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WELCOME TO GOD FOCUS THIS MORNING 

The title of today’s episode is: “Altar / Alter”

When we repent at an altar, we come out of the experience altered. In order to fully understand that statement we must fully understand the definition of each of the words that sound the same; alter/altar.

The word altar is a flat surface used for a religious ritual or for making a sacrifice or offering to a deity.

In Christianity, an altar is where we pray and repent of our sins. We make a sacrifice of our will and our lives. It is a place we return in order to continue to lay down our lives for the cause of Christ. When we come to Christ the first time, we repent and lay our lives bare before him on an altar.

We are saying to God, I give you my life, use it and do something with it. Fill me with your Spirit that I may have the strength and courage to walk right. As time goes by, our flesh reasserts its desires. If we are not careful, we can allow it to take over again. We need to repent daily and give our lives to God.  He will change us as we learn and grow in him.

Which brings me to the second word Alter. The Oxford dictionary defines Alter as change or cause to change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way. Example: A tailor would alter clothing for a better fit.

This change is the alteration we need to walk in the ways of God. It is a lifelong journey. God’s grace is sufficient to see us through as long as we try to walk right. But his grace is not a license to repent once and then do whatever we wish. That is not true repentance. True repentance means that we not only ask God for forgiveness, but we turn from our sin and do not repeat it.

In order for us to conform to God’s plan we need to alter our lives and try to not walk in the flesh. If we fall short, we go to the altar to repent and ask God to help us overcome our sins.

The altar can be anywhere we choose to pray. It doesn’t have to be a formal altar in a church building, like it was under the law. Under the law they sacrificed animals and sprinkled their blood for redemption of sin.

Christ became the ultimate sacrifice on the cross. His blood forever covers the altar. We can come and lay down our flesh or the will of our flesh. We then ask for the blood to be applied to our lives.

Apostle Paul understood that we are all human. None of the Apostles needed God’s forgiveness more than he did; he was persecuting and executing Christians until he had and encounter with God. He was forever changed. God even changed his name. He said that he died daily.  Meaning he gave his life fresh daily to God.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

To present our bodies a living sacrifice means that we make our daily decisions to conform to the word of God and his will for our lives. That we renew our minds with the word and think about the things of God. Our desires and will must die in order for our spirit man to live and stay connected to God.

It would be a good idea, before our feet hit the floor to look up and recommit our lives to the cause of Christ. Ask God for his help to overcome the will of our flesh. Place our lives on that altar of sacrifice. This in turn gets our mindset right and allows us to stay focused on God and His will for our day.

Altering our lives meaning adding more room for God and taking away room for us to commit sins. This is why we need to resist the devil. He is there to tempt our flesh to commit sin.

Matthew 16:24-26  Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.  25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Taking up our cross is another way of saying, staying committed to following the will of God. Just as Christ sacrificed his flesh on a natural cross. We are to sacrifice the will of our flesh and surrender to the will of God.

Verse 25 sums up the meaning of take up your cross.  If we keep our life and not sacrifice it to God. In the end we will lose our life to an eternity in hell or death eternal. If we lose our life or sacrifice our life for Christ. We will find eternal life and not eternal death.

What is worth giving up our lives for, Christ. We could own everything in this world, and it would not be worth living this life without Christ. What is worth giving up our soul?

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Something to think on today as you go about your routine.

Until next time,

BE BOLD, BE BRAVE AND KEEP YOUR GOD FOCUS

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