SERMON: HOW TO KNOW, RESIST AND DESTROY EVIL ALTARS
Text: Judges 6:25-26 — "Tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and build an altar to the LORD."
Text 2: Acts 20:28 — "The church of God, which He obtained with His own blood."
Key: Revelation 14:1-5 — As one of 144,000 sealed with Name of Jesus the Lamb on foreheads, blameless, firstfruits, alive with Lamb on Mt. Zion.

INTRODUCTION:

Church, an altar is a gate of transaction. Genesis 8:20 Noah built altar, God responded. Genesis 12:7 Abraham built altar where he settled, that land became protected.

Evil altar is a demonic gate where Satan transacts against people, community, ministry. 1 Corinthians 10:20 — what they sacrifice they sacrifice to demons.

God protects His people UNTIL they are sealed Rev 7:3. When sealed, they receive MORE divine shield — death is sent to unsealed, but sealed are safe from death Rev 9:4. We are that sealed people — looked after much more by God's love, devil cannot kill us, alive with Lamb on Mt. Zion, where we settle sea, trees, earth not allowed to be harmed until we are sealed.

But many last age believers don't understand evil altars. but the 144000 will understand them, RESIST them, DESTROY them.

PART 1: 6 EXAMPLES OF EVIL ALTARS — SO YOU CAN SEE THEM

1. FAMILY / ANCESTRAL ALTAR
Example: Judges 6:25 — "The altar of Baal that your father has." Gideon's own father had idol altar controlling family.
Example: Numbers 23:1-3 — Balak told Balaam "Build me seven altars" to curse Israel.
Signs: Hearing voices when no one present — "You will not marry, you will die like your father." Dreaming dead relatives calling you Deuteronomy 18:11 God forbids consulting dead. Near-success syndrome, backwardness Judges 6:3-4 Midianites destroyed harvest each time Israel planted. Constant misfortune in family.
Intention: To keep you in cycle of fathers Exodus 20:5 — steal destiny.

2. LAND / TERRITORIAL ALTAR
Example: 1 Kings 18:19 — 450 prophets of Baal on high place controlling rain and territory. Daniel 10:13 — Prince of Persia — territorial spirit over land.
Signs: Where you settle, business fails, ministry fights, same spot accidents, same sea storm like Bukasa. Mark 5:2 — man dwelling among tombs — territorial altar. Dreaming being pursued, dogs chasing.
Intention: To claim ownership of where you settle Rev 7:3 says where sealed settle, earth, sea, trees cannot be harmed — but territorial altar tries to harm.

3. MARINE / WATER ALTAR — SNAKES, PRESSING
Example: 1 Samuel 5:2 — Dagon, god from sea, fell before Ark. Genesis 3:1 — serpent was marine.
Signs: Dreaming snakes, water, swimming, mermaid, sex in dream, being pressed / choked in sleep, hearing voices near water or in night. Acts 8:7 — unclean spirits crying loud.
Intention: To steal purity. Revelation 14:4 says 144,000 are undefiled virgins — not defiled — marine altar attacks purity.

4. WITCHCRAFT / OCCULT ALTAR
Example: Jeremiah 7:31 — Altar of Topheth where they passed children through fire. 2 Kings 23:10.
Signs: Sickness defying medicine, objects moving, money disappearing, constant failure despite prayer. 1 Samuel 16:14 — Evil spirit tormented Saul.
Intention: To kill John 10:10 — premature death, barrenness.

5. DREAM POLLUTION ALTAR
Example: Job 33:14-15 — God speaks in dream — Satan also pollutes dream.
Signs: Eating in dream, sex in dream, seeing dead folks, snakes, dirty water, dogs. Matthew 13:25 — enemy sowed while men slept.
Intention: To destroy through night transactions while you are unaware.

6. MINISTRY OWNERSHIP ALTAR — "THIS CHURCH IS MINE" IMPLANT — ATTACKING MAJORITY PASTORS
This is the altar that has bound many pastors in Kampala.

Example: Diotrephes in 3 John 1:9 — "Who loves to have preeminence among them." Example: Ezekiel 28:2 — Prince of Tyre said "I am a god, I sit in seat of gods."

But Bible says:
Acts 20:28 — The church of God which He obtained with His own blood.
Matthew 16:18 — I will build MY church — Not your church. MY church — Jesus speaking.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 — You are not your own, bought with price.
Revelation 5:9 — By Your blood You ransomed people for God.

