The Altar of Incense

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (Ja. 5.16).

As I read passages on prayer, I recognize what great power we have therein. Yet I find it quite difficult to get to the place of fervent prayer. It makes so much sense (difficulty in prayer). Prayer deals utter defeat to the devil. If he can keep us from effectual, fervent prayer, we are diminished in damaging his efforts. When I pray diligently in secret, those seasons of prayer shared with such mundane activities as jogging, walking the dog, processing firewood, making breakfast, etc. are so much more meaningful. Quite simply, also, diligent, fervent prayer in private is underscored by the most powerful prayer I have with Linda.

Prayer in a believer's life is offered on a heavenly altar. That prayer ascends as incense to our Lord. Shouldn't we keep much incense continually ascending before Him?

And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

⁴And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

⁵And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake (Re. 8.3-5).

I would like to be responsible for an appreciable amount of incense in that golden censer.

I've noticed a few things about most houses of worship, lately. There are neither altar nor encouragement to pray. I believe the altar is symbolic of the furniture in the holy place where our prayers are offered as incense, a sweet smelling savor to our Lord. Prayer is not effectively encouraged nor taught by those whose lives are not immersed therein. Should time with our Lord be not compromised, indeed, recognized and practiced as the most important activity in life? Sadly, I find few who share that belief. Truly, what better thing can there be than an audience with the Most High God? Hence, we no longer see the altar existent in many churches. Neither do we hear messages burning from the heart concerning prayer.

There is, however, an altar our Lord put in your heart. That altar is in the holiest place and in heaven too.

Beloved, walk in the Spirit (stay on the mercy seat, underneath the protection of His wings) and ye will not do the deeds of the flesh.

Fire Upon the Altar

The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out (Le. 6. 13).

I was studying Leviticus and came to the above Scripture. Verse 13 struck me. A solemn duty of those in leadership is to keep the fire fed. The fuel is wood. What relation that has to fear of God, prayer and worship, I don't yet understand. To be sure, those are choices; disciplines in which intellectual understanding and agreement, first, must be made. Perhaps academic intellect is as wood.

The important thing, here, is the fire's existence in our lives and Church. It is the responsibility of every believer to keep the Holy Ghost burning in his life. The only way to provide the correct fuel is our constantly praying, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done." Seeking of the face of Christ and being transfigured from glory to glory as by the Holy Ghost. We must know His Word, we must do His will (to seek and to save the lost). We must believe we have the mind of Christ and let Him fill our minds with His.

As we keep focused on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, we are changed into His glory and image. The continuation of this discipline causes the fire to continually be fed with the wood of intellect (study), prayerful agreement with Christ, and godly determination.

Should we decide to resort to good music, skillful musicians, much academic teaching and good works without staying before Christ in prayer, fasting and repentance, the fire will go out. All programs, activities and services, no matter how loud we sing, no matter how we try to work it up will simply be dead. It will be our kindling with our own fire (recall Nadab and Abihu used strange fire before the LORD and were destroyed in the anger of the Almighty) which is not authorized. The fire must be started by God Himself.

Here is how to have the fire rekindled:

Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:

Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:
			Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
			Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where [is] their God? - Joel 2. 12, 15-17 God, have mercy on me, as I write this message. I tremble before thee for this seems to hit those who are in leadership, those who I tried to submit myself to yet I have been frankly ignored and cast off as some annoying pest. I know your intentions for me, O God, that I am not a pest but one to exhort the Church and move your hand on the behalf of the Church and the lost. My prayer is for those in leadership to have that unhindered, uninterrupted, solitary time with you, in which they can gaze upon your face and be with you, obtaining that glow as Moses who dwelt in your presence. Right now, as I write, O God, post your angels about those saints I know and love who are in leadership of your bride, the Church, enabling them to be in your awesome presence. Please, O God, bless and provide for those ministries who are doing your work, esp. House of Life Ministry, The Smallest Seed, Times Square Church, Heinrich and family, Scott and family, Petra and her disciples and the pastors and ministers of the Church.