THE ALTAR OF GOD

What is important about the place of the altar? Does it commemorate that spot that God first spoke to a man (Genesis 12:7) and lauded him for his acceptance of God's power and Kingship? Or is it the place that God chose to speak to my spiritual forefathers and then to me? God is a most wonderful God that is alone worthy of worship and recognition. I am only an iota although by bringing me into relationship with Himself He has made me an important part of His life. He says, "No fear, child, no fear" and He protects me. The altar and the church become a place for me to commemorate Him by my fellowship with others ("do this in memory of me" - Luke 22:19), all He has done for me, all He has blessed me with, particularly the relationships, the kinship with others who have put Christ on and been called God's children. The church is not a museum to look at items and to say, "I wonder what happened back in..." It is not a place in mothballs, but a place to be taken out of mothballs, a living memorial in which I do things because of Jesus and Who He was and is and hence because of God and Who He is. I putt aside all the false gods, all the walls, anything that might distract me from God and come to Him in my purest,most solitary state. I acknowledge that nothing can keep me from Him and that He reigns supreme. (Job 1:5) I have confessed Him as LORD and Lord (Matthew 16:19) He is King and He is also the one that rules over all the universe. I confess before Him my needs more and more. I confess my needs to be with others. (Acts 16:34) For it is not good for a person to be alone. (Genesis 2:!8). I with my brethren are of one accord, one spirit, one faith, one baptism, one life, as a chorus makes one sound, as a chorus of dancers makes a single movement, all parts working together. (Ephesians 4:4). This is why it is important to commemorate Him, so that I don't forget that He has made many different others but they are nonetheless similar to me in goal and they arrive at similar conclusions about God. When my life, and other people's lives, are pure and unadulterated, when my heart connects to others, and we beat together, different yet similar, I have united myself with others even though I have differences of opinions and thoughts, etc. I am united to others in my differences, in education, in opinion, in health, in strength, and in weakness. It is the perfection of the musical term, "harmony". And there is peace in God as we delve in prayerful relationship with Him. (Acts 12:12) Because we are the same in Him.

Thank God for God

Some leaders are godly men and leaders who want to serve their God and their people. In Joshua 4:1-11, for example, Joshua does as God commands and told the people to set up the 12 stones to ford the river. Why? As a memorial to what God did for His people and to commemorae what He put in place many, many years prior to even the 10 commandments that lead to those same commandments. It was God directing the pathways of his people by setting the 12 tribes, it was God that sent Joseph into Egypt, it was God to direct the movement and paths of the ark of the covenant which held the covenant between God and His people. Such men allowed God in their lives to really carry forth His plan for His people, by following God's direction to make certain clothing or parts of clothing in remembrance of the sacredness of His people, as in Numbers 15:38-39, and also the leading His people out of Egypt in Exodus 13:-11-16.

I thank God for teachers that demonstrate Jesus in their lives and work as God appointed them to work, as it says in Ephesians 4:11 and 1 Corinthians 12:28 and 29. Those teachers are not afraid of the truth, and they are willing to teach as Jesus did, in the temple in Luke 19:47. And they are willing to expound the truth of Jesus, and proclaim His origin and authority, much as Jesus did in Luke 24:27. I thank God for Jesus for explaining without a doubt His authority and His wisdom and those preachers that acknowledge this and feed me with His Word accordingly.