Had A Vison of Isaac and Abraham (This is Part 1)

 

Saw a young Isaac carrying the wood for the sacrifice and with his dad (Abraham) who was up ahead.

 

Abraham is sad (head down) and yet trying to be hopeful in GOD. And yet knowing what his son will have to go through, and what he will have to do.

Isaac is carrying the wood, just like JESUS carried the cross, just like all of us have to carry the wood/cross.

We carry it to our deaths, so that when JESUS died (like Isaac) we died too..and we continually die daily.

Isaac knows the steps and takes it seriously, not knowing he is going to pay the price himself.

JESUS knowing it, wept tears of blood.

Abraham sad and distraught yet looking ahead to the ONE who raises the dead.

GOD sad and distraught, yet looking ahead for reunion with HIS SON.

To teach that this angry GOD wanted to punish JESUS is the wrong picture, as you have to look to Abraham.

Yes the covenant was broken by man, and man (unlike hollywood movies) couldn't fix the problem, GOD did and HE kept covenant (on our behalf).  Abraham having to keep his end of the covenant, and when failure comes, death comes, but Abraham didnt' know that this GOD is the ONLY ONE who can keep covenant.  Nobody was worthy to take the scroll, and take death on.

Isaac takes the lonly walk, wondering where the sacrifice is - now realizing that he is the sacrifice, that walk up the lonely hill was gut wrenching.  Isaac knew that when he asked his dad (Abraham) where the sacrifice was, that 'GOD would provide, he realized it was himself that day.

Abraham knowing he was man's representitive with GOD in the covenant, knew that is required blood and death to the one who failed the covenant - not knowing yet, that it is ONLY GOD who keeps covenant.

Abraham promised that he would be the 'father of many nations' (and indeed he is to this day!), but had to give up the dreams (because without Isaac, there is no hope anymore), and die to the dream that GOD put in their to begin with.  But in so doing, wonderful resurrection power comes out of it!

And so like Isaac, we young full of energy, full of ideas and dreams have to carry the cross to death.

Trusting HIM who raises the dead, to bring to LIFE (as HE is LIFE) to us, and bring the dreams to the level they were meant to be!  Part 2 next..called Isaac and Abraham on the Mount...

Isaac and Abraham on the Mount (this is part 2)

This is Part 2 of "Had A Vison of Isaac and Abraham"

 

 

Did you know that the same hill Isaac was to be sacrificied was the same hill JESUS was?

in fact:

a) Jerusalem was built on the mountain and became the capital city of Israel
b) the Temple of Solomon was built on the southern end of the mountain (cf. 2 Chronicles 3:1)
c) Jesus was crucified on Golgotha, the highest elevation of the mountain, just outside of Jerusalem

Did you know how many logs of wood, Isaac needed to carry - it is the same amount of wood to buld a cross.

Think of how much wood you need to get a camp fire - well you need more for the sacrifice.

This is the first time love is mentioned in the bible and it all has to do with sacrifice.

JESUS slain before the foundation of the world.

3 days was the journey for Isaacs resurection. (when he saw the Ram caught in the thicket)

3 days JESUS raised too.

 

IRAQ - and the Bible

 Read all of this one, it is interesting!!

VERY INTERESTING-

1. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq . 

2. Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq, was the cradle of civilization!

3. Noah built the ark in Iraq ... 

4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq .. 

5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq ...

6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor, which is in Iraq ...
7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq . 

8. Jonah preached in Nineveh - which is in Iraq ...

9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel .. 

10. Amos cried out in Iraq .. 

11 Babylon , which is in Iraq , destroyed Jerusalem .. 

12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq .

13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the Fiery Furnace!). 

14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the 'writing on the wall' in Iraq . 

15. Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq ... 

16. Ezekiel preached in Iraq ...   

17. The wise men were from Iraq ... 

18. Peter preached in Iraq ...

19. The 'Empire of Man' described in Revelation is called Babylon --which was a cityin Iraq.  And you have probably seen this one: Israel is hte nation most often mentioned in the Bible.
 
But do you know which nation is second?

It is Iraq !

However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible.

The names used in the Bible are Babylon , Land of Shinar , and Mesopotamia ... The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris And Euphrates Rivers .

The name Iraq means country with deep roots.

Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible. 

No other nation, except Israel , has more history and prophecy associated
with it than Iraq ..

Taken from Sigler.org

No Effort Needed!

Question: Do we need to do anything for salvation?

