Thu, Feb 28th - 2:31PM
JOURNEY IN HEBREWS ABRAHAM’S
JOURNEY
OUR
JOURNEY
GOD’S
JOURNEY
Brothers
and sisters, Abraham concluded his journey in faith towards God in being
willing to offer his only son, because he was fully persuaded that God can
raise the dead: Heb 11: 19Accounting that God was
able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received
him in a figure.
Brothers
and sisters, we cannot, dare not overlook the fact that although God saved
Abraham’s son, He knew before the beginning of time that He had to sacrifice
His own Son. Think about God our Father’s journey and how He felt with His
beloved only Son Jesus Christ and this knowledge between them from before God
made time. God did not keep it a secret from His Son that He would have to
offer Himself as the only sacrifice that would save the world. Think about how
God must have felt that He had to punish His sinless Son to save us sinners
from our sins.
God
has feelings, and he also gave us feelings, but unlike us His feelings are
always righteous and under His complete control. His Son our Lord and Saviour
gave Himself for us. He did not have to do it, nor did God have to force Jesus
Christ to sacrifice Himself to save the world: Mat 26:53; Jhn 10:17-18.
Let us praise and thank our Father God and His
Son Jesus Christ, for their love and unwavering faithfulness, through whom all
that believe are saved from their sins forever. Holy people, Abraham had the
promises, but we have received the promises manifested in our risen Saviour Jesus
Christ, glory to His name forever Amen.
The Faith of Isaac, Jacob, Joseph
Heb 11:20By faith Isaac blessed
Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. 21By
faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and
worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. 22By
faith Joseph, when he died, made mention of the departing of the children of
Israel; and gave commandment concerning his bones.
Saints
(G40 hagios) we see the torch of faith passing steadily from one generation to
the next of God’s people. Our Lord
encourages each of us to also carry the torch of this same faithfulness through
our trials without wavering. Although our Lord is risen, there are still things
to come which He has foretold us shall come in the end. Just like them,
brothers and sisters, let the torch of our faith continue on in complete trust in
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. This we will surely do by His power. Take heart,
brethren: Ph 4:13I can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Ph
2:13For
it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
Love
serola
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Mon, Feb 25th - 12:52PM
JOURNEY
IN HEBREWS
ABRAHAM’S
JOURNEY IN HEBREWS
OUR
JOURNEY IN HEBREWS
Brothers
and sisters, it came to my mind the words that I had said often and often heard
as well from others, that nobody can be perfect; that God does not expect us to
be perfect. I could never buy the idea that anybody could be or make themselves
perfect.
I
know that I am not alone in thinking that people claiming to be perfect were conceited,
arrogant, prideful, braggarts, exalting themselves, lacking humility- and worse
of all liars. It seemed correct, and
humble to me to not even allow any such thoughts of being perfect to ever enter
my head. I was not going to displease or get in trouble with God by claiming
that I was perfect, no siree, not me, not me ever. After all the scriptures
seemed to support me in thinking this way.
Phl 3:12 - Not as though I had
already attained, either were already perfect:
but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am
apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren,
do any of you agree with me? Well, dearly beloveds, we would all be wrong. The
Lord opened up my understanding to see that Paul is talking about the
perfection to be attained in the resurrection of our earthly bodies unto Jesus Christ.
It
is quite clear that Paul is not saying we cannot be perfect, because Paul later
states: Phl 3:15 - Let us therefore, as
many as be perfect, be thus
minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this
unto you.
No
human being has the power to make themselves perfect: 1Pe 1:24 - For all flesh is
as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of
grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
Therefore,
God never commanded His people to make themselves perfect in their own power,
because He knows it is impossible for them to do so. I repented to the Lord for seeing perfection
in a humanistic way. Then, something happened, He opened my eyes and I fully
understood, believed that the kind of perfection from God is spiritual
perfection, that is truly of God, comes only from Him, not of the foolish
notions of this world. He has already perfected us to walk in love, and perfected
us to do His will and work through His word and timing.: Heb 10:14 -
For by one offering he hath perfected
for ever them that are sanctified.
Mat 5:48 - Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Luk 6:40 - The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.
Jhn 17:23 -
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent
me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
1Co 2:6 - Howbeit
we speak wisdom among them that are perfect:
yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come
to nought:
2Ti 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
2Ti 3:17 -
That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works.
Col 1:28 -
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that
we may present every man perfect
in Christ Jesus:
1Jo 2:5 - But
whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are
in him.
1Jo 4:18 - There is no fear in love; but perfect
love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1Jo 2:5 - But
whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are
in him. love serola
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Wed, Feb 20th - 4:22PM
JOURNEY
IN HEBREWS
Abraham’s
Journey in Hebrews
Our
Journey in HEBREWS
Holy
people, God has left us Abraham’s good report- God’s absolute eternal standard
for faith, so that we can know His absolute standard of what is a good report
from Him, to follow for ourselves:
1. Abraham
was bold and strong in faith, not weak in faith, not dissuaded by anything that
seemed to contradict or be contrary to God’s promises. Rom 4:19.
2. Abraham glorified God without dispute, doubt, contention, hesitation, or unbelief or failure to accept
ALL the promises of God. Rom 4:20.
3. Abraham
was absolutely persuaded that God has unlimited power and might to perform and
completely fulfill all of His promises including the promise of the new
covenant of Jesus Christ.
4. Abraham
in faith trusted obeyed feared and believed the eternal truth of God, and is
therefore counted as righteous with God not under the Mosaic Law, but under the
law of grace. Rom 4:13-16.
