Summary: Religious duties often find us prepared for the outter altar more than the inner altar. The is a place to prepare our hearts to know God.

THE ALTAR A PLACE OF PREPARATION...

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com...

I. EMPTY IS DANGEROUS...

IN A PREVIOUS LESSON WE LEARNED: IT IS WISE TO NOT APPROACH THE MAN OF

GOD OR THE ALTAR OF GOD EMPTY...

1 Samuel 9:6 And he said unto him, Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is

an honourable man; all that he saith cometh surely to pass: now let us go thither; peradventure

he can shew us our way that we should go.

[7] Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the

bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?

[8] And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a

shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

[9] (Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us

go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)

[10] Then said Saul to his servant, Well said; come, let us go. So they went unto the city where

the man of God was.

II. WE ALSO LEARNED IN THE TEMPLE OR TABERNALCE THERE WERE TWO ALTARS.

1. THE OUTER ALTER, OR BRAZEN ALTAR... or burnt offering altar

Made out of brass,

This included the Table of the Lord...

This Altar had HORNS ON IT...

Exodus 29:12 And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the

altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.

2. THE GOLDEN ALTAR, OR THE ALTAR OF INCENSE...

This altar was right before the vail...

Luke 1:11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the

altar of incense.

Zacharias: John the Baptist dad met an angel here...

III. WE HAVE STATED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT THE ALTAR IS AN ATTITUDE NOT A

PLACE... TODAY WE SAY THE ALTAR IS A PLACE OF PREPARATION...

GET READY FOR THE BLESSING...

A. DEFINE

PREPARATION...

Something done to get ready... plan,

READY...

Willing, inclined, about to do,

OUGHT...

Expressing a duty-responsibility, Compelled, forced to do....

RECONCILE...

To be friendly after an estrangement., to settle, to become submissive

To get or bring back together, restore harmony, MAKE PEACE...

Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause

shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be

in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

[23] Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath

ought against thee;

[24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother,

and then come and offer thy gift.

THE SPOT ON THE PIECE OF PAPER...

what do you see...

B. THE HINGE OF ETERNITIY SWINGS ON FORGIVENESS... LOVE... AT THE ALTAR...

IV. WE COME TO THE ALTAR WAS A PLACE TO GET READY FOR THE BLESSINGS THAT GOD

WILL BRING, BLESSINGS ARE ALWAYS CONDITION...

40 YEARS IN THE DESERT, 40 YEARS OF PREPARATION...

THE BURNING BUSH BECAME AN ALTAR OF PREPARATION...

Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a

bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

[3] And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

[4] And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst

of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

V. THE ALTAR IS A PLACE OF PREPARATION LIKE A FARMER GETTING THE FIELD READY

FOR HIS CROP...

YOU MUST GET THE PLOW READY, GET THE GROUND READY, GET THE SEED READY...

Jeremiah 4:3 For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem,

Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

Hosea 10:12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow

ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

HAVE WE MADE THE PREPARATION TO SOW, THUS TO REAP?

The altar is where we get ready...

VI. LET'S COME TO JESUS AND PREPARE FOR THE MIRACLE...

THE ALTAR TAKES MANY FORMS... MARY SAYS:

WHATSOEVER HE SAITH TO YOU DO IT... PREPARE... 150 TO 180 GALLONS?

John 2:1 And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was

there: [2] And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

[3] And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

[4] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

[5] His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.

[6] And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews,

containing two or three firkins apiece.

[7] Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

[8] And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.

VII. THE ALTAR OF OBEDIENCE MUST OVER-RIDE HUMAN LOGIC...

John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead,

saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

VII. SOME ALTARS IS TO GGET THE GROUP READY FOR THE MIRACLE...

SMALLER, TOUCHABLE SIZE...

Matthew 15:35 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

Luke 9:14 For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples,

Make them sit down by fifties in a company.

VIII. THE ALTAR IS THE LEVELING PLACE...

Luke 3:5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low;

and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

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