How this altar works:
A pastor enters church building at night and hears implant voice: "Leave, this church is mine, you will not build here." That is territorial altar that was there before church Acts 19:13-16 — demon said "Jesus I know, Paul I know, but who are you?"

Or a family that gave land says "This church is on my land, so it is mine" — family altar speaking.

Or pastor himself starts saying "MY church, MY members, MY ministry" — pride opens door to ownership altar, then God resists him James 4:6.

Signs in ministry:
Hearing voice in church: "This is my church"
Fights over who owns church, constitution, money
Church cannot grow beyond number — altar set limit
Every new pastor chased away — founder spirit
Members say "We are tired of this pastor, this is our fathers church"

Intention: To steal what blood bought, to make Christ's church become man's property or demon's shrine. To destroy calling and make pastor blamable.

PART 2: HOW WE RESIST THEM — AS 144,000 BLAMELESS FIRSTFRUITS

1. KNOW YOU ARE SEALED BLAMELESS — NO LEGAL GROUND
Revelation 14:4-5 — Not defiled, no lie in mouth, blameless. Psalm 24:3-4 — Clean hands, pure heart ascends.
2 Corinthians 6:17 — Come out from among them. Stop fornication 1 Cor 6:15, stop consulting shrines Deut 18:10.
Evil altar has no power on blameless life John 14:30 — Satan has nothing in Me — Jesus said.

2. KNOW YOU HAVE HIGHER ALTAR — BLOOD OF JESUS THE LAMB
Hebrews 12:24 — Blood of Jesus speaks better than blood of Abel and better than blood on evil altar.
Colossians 2:14-15 — He cancelled record, disarmed rulers. Altar vs Altar — higher swallows lower Exodus 7:12.

3. KNOW CHURCH BELONGS TO JESUS, NOT TO YOU, NOT TO ALTAR
When implant says "This church is mine" — Answer: Matthew 16:18 — It is written — I will build MY church — You are liar! Acts 20:28 — This church is bought by blood of Jesus! I am only bondservant Revelation 7:3, not owner!

PART 3: HOW WE DESTROY THEM — 4 WEAPONS OF SEALED 144,000

All done at MIDNIGHT 12AM - 3AM Acts 16:25, with anointing oil on foreheads Rev 7:3, for 3 & 7 nights with fasting Matthew 17:21, and Holy Communion 1 Corinthians 10:18.

WEAPON 1: BLOOD OF JESUS THE LAMB OF GOD
Revelation 12:11 — Overcame by blood of Lamb and word of testimony.
Exodus 12:13 — When I see blood I will pass over.
Speak blood over church building, land, family, sleep.

WEAPON 2: MIDNIGHT PRAYER WITH ANOINTING OIL ON FOREHEADS
Acts 16:25-26 — At midnight Paul and Silas prayed and prison shook.
Anoint foreheads — seal Revelation 7:3. Anoint doors of church, pulpit, land. Declare: This is sealed property of Jesus!

WEAPON 3: FASTING 3 & 7 NIGHTS
Matthew 17:21 — This kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.
Esther 4:16 — 3 nights to break death decree. 7 nights for total destruction. Fasting makes you more blameless — lifestyle of 144,000.

WEAPON 4: HOLY COMMUNION — RAISING ALTAR OF GOD
1 Corinthians 10:18 — Those who eat sacrifices participate in altar.
When you eat communion, you raise Altar of God inside you — your body is temple 1 Cor 6:19. Evil altar must bow. 1 Cor 10:21 — You cannot drink cup of Lord and cup of demons.

Gideon threshed wheat … And the Lᴏʀᴅ said to him, “Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man.” Then he said to Him … “Do not depart from here, I pray, until I come to You and bring out my offering and set it before You.” And He said, “I will wait until you come back.” So Gideon went in and prepared a young goat, and unleavened bread from an ephah of flour.

Judges 6:11, 16–19 ɴᴋᴊᴠ

As we consider the story of Gideon we marvel again and again at the patience of God! The Angel of the Lord comes and sits under a tree on the property of Joash the Abiezrite of the tribe of Manasseh. He watches Gideon threshing wheat in the winepress—a difficult task, for this task was ordinarily and most easily done openly on a hilltop. He proceeds to greet Gideon, saying, “The Lᴏʀᴅ is with you, you mighty man of valor!” He takes time to talk with Gideon, answering his objections and questions.

