I still write sermons to keep my soul and spirit active.  I pray God will bless you.

July 2 Genesis 22:1-14 The Lord Who provides   4^th Sunday after Pentecost             God will provide the lamb as the sacrifice to pay what we cannot.

                             Epistle Reading Romans 6:21-23

21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:21-23 NKJV)

“1 ¶ Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." 2 Then He said, "Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you." 3 ¶ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place afar off. 5 And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you." 6 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife, and the two of them went together. 7 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." Then he said, "Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" 8 And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering." So the two of them went together. 9 Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 ¶ But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" So he said, "Here I am." 12 And He said, "Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me." 13 Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, "In the Mount of The LORD it shall be provided."” (Genesis 22:1-14 NKJV)

This is a most amazing part of the Bible.  God promised Abraham would be blessed and that his seed would multiply until they were as many of the sand of the sea and the stars in the sky.  A scientific study came to the conclusion that there are as many stars in the sky as there are grains of sand on the seashores of the world.

God told Abraham to take his son Isaac, his only son and offer him as a burnt offering.  Does this shock you?  Are you horrified that God would not ask but command Abraham to sacrifice his only son?

It might surprise you that other than sexual sin the thing God speaks against most is the gods who call for child sacrifice and those who offer their children to the fire of Molech, Baal and many other gods.

So why would God ask Abraham to do the very thing He hates the most?  Like most rough scriptures we often read over it wishing it were not in the Bible.

You might be surprised to know the only one who can ask for the sacrifice of a son is God.  A few thousand years later God offered His son Jesus, His only Son for Abraham, Isaac and everyone!  God reminds us a life is needed for our sin!  As I like to say:

God never asks anything of us that He hasn’t given to us and

God never asks us to do anything that He hasn’t done for us!

The Father’s love is so great that to show you that Love God had to offer his only Son Jesus for you!  Such a love, such a God!!!