"Overcomers"

 "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented;" (Hebrews 11:37 KJV)

  "For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy." (James 5:10-11 NLT)

 This could be something about those who endured and withstood punishment, destruction, and death; yet my heart felt something different, as these were those who left a mark, leaving behind examples of what it really means to count the cost! Some things might look as though they are upsetting and totally wrong; but the Lord uses certain things for reasons unknown, most of which, many believers stumble over, thinking that God really doesn't care. 

 There was a message I heard the other day, which, I as always, I only hear portions of; but this particular message was about what Jesus did after He heard that John had been beheaded. The way it was said, is that Jesus retreated to a certain place, possibly to mourn the death of His cousin. When I heard that, I was wondering if that was really why Jesus wanted to be alone. 

 As it turned out, there was a multitude of His followers that found out where he was, about 5,000 of them, who came out to see Him. If you know the story, it was about Jesus feeding all of those people with just a few fish and a couple loaves of bread. But, if this makes any sense, whatsoever, I believe that Jesus was overcoming the pain of John's death, by satisfying the needs of others.

 Those who overcome the death of loved ones, mostly overcome by serving God more! They reject the whole notion of blaming God; as if He didn't answer their prayers or didn't care about the loss they were going to suffer. Instead, they focused upon the good: where they are now, what affect there dying could have done, and the testimony they are able to give, knowing and showing that God is always good...

"Then Job replied to the LORD: "I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, 'Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?' It is I - and I was talking about things I know nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, 'Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.' I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance."" (Job 42:1-6 NLT)  

"Comfort and Joy"

 "And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:" (Hebrews 11:36 KJV)

  "So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT)

 Seeing that this title might not seem to be the fit for the verse, it is important that we remember that we are servants of Christ. Jesus clearly said, "No servant is greater than his master," so if we go through trials of any kind, we must always remember that our Master took on much more than we ever could! 

 There will be great comfort and joy, whether you believe it or not, if we just focus on the salvation, we have waiting on the other side! We are made for more, the more we pick up our cross and follow Christ; because every trial we are given is an opportunity to shine, letting our faith come alive, as we trust and believe that everything will work for His purposes! 

 The real difference is that His purposes are most important; we can only be a servant, which means that we do not tell the Master what to do; nor do we get discouraged when it doesn't work out the way that we wanted it to happen...

""I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels - a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to be my disciple must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me."" (John 12:24-26 NLT)  

"For Better or Worse"

 "Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection:" (Hebrews 11:35 KJV)

  "Nebuchadnezzar said to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn't, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."" (Daniel 3:14-18 NLT) 

 As I was praying about this message, I was reminded about our relationship with Christ, as we are the bride of Christ! That may not be something we don't already know, because it is pretty well known to almost every believer. As it is with must marriage ceremonies, the term, "For Better or Worse," is meant to be a commitment, as if to say, "No matter what!" 

 Something to think about, as we are dealing with any sort of trial or circumstance, that no matter what, we will be perfectly fine, because He loves us, no matter what...

""Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows - one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows."" (Matthew 10:28-31 NLT)  

"Facing the Giants"

 "Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of aliens." (Hebrews 11:34 KJV)

  "Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke mem as though I had been asleep. "What do you see now? he asked. I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks. And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl." Then I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord? What do they mean?" "Don't you know?" the angel asked. "No, my lord," I replied. Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force or by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven's Armies."" (Zechariah 4:1-6 NLT)

 It is hard sometimes to put this into practice, mostly because we forget that it is by His Spirit, not by our own might or strength! This is not just something that we put into practice; this is what we must believe and make it a reality, which can only happen by faith, not in ourselves, but in the Spirit of the Living God!

 I believe I might still have a shirt from a retreat I went to, probably 30 years ago, which had this same Scripture on it, "Not by might, nor by strength, but by my Spirit." It is interesting that Zechariah says the angel woke him you, as if he was sleeping, because that is the case for many of us today! 

 No matter what we are facing in this life, be it cancer, challenges with finances, or a failing marriage, we must die to ourselves and give everything to God! Again, I will share the illustration given by Pastor Gary, which he taught us about learning how to drown. If you are flailing around and the lifeguard is coming to save you, he will most likely wait for you to either relax or drown. That way he doesn't get hurt or get knocked out, then you both might drown. 

 If we try to do the things we face, that seem overwhelming, instead of giving it all to God, then we are going to be like that person who is drowning, flailing their arms all around, out of control. Like that lifeguard, God will simply wait for you to drown, and then pull you out of the water...

"In that day you will sing: "I will praise you, O LORD! You were angry with me, but not any more. Now you comfort me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The LORD GOD is my strength and my song; he has given me victory."" (Isaiah 12:1-2 NLT) 

"For This Cause"

 "Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness. obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions," (Hebrews 11:33 KJV)

  "Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my rescuer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in him. He makes the nations submit to me. O LORD, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? For they are like a breath of air, their days are like a passing shadow." (PSALM 144:1-4 NLT)

 As much as I would have like sharing about some of those great saints, I wanted to focus on this one character, King David; mostly because he fits all four of these examples, each one, even the one about stopping the mouths of lions! If you don't know where that comes in, it was his testimony to King Saul, when he wanted to take on Goliath.

 When we take a good look, David was just a man, like any other man. What made David special and able to do mighty things, was his faith and trust in the LORD; because he believed that through God, all things were possible! Much like taking on Goliath, who was most likely twice his size and even King Saul was afraid to confront him!

 David ended up being mighty in battle, so much so, King Saul became jealous of him and wanted to kill him; but God was always protecting him, and he was already anointed to be the next King, so it was just a matter of time, and King he would be! When God makes a promise, it will happen, one way or another!

 Several times David had almost given up the idea of becoming King; hiding and running from Saul, he became a little less certain that he was meant to be the one; even though Samuel had anointed him and told him that he was the one. This PSALM that I posted above is a psalm of David; who shares the way God trained him and protected him; yet he also knew how weak he really was...

"I will praise the LORD at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the LORD; let all who are helpless take heart. Come, let us tell of the LORD'S greatness; let us exalt his name together. I prayed to the LORD, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the LORD is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him. Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!" (PSALM 34:1-8 NLT) 

"A Space of Time"

 "And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; and of David also, and of Samuel, and of the prophets:" (Hebrews 11:32 KJV)

  "Then he said, "When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. And he said, "Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: 'There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.' You are witnesses of all these things."" (Luke 24:44-48 NLT)

 When I tried to think of a way to start this morning's post, my number one thing I do is to search out the Cross-References for the particular Scripture that I am sharing about; unfortunately, my tablet is still doing that little spinning thing, so this Scripture is what we are dealing with! 

 Before I get too carried away, let me remind anyone that doesn't know or has forgotten, the prophesies that are written about Jesus that were fulfilled, the probability of one person fulfilling eight specific Old Testament prophecies is estimated to be 1 in 100 quadrillion! If you really wanted to take the challenge, try to figure out what those odds would be and how long it might take to challenge them with any kind of argument.

