“ UNTIL ALL ON THE ALTAR WE LAY”

Dec. 4, 2013

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7).

TRUST: reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing;

FAITH: confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability.

A television program preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics featured blind skiers being trained for slalom skiing, impossible as that sounds. Paired with sighted skiers, the blind skiers were taught on the flats how to make right and left turns. When that was mastered, they were taken to the slalom slope, where their sighted partners skied beside them shouting, “Left!” and “Right!” As they obeyed the commands, they were able to negotiate the course and cross the finish line, depending solely on the sighted skiers’ word. It was either complete trust or catastrophe.

TRUST and FAITH are identical twins, both demanding a attitude of total confidence, and mental fortitude in what an unseen being that we as Christians call God can do and will do for us in all situations and circumstances. BUT IF, two words spoken by the three Hebrews who were facing annihilation in a fiery furnace. BUT IF, he doesn’t grant my request that is all right also because whatever He does, my trust in Him, and what he did for me on Calvary tells me it is all for His glory and honor, and my Salvation.

I can recall the popular song we all probably sung when we were kids growing up “TRUST and OBEY. But we never can prove the delights of His love, UNTIL ALL ON THE ALTAR WE LAY; for the favor He shows, And the joy He bestows Are for them who will TRUST and OBEY.

What a beautiful concept UNTIL ALL ON THE ALTAR WE LAY in other words there can be no uncertainty or uneasiness about what God can do for us, so we LAY it all before Him, totally depending on the GOOD SHEPARD’S guidance. Like Abraham when asked by God to sacrifice His Son. for Christ tells us in John 10:14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.”

But my friends you will never know Christ if you don’t spend time with Him, if you don’t seek His presence as you allow His presence to become a passion you seek daily, until you can personally see the scares in his hands that will forever be a reminder to the redeemed of what he did for our salvation.

But Like the blind skiers, if we don’t become familiar with the voice of  the Good Shepherd who leads us along this Journey we are on today, then it will be a complete CATASTROPHE. I was reading an article about a man who was praying, and what he said struck at the heart of where we need to be at today in our walk with Christ his words were.

“OH LORD I  CAN TRUST THE MAN WHO DIED FOR ME” My friends I can never stop impressing the importance of study, prayer, focus, faith, trust, love, and endurance in my devotionals for we can never please God no mater how hard we try if we don’t  “LAY IT ALL ON THE ALTAR TO THE  MAN WHO DIED FOR US.” For “Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.” (Psalm 125:1)

That is why we must place our trust only on the solid rock, and foundation of Jesus Christ simply because He does not Change. Soon my friends everyone in this world would have heard the good news of the gospel, all of prophecy would have been fulfilled. And only if we have spent time with Christ, And know and trust His voice, will we here him say. “Babylon is falling” “Come away from her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her.”

My friends Christ still extends His grace to you today. Like Peter who saw the Master walking on water, said “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You, and Christ did. But when Peter saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  Trust my friends, there can never be any doubt, So today “LAY IT ALL ON THE ALTAR IN FRONT OF THE MAN WHO DIED FOR YOU”. 

So my friends today. Stay focused, remain faithful, love one another and endure till the end and never forget to STUDY&PRAY