Cain’s problem with God started from the altar, for he had no respect for the altar. ***The condition of his heart was not right before God – He approached God without faith, and was un repentant ***

The spirit of Cain: despises worship, sacrifice ***tries to kill the spirit of Abel (spirit of worship and sacrifice). The spirit of Abel acknowledges that a tenth of everything is Holy unto God***

John 17:3 To have eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus who has been sent by God.

What is an Altar?

• Anything that you say or do that gives honour and opens a door to deity.
• Any structure upon which offerings/sacrifices are made to a deity
• A place where believer meets with God for worship

Things that Honour or Uplift an Altar: Blood ceremonies, agreements, covenants, swearing and oaths.

Types of Altars

• Holy Altar – God’s Altar in heaven and earthly extensions like in the temple
• Evil Altar – Babel, Baal

Features common to an altar

1. There is deity being worshipped

– Satan is angry with believer because they occupy the space to worship he once had.

1. There is a seat/throne (source of authority)

– God’s throne lives in a believer’s life

– When we deny him leadership, we start to lead ourselves

– Christ should always be seated on his altar

1. Special words are uttered there

– Acts 1:8 – Meaning it is the Holy Spirit who carries the word/power

– When we pray, we are declaring special words that have been uttered from God’s altar.

1. You connect to an altar through offering or sacrifice

– Sacrifice I honour to God. In Malachi, God was asking, “If I am God, where is my honour”

– People connect to the altar through giving.

1. There is a priest/medium that represents that deity

– His work is to interpret t9e requirements of that altar and how to connect.

The Living Dead: (African Tradition/Culture)

• Luke 16:19-35, Ecclesiastes 9:4-6, 10
• Praying to saints is not biblical
• The recipient of the offerings for the living dead is Satan and his demons when you connect with the dead through libation. (Satan’s Altar – 1 Corinthians 10:14-22)
• If Ribena in Holy Communion becomes the blood, likewise Sodas in dowry turn into “communion” for evil altars.
• Biblically children are blessed though the word of FAITH not through alcohol.

Mburi ya Kiama: Reasons Goats were being given

1. To enter in tradition as judge/elder
2. Traditional way of promotion
3. Initiation into traditional priesthood through the goats’ blood
4. Recruitment as warrior to raid and protect the community

**As a Christian, you cannot take your case to ‘Athuri a Mburi ya Kiama’ (1 Corinthians 5:12, 6:1-6), nor can you solve their case.

Notes:

• The Gospel started from Palestine not Europe, hence missionaries brought what had been preached to them as well.
• Traditionalists use intimidation for those who do not join them, calling them “ihii”. We forget true circumcision is of the heart.
• When a church altar is dedicated to God, it becomes owned in heaven and cease to be part of the surrounding. (Example is embassies in other countries – they are considered part of the owning country).
• Don’t fight for Holy items
• Giving to parents connects with the parental office which is honoured in the spiritual realm.
• Curses can be reversed – Moses reversed the curse of Reuben – Jesus redeems us from the curse of the Law. Balak knew that when a nation or a person is under a curse, he loses the support of God and bcomes weak in war (sin is a curse)
• Jesus came to destroy the works of satan
• Our God does not need blood (E.g. Kuguraris is demonic for the blood is offered to Kirinyaga god and every organ has a name dedicated to a certain demon.
• Legally you can concert your marriage from customary to Christian marriage ***
• Mururu goat was offered to witches
• An altar is removed/replaced by another altar E.g. In the case of Gideon
• DN 26/07/22 – Carried the story about witchcraft (occult) in the state house.

