WORD From The Woods 
1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-17
    “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.”
    “Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.”


    Christmas is just over a week away! As we prepare to celebrate our Savior’s birth, I think it’s important to stop and think about the resurrection and what it really means. If it wasn’t for the resurrection of Jesus Christ , there would be no reason to celebrate Christmas at all. As the apostle Paul put it to the Corinthian Christians, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” In light of Paul’s words, it’s vitally important that Christians proclaim the truth, that the Christ of Christmas had the power to lay down His life and the power take it up again, demonstrating that He is God in human flesh. God alone is the only one who could ever accomplish what needed to be done to bring salvation to sinful mankind. That’s what we celebrate at Christmas, the fact that the Son of God came down to us in person as a baby in a manger to live among us and bring salvation! If each and every one of us had to to die to pay the price for our sin, we would just die and stay separated from the love and presence of God forever. But, when Christ died to pay the price for sin in our place, He broke the power of death by walking out of the tomb on the third day, forever victorious over death! I don’t know why we always wait until Easter to talk about the resurrection, it really is the most incredible part of the true Christmas story! As you gather together with family and friends to celebrate, share the whole Christmas story with them. The nativity scene is only the beginning, it’s what that baby laying in a manger came to do that really matters.


God bless, have a great week and Merry Christmas! -Terry-




     

WORD From The Woods


Revelation 3:14-22


“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation.  “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”


    The church in Laodicea was the last of the seven churches mentioned in Revelation. It was the last and maybe the least because it’s the only one that Jesus didn’t commend in any way. The entire message to them was one of rebuke. The sad and scary part is that, the problems that Jesus identified with the Laodiceans are some of the biggest problems facing the church in America today. The people of Laodicea were wealthy, self-made men. They were prosperous and in need of nothing, they were “blessed” in a worldly sense. They had all they needed physically and financially. But spiritually, they were wretched, naked, blind and poor! They may have thought that being “blessed” in this world meant they were on the right track with God, and that somehow they could buy a place in eternity. Jesus challenged them to buy gold from him that they may be rich, white garments that they may cover their shame, and salve to anoint their eyes. Jesus wasn’t talking about literal gold and clothing, this is a clear reference to the salvation and righteousness that only Jesus Christ can offer through His sacrifice on the cross!  I see these same problems everywhere in our culture today, especially in the timber industry. It takes a tremendous amount of money to run a logging company these days. It’s a real “feast or famine” business. Lots of loggers have done very well and lot of them have hit rock bottom financially, most have been in both places at some point. With the incredibly high cost of machinery these days, millions of dollars per year move though a company’s hands. It’s so easy to think that having a fleet of nice equipment and a large bank account is the measure of success in this life. You can have everything you want in this world and be completely bankrupt spiritually! There is nothing wrong with money and success, and they can be a great blessing, but when it becomes the focus of our heart instead of God then it’s just sinful idolatry. Jesus said to the people of Laodicea, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
    As you go out this week, examine your heart before God. Are on fire for God? Is He the focus of your heart or are you just lukewarm and focused more on the things of this life? 


God bless and have a great week! -Terry- 

WORD From The Woods 


Revelation 3:7-13
    “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens. “‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. “


