An altar is for consecration. Probably all of you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord. But where was that consecration—at Shechem or at Bethel? Was that an experience of El-elohe-Israel or of El-Bethel? Before I came into the church life I had consecrated myself more than once. But the consecration I made after coming into the church life was much higher than any previous consecration. My consecration before the church life was only for myself. It was for me to be holy, spiritual, victorious, and acceptable to God. But my consecration after coming into the church life was different. When you live individualistically, you do not need very much consecration. After you get married, however, you find that your spouse is a troublemaker and that you need to consecrate yourself for this new situation. You may say to the Lord, "Lord, before getting married, I consecrated myself to You to be holy, spiritual, and victorious. Now that I am married I must consecrate myself to You for this. I like the windows opened, but my wife wants them closed. I need a consecration to match this situation." This consecration is new and different. Later, you have children, and this requires a further consecration. When you come into the church life, you not only have one troublemaker but hundreds of them. Many are afraid to come to Anaheim, thinking that it is too large and that the elders here are so strong and straight. They prefer to go to a smaller locality. This indicates that when we come into the church life we need a greater and greater consecration. When you get married, you need a consecration; when you have children, you need a greater consecration; and when you come into the church life, especially to the church in Anaheim, you need the greatest consecration. Without the topmost consecration, you could not bear the church life in Anaheim. You may say to yourself, "Oh, how difficult it is here in Anaheim! There are `policemen' everywhere. I simply cannot adapt to this situation." Since you cannot adjust to it, you must build an altar to match it. As we all know, in front of the temple there was an altar, and no one could enter into the temple without first lingering at the altar. You must stop at the altar and offer yourself, putting yourself on the altar to be slaughtered. Then, after you have been resurrected, you will be free to enter into the temple.

What is the significance of an altar? An altar is for slaughter. Some have said, "The church life is good, but I cannot stand those leading brothers." Others have said, "I appreciate the church life, but I cannot bear the leading sisters. They are too holy. Their holiness slaughters me." Where then should you go—back to Shechem or Padan-aram? You have no alternative except to climb on the altar at Bethel and be slaughtered. The altar in Shechem is an individual altar, but the altar in El-Bethel is a corporate altar. This is the altar of the house of God, and you must present yourself upon it for the house of God. I have done this many times and, years ago, I was slaughtered. Now, no one can offend me. You cannot offend anyone who has been slaughtered. If you do not take in this word and build an altar at El-Bethel, you will not remain in the church forever. One day, you will either walk away or become indifferent. When you are happy, you will come to the meetings, but when you are unhappy, you will not come. It seems that the church is the church, that you are you, and that you and the church have nothing to do with each other. If you do not become indifferent, you will leave because you have been offended. The church is full of offenders. I was slaughtered long ago for the church life in mainland China. Thus, none of you can slaughter me anymore. I cannot be offended by you. This is the experience of the altar built at Bethel. If you can still be offended, it means that, although you may have an altar in Shechem, you do not have an altar in Bethel. To have an altar in Bethel means to have a consecration for the church life. You need to purposely and specifically offer yourself to the Lord for the church life. If you do this, you will never be offended. Rather, you will be prepared for trials, tests, and sufferings. We all need such an altar. This is the experience at Bethel, the experience of the church life.

If you read chapters twenty-eight through thirty-five again, paying attention to this matter of the altar, you will notice the progression from no altar to the highest altar, the altar at El-Bethel. We need a definite, specific consecration for the church life. We need to say, "Lord, now I would make a thorough and specific consecration to You, not that I might be holy, spiritual, or victorious, but that I might experience Your house and remain in it." In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul said to Timothy, "If I delay, that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God." We need to experience God in His house and to behave in the house of God. This requires a definite consecration and a special altar. The common, ordinary altar that we experienced in the past will not be adequate for this. We all need the topmost consecration at the altar in Bethel.

In the past centuries, a number of books have been put out by Christian teachers on the subject of consecration. But, as far as I know, none of them tells Christians to consecrate themselves for the house of God. Mrs. Hannah W. Smith's famous book, The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life, places great stress on the matter of consecration, but it is only for a happy Christian life. She even considers consecration to be a secret of the happy Christian life, but she says nothing for the church life. The Keswick Convention, with which Mrs. Smith had much to do, also emphasized consecration. Actually, in the early days, the messages given at the Keswick Convention were focused on consecration. However, as far as I know, nothing was mentioned regarding consecration for the church life. In nearly every revival in Christianity consecration is stressed, but one can hardly hear of the consecration for the house of God. Because Christians have not seen the church life, all their altars are, at best, built in "Shechem." But in the Lord's recovery today we must build our altar at Bethel. We need the topmost consecration for the church life to fulfill God's eternal purpose and to satisfy His heart's desire.