Since the beginning of man, man has used some kind of an altar, a structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made. The origin of the word alter in Middle English is ‘alter and altar.‘ Interesting how both words are linked together and that ’alter’ is first before ’altar.’
Since ‘alter’ is first, lets look at the word. This spelling means to ‘willingly change something.’ What is it you are to change before you to go to the ‘altar? What about you needs to be ‘altered’, changed?
An ’altar’ is a place for sacrifice and that means to ‘surrender.’ What are you to sacrifice? What are you to surrender?
Well how about you ‘surrender’ your judgments. Your criticisms. Your fears. Your personal opinions. Your sins. Your sickness. Your pains, your weakness? And you will need to alter, sacrifice your angers and your complaints. Those are what you surrender. These are what you freely give up at the altar.
An 'altar' is a place to bring your gifts. What are the 'gifts' you are to bring? If gifts means, 'giving' then you will be 'giving' up all your 'complaints, judgments, criticizing, fear, angers, hurts and all that is not of or from God.
Lay down your gifts one by one. Smile as you do this and feel how good it feels to consciously be aware as each is freed from your mind. Now go and sin no more. Go and do not complain, criticize, judge, condemn anyone or anything.
Go and have no fears, no sins, no sickness. Go and have no jealous, angry, sad, lonely or unhappy thoughts.. Go and do not fear but rather trust in God and acknowledge Him in all your ways.
You do this because you now understand that before your good can stay, you have to ‘alter’ your own life at the ’altar’ of God. Go and sin no more. Go and alter how you live and think.
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