04/09/2011 - Ephraim’s altars

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Because Ephraim has made many altars for sin, they have become for him altars for sinning. I have written for him the great things of My law, but they were considered a strange thing.

Hosea 8:11-12

When Ephraim allowed temptation to lead him into doing his own will and not that of the Lord, he decided to make altars. Today, those who fail to fulfil the divine purpose also build up their own altars and this happens because they are driven by the enemy who knows that man needs something to worship.
There are some people who, for instance, are obsessed with the idea of owning their own house or a car or any other material asset; others create an ideal person to be their soul mate without minding the fact that they are already married; and there are also those who pose as innocent in order to corrupt other people and thus obtain some advantage. In so doing, they are building “sanctuaries” in which they will worship Satan and his ruthless demons.
After having created this place of honor and veneration, the heart of man becomes insatiable for that sin because deep calls unto deep , as the Bible states in Psalm 42:7a; as a result the altars are increased: one is built for lies and another one for seduction; one for filthy thoughts and another one for dishonesty. With time the individual becomes like a harlot in his worship of all kinds of hellish gods.
If there is any filthy altar in your life, you must repent and ask the Lord to help you get rid of that trap. No altar is built with a good purpose; they will be used solely for us to make impure offerings on them. Ephraim made his altars for sin. However, the altar we must have in us is the one that the Word of God reveals: the altar of salvation which was raised on the Calvary. We do not need to make any other altar.
You had better examine the reasons behind your actions; after all, no evil work will go unpunished for the wages of sin are death (Romans 6:23a). Ephraim managed to get exactly what he wanted: to make altars
for sin; if your heart is also wishing for something wrong, do not build any altars. Draw close to the Lord and confess to Him what has been seducing you and ask Him for forgiveness. Before it is too late you need to get to know the true altar on which your life must be sacrificed each day.
Has The Spirit of God already shown you the consequent fall? The Ephraimites heard about the riches of the Law of God but they did not do anything to change their attitudes. On the contrary, they despised what the Lord taught them. Do not swap the divine riches for little joys that the world can offer you. That is a mistake because only the Lord can fill up the void inside you! Those who heed the Most High will undoubtedly be successful, but those who do not listen to the divine voice will realize, in the future, that it was not worth covering their ears to the Truth. The Lord wishes us well, so ask Him to undo all the altars that you have built.
In Christ, with love,
R. R. Soares