Category Archives: Abraham’s Test

Faith In Spite Of Sight??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #227

03 Monday Jun 2024

Posted by in Abiding In Jesus, Abraham's Test, Are you ready?, Faith, Faith or Entertainment?, Faithful, Faithful Follower, Faithful God--Faithful me!, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Faithfulness, God's Righteousness Not mine, God's Wisdom, Jesus Is The Only Way!, Seeing Truth, Serving God or Using God?, Sin IS the issue, Speaking The Truth In Love, Still Will I Trust HIM, The Word

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Faith In Spite Of Sight??? A Word from THE WORD!!! #227

“Now faith is

the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen.

2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3 Through faith we understand

that the worlds were framed by the word of God,

so that things which are seen

were not made of things which do appear…

….6 But without faith

it is impossible to please him:

for he that cometh to God

must believe that he is,

and that he is a rewarder of them

 that diligently seek him.”  Hebrews 11:1-3, 6

We hear lots of talk about faith today—in this or that, even the faith regarding Jesus.  But what is your faith really in?  A myth?  A story? A legend? People? Promises?  The significant thing we must remember is that it is absolutely important what we believe about Jesus.  Many believe he was a good man, or even a good teacher or prophet, but Jesus claimed to be The Son of God—to be God (See John 10:30)!  Paul says that salvation only comes when we believe the Gospel and tells us exactly what that is!

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you

the gospel which I preached unto you,

which also ye have received,

and wherein ye stand;

2 By which also ye are saved,

if ye keep in memory

what I preached unto you,

unless ye have believed

in vain.

3 For I delivered unto you first of all

that which I also received,

how that Christ died for our sins

according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried,

and that he rose again the third day

according to the scriptures:

5 And that he was seen of Cephas,

then of the twelve:” 1 Corinthians 15:1-5

Jesus also reminded us that we can only come to Him when we are willing to repent of our own sin and trust in His blood to save us; as Paul says, His death, burial and resurrection “for our sin”!

“I tell you, Nay:

but, except ye repent,

ye shall all likewise perish…

….5 I tell you, Nay:

but, except ye repent,

ye shall all likewise perish.”  Luke 13:3, 5

So the question comes, what do you believe or what have you placed your faith in?  Money, power, influence, family, politics, fame…the list could go on, but the question remains.  Have you trusted in Jesus’ substitutionary, atoning sacrifice to pay for your sin?  If you have, are you also trusting to God’s faithful provision even when you can’t see the way?  I want to share a simple story with you this morning, and I ask that you ponder the amazing truth of it.

“By faith Abraham,

when he was called to go out into a place

which he should after receive for an inheritance,

obeyed;

and he went out,

not knowing whither he went.

9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise,

as in a strange country,

dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob,

the heirs with him

of the same promise:

10 For he looked for a city

which hath foundations,

whose builder and maker is God…

….13 These all died in faith,

not having received the promises,

but having seen them afar off,

and were persuaded of them,

and embraced them,

and confessed that they were strangers

and pilgrims on the earth…

…17 By faith Abraham,

when he was tried,

offered up Isaac:

and he that had received the promises

offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said,

That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able

to raise him up,

even from the dead;

from whence also he received him

in a figure.”  Portions of Hebrews 11:8-19

Abraham believed God’s promises which He gave Him for a seed, a land and a nation when he was childless at 75 years of age!  That was a promise which Abraham clung to even when God asked him to offer Isaac on the altar.  This was faith over sight! And when you study this encounter, you will find that God took Abraham and Isaac to Mount Moriah (the place where Jesus was offered) and Abraham’s answer to Isaac’s question, “where is the sacrifice”, was, I believe, from a faith-vs-sight beyond his own wisdom as we see in Genesis 22; and I truly believe God let Abraham see that HE would provide “Himself” as The Lamb in His time.  Check it out.  John the Baptizer understood: “Behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world…”. Have you looked to Jesus, The Lamb to take away your sin?  Are you looking with eyes of faith or being swayed by worldly distractions.

“And he believed in the LORD;

and he counted it to him for righteousness.

7 And he said unto him,

I am the LORD that brought thee out

of Ur of the Chaldees,

to give thee this land

to inherit it.”  Genesis 15:6-7

Don’t let the world distract your faith by leading your eyes in a different direction—for it will never lead you closer to your Lord. Jesus gave His all for me and you, what will we give for/to Him?

“I am the good shepherd,

and know my sheep,

and am known of mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me,

even so know I the Father:

and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16 And other sheep I have,

which are not of this fold:

them also I must bring,

and they shall hear my voice;

and there shall be one fold,

and one shepherd.

17 Therefore doth my Father love me,

because I lay down my life,

that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me,

but I lay it down of myself.

I have power to lay it down,

and I have power to take it again.

This commandment

have I received of my Father.”  John 10:14-18

He died for sin—but rose the victor over it!!

Amen and Amen!!!

Faithful Provider, Always!!! Bible Ballistics: BBs #750

27 Friday Aug 2021

Posted by in A Father's Love, Abiding In Jesus, Abraham's Test, All About Jesus!, Faith, Faithful, Faithful is He that has Promised!, Faithfulness, God Knows, God Who Sees, God's love, God's provision, Grace, Let go...and let God, Trusting God

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Bible Ballistics: BBs #750  Faithful Provider, Always!!!

