What Are You Building?

There are a couple of stories recorded in Scripture that have different purposes and designs.  The first one we will mention is in 1 Kings 18.  In this portion of Scripture, Elijah has called all of the prophets of Baal, 450 of them, and the prophets of Asherah, 400 of them, to Mount Carmel.  He then challenges them all to make a decision as to who they are going to serve.  After the prophets of Baal go through all the things they do ALL DAY, to try to get their God to answer by fire, with no answer, Elijah steps up for his turn.  The first thing he does is gather the people together, then he REPAIRS the alter of the Lord that had been torn down.  In verse 31, it says Elijah took 12 STONES that represented the 12 tribes of Israel, and rebuilds the alter.  Then he has a trench dug around the alter, and after laying the sacrifice out on the alter, has the sacrifice SOAKED with 4 pitchers of water.  Then he has them pour 4 more pitchers.  Then he has them pour 4 more pitchers.  A total of 12 pitchers FULL of water poured on the sacrifice, the wood, the alter, everything!  Then he prays about a 60 word prayer, and fire comes down from heaven and COMPLETELY CONSUMES the sacrifice, the wood, the dust, and all that water!  The result?  The people turned back to God as a result of the power of God on display.

The next story is found in Joshua 4.  Joshua has just led the children of God across the Jordan river in their continuing exodus from Egypt.  Pharaoh's armies that were following them to recapture them and make them return, drown in the waters of the sea as they tried to cross on the same dry land that the children of Israel crossed on.  Now they are crossing the Jordan river ON DRY GROUND.  Suddenly the Lord speaks to Joshua and says, "Take 12 men, to represent the 12 tribes, pick up a stone on his shoulder, from the middle of the dry ground where the Jordan river was, and carry it to the shore, TO MAKE A MEMORIAL to the power of God that was on display that day at the Jordan river!

One story from Scripture (Elijah), tells of gathering STONES to repair, and rebuild, an alter to offer a sacrifice to God.  The other story (Joshua), tells of gathering STONES to build a MEMORIAL for their future generations to see TESTIMONY of the power of God to deliver!

I present to you that there are many "gathering of stones", by the instructions of the Lord, that became something they were never intended to become!  I believe there have been many "alters" built, that were never supposed to be anything but "memorials"! I think that many of the "moves" of God, were supposed to be "memorials", but due to some, they became "alters".

God does something GREAT AND AWESOME, the next thing we know, there has been an "ALTER" built and a constant trying to get it to happen again!  Praying for it, fasting for it, calling it into existence, naming churches and organizations after it, holding revivals to get the people back to that place where God had moved mightily!  But God never intended it to become an "ALTER", but merely, a "MEMORIAL", or "TESTIMONY"  if you would, of the powers of God in operation!

Alters were the place of shedding of blood, loss of life, sacrifice. Memorials are the place of REMINDING us of the great power, and love, God has for us!!!  I think the LAST ALTER EVER NEEDED WAS THE CROSS!!!  Since that time, I believe all other "gathering of stones" probably should have ONLY been memorial, or testimony, stones!  Yet, how many times have we "sacrificed" on the "alter" of our preferences of beliefs trying to get God to move "the way He used to."  I think God would really like to see us having testimony, or memorial, of the things He has done, and still doing in us, BUT, He desires us to be moving forward in His name and purpose!  We should never forget what He has done in us, and in others lives!  But I don't believe He intended us to "camp out" there and think this is the ultimate in our relationship and experience with God!  There is no end to God!  He is limitless in who He is and what He is doing in us!  Even when He gave us the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures say in Ephesians 1:14,  it was the "earnest", or DOWN PAYMENT,  of what He was, and is, going to give us!  It was JUST THE BEGINNING of the Holy Spirit's work and movement in our lives, not the FINAL PAYMENT!!!

I guess my question to you and I is, have we built alters where there were supposed to be memorials?

So...............................what are you building?