When we were still sinners, CHRIST died for us. Romans 5:8

Not when we got 'good', but while we were at our worst.

Also, there is no boasting in HIS presence, (1 Cor 1:29)nothing we can say or do that qualifies us for GRACE. If you could 'qualify', then you did something to 'earn it', and thus it is NOT GRACE then.

In fact when JESUS came, HE kept 'disqualifying' everyone.
HE tells Nicodemus to be 'born again' but never tells anyone else that. (John 3)
HE tells another to 'sell all they have' but never tells that message to anyone else. Luke 18:22
HE tells the demoniac that wants to follow HIM, JESUS tells him "NO, but go home and to your friends, and tell everyone what GOD has done". Mark 5:19

Why doesn't HE tell the demoniac that wants to follow him to 'sell all he has to follow him' and do so? But wouldn't allow him to even follow?

How many preachers do you know, that when someone asks the preacher that they want to follow JESUS. That the preacher would say "NO, just simply go home and tell people what GOD has done".

NO preacher dares to say the things GRACE (JESUS is GRACE) says.
They would tell the guy, go to this church, get under the teaching of 'so & so', get a bible, read these chapters, pray everyday, and serve in the church.

JESUS said "go home".

To another group HE says "Be perfect"

Why doesn't HE tell Nicodemus to sell all he has?
Or tell the woman at the well that she must be 'born again'?

No wonder the disciples asked "who can be saved then?"
This whole thing is impossible.

Here is the scripture in GRACE.

Paul said it like this in more than one of his letters.

"HE (GOD) has locked us all (mankind) under sin, so that HE can have mercy on us all". Romans 11:32

They all didn't qualify.
News Flash:  Either do you...
No one does!

All locked up under the sin, under law (which increases trespass) .

Why?

So that HE can have mercy on some? A few? The elect? The Church?

NO

So that HE can have mercy on them all!

Everyone has sinned, we all have missed the mark.
We all like sheep have gone astray, every man has turned his own way.

All fell under Adam - Oh, I know you believe that - you can see that as you judge by your own eyes and understanding.

But

You don't' believe that all shall be made alive in JESUS...1 Corinthians 15:22

Wonderful, unstoppable GRACE.
Imagine a LOVE that doesn't fail - not once!

Does GOD treat us all the same - answer "yes" and "no".

Does GOD show favouritism?

Answer: "For God does not show favoritism." Romans 2:11
and also Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism." Acts 10:34

And JESUS is the WAY - right?

But here is the key, so we don't judge incorrectly.

There is only ONE way, JESUS is that WAY.
But the LORD (your and my DAD) like any good DAD (and HE is the best), treats HIS kids all differently - to get the end result.

I have 2 boys, whom I love dearly.  Both have the same access to me, and both are deeply loved by myself and my wife but they are brought up or 'handled' differently.  Some need 'pulling' the others need a little 'push'.

When I was younger, our friends had 2 children a couple years apart and they were playing on a swing set but were getting (in my own estimation) potentially rowdy and perhaps dangerous and could fall. After watching them for a few moments I told them both to "STOP IT" with a firm tone as I was the only adult in the yard at the time, the rest were getting drinks from inside.

The point is this, after I ordered them to stop, one started to cry, the other laughed and shrugged me off!  I didn't know what to do.

When you have children of your own, you should get to the point where you (as Dad or Mom) know what you have to do, to get your kids to follow the rules (what is best for them/ best for the family) so they can grow up to be responsible, loving leaders - that this world desperately needs.

Anyway, back to the main point.

We as people tend to judge others, when they are going through a tough time instead of knowing that they all have a FATHER in the Heavenlies (the heavens are all around us, its the Spirit world, or the Kingdom that JESUS referred to all the time).  And this FATHER knows how to 'pull' one and 'push' the other, to get them to be mature, loving sons and daughters.
Doesn't the bible tell us that we should be joyful in suffering, because it is working for our own good? James 1:2

When you learn to live in LOVE and TRUST even in the times of testing, you are maturing fast.
Complaining and fighting is not the way through it, that way only slows you down.
Not my will, but your will be done is our prayer.

Isn't that what any good parent wants?
The child to say 'ok mom' or 'you are right dad'.

Isn't that the same thing with GOD?
And it doesn't matter how far you've gone, remember HE doesn't show favouritism.
We all can come, and enjoy LIFE (HIMSELF - JESUS is LIFE) the way it was intended all along!

