July 26, 2010 Tests

Some time later God tested Abraham.

Good Monday Morning, my dear brothers and sisters, it is a beautiful morning here at the Southern Location of the North Pole. It seems the humidity broke over night after some storms passed by. Monday, the day we pray for our leaders, for our military, for our veterans, for police, firefighters and all others who work so hard to keep us safe and healthy. Please put your doctors and all others who work in the medical fields on that list also.

Tests: Genesis 22: 1 - Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him. "Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied. 2 Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about." (NIV)

Oh my gosh what a test... How would you like to be tested like Abraham was tested? Gosh, I really hated tests all my life. In school I hated those tests, and when a teacher would pull a surprise test, that was real hard. It least if the test was scheduled the girl who sat beside me in class had time to study so my grades were better when I looked at her answers. No, I am not kidding on this. If it were not for this young lady, Pat Wells, I would have, well, spent a lot more time in high school.

But let's get back to the Bible and this week we are going to look at some tests that God did to His people and did they pass the tests. Do you think that God still tests people today? I want you to think about that one and maybe send me your answer. Have you been tested by God?

Let's get back to Abraham and see how he fared in the test. Can you think of it today, God would ask you to sacrifice a child. Well, folks, let me end that for you right now. God will not ask you to sacrifice your child or children because He sacrificed His own Son for us. Anyway, and again I ask you to read Genesis 22:1/19, do you remember that I brought this subject up last week when I was talking about the Lord and all those four letter words? Abraham set out the next morning after God gave him the order to sacrifice Isaac. He took a donkey, two servants, some wood and of course his son Isaac. When they reached the place that God told Abraham about, Abraham built an altar. Isaac said to his father, "father, the fire and the wood is here but where is the lamb?" Little did Isaac know that he was going to be the "lamb" that day (my words). As Abraham followed the Lord's words and the firewood was arranged and Abraham was ready to put Isaac on the fire, an angel of the Lord said "Do not lay a hand on the boy." "Do not do anything to him." And soon after that they found a lamb in a thicket. You see Abraham passed the test, he was faithful to God above all else, even to the point he would have given his son to the Lord. Again ,how have you been tested? Hard times, health issues, etc. Does God still test us? We are not to test the Lord, except in one thing... can anyone answer what that one thing is we can test God on?

Lots to think about, my friends, and we will be talking tests most of the week, unless God puts me in a different direction... Let's pray.

Dear Father in Heaven, if you test us today we pray that we will past that test, most of all, Lord, help us to walk in Your light, walk to please You in all we do, live life under Your commands. And Lord, please look over our prayer list and honor themn according to Your will for all of us. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Now go forth and share your blessings. Have a blessed day... love ya, Pastor Dan.