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Jehovah’s Appearance
Read Genesis 12:1-7
“And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him” (v. 7).
I’m glad that we still have an altar! The patriarchs in the Old Testament regularly built altars at the site of a theophany; a place where God had appeared to them. It would seem natural to build an altar to commemorate the appearance of God.
There is a theological significance to an altar. Altars in the Bible were places of sacrifice. But, beyond that, the altar was also a place that marked the site of God’s appearance and presence. Many churches no longer have altars at the front of the sanctuary. This is disturbing to me. I’m grateful for the many times when I, personally, have met God at an altar! The continued use of the altar in the worship of God is vitally important. The altar is a place where God’s people can just come and bask in His presence or seek His guidance and power in their lives.
It may be that many believe the altar is just a place where one seeks God for salvation and sanctification. And it certainly is that; however, the altar can be utilized often just to bring the people of the church together into the presence of God! Let’s allow the altar to be a place where all are welcomed to come into the presence of the Lord. Don’t allow the altar to be only an article of furniture in the sanctuary. Use it! (KDK)
Who can tell all the love
He will send from above,
And how happy our hearts will be made,
Of the fellowship sweet
We shall share at His feet,
When our all on the altar is laid.
(Elisha Hoffman; Public Domain)
This devotional is the Monday, May 30, 2016 entry of Opening the Word.
Follow up on visitors and absentee
The Sunday school teacher's responsibility does not begin and end with the classroom Sunday morning!
As a Sunday school teacher, there are various best practices you should follow to have the maximum positive spiritual impact on your class. One such weekly habit is to follow up on visitors and absentees.
Jesus' earthly ministry shows us by example that while one may preach to multitudes, investment must be made in just a few in order to develop disciples. Your pastor's effectiveness will be multiplied if you as Sunday school teacher help him by "pastoring" your class. One key element of this ministry is follow-up.
- Ask your class secretary to ask all newcomers to your class for contact information.
- Check with the secretary afterward to determine which guests and absentees need to be
contacted. - Call/text/email, visit, or mail a card within 24 hours.
The Revelation of Christ
Lesson 1 - June 5, 2016
Focus Text: Revelation 1:9-18
Central Truth: The living Christ reigns on high.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to list ways this revelation of Christ gives us confidence for today.
Lesson Outline:
- The Eternal Christ (Revelation 1:4-11)
- The Majestic Christ (Revelation 1:12-16)
- The Sovereign Christ (Revelation 1:17-20)
Prayer – Lesson 13, What Will YOU Do With Jesus?
Heavenly Father, thank You again for the gift of Your Son Jesus. Help our teachers as they lead their classes today to encourage any students who do not know You as Lord and Savior to make that decision today. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.
Will you follow Christ?
In "God's Word for Today" Jim Baker writes:
When we consider why Jesus went to the cross, it should cause each of us to want to follow Him. The question Pilate asked, “What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ?” (Matt. 27:22), should elicit a response in each life. Will YOU accept Christ or crucify Him?
The lessons in this quarter have given many reasons to follow Christ, the Son of God. He is the suffering Savior who forgives. And because of His resurrection we have hope for today and eternity. He is the Good Shepherd and cares for us. Though He has supreme authority, yet He humbled Himself to reach us. To know that He intercedes for us gives us confidence to live daily for Him. With all these reasons to be a Christian, there is no excuse to reject Him. There is more to gain than to lose.
Source: Jesus, Son of God: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 81.
Why did Jesus often not give straight answers?
In "Word Focus" Darrell Grim writes:
The Lord's reply to Pilate's question was deliberately ambiguous. Jesus spoke here as He spoke to the Jews — in parables. If they really wanted to find out the truth, they could, but their blinded eyes made His teaching seem as nonsense. Jesus gave Pilate enough to pique his curiosity. Had he continued to press with an earnest desire to know the truth, without doubt Christ would have revealed more to him.
Discussion: When God seems not to give us "straight" answers, do we continue to seek His word or are we content to be blind to Truth?
Source: Jesus, Son of God: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 78.