Passing Through the Altar

Matthew 23:19 (KJV)
¹⁹  Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

In this particular verse, what was given (gift) was to pass through the altar before acceptance in the temple. The word sanctify is a word meaning to consecrate and dedicate to God, to convert from a profane use to a holy one.

The altar is a place of sacrifice and prayer. It's where my selfish influences cease and the Holy Spirit's desires are manifested. The altar is a place of humbling, submission, and death to all conflict with God. A true altar experience is God's insurance policy for the right use of His gifts producing the desired effect of His glory.

The non-material gifts we possess such as the various gifts of the Spirit listed in 1st Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 along with the fivefold ministry gifts of Ephesians 4 are to pass through the altar before use. The altar experience purges self from the equation of prostituting the gift for selfish gain instead of Kingdom gain.

A healthy prayer life cannot be underestimated. It keeps the person spiritually pliable thus usable to God; it maintains the deadening of selfish perspectives from clouding the clarity of God's purposes for us. It aides the bearing of the fruit of the Spirit to create an attraction to the one who lives in us.

The altar produces unity of life. In other words, unlike the Pharisees who are referred to in the above verse, our intimate time spent in prayer dissolves the separation of life and makes us congruent in all areas of our life. Prayerlessness is evident when people become critical, judgmental, and divisive, because prayerlessness is synonymous with Godlessness. But, prayer is evidenced by love, patience, and unity in our lives, family and church.

Make it a habit when you wake up everyday to have a personal altar time with Jesus Christ and watch your effectiveness for his kingdom increase dramatically. Why, because your gifts and talents have passed through the purging of self and into God's full control.

A Bad Investment - Bitterness & Unforgiveness

Dr. Egolf speaking in the Philippines on Spiritual Leadership

A certain tenant farmer had worked hard for many years to improve the production of the land he leased. Then something happened that caused him to become very bitter. When it was time to renew his lease, the owner told him he was going to sell the farm to his son who was getting married. The tenant made several generous offers to buy it himself, hoping the man's decision would be reversed, but his pleading got nowhere. As the day drew near for the farmer to vacate his home, his weeks of angry brooding finally got the best of him. He gathered seeds from some of the most pesky and noxious weeds he could find. Then he spent many hours scattering them on the clean, fertile soil of the farm, along with a lot of trash and rocks he had collected. To his dismay, the very next morning the owner informed him that plans for his son's wedding had fallen through, and therefore he would be happy to renew the lease. He couldn't understand why the farmer exclaimed in agonizing tones, "Oh, Lord, what a fool I've been!" 

The poison of bitterness always fuels the eventual embarrassment of one's self. It deceives by masquerading as the rightful spirit of vengeance and promises fulfillment in the end. Unfortunately, it leaves the perpetrator with the unbelievable guilt of trusting a heated emotion instead of principle. 

Stop giving access to the enemy of your soul through uncontrolled passions. Instead, submit your whole being to the Lord and permit him to glorify himself through your submission to his authority. Don't become easy prey to the excuse of "they really hurt me" or "you don't know what they did to me." None of these things rectify the situation and reestablish a healthy connection to God. 

Forgive and forget! Walk on and don't give the Devil another day of satisfaction for a job well done, but let go and destroy his plan over your life. 

Jesus was flogged, mocked, insulted, humiliated, and left for dead on a cross. Yet, he said concerning all the perpetrators of his pain 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." 

Remember the following verse:

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.