5:25 AM
Jesse
The LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him. From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev. -Genesis 12:7-9
Last night, at the Refinery Vision meeting, instead of sitting in a room and talking about visioning, we went out and really visioned. Last night had to be the most prolific meeting I've ever been to, and when it really comes down to it, I wish I could do that kind of thing more often. Just walk around and see where God takes me.
What we were doing really was huge. We were thinking big in a small town. We walked around, what many would call, a historic town and looked for God in the nooks [and monks] and crannies. We were looking for a way to be an impact Church, who is in the middle of it all, giving all God has for us to everyone else if they like it or not. There is a lot of empty space in the area and we wanted to fill it with God's light.
The places we were drawn to really, any of them could work. Heck, on the drive home, I thought all of them could work for so many different reasons, in so many different ways, but I want to keep focused on what God was showing me, so I'll continue.
While going back to our cars, the visioning team walked along, and I was filled with could only be thoughts of what could happen or what will happen. I'm a dreamer, so it's hard to tell which is which. I think God will show me when we're going the right direction, but we're on His time, not mine.
What I did get, however, was a deep urging to contemplate what our Alter will be. I'd normally be one who says "we'll look on the internet and see what server gives us" but after the past few weeks, I'm being pushed to build one.
I'm not saying God wants me to go to 48 Lumber, by some wood and build an
Let me get this out in the open, just in case you're not aware of the type of person I am. I'm no wood worker. My father taught me by him doing and making me watch, so the doing part is out of my normal comfort zone. Yes, in the event I have to do something, I probably could do something. I did build a rat hotel a few years back, and I've done minor repairs around the apartment, but building an alter is like God asking me to part the red sea then walk across its dry ground.
I made the mistake a while ago to ask "what would be needed to have Church" and the answers I got were mostly obvious, but the concept of needing an alter took me and a few others, by surprise.
In Genesis, God tells Abram that his descendants would be given the land and Abram sees that as a huge moment in his life, this message from God, so he builds an alter, to God. Then, when he continued on, he built another and called on the Lord's name and then continued on. Abram didn't just go "Meh, I have an alter back before Bethel, God knows whats up." No, he marked his time with God with an alter.
Noah, Jacob, they all built alters as markers, and for God. In Exodus 27, God gives some strict instructions on the building of an alter, and we build these things, for God, because the depth of our relationship with God makes us do more, so we can outwardly express this relationship, and do it in a different way.
The Refinery won't be at home in a new place until God shows us our way to an alter, which will be hand made by the leaders of the campus, prayed over by the congregation and blessed by God through and through.
"Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." -Genesis 28:16
Grace and Peace,
Jesse
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