Weekly Tea

(continued)

b.What is an alter- It is not a script, a time and place to do a regimented or disciplined task in order to keep us religious.

• The alters of the Old Testament were a place of reverence where the presence of man encountered the presence of God.

• It was a place where men developed an awe of the Almighty.

• It was a place where unworthiness was sensed and a reverence for God’s voice from His word was developed.

• It was a place where Gods character was seen, His name was revealed, His will was made known.

So it should be in the Christian home of today, the same reverence with all of these attributes must be taught. Here is where a respect for His creation is learned, especially for fellow man and the human body. High ideals are developed here for they will reflect the underlying reverence we have for God.

• The alter is also a place of sacrifice, the bodies and blood of the sacrificial animals were consumed by fire. This represents the surrender of man’s best to God’s honor. We know that literal sacrifices were annulled at Calvary, but we are to offer our own bodies as a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1-2) The home offers some of the greatest opportunities for sacrificing with unreserved  affection. Here we learn things like honesty, purity, denying self, integrity, forgiveness, and love.

• The alter is a place of communion, here God talks to man and man talks to God. If we cannot learn to communicate in the home environment (alter) it will be very difficult to do the same with God when we are with Him.

In our 21st century, communication skills are becoming obsolete with the access of technology such as, texting, e-mailing, and social media. It’s to be understood that these are not wrong in themselves, but our families should be taught that real communication is done voice to voice or even better face to face. Can you imagine texting God, or even sending Him an email. Communication is a key to all our relationships.

All of these definitions that surround the alter are not relegated to a specific time or place. Abraham revisited the alter at different times and at different places and Issac followed suit. Christ in the New Testament set an example of going into the mountain to pray or getting away to an alter by Himself at times of pressure.

We are exhorted in 1Thessalonians 5:17 to “Pray without ceasing”, or in other words have a continual atmosphere of prayer. Lets not confuse the two, one is for our everyday life and the other is for circumstances that demand special attention from God. Does your family know with an assurance that an alter can be found in your life in times of crisis? Don’t misunderstand, thank God for those who have a dedicated space in their daily life for their family devotions, but devotion should be practiced every moment of the day in the presence of our families, when going out the door, coming in the door, cleaning the house, on trips, eating at the table or in a restaurant, doing business, hunting, fishing, shopping, every day all day.

Duet. 6:6-9,11:18-25

(to be continued)