Week Forty-Four, 2017

WHERE IS YOUR TRUST?

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright. – Psalm 20:7-8

What object or person do you trust? Where is your security? The dictionary definition of trust is “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.”

We live in a world of misdirected trust. People put their hopes, dreams and security in the things of this world. Now, not all things of the world are necessarily bad, but no matter how valuable or useful they are, they are not where our total trust should reside.

The Psalmist says it so well. Some trust in chariots and horses (meaning the physical things of this world) and then admonishes us to trust in God. When we look around our world, we see people polishing their chariots and others grooming their horses. The chariots will rust and the horses will become lame, but those who put their trust in God will be on their feet standing tall.

Rule number one is to not put our trust in ourselves, but totally trust and depend on God. It’s easy to put ourselves first. When something good happens, we want to congratulate ourselves with a reward. When something bad happens, we want to console ourselves or find someone to blame. In other words, we often have a “me-centric” starting place. We should put God first in our life.

The words translated “trust” in the Bible literally mean a bold, confident, sure security or action based on that security.” The practical consequence of faith in God is trust, which we prove by living out our full acceptance of God’s promises day by day.

THOUGHT: Where do you put your trust? To what or to whom do you look for security? Try fixing your eyes and heart on the Word of God and you will be directed and inclined to trust in Him and in Him alone.

PRAYER: Lord, forgive me for placing my trust and dependence on the things of this world. Help me to fix my eyes on things above and take the focus off of myself. Strengthen me spiritually as I look to you for trust and dependence day by day.

***

SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The statistics of the numbers of non-Christians can be staggering:

• 865 million unreached Muslims or Islamic followers in 3330 cultural sub-groupings

• 550 million unreached Hindus in 1660 cultural sub-groups

• 150 million unreached Chinese in 830 groups

• 275 million unreached Buddhists in 900 groups

• 2550 unreached tribal groups (which are mainly animistic) with a total population of 140 million

• Forming a smaller — though important — unreached group are the 17 million Jews scattered across 134 countries

• Good news: Missions researcher David Barrett says the country with the most rapid Christian expansion ever is China where there are 10,000 new Christian converts every day.

A SENIORS PERSPECTIVE OF FACEBOOK.

For those of my generation who do not, and cannot, comprehend why Facebook exists:

I am trying to make friends outside of Facebook while applying the same principles.

Therefore, every day I walk down the street and tell passers-by what I have eaten, how I feel at the moment, what I have done the night before, what I will do later and with whom.

I give them pictures of my family, my dog, and of me gardening, taking things apart in the garage, watering the lawn, standing in front of landmarks, driving around town, having lunch, and doing what anybody and everybody does every day.

I also listen to their conversations, give them the “thumbs up” and tell them I like them. And it works just like Facebook.

I already have four people following me: two police officers, a private investigator and a psychiatrist.

***

QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Forgive us for thinking that prayer is a waste of time and help us to see that without prayer our work is a waste of time. Peter Marshall (former chaplain, U.S. Senate)

The Source of Our Division Is Spiritual Immaturity. The Solution to Our Division Is to Focus on God. Barry Chesney

Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:34

Spiritual people are called to walk in the Spirit. Remaining worldly is not one of the options. Barry Chesney

The worst thing that could happen in the Christian life is when you lose your appetite for more. Jim Cymbala

If God has called a person to a work that is the most important ministry he can have. John MacArthur

Prayer is a daily habit for 76% of people in their 70’s. AARP

Which do you value more: your success or your soul?

Zenon Andrusyshyn

If we are to busy doing things for God that we don’t have time to spend with God— we are to busy!! Ken Whitten

The hardest way to achieve success is to have someone else define it for you. You must define what success means to you. Ernie Zelinsky

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©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

Week Forty-Two, 2017

Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools. – Ecclesiastes 7:9

When I looked out of the front of my house, I noticed that the local authorities had placed barricades saying “road closed”. They also erected similar signs in several places as far as a half mile away, along with detour signs. Surprisingly many cars ignored the warnings and came right up to my driveway to turn around. One man even got out and tried to remove the barricades and another drove through the side yard and out the front of my neighbor’s yard.

