09/05/10

Casting down altars and being cleansed by the Blood of the Lamb

2 Chronicles 30:16, 17 - And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites. For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.


This record in Chronicles is a beautiful testimony for us. The Israelites where worshiping God by building altars, but when Passover came near they realized that these (stone) altars were against the will of God and they repented. They broke down these altars and cast them where all the garbage of the city was cast in the valley of Kidron [in Hebrew means 'dark'].

The priests, who offered incense on these altars or performing service on these altars and the people who were part of these rituals were so ashamed that they could not even partake in the Passover lamb. They called in few of the worthy Levites to sanctify them so that they could receive of the Passover Lamb.

Over the past few weeks the Lord has been telling Christians among us via these daily messages about all the wrong we have been doing in the Name of the Lord. It is the same as the posts were passed around between the Israelites and some even laughed at them. But those who repented received.

If we need to really accept Jesus Christ into our lives we need to cast these altars, objects and all these traditions of our fore fathers which hinder our relations with the Lord into the Brook of Kidron, where all our past rubbish has been thrown. We need to renew ourselves by consecrating ourselves (commit ourselves to the purpose of Christ) and live Jesus in us. We need to worship God in Spirit and Truth, a God Who is a Living God, present right here, now and forever.

The only altars we need are our consecrated self and a consecrated congregation.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord Jesus, there are many among us who are mislead by few and are ignorant of the things that they do. Instead of pleasing You they anger You by doing the very things You warned they against doing. Satan has deceived them by whitewashing evil and making them graveyard Christians. Lord we pray that You bring live into them and a new hope of a great relationship in You...

We make this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
2 Chronicles 30:6-20
6 So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.
7 And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.
8 Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you.
9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.
10 So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them.
11 Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
12 Also in Judah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes, by the word of the LORD.
13 And there assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast of unleavened bread in the second month, a very great congregation.
14 And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.
15 Then they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the second month: and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves, and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.
16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites.
17 For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.
18 For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, The good LORD pardon every one
19 That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
20 And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

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