    The church is praised for its faithfulness despite having “little power.” While it’s not clear why this church was described as having little power, possibilities include that it was a young congregation of new believers or that it faced constant opposition from “those of the synagogue of Satan,” who falsely claimed to be followers of God. Whatever the case, this church is honored for remaining steadfast in faith and not denying Christ.
Relating to the Church in Philadelphia
I find this church deeply relatable. I’ve often felt that I, too, have “little power.” Whether it’s my struggle with self-discipline, my lack of knowledge or understanding of Scripture, or my poor application of biblical truth, I’ve fallen short time and again. Like this church, I’ve felt weak and inadequate.
Yet, this passage highlights the importance of “patient endurance.” What does that mean? For insight, we can turn to James 1:2-4:
“2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 and let steadfastness have its full effect, lacking in nothing.”
Here, “patient endurance” is equated with steadfastness through trials. These trials test our faith, strengthen us, and lead us toward spiritual maturity.
You might say, “But I have little power. I’ve failed my trials and fallen into temptation time and time again. What good is this to me?”
To you, my dear brother or sister, I say: do not lose heart! Even James 1 offers hope in its following verses:
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let gim ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
God’s Word reassures us of His willingness to give grace, strength, and wisdom. Consider Jesus’ words in John 15:7:
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”
All of God’s promises are “yes” in Christ! (2 Corinthians 1:20).
I know life is challenging, especially in workplaces like the logging industry, where profanity, immorality, drunkenness, and other forms of wickedness are commonplace. Temptations abound.
But I encourage you: pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit to equip you with the patient endurance demonstrated by the church in Philadelphia. Pray not only for the strength to resist temptation and “not deny His name” but also for boldness to proclaim His name to the world.
Go forth and take dominion over the earth, as God has commanded, living faithfully in the places He has put you. Trust in His promise to supply your needs, and may His blessings be upon you this week.


God Bless and have a great week! -Ethan Harris- ​

WORD From The Woods
Revelation 3:1-6
  “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write:‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.
“‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”


    The Church in Sardis had a reputation for being alive but as Christ said, they were dead. This reminds me of a religious person who, on the outside seems to have it all together spiritually, but inside they don’t have any kind of true relationship with God at all. They’re a “phony Christian,” a Christian in name only, just putting on a good show. Sadly, the churches of America are full of people just like this. We’ve all been guilty of it at times ourselves. It’s easy to fall into the temptation of putting on a good show to make people think we are a “good Christian.” But, that kind of behavior is so devastating to the cause of Christ! The world is watching us and people can spot hypocrisy from a mile away. We must be honest and real with people, we must become true devoted disciples of Jesus Christ and demonstrate the reality of Christ in us each and every day. One of the biggest things I’ve seen since starting Fellowship of Christian Loggers, is the power of honesty with the people around us. We can put on a good show and try by our own power to be perfect. But, when we mess up, the world around us will see us for the fraud we really are. We need have a true relationship with Christ and begin being changed from the inside out by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then when we do mess up, it becomes a testimony to the grace and power of God working in our life! The apostle Paul asked the question, “should we sin more so that grace may abound?” “By no means!” He said. But through our own weakness the power of God is revealed in our life! When I was a kid, I thought that our pastor must be pretty close to perfect. After all, he did work directly for God right? Pastor Del was an old timber cutter and he would come cut oversize for my dad once in a while. One day when I was about 13, Del had been sawing for us all day and it was getting dark, he had an old Ford truck that didn’t run quite right and he was under the hood working on it, more than a little frustrated……Well, I heard a series of words come out of his mouth that I never imagined a pastor of all people even knew, much less say! It might sound crazy, but that moment changed my life. Not because I learned that pastors could swear, but I realized then and there that pastor Del was a real life sinner like me. Until then, I though that all “good Christians” were pretty much perfect and I knew I never would be. When we put on a good show like those people in Sardis we actually just push the world further away, because there is no reality to a dead faith like that. I’m not saying that we need to cuss and sin to attract the world to us, that would just drag the name of Christ though the mud! We don’t want to glorify sin, but we don’t want to pretend that it doesn’t exist either.  We need to be real with people. What I learned from pastor Del over the next few years was that, while he was still a sinner, Christ was alive in him and working though him, growing him all the time. I saw the reality of a faith that was alive!


God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods
Revelation 2:18-29
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.“