 This last evening as I was headed home from church, I heard Pastor Chuck sharing about Jonah and the type of fish he might have been if for three days. As many might know, in the King James Version, it says Jesus referred to it as a whale; yet there are several different ways the story is told; some of which are just flat-out lies! 

 Having very little time this morning, I will make this short: I believe Jesus is right, it was a really big fish... 

"One day some teachers of religious law and Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Teacher, we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove your authority." But Jesus replied, "Only an evil adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign: but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish for three days and three nights, so will the Son of Man be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights."" (Matthew 12:38-40 NLT) 

"The Hall of Faith"

  "How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. There weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.

 "But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed by the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

 "All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us." (Hebrews 11:32-40 NLT)

  ""Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."" (John 5:25-29 KJV)

 This might not make sense to everyone, but it is just an example of what the difference is between those before the cross of Christ, and us that lived after Christ paid the price for our sins: Those that were before had their salvation given in the form of a credit card, charging up their many sins, with credit to be forgiven; and we that lived after, received a debit card, with unlimited cash in our account, that has endless forgiveness...

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? harken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness." (Isaiah 55:1-2 KJV) 

"The Harlot Rahab"

 "By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace." (Hebrews 11:31 KJV)

  "Judah was the father of Perez and Zerah (whose mother was Tamar). Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron was the father of Ram. Ram was the father of Amminadab. Amminadab was the father of Nahshon. Nahshon was the father of Salmon. Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah)." (Matthew 1:3-6 NLT)

 Looking at this from a different point of view, you would think that some people would feel good about these four women that are listed in the line of Judah, as they are clearly mentioned for a reason. However, there are some that don't think Rahab the harlot is the same Rahab that is listed in the line of ancestors of Jesus the Messiah. 

 Why have her listed among those others, if it didn't count for something meaningful? Why judge one person differently than that of the others? As I was saying, God does speak to people personally; and Rahab was someone that was spoken to, by God! How else would she have known who those spies were and that God was going to destroy her city? She was chosen for a reason, and it wasn't just to let those spy's escape. 

 What is the difference between the harlot Rahab and Mary Magdalene? Absolutely nothing...

"And so it happened just as the Scripture say: "Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith." He was even called the friend of God. So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. Rahab the prostitute is another example, She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them away by a different road. Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works." (James 2:23-26 NLT) 

"The Walls Fell Down"

 "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days." (Hebrews 11:30 KJV)

  "Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, "Does this offend you? Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But some of you do not believe me."" (John 6:61-64 NLT)

 To be perfectly clear, God controls every element in all of creation! Absolutely nothing that is seen or unseen is not under His control, and nothing in all of creation cannot be moved or taken down, with just a word; if He says it, it will happen! This is what I truly believe, not because I think it is so, but because the Bible says that it is so; and I believe the Bible is God's spoken words! 

 Having said that, I also believe that those walls would have come down without those Israelites marching around that city for seven days; that was God's way a letting take part in what He was doing. Much as it is for all of us, whatever we do in any sort of ministry, from the least to the greatest. God could just speak to anyone to call them into service, yet He uses us because that's how we grow and live by faith.  

 Hands and feet, is what we are: He is the voice that makes it all work! I know that some people who teach and preach think that they are the voice that does all the work; but if the Spirit is not in the volume of the words being spoken, then it is all gibberish! 

 Anywho, that is my thought on the subject, so don't worry if it doesn't make any sense. There is a lot of things going on in this world that don't make sense; but believe it or not, God is still on the Throne and He is ultimately the One in control... 

"Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass: their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you." (1 Peter 1:21-25 NLT)

"The Walls of Jericho"

  "It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down. It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies." (Hebrews 11:30-31 NLT) 

  "Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." (1 John 2:24-25 KJV)

 Well, as deep a subject can get, this is one that is worth digging into! One of the things I remembered from one of the early Bible Studies, back in the days of my time in jail, after I got saved, was a discussion of how the walls of Jericho came down. Me, being a new believer, didn't think it really was all that hard to accept that it was the breath of God, which was brought on by the shout of the people of Israel. 

 Regardless, God's hand was what did it, not an earthquake or storm, or any other natural force. With that, I have this other thing that is constantly being talked about, which I have settled deeply in my heart, yet constantly get in arguments over, which is the days that God created the heavens and the earth. Even just the other day, I heard someone bring up that a thousand years is a day with the Lord, as if those days of His creation were thousands of years. 

 I believe that our God is able to do anything! There is nothing that He cannot do, even if it involves make a universe in a matter of minutes, He can do it by just a Word. Besides that, my Bible says the moment God said, "Let there be Light," and the day He finished, were all done in the same year, BC4004. I don't see how thousands of years compute in that timeline; and besides that, the Bible says, "evening and morning were a day," so it sounds as if it was a 24-hour day...

 "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day." (Genesis 1:31 KJV) 

"Leap of Faith" - 2

 "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land: which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned," (Hebrews 11:29 KJV)

  "As Pharaoh approached, the people of Israel looked up and panicked when they saw the Egyptians overtaking them. They cried out to the LORD, and they said to Moses, "Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn't we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, 'Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It's better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!'" But Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm."" (Exodus 14:10-14 NLT) 

 Somebody once said, "Act as if you have faith!" This idea is most likely taken from something Jesus said about moving mountains. (Matthew 21:21-22) The point being, that Moses really didn't know what God was going to do, only that God wasn't going to let His people be killed by the Egyptians, because the plan was to get them back to the land where they belonged.    

 Much as Paul was not concerned over the poisonous snakebite, because he knew that he had to go to Rome, because God already told him it would happen. Moses might not have known what God would do, but he knew that one way or another, He would take care of His people and destroy the Egyptian army. 

 The whole point to this title, "Leap of Faith," is not based upon the faith of the people, because they had no faith, but only complained around every corner. Whenever there was anything to complain about, they would say, "Why did you take us out here to die!" It was Moses that had faith enough to know that God was able to do what was needed; no matter what it might have been, God could do anything!

 As for the statement, "Act as if you have faith!", this is not really something that is played out, as if we are pretending to have faith that God will do something, but that we trust that God will do whatever he has promised, no matter what! We might not know how He will do it, and we certainly don't know when; but we can act as if He is doing it, by the faith that He is good and faithful...

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! Pick up your staff and raise your hand over the sea. Divide the water so the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground. And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will charge in after the Israelites. My great glory will be displayed through Pharaoh and his troops, his chariots, and his charioteers. When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the LORD!"" (Exodus 14:15-18 NLT) 

"Leap of Faith"

  "It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned." (Hebrews 11:29 NLT)

  "And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island as called Melita. And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit, they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god." (Acts 28:1-6 KJV)

 Not quite sure about this, but I had planned to continue the message from yesterday, but I decided that I said enough. If that which was said didn't make sense or wasn't understandable, then I will take the blame for not explaining a little more plainly. Besides that, Jesus lost a few followers when he shared about them eating His flesh and drinking His blood; so, it really is understandable! 