We don’t like roadblocks, do we? Roadblocks slow us down. They get in our way. They are an inconvenience. They impede our progress. For some reason, we think the signs are for people who don’t have as much sense as we do.

God will sometimes position roadblocks in front of us that call for our immediate decision to stop or go in another direction. We need to listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit and go in the direction He tells us to go.

I’ve heard of people at railroad crossings who saw the red lights flashing, bells ringing, the train approaching, and still they attempted to race across the tracks. Some people have bee fortunate to “outrun” the train. Some people have not been so fortunate.

The same is true of people who drive around roadblocks set up during flooding. These people see the water running over the bridge, but the water appears low enough to go across safely. Regrettably, halfway across, the vehicle they’re in stalls and they have to be pulled out by a rescue team. Or worse, the driver gets washed away.

How many times have you and I been so headstrong and plowed ahead ignoring all the visible signs to stop? If you disobey the Spirit’s leading, the odds of ending in failure are greater than the odds of ending in success. When things aren’t working according to your plans, you must believe God has put the roadblock up for your own protection.

Roadblocks, whether placed by man or by God are for our protection. Sometimes God wants to protect us. Sometimes He wants to lead us in a different direction. And, sometimes God wants to just slow us down and wait. Whatever the reasons, roadblocks are there for our benefit. God wants us to grow and sometimes that means going in a different direction.

How do you respond to the roadblocks of life?

***

Sometimes True Stories

 ©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

We are all in the same boat!

By Frank Becker

What do these men want, who mock the flag of the United States of America?

We are all in the same boat? If they chop holes in our boat, it will sink, and we will all go down together.

“MERCY!” (Psalm 116)

First Baptist Church, Earlville, NY, J.B. Stopford, Pastor

September 24, 2017

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Several Thoughts:

(1) Birds have bills, too, and they keep on singing.
(2) A waist is a terrible thing to mind.
(3). Be nice to your kids. They’ll choose your nursing home.

INTRODUCTION

I’ve shared with you before that I’m the youngest of 3 boys, and my brothers are 8 and 9 1/2 years older than I. I remember getting in wrestling matches with them. Invariably, I ended up on the bottom and couldn’t move. Not until I said that word, you know that word, don’t you, did they let me go. “Uncle!” I didn’t earn it. I had no right to it. I needed it desperately. And without saying “Uncle”, I might remain in the same helpless position for the rest of the day – or at least until Mom and Dad got home.
And in a nutshell, that’s what “mercy” is! It is our getting what we don’t deserve: we can’t earn it; we have no right to it; we need it desperately; and without mercy, we would remain in the same helpless position – for the rest of eternity.
In my preparation this week, I learned that the word “mercy” appears in our NIV 126 times; it also appears in the NKJV 275 times. The times in the NIV where it appears in the NKJV as “mercy”, in the NIV it appears often as “love”. For example, the 136th psalm is a classic – in the NKJV each verse ends with the line, “For His mercy endures forever.” In the NIV it says, “His love endures forever.” And in its purest, most holy form, that’s what “mercy” is: God’s love on display at His expense. And God’s mercy is best seen at the cross, isn’t it? There are many classic passages that we could choose to study on mercy – let’s look today at Psalm 116. PRAYER

#1. A “PREACH THROUGH” PSALM 116:1-2.