Don't let the enemy (devil) give you thoughts that make you feel that you can't come to JESUS.
Take HIM up on HIS offer, that there are no favourites...simply come.
Only a lie would keep you from coming to HIM.

What praying in "JESUS" name really means.

I had (as many of you know already) a vision a few years back about a kid breaking into my house and although I had a 'gun' and 'my title deed to my house' in both hands, he (which represented a weak but cunning devil) tried to get that gun and title deed from me.

The gun represented power.
The title deed represented authority.
I had both.

That is what praying in JESUS name is all about.
It is NOT a way to end a prayer, although you can say it, it doesn't guarantee that your prayers will be more successful by ending it "in JESUS name ...amen".

What it really means, is that you understand or our conscience of the fact that JESUS is in you and HE is you.  It is no longer "I" but CHRIST that dwells in me.

When HIS life (because HE is LIFE) becomes 'you' then you are starting to pray 'in the SPIRIT' and that prayer is 'in HIS name'.  That prayer is in HIS nature, HIS authority - that is what praying in HIS name is all about.  It is using the power and authority that HE is in you.  Not what you have, or try to get psyched up to get, but who you actually are.

CHRIST who is your Life - the bible says.

And it always has to do with LOVE (which is what is best for others).
Which is DADDY'S will (FATHER'S will). JESUS only wanted to do or say what HE was shown by the FATHER who was 'in HIM'.  That is no different then us - what the FATHER says (HIS will) is what we want.  That is the 'nature' of JESUS, that is praying in HIS name, HIS nature and then using HIS power and HIS authority over evil.

IN HIS NAME

IN HIS POWER

IN HIS AUTHORITY

As HIM

Hockey cards and 11 year old boys.

The other day my son Timothy and his good friend Josh, wanted me to take them to the dollar store to see about getting some packs of Hockey Cards, which they collect.

Part of the excitement is of course opening each package and seeing if you get that special card, or unique card that you knew about, but never had.

So of course their eyes large with rack upon rack of hockey cards...hmm...which ones do we choose?

Josh says "why don't we pray to the LORD for it?" Timothy agrees and the 2 of them are praying out loud to the LORD to first give them certain cards and then they changed their prayer to 'show them, which card packs to buy'.

Right there, loud and clear as two 11 years olds could be, they were praying! In the store!

Our boys call prayer "cheating", because you are relying on the help of another (not on your own ability).

At then end, Josh was contemplating about finally this 'box' or 'that one'.  "Timothy" he asks, "you know about these things, you chose for me".

Note: know about these things, meaning spiritually see, not visually see.  Because all the cards are in wrapped packages and some inside even larger boxes (with packs inside), nobody can tell which has what.

Josh grabbed the small box, there were like 7 others he could have chosen, but he chose this one, but looking at Timothy he gestured "you show me, which one". Re-emphasizing what he just asked him.

Timothy quickly said "not this one, but that one".

Note: some hockey cards come in individual packs, others in small boxes of multiple packs.

So they make their choices (after prayer) and we go for ice-cream and go home.
I mentioned some caution, as we walked out of the store, about GOD not being a 'Santa Clause', careful not wanting any hearts to be disappointed.

Boy was I in for a surprise!

All that trust in ME will never be disappointed is the scripture. Psalm 25:3

They got what they were looking for and more! They were surprised as well as my older son, who wasn't there at the time, but just as much, I was surprised!  Not that the LORD answered prayer, because we've seen HIM come through for all kinds of things - everything is small to our BIG GOD!

Surprising, because of the audacity of what the kids were asking for!  The Boldness for that thing and the joy in it all!  The whole thing was fun and exciting.

5:40 I wake up the next morning to the LORD asking me

DAD/PAPA :  "When did you get so serious, that you weren't free enough to pray like the boys did?"
HE continued, "When has life for you got to be so stringent, that prayer can't be fun and frivolous?"

"Frivolous?" I protested, here I was trying to protect GOD's reputation, or was it the reputation I had built about HIM?

DAD/PAPA: "Where is the spontaneous joy? The childlike faith so expecting, so simple?  Not the badgering, not the demanding, not the crying but the joy of it all?"

DAD/PAPA:  "and one more thing about your theology son.  You are right, I AM not Santa, I AM way better than Santa.  Santa only got where he got, following me, and so will you".

Ask anything in MY name and I will give it to you!
Come before MY throne with boldness!

-eric