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Christ’s Scepter of Righteousness
“But unto the Son he saith, ‘Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom’” (Hebrews 1:8)
The bell rang, boys ran, recess began as we all wanted to be - King of the Mountain. It didn’t matter who started as king, he would be knocked off, and another would follow, and that continued until the bell rang to call us back to the classroom.
Today our thoughts are about One who rules with authority and absolute straightness. It is pointed out that His power is the Word, and the Word is His power (v. 3), that his position is God’s Son (v. 5), that He is praised by the angels (v. 6), and that His prominence will never end (v. 8).
As we sat in the classroom, our thoughts were on a strategy to take the mountain at the next recess. Today my thoughts are on how do I live for Him in love, faith, and purity to reflect His scepter of righteousness in my speech and conduct (I Timothy 4:12). Am I allowing that scepter of righteousness to infiltrate my thinking and guide me to living in “holiness and righteousness”? (Luke 1:74) He has given His life for me to be able to do just that!(Steve Martin)
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p style="text-align:center;font-style:italic;">In loving kindness Jesus came, my soul in mercy to reclaim.
And from the depths of sin and shame, through grace He lifted me.
(Charlotte G. Homer; Public Domain)
This devotional is the Tuesday, August 23, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Summer 2016 Tips for Website
Another important way to "sharpen the saw" is to attend a Sunday school workshop or seminar.
Another important way to "sharpen the saw" is to attend a Sunday school workshop or seminar. A simple online search yields several options of Sunday school workshops. We would also encourage you to contact Herald and Banner Press to see about arranging such a workshop for your church and others in your community. Another option would be to sign up for ministrygrid.com, which provides training of various types for church leaders. A search for ”Sunday school teacher training” on YouTube also surfaces several videos regarding teaching Sunday school. (Note: Be careful in wording your search criteria. Many YouTube videos are not appropriate.) Through iTunes (computer program), several universities offer free courses, which may be of benefit to you.
The advantages of such training, especially in-person events, are obvious: focused training by experts, encouragement from and fellowship with other Sunday school teachers, and the possibility of seeking advice for your specific challenges. Obviously, such training events will require your personal investment. At the least, it will require time and energy. But such workshops may also involve some financial cost.
The question is: are we serious about doing the best for our Master, to the extent that we will reject the status quo and be willing to learn new things, try new methods, and invest in training?
Forever With Christ
Lesson 13 - August 28, 2016
Focus Text: Revelation 22:1-14
Central Truth: All Christ's followers will one day live with Him in eternity.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to identify things in heaven which a Christian can look forward to.
Lesson Outline:
- Great Gifts (Revelation 22:1-5)
- A Great Promise (Revelation 22:6-16)
- A Great Invitation (Revelation 22:17-21)
Prayer – Lesson 12, All Things New
Heavenly Father, infuse our classes with hope and confidence today as they study about the day You will make all things new. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Overcoming by the Blood of the Lamb
In "Biblical Perspective" R.E. Trotter writes:
Jesus made it clear to each of the seven churches that a life of victory was required of each of the saints regard-less of how impossible their situations seemed (Rev. 2 and 3). Even when Satan was cast out of heaven and came down to earth with great fury to attack the saints, “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony” (Rev. 12:11). Overcoming is the normal standard for all Christians and a requirement for keeping one's name in the Book of Life (Rev. 3:5).
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 71.
The tabernacle of God is with men – Revelation 21:3
In "Word Focus" Darrell Grim writes:
The Tabernacle has ever been the place of God's presence with His people.
The Tabernacle was first erected in the wilderness exactly one year after the Passover when the Israelites were freed from their Egyptian slavery. It was a mobile tent with portable furniture that the people traveled with and set up wherever they pitched camp. The instruction on how to build the Tabernacle was first given to Moses in the wilderness, who then gave the orders to the Israelites.
God knew that the Israelites needed visual evidence of His presence. When Moses went up to Mount Sinai for forty days and the people did not see or hear from him, they grew impatient and gathered their gold to form a golden calf that they worshiped in place of God. After ten generations of living in Egypt, it was not surprising that the Israelites mimicked the Egyptians in fashioning a visual idol of their own. This act of disobedience demon-strated their need to follow and worship a God who was visually tangible. God's provision of a Tabernacle — itself a splendor to behold — not only allowed the people to sense His presence, but also to see their leader go in to meet with God in a concrete place and not disappear up a mountain.
Source: Christ, the Triumphant Lord: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 69.
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