This psalm is the result of the psalmist’s wrestling with God – and the end result is trust and intimacy in communion. He would ask us: “have you gone through an huge trial in your life? Did you ask for mercy? Did you get it? Did you learn to trust God more? Did you thank Him?”
vs. 3-4. The psalmist is crying “uncle”. Rather than his brothers, it is death itself which is crushing the psalmist. He has no hope – but to ask God for mercy: “Uncle, God! Uncle!”
vs. 5-6. God is no fairy godmother. He isn’t a bank or a church which gives and gives whenever one begs. He isn’t one without character – and that’s the point. God is Who He is because He is. The psalmist learned some vital truths while being wrestled by life. Look at them: God is gracious; righteous; full of compassion; protects the simple hearted; He delivers the needy.
v. 7. It really is good to talk to yourself. The psalmist talks to his soul – his real eternal being. Ezekiel says, “the soul that sins, it will die.” The psalmist advises his soul to rest because God has been good.
vs. 8-10. Talking to one’s soul naturally leads into spontaneous prayer with the Keeper of the soul, the Lord Himself.
The psalmist continues – he had prayed for mercy (“uncle!”) in vs. 3-4, perhaps just for a daily need. God gave him much more than he asked for! These are classic lines – because God gave Him deliverance for both eternity and for today. That’s what true mercy does. It is more than just a ticket to Heaven! It is an invitation to live today!
v. 11. In fact, when one has God’s mercy, he sees every day through fresh eyes. He realizes that the world outside a fellowship with God has no foundation – they are liars and not really living!
vs. 12ff. The remainder of the psalm is a sharing of the psalmist’s fresh perspective in life. He is so overwhelmed – surprised by God – that he will spend the rest of his life seeing life through fresh eyes. Look at his “I wills”. Remember it was Satan’s “I will’s” that got him kicked out of heaven for his pride. But here, here is a child of God who was given God’s mercy. In the place of pride is joy – the joy of the Lord. And notice in his sharing what he plans on doing with the rest of his life, he praises God (v. 19) for Who He is (vs. 15-16). True praise basks in Who God is! True praise rejoices in the Source of mercy and not only in the mercy itself.

ILLUSTRATION: If a wealthy grandfather gave you $1 million dollars – would your thoughts be on the money, or on the source of the money? Hmm. Tough question! But the psalmist was so encouraged to remember the Source of mercy and to praise Him!

#2. “HIGHLIGHT STOPS” IN PSALM 116

ILLUSTRATION: Have you ever gone on a tour? And when you did, the guide says something like this: “let me give you the highlights of this journey”. And he then points out some things to look for in the journey in which you are about to embark.
The psalmist has done the same thing. He has given us highlights, places to stop in our journey with the Lord. Let’s look at two of those places we should stop:
A. Our life should be under a constant review (vs. 1-2) – by ourselves! Before the Lord, we should be able to STOP and see what God has done. We should be able to look back and see where we should have given the Lord the praise. We should be able to look back and see where we were neglectful of our walk with Him, of giving Him thanks. Our lives should be under regular personal review. With the psalmist, we should be able to say “search me oh God”. I like what David said in Psalm 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Like the author of Psalm 116, David in Psalm 139 wanted to be able to see the Lord’s hand in every part of his life. He wanted to be sure that his (little “h”) journey is His journey (BIG “H”), too!
ILLUSTRATION: Several years ago, a Canadian pastor named Henry Blackaby began to notice something strange, perhaps even new, in his walk with the Lord. He was sure this wasn’t a new truth – he just was sure it was new to him. He began to notice that God in love and wisdom would begin working in areas that Henry never noticed before. But then Henry noticed that if he paid attention to those areas – and didn’t try to force God into areas in which God wasn’t in – well, then, Henry and his church began to experience God’s hand in fresh and tender ways. In fact, Henry sat down and wrote a book called appropriately, “Experiencing God” – and years later founded what would eventually be called “Blackaby Ministries International.” Wow. Henry Blackaby experienced God. He noticed where God was working. And he gave thanks to God’s handiwork – and so should we.
B. The psalmist shared several personal observations in Psalm 116. Notice how he voiced them: “I love the Lord” (v. 1); “I will call on Him as long as I live” (vs. 2 & 13); “I will lift up the cup of salvation” (v. 13); “I will fulfill my vows”…publicly (v. 14. My worship will thus not be private but corporate – part of the bigger picture called “the church”. “I will sacrifice my pride, get out of my own way, and give you thanks” (v. 17). “I will fulfill my vows with God’s people” (vs. 18-19).

