We must teach the truth of the golden altar to our families. God has called us men to be fathers and leaders of our families, teaching our children how to pray, worship, and read God’s Holy Word. Without question, this is one of the most important things we can do as fathers.
If we who call ourselves Christian fathers place more emphasis on teaching our children social skills, the rights and wrongs of our cultural traditions, the provision of a good education, and the importance of being good and successful citizens, rather than a relationship with God through prayer and His Living Word, we fail them in what really matters most.
If we have not taught them how to pray daily and seek God through reading and meditation of His Word, from an eternal perspective we fail to teach them what matters most.
Many will say, “This is why we take our family to church once a week.” But prayer and the study of God’s Word was never ever meant to be a once a week ritual, but rather a daily habit.
How can our children possibly survive in this morally corrupt world, with all the deceptions that go along with it, if we do not wake up to the truth that we need God every moment of every day?
The Bible says in James 4:8: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” We need to encourage a daily experience of drawing near to God. How can we expect God to walk with us if our fathers never taught us how to walk with Him. How can we expect our children to walk with God if we don’t teach them how to walk with Him?
The ministry of the golden altar is needful so we can experience its value in our lives every day, from the cradle to the grave.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell
Picture: Henry-Mosier-Pilgrims-Grace
Today we look at some of the different names the Bible uses regarding this altar.
People love gold rings and ornaments that are pure gold. They despise fake gold. With the same attitude, we should go after the real gold, which is prayer.
Men, how much involvement do you and your family put into prayer in your home? The ministry of prayer is a golden ministry. It is very valuable and of inestimable worth.
The altar of incense, which was a piece of furniture in the Holy Place in the tabernacle and later the temple, has valuable teaching regarding the prayer life of God’s people.
It is sad to me that there is much more praying in the mosques of Islam than in the churches of Christians. I wonder why.
Our nation has become far stronger in the secular than in the spiritual. As a result, we are greatly weakened and diluted in our moral values. This has resulted in an overall decline in almost every area of our national greatness. We must ask ourselves why so many people rallied around Donald Trump’s call to “Make America Great Again.” Was it because we sense we have, and are still losing, our greatness?
The truth is that if parents do not educate their children about prayer and God’s Word, they have failed to educate them in the things that matter most to God.
Parents want their children to be well educated in all things that pertain to this life. I have noticed how parents are proud to talk about their children’s success in academia and the college degrees they acquire. Personally, I have no problem with this for it is a good thing for parents to be proud of their children’s achievements in life.
Always gather your family to the dinner table to eat and fellowship together. And then Read God's Word and pray together. Take up your responsibility as the priest of the home.
The daily news constantly brings attention to negative and sensational problems. To be honest, as a nation we truly face a lot of serious stuff. Added to his, we have our own challenges, whether it be members of our families who are either sick, in hospital, or facing marriage, financial, or spiritual problems. All these things bring stress.
How each of our families need the Holy Spirit’s power and assistance. We live in a very deceived world. Many are deceived about moral issues, e.g. homosexual views including gay marriage, abortions, Planned Parenthood, divorce, and couples cohabiting together as partners. Many are deceived by tolerance towards many of the extreme doctrines of Islam such as Sharia law which degrades women, and yet it seems that feminists have no issue with it. How deceived are they?
Acts 10:44 states: “The Holy Ghost fell on all them which head the word.” Why don’t we see more of this happening our services today? Don’t we owe it to ourselves and our families to see our services divinely interrupted by the same Holy Spirit? What is wrong with us that we have become complacent?
That “healing is the children’s bread” is the obvious conclusion to Matthew 15:26. The Gentile woman only got the crumbs and yet her daughter was healed.
What will it take to engage our young families today?
Changing the décor will not cut it. Serving coffee and doughnuts will not keep it alive either.
In Acts 2:17-18 says: “And it shall happen in the last days, saith God I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dram dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.”