Gideon wants a sign—we see this repeatedly in his history—that this is the Angel of the Lord. He asks his Visitor to wait until he will come back with an offering to set before Him. Amazing! His Visitor agrees to wait. How long? Until Gideon has butchered and stewed a young goat and has made unleavened bread of more than half a bushel (22 liters) of flour! How long does this take? Several hours at least! The Angel of the Lord patiently waits.

When Gideon finally brings out his offering, he brings the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot. This was absolutely contrary to God’s commands. Offerings were not to be boiled. The broth was clear evidence that the meat had been boiled. The Angel of the Lord tells Gideon to put the bread and the meat on a rock and pour out the broth. He then touches the meat and bread with His staff and fire rises out of the rock and consumes them! How patient our God is! He often waits for us for many years!

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.


https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-27

#BookOfJudges #Judges #BibleStudy #OldTestament #BibleSummary #BiblicalHistory #GodsWord #Faith #ChristianFaith #BibleLessons #GodsFaithfulness #GodsMercy #Israel #Deborah #Gideon #Samson #Jephthah #JoshuaToJudges #BiblicalCharacters #ChristianLiving #FaithOverFear #TrustGod #SpiritualGrowth #BibleKnowledge #JesusChrist #Christianity #Scripture #GodsPlan #LessonsFromTheBible #WalkWithGod

Gideon defeated an overwhelming enemy, experienced an incredible victory, and became one of Israel’s most celebrated leaders. But his greatest danger may have come after the battle was over.

https://patrickryanlewis.com/2026/08/16/when-success-becomes-a-snare-learning-from-the-final-years-of-gideon/

In Judges 8, Gideon tells the people, “The LORD will rule over you!” Yet what follows reveals a troubling spiritual decline. He accumulated wealth, began living much like the king he said he would never become, and created an ephod that eventually became an object of false worship.

His story gives us a warning we still need today:

Winning yesterday’s battle does not guarantee tomorrow’s faithfulness.

Success can test our hearts just as much as suffering. Recognition can become a trap. Influence can become identity. Even something connected to our faith can become an idol when it takes the place that belongs to God alone.

The question is not simply, “Am I succeeding?”

We also need to ask:

Am I becoming more faithful?

Am I still teachable?

Am I pointing people toward Jesus or toward myself?

What kind of spiritual legacy am I leaving behind?

Read the new blog: “When Success Becomes a Snare: Learning From the Final Years of Gideon.”

#Gideon #Judges8 #ChristianLiving #BiblicalLeadership #FinishingWell #Faithfulness #GuardYourHeart #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianLeadership #BibleStudy #FollowingJesus

“The Lᴏʀᴅ is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lᴏʀᴅ is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about … But now the Lᴏʀᴅ has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.”

Judges 6:12–13 ɴᴋᴊᴠ

God chooses His instruments carefully and uses His own standards in doing so. One criterion He uses is whether a servant considers not only himself but the whole company of God’s people among whom God has placed him. Gideon is an outstanding example of this.

Gideon is told, “The Lᴏʀᴅ is with you, you mighty man of valor!” He immediately responds, “If the Lᴏʀᴅ is with us, why then has all this happened to us?” While alone in the winepress, away from his people, Gideon’s heart was occupied with them, not with himself. He had doubtless heard the Lord’s rebuke through the prophet and had been giving serious thought to it. How could the Lord be with him and not with His people? Why was the Lord not doing miracles like He had done when He brought Israel up out of Egypt? Why? Why? Surely the Lord must have forsaken His people!

The Lord appreciates a person who thinks like this. Believers today too are more than mere individuals. As Christians we are members of the body of Christ, of the bride of Christ, of the house of God. Each believer today should realize that he or she is a small part of the Church of the Living God, and is affected by the ruin that has come into it through human unfaithfulness.

Weak as he felt he was, Gideon was told, “Go in this might of yours … Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites” (vv. 14, 16). May the Lord find us of like mind, usable for Him!

Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.


Sing aloud to God our strength;
He is with us where we go;Fear we not the journey’s length,
Fear we not the mighty foe.