 I was thinking about something that could demonstrate what a leap of faith might look like; which made me think about this snakebite Paul encountered. There is something I feel was certain to Paul's heart, and that was the fact that God was taking him to Rome, and not even a snake was going to stop that from happening! After all that they had been through and then ending up shipwrecked, there is always faith that can be manifested, even in the greatest storms! 

 You just shake it off and trust that God will get you through, just as He promised...

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."    

"The Passover"

 "Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them." (Hebrews 11:28 KJV)

  ""I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy. It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world."" (John 16:20-21 NLT) 

 Having been through several things that cause grief, I can somewhat relate to what Jesus is trying to tell His disciples; even though they still didn't truly understand everything that He said. The thing about the Passover, that many people don't really understand, that the main character in this story, is not the angel of death, or even the firstborn children that were passed over from death; it was the Lamb! 

 If those who were familiar with what Passover truly represented, could actually have connected the dots, then they would have figured out that Jesus and that cross He was crucified on, were a mirror image of pretty much every element of the Passover. Yet, their hearts would not allow them to see the truth! 

 That is still something we see today, as the truth is abundantly obvious, but because of the condition of their hearts, many people simply cannot see the truth, even though it is really abundantly clear...

"You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. This salvation was something even the prophets wanted to know more about when they prophesied about this gracious salvation prepared for you. They wondered what time or situation the Spirit of Christ within them was talking about when he told them in advance about Christ's suffering and his great glory afterward. They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen." (1 Perter 1:8-12 NLT) 

"Seeing Him!" - Too

 "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible." (Hebrews 11:27 KJV)

  "But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are like a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ's authority, knowing that God is watching us." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17 NLT)

 This might seem a little different, as there some that might not see things the same way many of us see, shall we say, the Spirit of Christ, moving in our midst. But there is a really big difference in those that watch for God's hand to move, and those that consider things to be circumstance or a coincidence. God does everything with purpose and results, no matter if they are good or bad, rising up or tearing down; no matter what the condition might look like, if He allows it, it is meant to be. 

 There is a big difference about asking God why He is allowing or doing this or that and asking God to show us what He is doing and allowing Him to teach us or correct our path. Moses escaped from Egypt by thinking he was a wanted man; yet God moved him out of Egypt to become a shepherd of sheep, and to make him the man to deliver His people. 

 There was nothing that was coincidence in what took place in Moses' life; from the very moment that his parents saw his worth, without even knowing for what, except that it was on their hearts. Who do you think made them take that chance? Just like that Pastor who listened to God and followed through doing what He asked, they too did the same; a simple little task, to some would seem a risk, but when God is involved, things become visible and we can actually see Him moving and doing His will and purposes!

 Hopefully no one was offended by anything I said, because I have had discussions with some who say they are believers, yet they don't fully and completely believe everything in the Bible to true; making some things an allegory or a story with fictional characters. If you are looking for Jesus Christ to show up in the Scriptures, He is really not that hard to find...

""And the Father who sent me has testified about me himself. You have never heard his voice or seen him face to face, and you do not have his message in your heats, because you do not believe me - the one he sent to you. You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life."" (John 5:37-40 NLT)

"Seeing Him!"

 "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible," (Hebrews 11:27 KJV)

  "That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don't k look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT)

 It seems that there might be something familiar in this message, especially the part about "he endured." If you think about it, basically means that he was patiently waiting for something, which, if you really know how that might look, it requires a person to be strong and steadfast; knowing that we have a purpose. 

 I really don't know how to say this, but there is no other way that I can see myself, then by seeing that which I cannot see! There is nothing that can compare to the glory that we will experience when we are in the home where we are going; nothing we can even imagine. Yet, it is that which cannot be seen that makes us patiently wait, longing for that which we hope for; getting stronger in our spirit, the closer we get to that day, which seems to be closer and closer. 

 If you remember the challenge Moses had, when the LORD asked him to go and deliver His people; he had several excuses as to why he wasn't able to do what God wanted him to do. Yet, it was not long into the challenge, once he stood before Pharoh, he realized that he was right where he was meant to be; which not only gave him confidence, but gave him a certain boldness, as he spoke for God. 

 Yesterday I heard a message from a Pastor that was sharing about his first encounter as the beginning of his ministry, when God asked him to confront a certain person. What started with just a simple task of sharing the Good News with someone, became a very big deal, for hundreds of people. Nobody really knows the results of what that might look like, but just that one small thing, doing what God asked him to do, became something amazingly big!

 If the LORD tells you to do something, He is opening a door that cannot be shut; it is a door that opens to many more doors, doors that are not even visible...

""The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, 'Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more,' "The Master was full of praise. 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!'"" (Matthew 25:20-21 NLT)   

"Greater Riches!" - Too

 "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches that the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward." (Hebrews 11:26 KJV)

  "I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:7-11 NLT)

 There are certain things that cause us to want to know more about God's love and passion towards us, as we try hard to figure out why He really cares for us as He does. I constantly think to myself about how unworthy I am to receive His abundant mercy and grace; yet it overwhelms me each and every time that I do, as I envision Christ on that cross, knowing that God's love is overwhelmingly sufficient to save, even the worst of sinners! 

 The real reason most of us have this guilty feeling, isn't because we mess up from time to time, but it is because we can't stop messing up; we try so hard, but it seems the harder we try to be righteous, the more unrighteous we feel, and the further away from the Lord we see ourselves. This is really a thing, as Paul uses that in his message in Galatians, that the law is only there to show us how much we need Jesus...

"Is there a conflict, then, between God's law and God's promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God's promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ." (Galatians 3:21-22 NLT) 

"Greater Riches!"

 "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward." (Hebrews 11:26 KJV)

  "But Ruth replied, "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death separate us!" (Ruth 1:16-18 NLT)

 The thing that made me turn to this Scripture in Ruth was her sincere desire to leave the land she was born in, and go with Naomi to a place she didn't even know; yet she wanted to know and worship the God that Naomi knew; as well as provide comfort to her mother-in-law, whom she truly loved. For the sake of saying what you should already know, Ruth was a Moabite, who was from the land of Moab. 

 I know that is remarkably easy to understand; yet this place called Moab was named after a particular person, who came from a very particular man, named Lot, the nephew of Abraham. As the story goes, Lot took his wife and two daughters out from Sodom, because God was going to destroy it and he was told to flee. But his wife looked back and became a pillar of salt; so, his two daughters decided to get him drunk and have sex with him, so they could continue the family name. One of the daughters had a son, that she named Moab; who became the ancestor to the nation known as the Moabites.    

 This might not seem as though it has any direct connection, something that really matters; but of the line of those who are part of the bloodline of Christ, Ruth is one of them. There were actually four women in that line, three were personally involved in some sort of sexual issue; yet Ruth was just a descendant of one, but she was still part of the story.  

 Anywho, there is more to that then we have time to talk about; but the one who gave birth to Jesus was a virgin, meaning that she became pregnant without any sexual encounter. Unlike one of the cults try to say, God didn't come knocking at her door in order to make her pregnant; the Holy Spirit put the seed inside of her; meaning that she still was going to give birth as a virgin! 