CONCLUSION

Psalm 116 is all about the individuals of a community crying “uncle” to Jesus – calling out for His mercy as found at the mercy seat – even the cross of Christ. We trust Him – we surrender to the One Who alone is worthy of our trust. And then we watch to see what God does.
Let’s bring this one home with one last thought:
What the psalmist found in his private walk with the Lord, with these words he encouraged the entire body of believers.
V. 19 is not an idle verse. What was going on in the psalmist’s heart privately, and being shared publicly, was soon to affect the entire local community – in his case, Jerusalem. Can you think of anything that could happen in your heart, and then in our church life, that could affect the entire village of Earlville? Or put in a different way, would you – I dare say “risk” – be willing to be so sold out to the Lord Jesus in your private and public walk with the Lord that the entire community in which you live might be turned upside down for Jesus?

There once was a man who was inspired by God’s command to Habakkuk (2:2), “Write the vision, make it plain.” He decided to prayerfully seek from God the vision for his own life, so he could write it and be sure to follow it and not drift away from it. The vision he received was this:

To so saturate my soul with the presence of Christ that the power of God can flow freely through my life,
At any time,
In any manner,
For any purpose He desires,
Without limit.
10/29/94
(Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 4:20; 2 Corinthians 7:1)

Having received this vision for his life, he then pondered over what he must do to accomplish it. After prayer and some contemplation, he wrote three goals that he felt would help him to accomplish that vision:

1. Progressively reduce worldly influences.

2. Progressively strengthen spiritual influences.

3. See with God’s eyes, respond with God’s love.

The goals seemed good and he felt assured that if he could accomplish them, he would fulfill the vision God had given him. As he pondered these three goals, he conceived a set of plans for each goal. These plans were in several steps and would take time to work out in his life, perhaps much time. If they were followed to their conclusion they would accomplish the goal to which they belonged.

PLANS TO ACCOMPLISH GOAL 1

Progressively reduce worldly influences.

Guard my eye gate and avoid all unwholesomeness, whether in the various forms of media (TV, internet, magazines) or in the common thoroughfare.

Cast out all unspiritual thoughts and scenarios lest they take up residence and lead to spiritual decay.

In the public and political realms, know what is going on but refrain from immersion in daily scenes. Pray for people and their needs rather than fearfully anticipating outcomes.

Generally, abstain from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The knowledge of good leads toward God. The knowledge of evil leads away. (2 Cor. 11:3) There can be no benefit from the study of evil and its ways.

Be continually aware that the world is the possession and domain of the enemy of faith, and his lies are to be recognized, revealed and rebuked at every opportunity.

PLANS TO ACCOMPLISH GOAL 2

Progressively strengthen spiritual influences.

Eat from the tree of life, the Word of God, daily.

Participate in what God has already provided by making God my source for all things, through prayer.

Discover and walk in “paths of righteousness.” (Ephesians 2:10)

Seek wisdom. Think, and speak, “Whatsoever things are true, . . .” (Philippians 4:8)

Govern my mouth: “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” Ephesians 4:29

Purify myself regularly (Psalm 51)

Go to sleep with a song of praise. (Eph. 5:18-19)
“. . . be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Practice immersion in the presence of God.

Put on the character of God. Wear the mind of Christ.

PLANS TO ACCOMPLISH GOAL 3

See with God’s eyes, respond with God’s love.

Daily bring Him thanksgiving, not only to honor Him, but to stir up my awareness of how His love works among men.

Daily bring Him praise for all His goodness to me, for by savoring His goodness I can learn to emulate it.

Seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit that I might effectively meditate on and pray for the physical or spiritual needs of fellow believers.

Pray for those the Lord brings to my awareness: non-believers, those who seem to threaten us, friend or foe, near or far, that the eternal Light might penetrate their darkness. (Mat. 5:44)

Seek to see people’s needs with God’s eyes, and flow God’s love to them by speaking encouragement and hope.

Be sensitive to the desire of the Holy Spirit in every ministry circumstance. Abstain from human standards and seek the anointed perspective of the Holy Spirit.

Pray in His will and speak in His power.

