The Angel Who Stayed Abraham’s Hand As He Was About To Sacrifice His Son
After decades of longing, Gods promise finally came true. Sarah and Abrahams beloved child was born. Only to be taken from them in the most heinous, unthinkable wayas a sacrifice at the hands of his own father .
Or so it seemed.
But believing God could raise his son from the dead, Abraham obeyed Gods command and set out with his servant and son to offer the most painful sacrifice imaginable.
En route, not seeing the animal they needed, his boy asked, Where is the sheep for the burnt offering?
Abraham answered, God will provide, my son.
He did. Moments before Abraham was to slay Isaac, the Angel of the Lord stopped him, saying, Now I know that you truly fear God. You have not withheld from Me even your son, your only son.
Then, looking up, Abraham saw a ram caught in a thicketthe sacrifice he offered in Isaacs place.
Abraham named the location Yahweh-Yireh, which means the Lord will provide .
Through the ram, God provided the sacrificial animal that set Isaac free. Similarly, through the Son, God provided a sacrifice that purchased our freedom.
God Promises To Deliver His People
God says He will humble us and correct us, but He also promises to deliver us from all our troubleswhen we truly learn our lesson and turn from our many abominations!
And at that time your people shall be delivered, every one who is found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt .
The time setting is unmistakable. Daniel is talking about the resurrection to immortality of the saints of God, which shall occur at the seventh or last trump when Jesus returns to this earth with all His mighty angels, to establish the Kingdom of God to rule for 1,000 years . Daniel is not writing of something that happened way back in the Middle Ages. This prophecy concerning the Great Tribulation period leads right up to the glorious Second Coming of Jesus Christ at the very end of this present evil world .
As the foregoing prophecy reveals, God Almighty Himself will order one of His mighty angels, Michael, to stand watch over the people of Israel, who at that time will have had their power broken, and will have been scattered into many nations as captive slaves.
God goes on to explain how He will greatly bless His people once they have truly learned their lesson: Then out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who make merry I will multiply them, and they shall not diminish I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small .
Equip Israels Spiritual Leaders
In the past Israelis had to learn English, uproot their families, and leave their congregations to study the Bible abroad. But today, through our Bible College, pastors and ministry leaders are able to study the Scriptures in Hebrew, and remain in their communities as they become equipped to serve in ministry throughout Israel.
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What Happened To Dinosaurs
Evolutionists use their imagination in a big way in answering this question. Because of their belief that dinosaurs ruled the world for millions of years, and then disappeared millions of years before man allegedly evolved, they have had to come up with all sorts of guesses to explain this mysterious disappearance.
When reading evolutionist literature, you will be astonished at the range of ideas concerning their supposed extinction. The following is just a small list of theories:
Dinosaurs starved to death they died from overeating they were poisoned they became blind from cataracts and could not reproduce mammals ate their eggs. Other causes include volcanic dust, poisonous gases, comets, sunspots, meteorites, mass suicide, constipation, parasites, shrinking brain , slipped discs, changes in the composition of air, etc.
It is obvious that evolutionists dont know what happened and are grasping at straws. In a recent evolutionary book on dinosaurs, A New Look At the Dinosaurs, the author made the statement:
But, one such explanation does exist. If you remove the evolutionary framework, get rid of the millions of years, and then take the Bible seriously, you will find an explanation that fits the facts and makes perfect sense:
Fact : The Location Of Jesus’ Return
“The Bible tells us where He is going to arrive when He comes back.”
The place of Christ’s return is an interesting subject because the Bible tells us where He is going to arrive when He comes back. “And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south” . Jesus will return to Israel.
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Come And See Jesus For Yourself
When something out of the ordinary grabs our attention, we have to know, dont we? If we see a crowd of people gathering around something, we want to know whats going on. If we are slowly making our way through traffic and we are getting nearer to an incident, we crane our necks to try and get a clearer look. John the Baptist had disciples who followed his teaching, but when Jesus passed by, John said: Look, the Lamb of God! Imagine heads turning, trying to catch a glimpse of who John was referring to. That message was enough for two of Johns disciples to begin to follow behind Jesus.