 Whatever you think about that, it is the way that God planned it: that a virgin would give birth to His Son! This is what I believe, because this is what the Bible truly says! If you have a Bible that says, "young maiden," then they are trying to twist the meaning, as if she really wasn't a virgin when she gave birth. 

 As for Moses and his determination to walk away from the pleasures of Egypt, he saw something far more important and promising in the God of his people; which were actually his people; making their God his God, much as Ruth felt in her heart...

""If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it."" (Matthew 10:39 NLT)  

"The People of God" -2

 "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;" (Hebrews 11:25 KJV)

  "This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don't be ashamed of me, either, even though I'm in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserve it, but because that was his plan from the beginning of time - to show us his grace through Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 1:6-9 NLT)

 There are so many things that I can remember the Lord was doing during those first few years, after I asked Jesus into my heart. The most important one, was having me and my wife get married, as the church was not willing that we teach Sunday School, if we were not married. 

 When we first came together, we had both agreed not to be married; as it was, both of us were not that fond of any sort of institutional requirements, knowing that it didn't work out for many people we knew. My mother was married at least six times; and her mother was currently married to a man that spent more time with his mother than he did with his wife. 

 As for Moses, I can only imagine that he was drawn to his own people because they worshipped God, not the false gods that he grew up knowing. If you want to believe it, I say it was that God shaped hole, that caused him to ignore those false gods and seek after the God that the people he belonged to, always worshipped. 

 Whether or not you can understand it, if you have even the slightest glimpse of the real God, all other gods just don't make any sense, especially if they are animals or bugs, or any other thing created. Having experienced it myself, as I have shared before; when my school tried to tell me that man evolved from monkey's, there was no way that I was going to believe it, absolutely none! 

 I may have not known all that I should have known, but I did know the first part of the Bible, always believing it to be true. Even though we fellowshipped in a cult, they actually did believe in God. They might not have believed what they should have known about Jesus, but they most certainly believed in God and creation. 

 I am very concerned about many of the things that kids are taught in school, as they appear to be more and more focused on free-thinking and being what you want to be; totally ignoring the fact the way kids are, is the way they were created! Most children are aware of the things they should not do; they surely don't need teachers to tell them that it is perfectly fine to do whatever they want. 

 It all comes down to the Bible! Yes, it is the Bible that shows us what is right and wrong; taking the Bible out of the equation makes mankind start making their own rules; rules that sometimes make no sense, whatsoever! Anything that will make people ignore the God of creation...

"So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect comes down from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession." (James 1:16-18 NLT)   

"The People of God"

 "Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season." (Hebrews 11:25 KJV) 

  "But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God's very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light: "Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God's people. Once you received no mercy, now you have received God's mercy."" (1 Peter 2:9-10 NLT) 

 First of all, I feel that God chooses those who are meant for His specific plans; actually, way before they are even born, He already knows from where they will come and who will be the ones that bring them into this world. Additionally, there is also something that is planted within them, a seed of longing to know the One who made them, and what they are meant to be.

 Basically, we all are born with this, so called, 'God shaped hole,' that is longing to be filled; yet many will try all sorts of things in order to fill it; but nothing will ever satisfy that longing, until we actually let God fill it! If you don't believe it, then I feel sorry for you; as that means you have settled for something else and think you are satisfied with what you have; or should I say, with what has you!

 I can recall a time when I felt totally satisfied in my condition, doing all sorts of drugs and living a life that was, shall we say, free-spirited. I really didn't care about anything, or anyone but myself; and even that wasn't true, because I challenged death in all sorts of different ways. 

 There was this one specific time, when we were at General Quarters; and my location was stationed in Port Steering; which, if you don't know what that means, the four of us that are down there, in that little hole, will be the last to leave a sinking ship. There are manual steering abilities we had down there; when and if, the rest of the crew is off the ship, we were to keep the ship moving in a 2-mile circle; letting someone know the location of everyone else. 

 Anywho; this one night when we were practicing maneuvers, I was laying on the floor with my headset on, waiting for orders. I started thinking about God and about what it might feel like if this was a real situation and actually started to talk to God in my head. When I really started to focus on my thoughts and who it was that I was talking to, a voice rang out in my head, saying, "It is me!" I knew right then that it wasn't God, but that it was the devil. 

 You have to know, there was something I started to understand, which I already knew, but didn't really care too much about; but it was devil that had me feeling as though I did not care. Yet, it really didn't bother me because I thought I was having fun. 

 This is real! And I totally and completely believe, if God has chosen you, then you will, one way or another, surrender to His will and ask Jesus to come into your heart! There was this thing I heard Pastor Jack say, which was regarding those who are called; that they came to the gates seeing the sign that says, 'The called'; but on the other side of the gates, the sign says, 'The chosen'...

"Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (Colossians 3:12 NLT) 

 

"Preparation"

 "By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;" (Hebrews 11:24 KJV)

  "I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin - a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law, rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith." (Philippians 3:5-9 NLT)

 Okay, this is all about three 40-year periods, where God makes good on His promise to the dream that He gave to Abraham. As I said before, it was this dream that made Abraham see his descendants, feeling the love in his heart for them, because of their 400 years of slavery; and God's great deliverance that will brings them back into their own land. 

 Moses was treated with all sorts of pleasures and given standing among the leaders of Egypt; yet, when he turned 40 years old, God put it on his heart to care for his own people, the children of Israel. You have to know what this might have looked like, and why the children of Israel were not so willing to trust him or think he was given any right to tell them what to do, in their personal lives.

 If you really think about it, having him change is a lot like what happen to Saul, who became Paul; many of the followers of Christ, really didn't trust him or even forgive him, for quite some time. Forty years of living the dream, and then forty years of being a shepherd; tuning into forty years in the wilderness. All of it being governed by faith and God's will and purposes...

"You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail." (Proverbs 19:21 NLT)  

"The Faith of Moses"

  "It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king's anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the passive and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons." (Hebrews 11:24-28 NLT) 

  "And when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them; but they understood not. And the next day he showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Will thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday? Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons." (Acts 7:23-29 KJV)

 As we all should know, Moses was a little scared that he might have been caught for killing the Egyptian, as he had thought that it wouldn't get out that he had done so; so, he fled from Egypt and became a sheepherder in the land of Midian. Amazingly, that is not really an accidental job that he just stumbled into; God was guiding and training him for that wilderness journey, where he would be the shepherd for the children of Israel! 

 This really is all God's specific plans; and He is extremely good at making everything work towards His will and purposes...