08/17
Presented by Bro. Al Salay, 
Blessed Man Ministries Inc.
1093 A1A Beach Blvd. #273, 
St. Augustine, FL 32080-6733
Website: www.BlessedMan.net mailto:[email protected]t

(Genesis 7:11; 8:4; 37:2; 47:28; John 3:17)

Posted on September 17, 2017, 10:30 AM

First Baptist Church, Earlville, New York, J. B. Stopford, Pastor

TODAY’S SPECIAL: “A Speeding Funny”

A police officer in a small town stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street.
“But officer.” the man began, “I can explain!”
“Just be quiet,” snapped the officer. “I’m going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back…”
“But officer, I just wanted to say….”
“And I said to keep quiet! You’re going to jail!”
A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, “Lucky for you that the chief is at his daughter’s wedding. He’ll be in a good mood when he gets back.”
“Don’t count on it,” answered the fellow in the cell. “I’m the groom.”

INTRODUCTION

I’m reminded of the Beatles’ old song which started out, “Well, she was just 17, you know what I mean, and the way she looked was way beyond compare. So how could I dance with another, and I saw her standing there.” 17. I met a man in the cancer ward at the hospital who also was born on June 17th as I was – except he was born in 1923. But wait, there’s more! This past Wednesday, I sat across the breakfast table from an elderly lady who was giving me her “cancer experience.” She was telling me about her birthday in June, when I asked this 75 year old, “what day?”. Of course, she said, “June 17.” I told her that I was born on her 10th birthday. Finally, a week ago I met John the weekend night security officer. We got talking about the 17th. He was born on the 17th of one month, married on the 17th of another month. He said that he is a “17 man.” And then he defined “17” as being from the root word, ‘seven’, which in Scripture is the number of completion or perfection – especially as it relates to the Lord. Thus “17” means “complete and total victory over the enemy; it represents God’s unconditional love“

With much anticipation, I thought about the verses that have the word “seventeen” in them. And how about the verses that are the 17th verse in any given chapter? Do they have significance? This has been a fun message to research – I hope it will be fun for you to hear. But the fruit has also been challenging for me – and I hope so for you, too! PRAYER

#1. THE FLOOD (Gen. 7:11; 8:4)

a. Gen. 7:11. God’s perfect timing – the 17th day of the month, the rains came and the springs burst forth
b. How did we get here:
Gen. 6:1-3 – because of man’s grieving his Creator, he was given a time frame of 120 years.
What did Noah do FIRST? Build the ark? (Gen. 6:14) NO! He built character (Gen. 6:8-9) by walking with God! Point: before God asks us to do something special for Him, He asks us to develop our foundation, our character, our walk with Him.
What did Noah do for those 120 years? Built AND preached (2 Pet. 2:5 “preacher of righteousness”)
b. The Savior uses Noah and his time frame as a vicious and very descriptive example of the signs of our times (Luke 17:27)
c. When did the ark finally settle down? See Gen. 8:4 – on the 17th day of the month! What does the Scriptures say? It rested! What did Jesus say? “Come unto Me and rest! (Matt. 11:28-30)
d. And to top it all off – Noah is in the great faith chapter of Hebrews 11:7-8. He was a man who lived “in holy fear” – not being afraid, but all things he did were out of complete respect and surrender to his Lord. Do we?
Let’s draw some conclusions:
God’s timing is perfect – it is no accident the day of the month the floods started; and it is no accident the day of the month the ark rested on Mount Ararat. Psalm 18:30: “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless.” David knew by experience God’s way is perfect because His Word is without error. There is an huge connection: want to know His way? Get in His Word!
God’s rest is perfect. Do you know how to rest, to “rest in the Lord”? You begin by being obedient to what Jesus said, “come unto Me”. His rest for eternity, and His rest for today, is perfect!

