Impoverished Ministry Of Jesus Quote

"Beware of the satisfaction of sinking back and saying - "It can't be done"; you know it can be done if you look to Jesus. The well of your incompleteness is deep, but make the effort and look away to Him."

~(taken from My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers).

Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

"Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge or yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. Observe Israel after the flesh:

Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?

What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord's table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?" 1 Cor 10:14-22

This small little statement has stuck out to me the past couple of weeks. I read this and that's the only thing I kept coming back to. I began to think about altars and what they really are and what all they involve. Then I began to wonder, what are the altars around me and in this world. I never thought of an altar in being anything but a godly thing. The fact is, there are many different altars on which we have in our past and lots of people today are partaking of that are not godly. There is the altar of religion, worldliness, money, materialism and greed. The altar of sports, entertainment, and fashion. The altar of ego and self. We as Christians have been called, chosen, and set apart for Christ. We are called to be bound to His altar, to eat of His sacrifice. To take up our cross and follow Him. But- how easy is it to get suddenly entrapped by the feast of other altars. When we eat the sacrifices of unrighteousness we are partakes of the altar on which it is served. When I began to really see this it became quite a scary thing....how many little things do I eat of that compromise what He has done in me? It is something to think about. I just thought it was a interesting way to see this and wanted to share what God has been showing me. Sorry if it's hard to follow :) The song below has been on my heart for weeks now and is my prayer:

Living Sacrifice by Christ For Life
I take my cross and follow You
Forsake my life in this world
Through the cross, the world is dead to me
and I am dead to the world

Bind me to the horns of Your altar, oh Lord
I’ll be a living sacrifice
I lay down everything that hinders
And cry out for a brand new heart

I put my hand to the plough
I never will look back
Remove the stones from this well
And let the living waters flow --