  "And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and judge? the same did God send to be ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush." (Acts 7:30-35 KJV) 

"God's Will"

 "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." (Hebrews 11:23 KJV)

  ""When a servant come in from plowing or taking care of sheep, does his master say, 'Come in and eat with me?' No, he says, 'Prepare my meal, put on your apron, and serve me while I eat. Then you can eat later.' And does the master thank the servant for doing what he was told to do? Of course not. In the same way, when you obey me you should say, 'We are unworthy servants who have simply done our duty.'"" (Luke 17:7-10 NLT)

 This might be something we all should know, whether or not we have it has been shown to us or not; but this story about Moses and his parents was all God's plan, and His will and purposes are always carried out, one way or another. They saw a special child, because God put that into their hearts, because Moses was going to be the one to deliver His people out of bondage. 

 The thing about them not being afraid of the king's command, although they hid him for three months, they did everything they did by God's inspiration and plans; all the way to the Pharoh's daughter taking him in and making him her son. It was all God's plan, and His will, will get done!

 On a different note. When I was sitting next to me wife's hospital bed, one afternoon, Neil was on Fox News interviewing the family of Terri, who was pretty much in my wife's condition, and had been for 15 years. Having the opportunity to see that, was not by chance, but it was meant for me to see how what not to be, because Terri's husband wanted to have her starved to death, because he wanted to move on with his new family. 

 After seeing that and knowing it was almost very similar to aborting a baby in the mother's womb, I had made up my mind that I was not going to let anyone take Marianne's life; that it would be totally up to God when it was time for her to go. And He still has her here! She has never been administered back in a hospital since she was brought, by an ambulance, to our new home, in November of 2003. 

 There is quite a story about this new home; one that I continually share from time to time, as I trusted God would make it all happen. Due to the fact that I was spending more time at the hospital with my wife, then I was running my business, productivity was not doing so well, as all of my employees were concerned that I was going close my business.     

 By the end of the second month, our monthly income dropped by almost 50%, and bills were not getting paid as they should. Several of our suppliers started to send notices, and my credit report was starting to not look so good. 

 By the second week or so of October, the doctor told me that Marianne needs to be placed in a Care Facility, but there was none of them I liked, but one; and they said they couldn't take her, So I told the doctor I was going to take her home. The doctor said that was not possible, due to her condition; but I kept insisting and even started making the plans to find a home closer to the hospital and better suited for us staying in the same bedroom. 

 After trying to rent a home, three different times, and being turned down because of my credit report, I came into the office, tossed my keys down on the desk of one the four secretaries, and said, "Okay, this is how it's going to happen: The house God has for us is going to be without an application, but just signing a rental agreement!" 

 Two days later, that is exactly what happened! God is good! Not only was the house well suited for our needs, but the rent included pool service, yard maintenance, and monthly pest control. God also made a way for there to be a live-in Care provider, which moved in and started the first of January. Not only that, but one day, about 6 months into me paying for all Marianne's bills, a lady showed up from 'The Waiver Program' and took one look at Marianne and signed her up for that system.  

 These things I shared, because there is something special that happens to those who will be willing to take a chance and let God's will be done, no matter the cost! We are His servants and we are the ones who give the thanks! Give thanks with a grateful heart... 

 "I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! He will not let me stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The LORD himself watches over you! The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The LORD keeps you from all harm, and watches over your life. The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever." (PSALM 121 NLT) 

"Not Afraid!"

  "It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months when he was born. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid to disobey the king's command." (Hebrews 11:23 NLT)

  "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me." (Psalms 56:3-4 KJV)

 There are certain times when we are afraid over something we might not know how to deal with; and then there are times we are just scared about something that is just too overwhelming. To be perfectly honest, I feel that fear is totally normal and is actually something that makes us really focus on trusting God, even though have no strength or ability to overcome whatever might be causing us fear. Actually, those are the best times, because we have nothing left to do, but totally trust God and surrender to His will! 

 If you have ever been in a situation that is too overwhelming and you just don't know what to do, then that is the perfect time to just fall on your knees and cry out to God! Having been there, I fully know that He is more than faithful to give us the strength we need to overcome, whatever it is that we might fear, even if it is fear for someone else! 

 I know I have shared this before, but it is real and is something that needs to be repeated. Fear is said to be, False Evidence Appearing Real, but that isn't always the case, as you watch them take the love of your life out of surgery, and she is totally on life-support, with tubes pumping life into her body; that is truly real and is overwhelming! Fear doesn't even count, because the destruction has already accrued. 

 That night was more than I could deal with, and I was told to go home and rest, or I would be a patient too. It was almost midnight when I got home, and as soon as I did, I went into my office, feel on the floor, and cried out to God with every bit of strength that I had. After about twenty or thirty minutes, I suddenly felt a peace, as if God was assuring me that everything will be okay.

 When I finally went to bed, I fell into a very deep sleep, waking up in just a few hours and feeling refreshed; and headed back to the hospital at 4:00 that morning. I knelt down next my wife and began to pray for her and read Scriptures to her from my Bible. 

 The nurse who came in later that morning noticed that my wife's palms were pushing out away from her body, telling me that was a very bad sign of traumatic brain damage. That made me pray even more, asking God to ease her pain and relax her body. Two days later her hands were cupped and resting at her side.

 For three months she was in that hospital, and so many things became different in my life. However, I had no fear over anything, absolutely nothing! What else could matter, when you go through something so traumatic and catastrophic as that, nothing else really matters! 

 I know that doesn't seem to be something the word fear represents, but the False Evidence Appearing Real, although it was a really big deal, the True Evidence is that God is faithful, beyond anything that we can even imagine! Oh, I still have times when I cry about her condition, but I try very hard not to cry in her presence. It has happened a few times, and she gave me a look that made me think that she was wondering why I was crying. 

 Regardless of what you might think, even though God did not fully heal her, I know for a fact that she is going to be perfect some day; as will all that believe in our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus...

"I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place. The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalms 118:5-6 KJV)    

"Time-Place-Order"

"By faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones." (Hebrews 11:22 KJV)

  "Don't you realize that all of you together are the temple of God, and that Spirit lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple. Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world's standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As the Scriptures say, "He traps the wise in the snare of their own cleverness." And again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise; he knows they are worthless." So don't boast about following a particular human leader. For everything belongs to you - whether Paul or Apollos or Peter, or the world, or life and death, or the present and the future. Everything belongs to you, and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God." (1 Corinthians 3:16-23 NLT)

 If you really think about what I meant about holding onto the heal of Jesus, it basically is the fact that He has gone before us, making the way for us; taking our place and paying the price for our sins; all of that so we can be worthy to be in the presence of the Father! It really isn't that hard to understand, yet the majority of this world is unable to see it or believe it is real. 

 Besides that, Jacob also meant something else besides, "Heal-catcher," his name also meant "Supplanter", which actually means, 'someone or something taking the place of another, as through force, scheming, strategy, or the like.' Whether you realize it or not, but basically all three of those things that are 'the like' were used in the process of making our salvation available: through force, because Jesus had to suffer and die for it to happen; by scheming, because it was mysterious and plotted out, even before the world was created; and by strategy, because it was complex and wasn't going to fail! 

 Whatever you might, think all of that, it was His doing; and yet, we are given the chance to reach out and grab hold of it, holding on for dear life! What's even greater than that, is that He is also holding onto us, in the process; and His grip is stronger!

