Abraham and Isaac up on the mountain

I just read Genesis 22:1-12. 

I am trying to imagine what I would be thinking had I been a fly on the wall when Abraham heard he was to sacrifice his son . This is his only son, the one born to him and his sweetheart after many years of waiting, even beyond the fertile years of Sarah. A miracle baby, a precious baby, one that defied science when there was no IVF. 

And then there was the matter of the promise that Abraham would be a Father of many nations.

This story appears to raise more questions than answers. How was Abraham going to be the father of many nations after he kills his only son and heir? 

If it were in this present day, I wager his family would call on the psychiatric community to have Abraham sectioned and we in the body of Christ would all be binding and casting and denouncing every plan of the enemy. The social media waves would be bursting with compelling messages, calling for all of us to pray 'against the plan of the evil one' . The message would go something like this. 

Dear Christian brothers and sisters, please read this message to the end, it is vital and important that we take action and pray in one accord. You all remember Elder Abraham and his wife Mummy Sarah, and how they shared their testimony about the fruit of the womb after waiting over 30 years? 

Sources close to the family ( this was leaked by their house help ) reliably informs us that Elder Abraham is about to kill that baby who is now in his teens. He said he heard from God that he should sacrifice Isaac aka Oluwa pamil'erin .

Everyone should say this prayer and pass on urgently to all your chat groups and networks, to forestal the machinations of wickedness in high places

Dear Heavenly Father , we come before you on behalf of Daddy Abraham and Mummy Sarah's family. We bind every plan of the enemy to destroy your precious fruit of the womb Oluwa pamil'erin ( God has made me laugh) 

We say that all the evil forces surrounding them should die by fire! 

Protect the life of  Oluwa pamil'erin , send your waring Angels to protect him and fight for him. Restore Elder Abraham to his right mind in Jesus name. We declare that no weapon fashioned against this family shall prosper..............etc etc etc 

Thankfully, we learn from Abraham's actions that obedience is more important than anything else , that God's sovereign will triumphs over all. That God will make a way where there seems to be no way.

That God is a miracle working God indeed.

That trusting God will never take us to a place outside His will.

That our perspectives on life may be at total loggerheads with God's plan and His plan may appear to go against all logic.

I am not sure that I would have obeyed in this manner, I am sure I would be rebuking the enemy and would not have recognized this instruction from God. Abraham did, what about you and me?

What is God asking us to sacrifice, something so precious that he has gifted us with after a long, long wait? 

Are we tempted to try and align sovereign will with our own logic spurred on by what we want? 

These questions are scary to think of, but it is clear from this scripture that I must, so help me God 

Other things I have learnt:

1. There is no limit to the extents to which God will call you and He dictates the 'how' 
2. God is the giver of our lives and He alone has the power to direct its path.

10 steps to God centred living

Philippians 1:6 

Philippians 4:8 
Philippians 4:13 
Romans 12:2 

Above are some scriptures that I studied and drew some ideas and important directions from. I ended up with a ten point list 

Furthermore I believe they speak to the truth about who we can be in Christ Jesus. Essentially that we are blue printed for flight, and not earth bound to 'circumstances' and how we can use inherent tools to work out our purpose. We are each unique; with peculiar characteristics that align with what we are here on earth to be and do.

And here is the ten point power list


1. Godly Potential: Ability to access what you need to move forward.
2. Mind of Christ
3. Power of the holy spirit.
4.Strengths and talents that need to be appropriately applied e.g
4.1 Lateral thinking
4.2 Creativity
4.3 Analytical and Critical thinking
4.4 Self awareness
5. Application of results of analysis ie Action oriented
6. Promptness and timeliness in taking action
7. Risk taking
8. Trancendence, ie appreciation of beauty, expression of gratitude, ability of hope, capacity for joy.
9. Faith- KNOWING that the battle is the Lord's and the outcome is always WINNING. Trusting God to do his part while you do yours
10. (PPL) Patience, Perseverance, and Long suffering aka 'grace to endure'

This list is not exhaustive, do you have any further ideas that you would like to share?

May the power of His word be revealed to you in Jesus name.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 OBEDIENCE & THE GOD BREATHED WORD

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

In order to serve my purpose on earth, I must be equipped to do it. 

In order to be equipped I must obey the word of God.

Obeying the God breathed word takes me to a place where I am taught. 

My teaching includes:

-rebuking bad behaviour

-correcting wrong decisions 

....so that I am empowered to do good works full on.

This scripture inspired me to draw the image below. In my mind I saw a 'pressure can' , heated by the God breathed word of God. The elements are heated and stressed (our life's struggles) and ultimately purified. The emerging strong element is the smiley face, all set up and empowered to do good works.

Prayer: May you be empowered by the word to do good works as you embrace and learn from your training, teaching and rebukes. No matter what your challenges are, I pray that you push through believing in your heart that the process is God ordained for your training and refinement. More grace to you!

Amen

On Acts 8:26-28 ......Obedience, implementation and discipleship

In obeying God promptly, Phillip was an agent of change in the life of the Ethiopian eunuch. His immediate obedience was a significant pre cursor to an important event, a clear actualisation of Godly purpose for the Ethiopian eunuch. 

As I read this scripture, and thought about obedience, I began to consider  it's role in parenting. Training children to obey their parents is part of the transition process by which they come to have the right inclination of heart to obey God. Obedience learnt at the hands of parents then becomes a foundation on which obedience to God can be built, and therefore discipleship. A kind of mind map, highlighting how strong discipleship can be built inspired me to sketch a ' discipleship wall' and the building blocks that contribute to it. Conceptually, the mortar that holds it all together is FAITH.

To OBEY , you must first hear the instruction or command
To HEAR, you must first be LISTENING
To LISTEN you must first open your heart
To OPEN YOUR HEART, you must first engage your conscious ACT OF WILL
To submit your will, you must first DISCERN what the available choices are.
To discern the particular choice to make you must first RECOGNIZE them
To RECOGNIZE them, you must first SEEK
To seek, you must ASK
To ask, you must first have a NEED.

The Ethiopian eunuch had a NEED. he wanted to understand the scriptures he was reading. There he was moving along in his chariot, pondering these things and God set into motion , something, that is nothing short of a miracle.
Whether I am the recipient of the services of 'a Phillip'; one in the place of seeking and wanting to understand God's word, or I am the 'Phillip' for someone, it is strengthening to know that God will pull out all stops to connect an obedient implementer to a seeking follower. 

Ultimately a seeking follower is a strong disciple.

Most of my posts centred on the Bible are excerpts from my journal ; personal devotion notes to self.

I am asking myself what NEED is there in my heart that seeks to understand the word of God today?

How can I build on it to start to ASK questions?

I pray that you will be able to RECOGNISE your need also, for our God will pull out all stops to meet you at the point of your need. He needs you and I to do this as part of His working out the purpose of our lives. 

Strength and grace to you in Jesus name!

Amen