The Church Altar

Every revival meeting should have its place where folks can meet God.We call this the "Altar."

And when they had prayed the place was shaken (Acts 4:31).

I visited a church the other week where it was very informal, chatty and friendly. Before the service folks walked around the sanctuary with cups of tea, soft drinks, chatting to each other and making folks fell at home! a friendly service, no God!

I contrast this with my experience with the Pentecostals in Texas, before service we knelt down at the altar and prayed. after the message we went to the altar and prayed. we went out of the meeting refreshed and changed! The altar has always been the place of transformation and change.

1. The Altar is The place where we "pray through."
The place where we pray until the burden is gone and the load is lifted.

2. The Altar is the place where brother strengthens brother
.. and sister strengthens sister. Of course discretion is needed as to who you should pray for and if that person really needs another at that time. "Woe to him that hath not another to lift him up" (Ecc4:10). If your brother or sister needs you, go strengthen them, speak life into their soul, prophesy over them their deliverance.

3. The Altar is the place where we meet God
That's the purpose of us going to church. Does God meet with us there?
Prayer must become a divine compulsion, the altar must become the place of divine revolution, a place where contrition meets its salvation.  The altar the place where fire burns the dross of our carnality and lifts us up into glory. The place where people go with their burdens and stay until their cries turn into worship.The altar is preparation time for when we go into church and when we leave church. We enter as those going into the fire, we leave as souls "on fire!" The altar is the burning place. Where the old man has the cremation and the new man finds his freedom. Yes prayer is liberty for the soul that is bound and fire for the soul that in the presence of God



Remove not the landmark of prayer!

We need a church altar.

Good Company

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place  by himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out he saw a great multitude; and he He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.... He took up the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to Heaven, He blessed and broke it and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. So they all ate and were filled.(Matthew 14:13,19).

In the Hebrew friendship means "responsibility" which means that a friend is not one who just enjoys the good times with you but one who supplies in the time of need when your pockets are empty.
Friendship is responsibility.

Good company will see the need of the other and supply till they are full. You have to have friends who are "full" of something, full of ideas, full of compassion, full of the word, full of God. Don't make a friend of an empty head make friends with men who are full of it.

Good company is attractive.
Good company will empty the town and fill the pulpit (13).
Good company will build a mega church even in a desert place (v15).
Good company will get people following you (v13).
Good company will get people healed (v14).
Good company makes great ministry.
Good company will take whats little and enlarge it into something great (v20).
Good company deals with the fragments, picks up the pieces of a broken heart or a bruised soul.
Good company holds the fragments but gets involved in providing the main meal.

We all need good company.

Paul.