Jesus turned around and asked them What do you want? . This question should make us stop and think. What is our motive in following Jesus? We may have several answers to this question but Jesus says that we must deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him . Its not an easy road to follow. Its a small gate and narrow road but it leads to life . Yet whatever our motives are, only Jesus can fill the deepest needs of our heart and promises to be with us to the end of the age .
The disciples asked Jesus where He was staying. They wanted to know Him and hoped for an opportunity to do just that. Rather than being too busy or important for these eager young men, Jesus invited them by saying Come and you will see . What an opportunity!
To Gideon Before Commanding Him To Defeat The Midians
After rescuing His people from slavery, God gave them a promise and a warning. If they loved and obeyed Him, all would go well, but rebellion would lead to consequences. Unfortunately, due to partial obedience that led to rebellion, the people forfeited their protection. Unguarded and defenseless, they eventually fell prey to the Midianites who brought them to the brink of starvation.
Desperate, they cried out to God for help, and He responded by commissioning a frightened, seemingly insignificant man named Gideon to lead the nation into battle.
At first, Gideon had no idea He was talking to Christ. But when flames spontaneously erupted and devoured his offering, he realized hed encountered God. Terrified He exclaimed, Im doomed! He thought for sure hed die, but God responded, as He does to us when were consumed with fear, Do not be afraid.
Jesus awesomeness initially terrified Gideon, but later brought Him peacewhen God fought on his behalf. Jesus fights on our behalf as well, and He alone commands our victory.
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Why Is Jesus Coming Back
The Bible says that Jesus is coming back to reward the inhabitants of the earth and bring many back to heaven with Him . The Bible also says in Matthew 25:34, Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Jesus, more than anything, wants to spend time with you. He invites you to return to heaven with Him to enjoy an eternity with no more tears, pain or suffering. What would keep you from accepting the invitation of Christ? What would keep you from putting Him first in your life? What would be more important than saying, I want to pattern my life after Jesus and soon live with Him forever?
What Lessons Can We Learn From The Dinosaur
When we see the bones of dinosaurs, we can be reminded that death was not a part of the original creation. Death is actually an intruder, entering when the first man disobeyed God. The Bible tells us that because we are all descendants of Adam, we too have sinned: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God . We need to recognize that the wickedness in the world is because of sin, because man rebelled against God.
We can also be reminded that God, who made all things, including the dinosaurs, is also a judge of His creation.
We can also be reminded that God, who made all things, including the dinosaurs, is also a judge of His creation. He judged Adams rebellion by cursing the world with death. Adam was warned about what would happen if he disobeyed Gods instruction not to eat the fruit of one particular tree. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die .
But we are also warned that many will not be allowed into this new Earth but will suffer for eternity: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death (Revelation 21:8
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When Did Dinosaurs Live
The story we have all heard from movies, television, newspapers, and most magazines and textbooks is that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. According to evolutionists, the dinosaurs ruled the Earth for 140 million years, dying out about 65 million years ago. However, scientists do not dig up anything labeled with those ages. They only uncover dead dinosaurs , and their bones do not have labels attached telling how old they are. The idea of millions of years of evolution is just the evolutionists story about the past. No scientist was there to see the dinosaurs live through this supposed dinosaur age. In fact, there is no proof whatsoever that the world and its fossil layers are millions of years old. No scientist observed dinosaurs die. Scientists only find the bones in the here and now, and because many of them are evolutionists, they try to fit the story of the dinosaurs into their view.
Other scientists, called creation scientists, have a different idea about when dinosaurs lived.
Other scientists, called creation scientists, have a different idea about when dinosaurs lived. They believe they can solve any of the supposed dinosaur mysteries and show how the evidence fits wonderfully with their ideas about the past, beliefs that come from the Bible.
As It Was In The Beginning
The passages quoted thus far have been from the New Testament. Armed only with these, you can mount a strong case that the Hebrew Bible proclaims Christ. But perhaps, it might be argued, this Christian interpretation is found only by looking backward from the New. Is it possible to also read the Bible forward, from Genesis onward, and see the same Christ-centeredness? I believe so.
