The Sacred Call to Rebuild Your Altar

There's something profoundly moving about standing at the threshold of promise. It's that sacred space where everything you've been praying for, waiting for, and believing for suddenly feels within reach. But here's the question that confronts us in that moment: Are we ready to steward what we've been asking for?

Before You Build Anything, Rebuild the Altar
In the journey through Deuteronomy, we encounter a powerful instruction given to God's people before they entered their promised land. They were commanded to build an altar—not with carved stones shaped by human tools, but with whole, uncut stones. This detail matters more than we might initially think.
The instruction to use uncut stones speaks to something deeper: some things in our spiritual lives should remain untouched by human alteration. We live in a culture obsessed with modernization, constantly updating and revolutionizing everything we touch. But there are sacred practices, established by God Himself, that don't need our improvements. They need our obedience.
The altar represents that place of surrender, of sacrifice, of meeting with God. Before Ezra restored the temple, he rebuilt the altar. Before anything else was constructed, the place of worship had to be established. This pattern reveals a crucial truth: before we build our empires, our ministries, our dreams—we must rebuild the altar in our lives.
What altar is God calling you to restore today?

Consecrate Yourself Today for Tomorrow's Wonders
There's a beautiful principle woven throughout Scripture that challenges our tendency to delay obedience. We often think, "When I get to where I'm going, then I'll live differently. When that prayer is answered, then I'll be faithful. When I have more, then I'll give more."
But God's instruction to His people was clear: adjust your life to the covenant before you walk into the promised land. Don't wait to become who God called you to be. Do that now so you can steward the promise appropriately.
The word "consecrate" in Joshua 3 carries a specific meaning: become today what you will be tomorrow. This isn't about pretending or putting on a performance. It's about aligning our hearts, our habits, and our choices with the reality of where God is taking us.

The Power of Agreement
Throughout Deuteronomy 27, we see a repeated phrase: "And all the people shall say, Amen." This wasn't empty ritual. It was a call to immediate agreement with what God was saying. When God speaks, we're invited to come into agreement right away. That's the essence of covenant.
The chapter lists both blessings and curses, establishing clear boundaries for God's people. These weren't suggestions or recommendations—they were commands. Some things in our walk with God are simply not open for negotiation. Obedience isn't optional if we want to experience the abundance of His goodness.
This might feel restrictive to our modern sensibilities, but there's profound freedom in clear boundaries. When we know what God expects, we can live with confidence and security.

When Your Enemy Is Watching
The story of Mordecai in Esther 6 offers a masterclass in consistency under pressure. Mordecai knew Haman had an ulterior motive. He wasn't blind to the danger lurking around the corner. Yet he remained faithful to his assignment.
The question for us is simple but searching: Do we stay focused on faithfulness when we know our enemy is after us? When trouble is hiding around the corner, waiting for an opportunity to strike, do we cave under pressure or remain consistent in what God called us to do?
The beauty of Mordecai's story is the ultimate reversal. Haman's pride set him up for his own downfall and humiliation. The honor he thought he was describing for himself ended up going to the very man he despised. The timing, the irony, the poetic justice—it all reveals God's efficient hand at work.
Here's the uncomfortable truth we all need to hear: we all have a little bit of Haman in us. We all love seeing ourselves as the ones doing good. But pride can creep in subtly. When we serve, are we serving God for His glory, or are we serving because we want attention from others? When God elevates someone else, do we celebrate or secretly resent them?

Changing the Culture of Celebration
What if we changed the culture in the church? What if, instead of talking behind the backs of those God is using, we lifted them up in prayer? What if we stood and clapped for the ones God is elevating instead of wondering why He won't use us the same way?
Stay in your lane. Your assignment is important. Just because you can't move faster right now doesn't mean you need to swerve into someone else's lane. When God has you in a specific place, stay there until the pathway is cleared for you to move.
And here's the beautiful part: we can help each other stay in our lanes. With love, care, and generosity, we can gently nudge one another back when we see someone stepping outside their calling. There's nothing wrong with that kind of accountability—in fact, it's essential.

The Garden of Intimacy
The Song of Solomon paints a picture of beauty, intimacy, and sacred relationship. While there are certainly spiritual applications about Christ and His bride, the church, there's also a very practical message for married couples that we often over-spiritualize to our detriment.
God created marriage to include physical pleasure. He designed husbands and wives to bring joy to one another. When we're faithful to cultivate intimacy in our marriages, we create a protection against wandering. The stress relief, the connection, the satisfaction we're looking for—God provided the antidote within the covenant of marriage.
The imagery of a locked garden reminds us that marital intimacy is exclusive, protected, and sacred. Once you lock the door to that garden, it's yours alone. Don't unlock it for anyone else.

The Awakening Call
There's a stirring happening. A call to those who have grown comfortable, who have settled into stillness after their prayers were answered. God is calling His people to be awakened again—to return to that first love, to that initial fire and excitement about the kingdom.
Dust off the cobwebs. Shake off the complacency. This is a season that requires all hands on deck. We need warriors who are awake, alert, and engaged.
When we return to our first love for the Lord, everything else falls into place. It becomes easier to love the gift He's given us in our spouse. It becomes natural to serve with joy. It becomes possible to steward the promises He's placed in our hands.

Walking Into Promise
As we stand on the threshold of a new year, many are about to walk into the promised land of their lives—that place God has been preparing them for. The instruction remains the same: don't wait until you arrive to make your covenant with the Lord. Live in honor toward Him now.
The weight of life can feel overwhelming. Financial burdens, family tensions, unmet expectations, offenses we're carrying—all of it can double us over under the pressure. But there's an invitation this morning to cast those cares on the One who already carried the weight of the world on His shoulders.
You don't have to carry what He's already carried. Release the offense. Release the hurt. Release the burden. Choose the joy of the Lord as your strength.
This is a season of joy. This is a season of peace. And it's available to all who will receive it.