T. Kelly


https://gbv-online.org/calendar/773/date/2026-08-17

Gideon had no idea what God was purpose, Gideon feel small weak and unworthy and afraid but God saw, not what Gideon was but what he become through Him that's how God sees you.
We live in a time when fear and doubt often hold people captive, but the message of Gideon story is clear.
When God's calls Gideon means God saw something different, he didn't need to be the strongest or the bravest he just needed to trust obey. You may feel weak, afraid or insignificant you may think your past mistakes or failures have disqualified you from God's purpose but the Lord says "I am with you mighty warrior" Mighty warrior means showed extreme bravery in battle, skill in battle unwavering determination, valor loyalty and ability to inspire a soldier.
When God is with you, you are never defeated He takes the ordinary and does the extraordinary. Remember your weakness is perfect place for God to show His strength, the Lord is with you! He will fight your battles, strengthen your heart and make you victorious in His name.
The lesson God can achieve things great things through smallest effort all He ask is your faith and obedience, without faith it is impossible to please God, success in life comes from God and is marked by purity, peace and good fruit.
#ToGodBeAllTheGlory
#AllThingsArePossible

Good morning, my brother. Your telegram platform had been hacked, please secure it. Gideon Katmut

EXHAUSTED—BUT STILL CHASING.

That may be one of the most powerful descriptions of Gideon and his 300 men in Judges 8.

https://patrickryanlewis.com/2026/08/14/exhausted-but-still-chasing-persistence-compromise-and-justice-in-judges-84-21/

They had already fought a tremendous battle. They were hungry. They were exhausted. They asked fellow Israelites for help and were refused. The people who should have encouraged them doubted they would succeed.

But they kept going.

Judges 8:4–21 reminds us that being tired does not necessarily mean God is finished with what He has called us to do.

Sometimes faithfulness means continuing to pray when you haven’t seen the answer.

Continuing to serve when nobody seems to notice.
Continuing to resist temptation when the battle feels repetitive.
Continuing to obey when other people refuse to stand beside you.
Continuing to trust God when you cannot yet see the outcome.

Gideon’s story also gives us sobering lessons about unbelief, compromise, leadership, justice, and the danger of standing on the sidelines when God calls us to participate.

You can be tired and still be faithful.

You can be discouraged and still be obedient.

Sometimes the next act of faith isn’t something dramatic.

Sometimes it is simply taking the next step.

Read the latest study on Judges 8:4–21 — “Exhausted, but Still Chasing.”

#BookOfJudges #Judges8 #Gideon #BibleStudy #ChristianLiving #Faith #Perseverance #Faithfulness #Obedience #TrustGod #SpiritualGrowth #BibleTeaching #KeepGoing #FollowJesus

“Gideon said to him, ‘Please, my lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened? And where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about? They said, “Hasn’t the LORD brought us out of Egypt?” But now the LORD has abandoned us and handed us over to Midian.’”
— Judges 6:13 (CSB)

Gideon voices a question many believers have asked during difficult seasons: If God is with us, why is this happening? His circumstances made it difficult for him to see God’s presence, yet God had not forgotten him or His people. This verse reminds us that questions and struggles do not necessarily mean an absence of faith; sometimes they become the place where God begins to reveal what He is about to do. Even when we cannot see His hand, God is still at work.

Refusing Glory That Belongs to God

Scripture

Judges 8:23 (NKJV)
But Gideon said to them I will not rule over you nor shall my son rule over you The Lord shall rule over you

Knowing Who the True King Is

Judges chapter 8 follows Gideon after a great victory over the Midianites. God had delivered Israel in an unmistakable way and Gideon became widely respected. The people responded by asking Gideon to rule over them and to establish a dynasty through his family.

Gideon’s response in verse 23 is spiritually correct and deeply important. He refuses the offer of kingship and declares that the Lord alone should rule over Israel. This statement acknowledges a core truth of Israel’s identity. God was their King. Human leaders were meant to serve under His authority not replace Him.

This moment shows that success brings its own spiritual test. Victory can tempt people to seek power recognition and control. Gideon understood that accepting glory meant for God would lead Israel away from dependence on Him.

At the same time the chapter also shows that right words must be matched with continued faithfulness. Later actions in Gideon’s life reveal how easy it is to drift after victory. Judges 8 reminds us that finishing well requires humility not only in battle but after success.

For believers today this chapter challenges us to examine how we respond to success influence or recognition. God alone deserves the throne of our hearts. When we remember who truly rules we remain grounded obedient and faithful.

Reflection Questions

1. How do I respond when God brings success or victory

2. Do I guard my heart against pride after accomplishments

3. Is God clearly ruling over my decisions and direction

Prayer

Lord God thank You for every victory You bring into my life. Help me to remember that You alone are King. Guard my heart from pride and keep me humble dependent and faithful after success as well as during struggle. In Jesus name Amen.