#2. JACOB’S LIFE LINE (Gen. 37:2; 47:28)

a. This story is about a father and a son. First, the Heavenly Father giving Abraham the promise of a land and a multitude of people. We learned 2 weeks ago that Abe passed that promise down to Isaac, who could quote to his dad about the promise of a Lamb – the Messiah! And Isaac passed “the blessing” down to Jacob. And Jacob – soon to be renamed “Israel” – received “the blessing” directly from God Himself.
b. But it is one thing to SAY something. It is quite another to SHOW it! At this point, everything has come to a halt. HOW is God going to fulfill this promise of “the blessing”?
c. Gen. 37:2 tells about Joseph at age 17! And Joseph becomes the instrument through whom “the blessing” will bear its fruit in of all places, Egypt – the land of idols and worldliness.
d. Let’s move forward to Gen. 47:28. How long did Jacob/Israel live in Egypt before he died? 17 years! God gave Jacob quite a life-line – look at Gen. 48:11. He never expected to see Joseph again – and now he’s seen his grandchildren!
Point: in the fulfilling of His promises, God is also the God of surprises! He loves to surprise His children – and He loves when His children walk closely with Him.

CONCLUSION John 3:17

“17” is a unique number in Scripture. It is not used lightly, is it? We’ve learned that God’s timing is perfect. He likes His children to rest in Him. And He likes to bless His children’s lives with His uniquely and lovingly prepared surprises.
But there are also many chapters in Scripture that have a 17th verse! And following John 3:16 is John 3:17: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” How did God demonstrate His love: He sent His Son. How did the Son demonstrate His love: by going to the cross so that He could save only those who trust in Him. Thus this majestic 17th verse is showing that there are not many gods to be worshipped – there is only One. And there are not many ways to Heaven, there is only One – and His Name is Jesus.
“17”. And did you notice today’s date? God does not make mistakes. He gives complete and total victory over the enemy – first eternally through the cross, and then daily through our fellowship with Him. And He is the God of unconditional love – which makes one wonder: if He loves us unconditionally do we see and love others the same way?
“17”. It’s a good number. It is a vivid reminder that God wants our trust. Do you love Him? Do you trust Him through the cross and through His Word?

TURN

Week thirty-eight, 2017

Sometimes True Stories

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

Week thirty-seven, 2017

DEEP ROOTS

Quotes You Can Use

©2017 John Grant | Florida State Senator (Ret.) | 10025 Orange Grove Drive | Tampa, FL 33618

“YOU GONNA TEAR DOWN MY MEMORIAL TOO? GOD”

Genesis 22:1-14

Posted on September 2, 2017 by jstopford
Sept. 3, 2017 10:30 AM
First Baptist Church, Earlville, NY J B Stopford, Pastor

TODAY’S SPECIAL: “A Calendar Funny”

What is the favorite month of lumberjacks? SepTIIMMMBEERRRR!!!

INTRODUCTION

50 years from now, what will our children have learned about their history from the past 200 years? All the statues honoring the heroes of past generations would have been removed or smashed. Even the statue of Thomas Jefferson, honoring him as the founder of the U of Virginia, is being contemplated as being moved. Will they also tear down the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC? Will they close his home in Monticello, VA? which appears on our coins? Will our Jefferson coins & dollars go?What will future generations know?
What about God’s memorial? Are they going to tear that one down, too? Did you know He has one? Our text tells us.

#1. THE ABANDONMENT “Here I am” (vs. 1-2)

“Some time later, God tested Abraham” – these words introduce us to the follow-up to Genesis 12:1-3. What dreams did Abe have? Follow his dad? Follow his trade? Stay in the country? No, he abandoned those to follow his God.
Now, there is another test – and we are specifically told that God is the Author of this test. GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS ENTIRE MEMORIAL. It was His idea. We learn in James that God is NOT the author of temptation – allurements to evil. But He IS the Author of stretching His children so that dependence upon self is put to death, and a heart is abandoned only to God.
We learn 2 specific parts of this test:
(a) Abraham has immediate abandonment “here I am”. This phrase appears 20 times in our Scriptures, and another 5 times as “here am I”. Note: twice here (vs. 1,11); Esau (in conversation with Isaac); Jacob, Moses, Samuel, & Isaiah in conversation with God. And Jesus Himself. Check out Psalm 40:7 (quoted in Hebrews 10:7-9 as referring to Jesus) and Revelation 3:20, His invite to commune with Him! Jesus is showing Who is the heart of God’s memorial, and where – the cross!
(b) Abraham had a treasured relationship with his son, Isaac, and God knew it!