     This message to the church in Thyatira is similar to the message to the church in Pergamum that we looked at last week. They are both similar because of the warning against false teaching. The church in Thyatira is warned about tolerating a prophetess that Christ refers to here as “Jezebel.” Jezebel was a wicked woman who married Israel’s King Ahab nearly 1,000 years before this was written. Jezebel violently imposed idol worship on the northern kingdom of Israel and led the nation astray. The mention of Jezebel here is a clear warning to the church that the prophetess they were following was leading them astray in the same way. I don’t know if they were actually involved in some kind of pagan worship involving sexual immorality or if that is a metaphor that points to a kind of spiritual adultery where the church was being unfaithful to God by following false teaching. It very well could have been both, and it really doesn’t matter. The point is that they we’re not being faithful to the teaching found in the word of God. The last part of this passage mentions the “morning star,” who is Christ Himself. They were told to hold fast to gospel of Christ and the truth of His word in order to conquer the false teaching that they were being bombarded with. As I mentioned last week, we’re facing the same kind of false teaching and immorality all around us every day. As loggers we will face it this morning on the CB on the way to the job. Sexual immorality and all sorts of things that go against the clear teaching found in God’s word are all around us everywhere we go. It is rampant in our world today. As followers of Christ, we are called to live in a way that points people back to Him and we can do that because of the Holy Spirit living in us. We don’t strive to live that way to be better than the guys we work with, but to show them in love and humility, who Christ is and what He has done for us. When we live according to the ways of the world but call ourselves Christians, we drag the name of Christ through the mud and the people watching us won’t want anything to do with Him. As you go about your week, seek to live for Christ and turn away from the ways of the world, rest in the power of the Holy Spirit working in you and through you, and ask Him to point you to truth in all that you do!


God bless, and have a great week! -Terry-

​WORD From The Woods


Revelation 2:12-17
    “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write:‘The words of him who has the sharp two- edged sword.
 “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan's throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you:you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.”


     In this message to the church in Pergamum, believers are commended for faithfully holding fast to the name of Christ. They weren’t afraid to stand for Christ, even to the point of death! But, they lacked discernment regarding false teachers. All kinds of things had crept into the church there, all sorts of pagan ideas and sexual immorality were being accepted as “normal.” In the Roman Empire at the time this message was written, people were required to worship the Emperor as a god and it was a huge problem for Christians, worship Cesar to stay safe or refuse and face extreme persecution or death! I can only imagine that many Christians tried to rationalize these things to get along in the culture of the day. All of these things are why Pergamum was called “where satan’s throne is.” I see so many similarities between what these believers faced and what we face today. There are false teachers all over the place on TV and radio, and a multitude of pressures from our culture to blur the line between right and wrong. Christ was warning the Christians in Pergamum to stand against paganism and false teachers because they were leading people straight to hell. He says that the one conquers will be given a white stone. In those days a white stone was given to victors at games to be granted entrance to a special banquet, also a similar white stone would be used at trials to vote for acquittal of the accused. This was a powerful way to illustrate the point that people who claim the name of Christ must stand firm on the truth and against false teaching to be true Christ-followers. Now, this false teaching wasn’t just a small deviation, but significant enough that it was a black and white issue that drew a line between the saved and the lost. I believe that we have many of those same kinds of false teachers today, and many are quite popular. I don’t want to start a debate about who is and isn’t a false teacher but people like Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, John Hagee, and T.D. Jakes, books like “The Shack” and “Heaven is for real” are popular, but are proven false when held up to the light of God’s word. And they are leading people subtly, but clearly away from Christ instead of toward Him. If anyone wants to know why I’ve name these people or books specifically, please get in touch with me and I’d be happy to expand on this more. The point is, we must become more discerning and hold everyone and everything they say up to the light of God’s word and stand firm on what is true. It’s not about who’s right or wrong. It’s about truth and who Christ is!


Hebrews 4:12  
    “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two- edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” 


God bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods
Revelation 2:8-11
“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write:‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty ( but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.”
    The church in Smyrna was one of the two churches out of the seven mentioned in Revelation that did not receive any kind of rebuke. The believers there were simply encouraged to be strong and keep their eyes on Christ. The city of Smyrna was a port city know for its cults and temples to different pagan gods. There was also a zealous following of Jews that rejected Christ as Messiah and they were persecuting the Christians in Smyrna. Between the Jews and all the pagan cults, the Christians there were under intense persecution and I’m sure that they felt alone and that their trials would never end. They were in poverty, likely because they had been blacklisted from the business community for choosing to follow Jesus instead of the culture. They were told that their suffering would get worse before it got better, that some would face prison and even death. But even death would not conquer them because Christ offers the crown of life, eternal life! Despite their poverty, they were rich in Christ! They were told that in comparison to eternity, their persecution was like 10 days and if they just persevere and keep their eyes on Christ, by His power, they will be victorious in the end. This message of encouragement is not just for the Christians in Smyrna 2000 years ago, it also applies to us today. The same Jesus that they followed back then is the very same Jesus we follow today. We might not be facing the same kind of persecution today where we live, but many of our brothers and sisters do around the world. Someday, maybe very soon we will face it here as well. We do face a very real opposition to the things of God, just watch anything on TV an you’ll see the blatant messages against God. If Jesus sent a message to us like He did to the seven churches in Revelation, would we receive rebuke form our King our just encouragement to continue standing against the wickedness of the culture around us?


