July 2021 Theme – Time To Re-Build

July 2021 Theme – Time To Re-Build

No building, no matter how expensive, beautiful and solid it is built; will not last an exceptionally long time, if a culture of maintenance and renovations is not put in place. Where there is a proper maintenance culture of fixing the leaks, cracks, and other wear and tear; the edifice can last even centuries.

In Eccl. 3: 1-8, the bible stated about 28 times and seasons that men go through under the Sun. Classified under these seasons of man are the times of planting and plucking up that which is planted; times of casting away stones and gathering stones; times of rending and sewing together; times of pulling down and building up; etc.

One of the things that can be pulled down and rebuild is an altar. Altars are particularly important in the life of man. They are dedicated structures of communing with the supernatural: either to God or to other gods. So, altars are crucial aspects of human life and living.

There were times in the lives of people in biblical times when altars were either pulled down or re-built. In Judges 6: 25-32, God instructed Gideon to pull down the altar his father made to Baal god and cut down the wooden grooves his father erected to the Asherah goddess. He should then build up another altar to the Living God in an orderly manner. He should use the woods from the Asherah grooves as firewood to sacrifice a specified bullock as a burnt offering unto Him, and Gideon did exactly as he was told.

Also, in I Kings 18: 19-40, at the contest on Mt. Carmel between Elijah and the 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah; after the 850 prophets had tried frantically to conjure fire on their sacrifice and they could not; Elijah then took to the stage. The first thing he did was to repair/rebuild the altar of the Lord that was a foretime broken down (I Kgs. 18: 30-32). He then arranged the wood on the altar in order fashion; laid the bullock which had been cut in pieces on it; made water to be poured over the sacrifice a few times; he then prayed to God and the fire of God fell from heaven on the sacrifice! That led to a national revival as people turned back to Yahweh.

God has laid it in my heart to let us know that we are in a season of re-building. We need to rebuild our personal altars with God, and also rebuild our collective altar as an assembly. Every one of such altars that needs repair must be given prompt attention. He is prepared to make all things new for us; we however must be prepared to rise up and rebuild.

Gideon did a major reconstruction to the altar of God; he experienced an amazing victory. Elijah did a repair to the altar of the Lord as well; he too experienced an amazing victory. God is expecting us to also embark on necessary repairs to His altars in our lives and in our midst, and amazing victories await us in Jesus’ mighty name.