stand side by side with that altar of God, hence the instruction of the Lord to Gideon. "
... Throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it. And build an altar
unto the Lord thy God upon the top of the rock ... " (Judges 6:25-26).
2. A finished transaction
Being sealed signifies a finished transaction. For example, in a factory where beverages are produced, the
finished products are poured into different categories of tins, and each tin is properly sealed. As a matter of
fact, every manufacturing company has its own seal that is put on every finished product before marketing.
This is also true in the redemption plan of God.
Paul, the Apostle said, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision but a
new creature" (Gal. 6:15).
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"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are
become new" (2 Cor. 5:17). Hence, if anyone is convicted of his sins by the Holy Spirit and genuinely repent
and receives Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, he becomes a new creature. He is made right with God by the
blood of Jesus, and he is a finished product in the hands of God. God then seals the person with the HOLY
SPIRIT. If you are genuinely born-again, it is your blood-bought right to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and
fire on the altar and be sealed. Amen.
3. Security
A seal is a security on the product. For instance, a registered letter is sealed, and nobody is expected to open
the letter until it gets to its destination. It will be very conspicuous if a seal is broken along the way, and such
act is punishable by the law. If the seals on the marketable products are tampered with, the consumers will
not buy them. Thus, the seal of the Holy Spirit on every believer is a security.
With the seal of the Holy Spirit intact on us, we will safely arrive at Jesus' feet. The only thing that can break
this seal is sin. Unconfessed sins will lead to a backsliding state that separates one from God.
For example, because of the iniquity of Israel, God said "I will hide my face from them, I will see what
their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith" (Deut. 32:20).
Hence the injunction, "Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal. The Lord
knoweth them that are his. And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2
Tim. 2:19).
We are instructed not to grieve (by sins) the Holy Spirit of God by whom we are sealed unto the day of
redemption (See Ephesians 4:30). We are redeemed, we are being redeemed, and we shall be redeemed.
Amen.
Let us be Filled to Overflowing
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"If a man therefore purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the
master's use, and prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21).
It is the will of God to make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy. The vessels of mercy are
those who have not only received Jesus Christ, as Savior, but who are also seeking Him as Lord and who
make themselves available on the altar of God for final preparation for the copious and torrential rain of the
Holy Spirit that is about to fall. They are those people who are ready to be poured out like wine upon the altar
for Christ, who are ready to be broken like bread to feed the hungry, and who are willing to be sold out (be
expendable) for Christ to fulfill His will.
Remember the widow during the time of Elisha, who was in debt, and the creditor wanted to take her two
sons as slaves in order to repay the debt. When she sought help from Elisha, he said to her; "Go borrow thee
vessels abroad of all thy neighbors, even empty vessels, borrow not a few ... and shalt pour into all those
vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full” (2 Kings 4:1-7).
When she carried out the instruction, the miracle (of fullness) happened. She was able to get all the available
empty vessels filled with oil from a pot of oil she had originally. What a divine intervention in the ordinary
course of nature! I do not mean to say that you are to bring physical containers like she did, but instead, your
very self which the Bible declares is a temple of God. It now needs to be purged so as to be filled with the
river of life. Take note, the widow had empty vessels and a pot of oil that became inexhaustible. By the grace
of God, the inexhaustible source of anointing is made available by the blood of Jesus on the altar of God
today. Hence, there is a divine invitation to whosoever will, indeed to you the reader of this book, to bring
your empty and clean vessel to the altar so as to be filled to overflowing.
God will not fill any Christian who is full of self. We should empty ourselves of pride and every instrument
of darkness. The crown of pride must be destroyed so that we can have the crown of glory. No wonder king
David said in Psalm 43:3-4: "Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me
unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacle, then I will go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding
joy ... "
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And Paul also says: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Ghost" (Rom. 14:17). This exceeding joy, the fullness of "joy in the HOLY GHOST," is
obtainable on the altar of God, and the price for the fullness is having the light and truth of God. I believe that
this truth which God is revealing will lead you to His very presence if you walk in it.
Paul prayed,
…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may
know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power is to us ward ... (Eph. 1:17-19)
If you want to be enlightened and be filled with the revelation knowledge of God and experience the exceeding
great power of His resurrection, lay your empty, clean vessel on the altar.
One day as I was driving, the Lord gave me the following song:
Your will is best for me, Lord Jesus,
Reveal your will to me every moment.
Hence, to be filled with the knowledge of God's will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, our clean
empty vessels must be readily available on His altar. This altar is found beyond (outside) the camp of the
court of mixture.
It is written: "Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood; suffered without
the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach" (Heb. 13:12-13). The
Lord has promised, and it shall come to pass, that both the former rain, the rain, and the latter rain shall fall.
It is the life that is laid on the altar that shall receive the rain and be wet and soaked in the rain of the Holy
Ghost. It is this life that shall be filled to overflowing with the anointing of God.
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It is time to reject the broken cisterns, which cannot hold the water of life. It is time to be lost into God's
presence and be laid on His altar the fountain of river of life. It is time to be fully prepared in order to swim
in the river of life. We need to be overwhelmed with the river of the water of Holy Spirit.
1 Samuel 22:4-6 says " … so the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the
shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot in the day when it was taken away." It is time to
reject common bread of theology and start receiving fresh messages, current news from the throne of grace.
David was a man who had a burning desire for the presence of God, and who earnestly sought God and was
found of Him; at the expense of his comfort (See Psalm 132:2-4 and Psalm 63:1). He covenanted with God
to seek Him with his whole heart. He sacrificed his time, talent, money and everything you can think of, to be
and remain in God's presence.
Without the consciousness of the presence of God in our lives we will be a failure and miserable. But with
Christ we are more than conquerors. Paul the Apostle, also, for the excellency of the knowledge of the Lord,
sacrificed all (See Philippians 3:8-10). Winning Christ, which is the goal of our redemption, demands a life
of total surrender to the Lord, the embodiment of knowledge, wisdom and power.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our perfect example. He laid all on the altar and paid the supreme sacrifice. He
emptied Himself of His divine glory and honor and humbly and willingly submitted Himself to the dealings
of His father, even His shameful death on the cross. Hence, He ministered under the open heaven. So also,
God is preparing sons who will minister under the open heaven. God is about to manifest His sons who are
currently being equipped on His altar. Be reminded that walking under the open heaven is a glorious
experience, as you have a direct link with the throne of God, and you are enabled to speak out what God lays
on your heart.
Hallelujah! The cross of CHRIST has made available the open heaven.
The LORD JESUS CHRIST used His precious blood to purge the heaven, and the coming of the HOLY
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SPIRIT has made open heaven a reality!
Won't you find your way to God's altar now before it is too late? I strongly urge you to do so, because time is
running out. We are now, as in the game of football, at the injury (extra) time.
Be warned.