 Anywho, this might seem strange, (like that doesn't happen,) but the title was meant to share about something totally different, something which talked about Isaac's timing, Jacob's placement, and Joseph orders; but then again, I think I covered all three anyways... 

"It's not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What's important is that God makes the seed grow. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. For we are both God's workers. And you are God's field. You are God's building." (1 Corinthians 3:7-9 NLT)  

"Superimposition"

"By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff." (Hebrews 11:21 KJV)

  "Against its will, all creation was subjected to God's curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don't need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don't yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)" (Romans 8:20-25 NLT)

 I really don't know what or why I am doing this, but it was just something I felt that God wanted me to do, even though I have no clue, whatsoever, what it all means, or how to explain it! With that, let me try to explain what this title means, and maybe it will all come into focus. The word is, "superimposition," which is basically "the action of placing or laying one thing over another, typically so that both are still evident." 

 The first thing that came into my mind was Jacob's blessing of Joseph's sons. How that even makes it relevant, I have not any clue, but whatever it is, it is something that was part of God's plan, otherwise Jacob would not have done it the way that he did. If you know the story, Jacob took hold of the younger son, to bless him first; but Joseph stepped in and put the older son in his place. Yet Jacob insisted on the younger son binging blessed first; basically, breaking tradition. 

 Maybe it had something to do with his own blessing he received from Isaac, which was meant to be for Esau, as he was technically the older, first out of the womb, son. But Jacob was also named what he named, because he held onto the ankle of his older brother, as his brother came out from the womb. 

 I really don't know why, but I do know that I too am a "heel-catcher," as so anyone else that is meant to go to Heaven! Jesus is the only way! And all of us are holding tightly unto His heel, in order to be there with Him...

"I will exalt you, my God and King, and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness." (PSALM 145:1-7 NLT) 

"Things to Come" - Too

 "By faith Isaac blessing Jacob and Esau concerning things to come." (Hebrews 11:20 KJV)

  "Ah, I hear my lover coming! He is leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills. My lover is like a swift gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he is behind the wall, looking through the window, peering into the room. My lover said to me, "Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one! Look, the winter is past, and the rains are over and gone. The flowers are springing up, the season of singing birds has come, and the cooing of turtledoves fills the air. The fig trees are forming young fruit, and the fragrant grapevines are blossoming. Rise up, my darling! Come away with me, my fair one!"" (SONG OF SONGS 2:8-13 NLT)

 Over these past few weeks, it has really been strange how I have heard several different Pastors share on certain things about the coming Rapture; which, if you are paying close attention, is getting closer and closer to the time when our Lover will come! We may not know the time and date, but I truly believe that we should know the season! I for one, believe the season is now! 

 As I was listing to Pastor Mike share the other day about Revelations 13, and the way the rise of the current technology is rising, somewhat quicker than anyone might have imagined, he mentioned the part in Scripture where it is talking about the force that takes control, so to speak; that is does not have life, but, it has breath, and it's breath moves swiftly. 

 As I was pondering that what that might actually look like, I remembered something I learned when I was in Fire Camp as a teenager, that fire does not actually have life, but it does have breath, and more breath that it has, the quicker it spreads. I also remembered that Thursday afternoon, during the Carr Fire, as I drove down Keswick Road, just to see how far away the fire was from my house. 

 When I was just a few more turns away from the dam, I pulled over at an area on the side of the road where there was an opening, got out and just stood there feeling as if there was something going to happen. It was very still, almost as if the wind had totally stop completely; it was very spooky and I really felt that I needed to get away. 

 If you want to know what I felt, it felt as if the fire was filling up with breath, preparing to breath! And breath it most certainly did! Around 3pm my power went out at the house, and I received a text from PG&E that the power would be restored in two weeks. So I started packing the RV and getting my wife ready to leave. Then, within about thirty minutes, power was restored; but I still worked on getting away. 

 It wasn't soon after, that I hear several helicopters leaving the staging area down the road, as well as the tanker trucks starting up and rolling out. So, I figure if they are leaving, so am I! I was overwhelmed at the traffic on the freeway, especially the long line of cars that were trying to get onto the freeway, to escape from the fire. The radio announcer that was sharing the progress of the fire was in a panic, saying that Cal Fire hasn't given any updates, because they really didn't know what was happening! The fire was making its own wind, like fire tornados, spinning out of control and randomly moving in all sorts of different directions! 

 Anywho, that is my take on this particular season that we are living in... 

"The Lord isn't being slow about his promise, as some people think, No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectantly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment." (2 Peter 3:9-10 NLT)  

"Things to Come"

 "By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning thing to come." (Hebrews 11:20 KJV)

  "So Jacob went over and kissed him. And when Isaac caught the smell of his clothes, he was finally convinced, and he blessed his son. He said, "Ah! The smell of my son is like the smell of the outdoors, which the LORD has blessed! "From the dew of heaven and the richness of the earth, may God always give you abundant harvests of grain and bountiful new wine. May many nations become your servants, and may they bow down to you. May you be the master over your brothers, and may your mother's sons bow down to you. All who curse you will be cursed, and all who bless you will be blessed."" (Genesis 27:27-29 NLT)

 Whether we can understand it or not, there was really something important in this blessing that Isaac was giving to Jacob, even though he thought it was Esau. In this blessing, as well as in the way that Jacob was pretending to be his brother; Isaac's blessing painted a perfect picture of what was going to happen in the future, with Jacob's son, Joseph. 

 As we see, in the not-so-distant future, Joseph was having dreams abought all his brother's and even his father, Jacob, bowing down to him. Not only that, but when Joseph became the second in command of Egypt, all the other nation became his servants, as they gave up land and possessions, in order to have grain, to feed their families. 

 And to make things even more familiar with this story, when Joseph's brothers came for grain, they had no clue that he was their brother, as he did not even look the same to them. He also did become the master of his brother's; so much so, they begged him for mercy; especially when he asked them to go home and bring Bengamin, in order to prove who they really were; when actually he just wanted to see his brother. 

 Sometimes we see things are meant for certain reasons, and certain people have something in store for them, when it turns out that it was not them at all, but someone else that was actually close to them. The whole point is that God does not fail! His plans are going to happen, regardless, even if it is not the one that gets the blessing but is just the one that makes the blessing happen.  

 When I was given the opportunity to share this particular message, Isaac blessing to Jacob, I used this illustration of Jacob's reasoning to his mother, that it wasn't going to work. This is not easy to explain, as I tried, but most of the congregation didn't really get the massage. But I saw a similarity in the way Jacob doubted his mother's plan would work, as the problem some people have with God's plan that Jesus paid the penalty for their sins.

 It really isn't that hard to believe, unless you don't know who it was that hung on that cross! If you think that Jesus was someone else, less than God, then you're missing something that makes the truth undeniable; because it was God, it means that it totally and completely worked! 

 Even then, some might say, "Why would God need to come and die on a cross for us?" Well, if it takes a perfect sacrifice to do the job, only God is perfect! End of story...