 

“Know therefore

that the LORD thy God,

he is God,

the faithful God,

which keepeth covenant

and mercy

with them that love him

and keep his commandments

to a thousand generations;”   Deuteronomy 7:9

When things start (or continue) whirling around you and your strength seems to be sapped, your mind runs rampant with doubt, confusion, and uncertainty, it is then along with every other time in our lives that we need to look UP to our faithful Lord God Almighty, and HIS Son, Jesus, The Lamb of God which “taketh away the sin of the world”!  It is imperative that we understand the import of the truth that Jesus came to save sinners, and as Paul said, “of whom I am chief”, praise God, Jesus came to save sinners like me.

How about you?  Will you run to the One who died that you might have eternal life—abundant life—a transformed, holy life?  Oh, if I could sit down with you and share with you all that HE has done for me, pointing you to HIS cross.  It is why HE came.

“And she shall bring forth a son,

and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people

from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21

Jesus said of Himself:

“I am the door:

by me if any man enter in,

he shall be saved,

and shall go in and out,

and find pasture.

10 The thief cometh not,

but for to steal,

and to kill,

and to destroy:

I am come that they might have life,

and that they might have it more abundantly.

11 I am the good shepherd:

the good shepherd giveth his life

for the sheep.”  John 10:9-11

This went beyond even what John the Baptizer had said of Him!

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,

Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away

the sin of the world.” John 1:29

“I indeed baptize you

with water

unto repentance:

but he that cometh after me

is mightier than I,

whose shoes I am not worthy to bear:

he shall baptize you

with the Holy Ghost,

and with fire:

12 Whose fan is in his hand,

and he will throughly purge his floor,

and gather his wheat into the garner;

but he will burn up the chaff

with unquenchable fire.”   Matthew 3:11-12

I love the Gospel of John for its beautiful and picturesque descriptions of Jesus and His many faceted work as the Lamb of God, The Good Shepherd, The Door, The Water of Life, The Bread of Life and more (I encourage you to delve into the Gospel of John and search these out for yourself!)!  This faithful God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—is ever working on our behalf; and if we will but avail ourselves of His provision, we would find a hope, power, and strength to press on no matter the challenges that confront us.

One of my favorite examples of the faithfulness of God is found in Genesis 22, where God puts Abraham’s faith to the test, and the result gave Abraham, and us, a profound picture of the fulfillment of God’s promise to bless “all” through Abraham (See Genesis 12:3).  Let’s peruse just the highlights of this amazing truth.

“And he said,

Take now thy son,

thine only son Isaac,

whom thou lovest,

and get thee into the land of Moriah;

and offer him there for a burnt offering

upon one of the mountains

which I will tell thee of.

3 And Abraham rose up early in the morning,

and saddled his ass,

and took two of his young men with him,

and Isaac his son,

and clave the wood for the burnt offering,

and rose up, and went unto the place

of which God had told him.”   Genesis 22:2-3=

God called Abraham to yield up this “son of promise” and he willingly obeyed, as Hebrews makes so clear; for Abraham knew God would keep HIS promise.

“By faith Abraham,

when he was tried,

offered up Isaac:

and he that had received the promises

offered up his only begotten son,

18 Of whom it was said,

That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up,

even from the dead;

from whence also he received him

in a figure.”  Hebrews 11:17-19

This is the crux of the story, that God gave Abraham a picture (“in a figure”) of what HE was going to do to fulfill HIS promises to Abraham; God would give HIS own son for us, just as God provided a ‘ram’ in Isaac’s place—God would provide “Himself”—”The Lamb of God”– to take “away the sin of the world”!  Redemption for all who will come to Him in repentance and faith, yesterday, today and until HE comes for HIS own!  For there is coming a time when many will find themselves coming one day “too late”!  But let’s finish up with Abraham’s story, with just a few verses to highlight the events, and you can fill in the rest as you take some time to read the entire chapter.

“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said,

My father:

and he said, Here am I, my son.

And he said,

Behold the fire

and the wood:

but where is the lamb

for a burnt offering?

8 And Abraham said,

My son,

God will provide himself

a lamb

for a burnt offering:

so they went both of them together.”  Genesis 22:7-8

And they went on and even as Abraham held the knife God spoke and provided! Praise God!  Praise God!  Praise God!  Jesus died for you and me!  God didn’t spare Jesus, because for you and me to be spared, “God so loved the world that HE GAVE” Jesus!!! (emphasis is mine).

“And Abraham stretched forth his hand,

and took the knife

to slay his son.

11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him

out of heaven, and said,

Abraham, Abraham:

and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said,

Lay not thine hand upon the lad,

neither do thou any thing unto him:

for now I know that thou fearest God,

seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,

thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes,

and looked,

and behold behind him a ram

caught in a thicket by his horns:

and Abraham went and took the ram,

and offered him up for a burnt offering

in the stead of his son.

14 And Abraham called the name of that place

Jehovahjireh:

as it is said to this day,

In the mount of the LORD

it shall be seen.”  Genesis 22:10-14

And in closing, I encourage you to ponder the wonder of what God truly revealed to Abraham!  Have you tuned your heart, mind, and ears to hear and see what the Lord has provided on your “Mount” of sacrifice?  I find it most interesting that it is likely that the same site of this experience for Abraham could have been the very spot of the sacrifice of God’s “only begotten son”!  Food for thought!

Wont’ you let HIM have your issues today?  It is so hard sometimes to humble ourselves and simply “let God” “be God”!  May this word from James remind and encourage each of us today.

“Humble yourselves

in the sight of the Lord,

and he shall

lift you up.”  James 4:10

Amen and Amen!!!