Its my contention that Christ is either patterned, promised, or present on every page of the Hebrew Bible. More than this, in certain key passages, he is portrayed in all three ways at once. Below I select just three of these occasions and hope that it inspires you to see the whole Bible through these lenses.
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The Pivotal Old Testament Prophecy
The pivotal scripture for understanding end-time prophecy is found in the Old Testament, in chapter 26 of the book of Leviticus. When we rightly understand our national identity, this prophetic chapter takes on new, urgent meaning. Here is basic, foundational information for modern Israelamong whom are to be counted the American people and British-descended peoples of the Commonwealth nations. Those peoples are among the descendants of the so-called Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. This prophecy is talking about ancient Israel, and it is also speaking of their children and grandchildren at the end of this age!
We should watch for the fulfillment of those prophecies that foretell the downfall of the United States and Great Britain, insofar as their national prestige and power are concerned, even before their cities are totally demolished in a future round of world warWorld War IIIwhich will be the most deadly time humanity will ever experience.
Our competitors for global power and influence are looking down on us with increasing glee as we stumble in resolving domestic and international problems. These things are happening to us because we have turned aside from God. We have not obeyed the God of our fathers.
Further, our disobedience would bring upon us curses in our food supply, curses in sexual relations, and curses in whatever policies or programs that we nationally attempt because we have turned aside from the Great God.
Believe Gods Warnings Of Horror
Woe to those left behind at the Rapture! Read the Book of Revelation, Gods Book of judgment, and find for yourself whats in store for those who do not let the Holy Spirit make them ready for the second coming of Jesus.
Revelation is not filled with allegories, events that will never happen. Revelation tells of the judgments of God. Jesus Himself said, I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches . Jesus did not send an angel to testify of myths, but of facts, prophecies that will soon take place.
It was so important to God for the warnings of horror to be believed that the Bible says if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life .
Your works will be judged according to the Word of God, the whole Word of God.
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The Return Of The Lord Jesus Is Imminent
The Lord Jesus return is not only soon that we need to understand, but it is also imminent, meaning it could happen at any moment.
The apostles even thought that the Lord Jesus return might happen in their lifetime and spoke of the Lord Jesus return as the last days and urged the people of God to be ready and watchful.
Jesus intends the people of God to believe in His imminent return because He used the language of being ready .
Jesus also mentions, in Matthew 24:36, that no one can know the day or time of His return, so Christians should live in the expectancy that He is going to return at any moment.
Jesus wants every generation to live in the awareness that He may return suddenly, and all people will have to give an account of how they will find them.
So, the question, Is Jesus coming back soon? is a resounding yes, and He will return without unnecessary delay. Acts 1:7 confirms the teaching of Jesus in Matthew 24:36 when it says,
He said to them, It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
Jesus said this after the disciples asked Him if He was going to restore Israel. The point by Luke in Acts 1 and Jesus in Matthew 24 is that no one knows when He will return, but that He will return.
No one knows when the Lord Jesus will come back, and Scripture is silent about the exact timing of His return. Matthew 24:36-44 contains a general principle that is critical to understand this subject.
The Power Of Confession
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was turned into the drought of summer.Psalm 32:4
California is a dry state that needs water to be transported over many miles to population and agricultural centers. Snowfall in the winter and melting snow in the spring are critical factors in replenishing shrinking reservoirs. In periods of modern droughts, aerial photographs document the receding water levels in reservoirs around the stateshorelines growing wider and drier as water levels fall.
Such is the picture David paints with his words in Psalm 32a drought of spiritual vitality brought on by his own sin. When he failed to confess his sin to God, his bones grew old and he groaned all the day long . It was like his soul was being evaporated by the heat of his own guilt and shame. But then the rains of grace came and David confessed his sin and God forgave him . And he encouraged his readers not to make the same mistake he had made .
Confession and repentance reveal the access to restoration. Hiding sin does not remove it from Gods sight but when we seek Gods forgiveness, the refreshing living water from the Father is poured out on us and we are restoredthat is the power of confession.
The way to cover our sin is to uncover it by confession.Richard Sibbes
I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.Psalm 119:162
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