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation., for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see - such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For God in all his fulness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross." (Colossians 1:15-20 NLT)  

  

"The Three"

  "It was by faith that Isaac promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau. It was by faith that Jacob, when he was old and dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and bowed in worship as he leaned on his staff. It was by faith that Joseph, when he was about to die, said confidently that the people of Israel would leave Egypt. He even commanded them to take his bones with them when they left." (Hebrews 11:20-22 NLT)

  "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1 KJV)

 As I was saying, about those first two decades of my doubts, now and again about the Deity of Christ; it was pretty much this singular verse that sealed my heart, and made be totally and completely believe that Jesus Christ, was, is, and forever will be God! As a matter of fact, every translation of a Bible that I might look at or think to read, if this one verse, John 1:1, does not say what it should say, then I will refuse to read that translation, and I will warn anyone else that might be reading it to throw it away! 

 I determined that my lessons from growing up and being told that Jesus not God, had sometimes made me doubt, even though it was that exact point that made me stand, raising both hands, as the Preacher asked, "If you want to ask Jesus to come into your heart, raise your hand." When he preached the words, saying, "You see this watch? This watch tells me that somewhere out there, there is a Watch Maker. And you, me, and all that we see, tells me that there is a Creator! And have come here today, to tell you, that Creator is Jesus Christ!" 

 In just a flash, as soon as he said those words, I envisioned Jesus on the cross! I thought to myself, "My Creator died on a cross, to save me!" It really was overwhelming me; especially when he followed up reading several verses from the Bible that verified that what he said was true. You have got to know, we really never just read the Bible; we read the Scripture Studies, and verified them, by looking up certain Scriptures. 

 As a matter of fact, we were told, reading the Scripture Studies with the Bible, would bring us into the light; but if we set the Scripture Studies aside, and read the Bible alone, we would be in darkness. You really need to know, I was being raised in a cult! I was 23 when I got saved; and it took almost 20 years for me to be totally freed from that false teaching; even though it was that simple fact that brought me to the point of asking Jesus into my heart! 

 If that doesn't make sense to anyone, then I would simply say, you don't really remember what it was that caused you to give your life to Jesus! It is the thing that pulled the trigger that will be the thing the devil will use against you, time and time again. Sooner or later, you will figure it out! 

 I really love John's closing statement...

"This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." (John 21:24-25 KJV) 

"The Reckoning!" - Too

 "Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received in him a figure." (Hebrews 11:19 KJV)

  "But tell me this - since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. And we apostles would all be lying about God - for we have said that God raised Christ from the grave. But that can't be true if there is no resurrection of the dead. And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world." (1 Corinthians 15:12-19 NLT)

 If you really don't understand the term, "reckon," it isn't really that difficult to see Paul's reckoning of what might be if it was true that Christ didn't raise up from the grave; what pitiful life it would be for all of us that believe, if that was really the case. Thankfully, we are assured that He did, because it can be easily proven, if we clearly believe in the written Word of God!

 I really don't know how else to say this, except to say that somehow the believer's in God, from a very long time before Jesus came, actually believed that He was coming to save the world, and that He was going to be killed, and that God would raise Him back up from the dead. Other than that, why would Abraham even consider it possible, except for the fact that God said his son would have many children? 

 Here is the thing that made be sure, surer of who Jesus is, was, and always will be: By truly believing what the Bible says, from the beginning to the end, it is all very plain to see; if that is, you're willing to believe! I suppose that if God had made everything through His Son, which is the Word, then I also figure that He is also God! It is really undeniable to reckon that is true...

"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Wood was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him." (John 1:1-3 NLT) 

"The Reckoning!"

 "Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure." (Hebrews 11:19 KJV)

  "May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:19-21 NLT)

 As much as might think I know, there is always something that causes me to doubt, thinking that I know nothing at all; as strange as that might sound, it isn't hard for it to happen, even to someone that thinks they know everything. I reckon, those who think they know everything, don't even have a clue about God!

 When I was saved, back in 1981, there was something that I discovered that made me feel as though nothing else mattered but knowing and learning about God, especially about God's Son, Christ Jesus! I have shared this before, but during the first couple of weeks during my new life in Christ, I worked hard on making a crossword puzzle that listed all the Scriptures that showed or pointed to Jesus Christ being God. 

 Without going too far into the reason that was so important for me to do, let's just say I had been told that He was not God, in so many ways, that I needed to prove it to myself that He was, indeed, God! However, even after that, there would be times when I doubted it was true. For probably twenty years or so, now and then I would have this battle in my mind over the fact that Jesus is truly God, thinking what I have heard and read was wrong, and all of it was a lie. 

 Don't get thinking that I was messed up, because it really wasn't really what I believed: I absolutely did believe Jesus was who He said that He was; I just, now and again, doubted that it was true. If you think that isn't possible for someone that truly believes, then think again, because Peter once proclaimed that Jesus was God, but after He was arrested and being tried, he declared three times he didn't know Him! 

 Here is something that might sound weird or strange; but in a strange sort of way, Abraham actually felt as though Isaac had come back to life. Not to say that he had been killed, because God stopped it from happening. But you must realize what was going on in Abraham's heart and mind, as he was preparing to stick that knife in the chest of his, one and only son, the son of the promise!  

 I can only imagine the joy he felt, when God said, "Stop!" What a relief he must have felt, his son was saved; his life was spared! He had thought all along that God would do something, because He had promised that Isaac was the one; so, he even thought about him being brought back to life, if he had actually killed him. 

 When you truly think about it, I reckon God used this illustration to be the figure of His Son, Jesus Christ, the one that became a sacrifice for our sins! Even though He knew that He would rise again, the thought of what He would endure was overwhelming, so much so, that He sweat blood, praying that the Father would change His mind, and make it all stop! 

 Unlike Abraham's situation, even though God provided the sheep to take Isaac's place, our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, prepared Himself to be the Lamb, saying, "Not my will, but Thine be done"...

"But it was the LORD'S good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD'S good plan will prosper in his hands." (Isaiah 53:10 NLT)

"The Seed" - To

 "Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall they seed be called:" (Hebrews 11:18 KJV)

  "Tell me, you who want to live under the law, do you know what the law actually says? The Scriptures say that Abraham had two sons, one from his slave wife and one from his freeborn wife. The son of the slave wife was born in a human attempt to bring about the fulfillment of God's promise. But the son of the freeborn wife was born as God's own fulfillment of his promise. These two women serve as an illustration of God's two covenants. The first woman, Hagar, represents Mount Sinai where people received the law that enslaved them. And now Jerusalem is just like Mount Sinai in Arabia, because she and her children live in slavery to the law. But the other woman, Sarah, represents the heavenly Jerusalem. She is the free woman, and she is our mother." (Galatians 4:21-26 NLT)

 Having said all that stuff yesterday, it was primarily put out there for this post today. Not that it is not something we must always strive for, to bring everything to God before we do it; because I seriously doubt that anyone really does. Much like Abrham, who when told by his wife to take her handmaid, Hagar, to provide for the son God promised; I seriously doubt that Abraham prayed over that, asking God if that was His plan. 