5. Believe: To trust completely and steadfastly in
Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving
faith
6. No doubt Abraham was and is a child of God; however,
God was so pleased with Abraham that God called him his friend. Not a friend,
but His friend: Isa 41:8.
Brothers
and sister, again, instead of seeing this story as God’s not glossing over
Abraham’s “dirty laundry” we must see this as God giving us deep insight into the portrait of
a man very similar to ourselves with fears that made him vulnerable, and a
history of some personal shortcomings. It dispels us from the mistaken notion
that Abraham pulled himself up as though it were by his own bootstraps. It
encourages us to know without a doubt that God is our strength through whom we
overcome even our own weaknesses fears, doubts and vulnerabilities.
Gen 17:1 - And when Abram was
ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me,
and be thou perfect. (Dearly
beloveds, note the significance of this time line, - God called Abraham when he was seventy-five
years old, but did not command him to be perfect until he was ninety-nine years
old).
Brethren,
I backed off from the above verse, came back to it, backed off from it, but
felt I had to come back to it; Why? Brothers and sisters the word “perfect”
scared me, made me feel vulnerable, reminded me of my own inadequacies, short
comings, times I have blown it, fallen on my face, failed God, and frankly seemed
to be something that I could never attain. Feel free to raise your hand if you
have ever felt this way.
Yet,
saints (G40 hagios), here is the Almighty God Himself telling not only Abraham
to be perfect but to all of us as well. The command of God for us to be perfect
only made me see more clearly how imperfect and inadequate I was, then something
happened…
PERFECT:
complete, whole, entire, sound
A. complete,
whole, entire
B. whole,
sound, healthful
C. complete,
entire (of time)
D. sound,
wholesome, unimpaired, innocent, having integrity
E. what
is complete or entirely in accord with truth and fact love serola
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Fri, Feb 15th - 4:56AM
JOURNEY
IN HEBREWS
ABRAHAM’S
JOURNEY
Dearly beloveds before we can look at Abraham’s
report card from God, we absolutely must look at WHAT GOD WILL NEVER WRITE ON
ABRAHAM’S REPORT CARD: God will never write on Abraham’s report card, “What
took you so long?”; God will never write on Abraham’s report card his sins, and
failures in trust and obedience in any way shape or manner whatsoever for all
eternity. Why? Why? Why? We will get to this at some point, although most of
you already know the answer.
Gen
22: 11And the angel of the
LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said,
Here am I. 12And he said, Lay not
thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not
withheld thy son, thine only son from me. 13And Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a
thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for
a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
Abraham
believed God, feared God and obeyed God, and was found of God worthy to receive
the promises of His eternal covenant and
His seed: Gal 3:16
Isaiah
1:18 “Come
now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall
become like wool.
Jeremiah
31:34 /
And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying,
‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the
greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember
their sin no more.”
Isaiah
43:25 ESV“I,
I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not
remember your sins”.
Isa 43:25 - I, even I, am
he that blotteth out thy
transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Just as God did not throw up Abraham’s sin
in his face, as though it never happened, He will never throw up anymore nor
remember the sins of those who believe and obey His Son and only Saviour Jesus Christ.
Ro 4:20He staggered not at the promise of
God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21And
being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22And
therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness,
Rom 4:23 - Now it was not written
for his sake alone, that it was imputed
to him;24 - But for us also, to whom it
shall be imputed, if we believe
on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
Heb 8:12 - For I will be merciful
to their unrighteousness, and their sins
and their iniquities will I remember no
more.
1
John 1:9 If
we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.
1
John 1: 18We know that whosoever is born of God
sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked
one toucheth him not.
1Jo 3:8 - He that committeth sin
is of the devil; for the devil sinneth
from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was
manifested, that he might destroy the
works of the devil. love serola
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Mon, Feb 11th - 12:52AM
JOURNEY
IN HEBREWS
ABRAHAM’S
JOURNEY
Abraham
means: "father of a multitude"
Yet,
brothers and sisters, we find Abraham on a journey to sacrifice his only son
and heir. In a general sense the servants and his son Isaac knew Abraham was
going to make a sacrifice to God. It is clear that Isaac had no idea that he
was to be the sacrifice. The Bible does not tell us why Abraham kept this
secret from his son. The Bible does not state whether or not Abraham shared the
purpose of his journey with anyone, and Sarah is not mentioned in this matter.
During
his journey, we do not know how Abraham felt, was he heart broken, troubled, angry,
horrorstruck with fear, anguished, mourning, tempted to turn back and not
perform the sacrifice; or did he go with a steely resolve to do all that God commanded
of him or with mixed emotions? Only God knew and only God knew that time would
tell.
Abraham
goes up Mount Moriah with fire in his hand, a knife, the wood and his son Isaac.
If
ever Abraham was going to break down it might have been when his son said: Gen 22:7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his
father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he
said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt
offering?
SPIRITUAL
FIRE NOW!
Instead
of breaking down Abraham erupts in the spiritual fire of faith, responding to
his son: Gen 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will
provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them
together.
Abraham
is on spiritual fire, he is neither laughing nor questioning but going full throttle:
Boom! Abraham built the altar. Boom! Abraham laid the wood, bound his son on
the altar, boom! Abraham takes the knife to slay his only son.
Saints,
(G40 hagios) we know that only the intervention of the angel of the Lord saved
Isaac from being slain by Abraham. Abraham passed God’s smell test and pleased God
in offering up his only son. Therefore, God accounted Abraham faithful and
righteous.
We must take time to look at Abraham’s report
card from God.
Love
serola
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