When Men slept (Combine with the Living Dead)

• Ministry nowadays involves reviving compromised and lukewarm
• Culture is not necessarily bad; the problem is when it is laced with demonic connotations.
• 1 Timothy 4:1
• 1 Corinthians 10:21
• 1 John 4:1
• Matthew 7:15-16
• 2 Corinthians 10:5
• 1 Corinthians 10:1-11

**The church today is in need of a Phinehas who took it upon himself to confront the evil in Israel (People who can confront the schemes of the enemy fearlessly). God was pleased with him and gave him a covenant of peace (Numbers 25:6-13)

***The courage of Elijah in confronting Baal’s atars

We do not worship the same God for our God:

• Does not need blood
• Does not need libation through beer or food
• Can be served by women
• Has a son who is the only way
• Faith is enough for the believer; we do not need physical objects to carry around
• Is the only true God, unlike the many other gods (Amorites god’s Joshua 24:14, Moabite, Baal etc)

Deception of humanism: Trying to elevate man to the status of a God. That man can determine his own destiny without waiting for God to solve his problems. Same old lie that Satan used against Adam and Eve.(This in essence is to disobey God).

The believer has the power and authority to cast out demons [Destroy all demonic altars]. Mark 16

Returning to God’s Altar – Zechariah 9:12

A deliberate choice to serve the true God: Joshua 24:14

God’s Altar is not lit by any fire which has not originated from him 🔥 (God calls it strange fire)** Fire from God is the Holy Spirit!!!, and we should not grieve him by offering strange fire (Eph 4:30)

Fire came from God and consumed the sacrifice. It brought Joy – Lev 9:24

Keep the fire of the altar burning: Lev 6:9-13, 9:24

Nadab and Abihu offered profane fire – Lev 10:1-2

Dagon fell prostrate before God’s Altar (Ark of the Covenant) 1 Samuel 5:7

Sin of Achan in the church today **Deception 2**

LUKE 16 v19 – 31

HEBREWS 9: v27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,

2 PETER 3:3-4  v 3Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  v4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”  v8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  v9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. v 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.

ROMANS 10: **v13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

**v14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

v17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.

v9 – If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

v10 – For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

 WARNING ⚠️ Against Connection with the Dead:

a). Leviticus 19:31 “ ‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the Lord your God.

b). Isaiah 8:19 When someone tells you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?

c). Leviticus 20:6 “ ‘I will set my face against anyone who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute themselves by following them, and I will cut them off from their people.

d). Ecclesiastes 9:5 v5 For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even their name is forgotten. v6 Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.

e). Deuteronomy 18:10-12 *** v 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,

v 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

v 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.

f). 1 Chronicles 10:13-14***

v 13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance,

v14 and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

REF: 1 Samuel 28:8-11 v 8 So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.”

g). Exodus 22:18  “Do not allow a sorceress to live.

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Occult Practices & God’s Altar
Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:31)

Thoughts on Today’s Verse……..Our world has a re-emergent fascination with the occult, the world of demons, and the dark practices of witchcraft. Many in today’s world are caught in these demonic practices. Unfortunately, some believers in Christ react in two dangerous ways:

(1.) Downplay the reality of these things and the twisted power available to those who pursue these dark and ancient practices.
(2.) Dabble in them as matters of entertainment, amusement, or fascination.

God wants us to know that these fascinations and practices are dangerous because the evil entities — demonic spirits and evil curses — behind them are real. These false gods, goddesses, and demonic spirits have been around almost as long as people have been on the earth. When we involve ourselves in practices and entities, they defile us — they leave a demonic residue that only Jesus and his triumph over them can accomplish (Colossians 2:12-15; 1 John 4:1-6). God — one as Father, Son, and Spirit — is God alone (Exodus 20:1-6; Deuteronomy 6:4-9). God is to be worshiped without rivals or taint from evil idolatry by his people (Acts 19:13-20; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 9:20). We are to give a wide berth and stay far away from such evil practices that lead to immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8). Our worship of the one true LORD must be our consuming passion!
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(2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:17‭-‬18‬ ‭NLT‬‬)
[16] And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. ‭‭(2 Corinthians‬ ‭6:16‬ ‭NLT‬‬)
[17] Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you. [18] And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”  ‭‭

BENEDICTION:

v14 May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children.

v15  May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Psalms 115:14-15