 However! As I have said at least a hundred times: God knows beforehand and prepares the way for all the things that we do wrong, to be things which work for the good, in some form or fashion! We have really no idea what might happen based upon the wrong that we have done. Most of the things that are made to happen from what we do, either good or bad, will happen without us even knowing. 

 The other day I heard someone say that Rahab the harlot was not the same Rahab that was associated with King David's birth. I'm really not sure why, because she, and three other women which had, shall we say, strange sexual back grounds, are listed in the ancestor lines in Matthew. I truly believe that they are all listed there for a specific reason. 

 What's more, is that Ruth was a Moabite, from the land of Moab, which was the offspring of one of Lot's daughters, who had a sexual relation with her father, Lot, in order to keep the family line going. And then we have Tamar, who dressed as a harlot to get even with Judah, for not giving her his last son to wed. Even Bathsheba is mentioned, the mother of Solomon, the widow of Uriah! 

 The only other woman listed in Matthew's record of Jesus the Messiah's ancestors, is Mary; and she was a virgin, conceived before marriage, and have had to deal with the rumors of infidelity, even though she was pure...

"When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit's words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, "Who can know the LORD'S thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?" But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:13-16 NLT)    

"The Seed"

 "Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:" (Hebrews 11:18 KJV)

  "Well then, has God failed to fulfill his promise to Israel? No, for not all who are born into the nation of Israel are truly members of God's people! Being descendants of Abraham doesn't make them truly Abraham's children. For the Scriptures say, "Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted," though Abraham had other children, too. This means that Abraham's physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham's children. For God had promised, "I will return about this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."" (Romans 9:6-9 NLT)

 The thing that is important for us to realize, is that God is the one who makes the rules! As much as we think that we have the ability to make changes on our own, if we do anything without His approval, or His say-so, then we deal with whatever happens, down the road. I'm not saying this because I faithfully do pray for all that I do; but I am saying it because I know it is something I don't do, quite frequently! 

 I can say with all honesty that I don't even realize when I do not ask Him first before I decide to do certain things; mostly because they don't involve church or ministry. If I am buying a new truck, I will just buy a new truck, not even thinking about praying about it first, to get His approval. I know that doesn't sound like it is a really big deal, to some people; but everything we own or have belongs to God!

 Really, the things we plan and the things we do, always should be things that are prayed over first; yet there are things we might think are ours to do on our own, without even asking Him if we should. If it sounds as if it isn't really that important, the little things we do on our own, all add up; before you know it, you are stuck with a pile of garbage! 

 You have sung that song, at least you heard it: "He gives and takes away," He can do that because it is rightfully His! We really own nothing in this world; when we die, we leave just as we came, with nothing but a soul. And guess what, He owns that too...

"So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it. For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, "I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth." So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and he chooses to harden the hearts of others so they refuse to listen. Well then, you might say, "Why does God blame people for not responding? Haven't they simply done what he makes them do?" No, don't say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, "Why have you made me like this?" When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn't he have the right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? In the same way, even though God has the right to show his anger and his power, he is very patient with those on whom his anger falls, who are destined for destruction. He does this to make the riches of his glory shine even brighter on those whom he shows mercy, who are prepared in advance for glory. And we are among those whom he selected, both from the Jews and from the Gentiles." (Romans 9:16-24 NLT) 

"The Only Begotten Son" - Too

 "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son," (Hebrews 11:17 KJV)

  "So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham's. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, "I have made you the father of many nations." This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing." (Romans 4:16-17 NLT)

 Over the past two days, I have heard several different messages about those who believed that Jesus was who He said He was, and about all of the historical things that were made to represent His time here on earth. As it goes, there appears to be a time, possibly before the dark ages, when most of humanity was honoring Christ, in all sorts of ways. The actual time of history was counted, based upon His birth and the time of His departure, B.C. and A.D., which have recently been altered to mean something else. 

 I am saying this because there is some proof that the idea and belief in God sending His one and only begotten Son to save us from our sins, has been something that was known, in some form or fashion, ever since Adam sinned in the Garden. They might not have seen the whole picture, before He came and was the sacrifice for our sins, but they knew that He would be coming!

 It has been said that the place where God told Abraham to go; the place where he was to sacrifice his son, was the same place where Jesus was crucified on the cross. It has also been told that this was the place where David paid for the threshing floor, to build an altar. Without a doubt, the whole reason for the test that God put Abraham through, was also a window to the place for Jesus to be crucified, right there in the same location. 

 There is more evidence of these being the last days, between the changing of the times of Jesus coming and going, to the way things are speedily getting stranger and technology is changing the way we live; this should be something that brings everyone who believes to a know that He will soon come for His bride! I really do hope that we all will be ready!

 One other thing, that really should make this story more alive, is that Abraham said something to Isaac when he asked his father, "Where is the sacrifice for the offering?" The answer is sometimes not told by some the way that it should be. Some say that Abraham said, "God will provide the sacrifice," while others, say, "God will provide Himself a sacrifice." Based upon what I know, I choose the later, but regardless, they both are correct...

"Isaac turned to Abraham and said, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "We have the fire and the wood," the boy said, "but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?" "God will provide a sheep for the burnt offering, my son," Abraham answered. And they both walked on together." (Genesis 22:7-8 NLT)   

"The Only Begotten Son"

 "By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son," (Hebrews 11:17 KJV) 

  "Some time later, God tested Abraham's faith. "Abraham!" God called. "Yes," he replied. "Here I am." "Take your son, your only son - yes, Isaac, whom you love so much - and go to the land of Moriah. Go and sacrifice him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains, which I will show you."" (Genesis 22:1-2 KJV)

  As we all know, Abraham did have another son, who was named, Ishmael. As it was, God did bless him, telling his mother, Hagar, "Go to him and comfort him, for I will make a great nation from his descendants." Even though God did bless the older son, that son was not the one that was the son of promise, but the making from the work of man, not the power of God! 

 However, as I have said before, God used the mistake of Abraham's choice to listen to his wife, as a tool to save the whole family of Jacob, in a time of a very serious famine. Even still, Isaac was the son of the promise, which is why God used the term, "only begotten son." 

 I really don't know how else to put this, except that God is able to forgive our mistakes! This is really the whole point of what makes people doubt God's forgiveness, because even though He forgives, we have a really hard time forgiving ourselves. 

 Last night Pastor Bryan was sharing about Paul's statement from Philippians 3:13, as he said, 'Paul has not forgotten; but is not letting those things of the past, interfere with what he does today." Or, saying, something of that nature! We must completely and truly believe in the cross of Christ, that all of our sins have been completely forgiven! 

 When Jesus died on that cross, He took upon Himself the sins of the entire world; even those from the very beginning to the very end; there was no one who's sins were not paid for on that cross! Yet, it is a free gift of salvation that must be received in order for it to work...

""For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. "There is no judgement against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God's one and only Son."" (John 3:16-18 NLT)