ILLUSTRATION: Like Isaac, I was the son of my father’s old age. He was 47 when I was born. And yet, in retrospect, I was the son he loved because he spent so much time at home with me. I can fully understand that sweet relationship that Abe & Isaac had!
Note God’s 4-fold description: (take) your son (personal), your only son (unique, one of a kind), Isaac (he has a name), whom you love (the receiver of the father’s favor). Did you notice the line “your only son”? Ishmael was born years earlier, but Galatians 4:22ff remind us that he was not a legal heir, nor was he the son of promise. Before God, Isaac was his only son. Years later, another Father would talk about His Son: “that He gave His only begotten – His one and only – Son” (John 3:16).

Also note: “burnt offering” – this is a complete sacrifice, the giving of the entire animal – or, in this case, oneself. Abraham understood this abandonment full well. Do we?
One other quick note: Dr. Arthur Pink observes something that blew right over me: this is the only place in Scripture where the Lord required a human sacrifice. All other sacrifices that He outlined were of animals: lambs, rams, etc. Tuck that info away!
The first heart of this memorial is the abandonment of our Heavenly Father as seen through Abraham’s abandonment of himself before God.

#2. THE OBEDIENCE “Early” (vs. 3-6a)

There are at least two important points to describe this obedience. First, it came “early”. Abe did not hesitate to obey his heavenly Father. Do we? Do we seek Him early in the day – first thing before the tasks of the day take over our time and strength? Do we seek Him early when He sets a task before us to do?
But secondly, is the little phrase – almost unnoticed except for it being so LOUD – “the third day”. God in His wisdom always surrounds obedience with promise and hope. “Third day” is the day of…RESURRECTION! And note Abe’s description, we will worship and we will come back. Abe’s obedience was such that he was sure that no matter what happened up on the mount, Isaac was assured of being alive when it was over – even if God would have Abe complete the task of sacrificing his son, his only son, Isaac, whom he loves. In this huge way, God reminds us that obedience is always surrounded by promises – over 2000 of them – in God’s Word! We need to cling to them every day!

#3. THE COMMUNION “Father?” (vs. 6b-7)

It would be easy to slide over this vocal interchange from Isaac to his father, Abraham. But in it, we learn much:
(a) Isaac felt very comfortable to talk with his dad – he could question him about anything! And so can we with our heavenly Father! (Oh, and can your children and grandchildren with you?)
(b) Isaac understood what a burnt offering is. He noted that there was a difference between a simple offering (using fire and wood) and a burnt offering, meaning the offering was to be consumed. How did he know that? Because he learned that from his father! Communion. Sweet intimacy between a father and his son. Do we avail ourselves of that intimacy between our heavenly Father and us? In prayer, we talk to our Father. In His word, He talks with us. Communion. A vital part of this memorial.

CONCLUSION “God will provide” (vs. 8-14)

The name of the mount was identified as “Moriah” (v. 2) and “The Lord will provide” (v. 14), a name for God Himself (“Jehovah Jireh”). Can there be any doubt that the place of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac is none other than Mount Calvary itself?
And if that isn’t enough, check out the. NT application (Heb. 11:17-19). Of course, this is the great faith chapter.
And many years later, God the Father sent His son, His one and only Son, Jesus, Whom He loved, to Mount Moriah – a hill called Calvary. And on the third day He, too, rose from the dead. “And whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.”
That is God’s memorial!

Are you gonna tear that down, too? Or is that memorial the foundation of your abandonment of self to the Father, the sweetness of your obedience before the Father, and the heart of your communion with the Father?
Would you really want to tear that down, too? Or are you going to pass The Memorial of the cross of Calvary on down so that future generations will also celebrate The Memorial?