God Bless and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods
Genesis 12:1-9
​     “Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.”
    This is just a short story, but there is something very important we can learn from Abram’s heart in how he responded to God’s calling.  In the logging industry, we're faced with a lot of difficult decisions and challenges. We can spend a lot of time and energy worrying, and trying to plan for the future. I don't know about you, but the future has never really played out how I had it pictured in my mind. Over the years, my family and I have been on quite a journey. I work with my dad and brother in a family logging company. God has led us through some difficult trials. We thought at times that there was no way out, and by our own judgement, there was no way out. But, God had other plans for us, plans that moved our family and company from Montana to Oregon, plans that we couldn't understand at the time, but when we stand where we are today and look back over the years, we can clearly see the hand of God guiding our steps day by day in ways we could have never imagined.  God hasn't called us to figure out how we're going to make everything happen according to our own hopes and dreams, He's called us to live day to day, trusting in His good plan for our life. This is exactly what Abram modeled for us in account we just read. God told him to leave everything he had ever known, and go to a new land, a land that God would show him along the way, God didn't even tell Abram the final destination until he got there! I love Abram's response in verse 4, following God's call to leave his homeland, Abram simply went. He didn't check google maps for the best route and look for the best deals on hotels,  he just went and trusted His Lord with each step that he took.
Matthew 6:33-34
    “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
    If we have placed our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, then we have been called to walk day by day in faith, not by sight.
Proverbs 3:5-6
   “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.”
   God doesn't promise that our life will be easy if we trust in His plan, but it will be the best plan for us! As you go out this week, take the time to seek God and ask Him to guide you day by day in each step you take, and that He will give you the faith, wisdom and encouragement you'll need to take the next step.
God bless, and have a great week! -Terry-

WORD From The Woods
Genesis 22:1-18
​    “After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Take 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.” So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”
    This well know Old Testament passage is one of the clearest and most awesome foreshadows of God's plan of redemption through what Christ would accomplish on the cross. This story beautifully points to Christ, the ultimate sacrificial lamb, who Paul makes clear in Galatians 3:16, is the offspring of Abraham that would bring blessing to all the nations of the world. I want to focus in on the obedience of Abraham and his son Isaac, who was probably around 15 years old at the time. It's apparent by Abraham's response to God's calling in verse 1, that Abraham had a deep, worshipful relationship with the Lord. God called him by name and with eagerness he answers "here I am." If we could just learn how to hear God's calling and answer in that way when He calls us into service, the world around us would be transformed by the power of the gospel!  Now, I don't think that God has ever called another person to offer their own son as a sacrifice as He asked of Abraham, this was a unique event that would be used throughout history to point people to Christ, but God does call us to do things that go far beyond our understanding and our comfort zone. This passage demonstrates an incredible lesson in trusting God. Abraham and Isaac knew that God had promised to bless the entire world through their descendants, so if God was calling Isaac to lay his life down at the hand of his father, then God would raise him from the dead if necessary. They knew that their Lord God was a good and loving God, who had a great and awesome plan that they could trust and rest in! Abraham and Isaac had the kind of relationship with God that builds this kind of trust, they had truly trusted God with their life!  God will certainly call us into things that we don't understand and at times will terrify us, but as we seek God and go through the sanctification process, we will develop the same kind of trust in Him that Abraham and Isaac had, after all, we serve the same God today that they did, the same God who spoke the limitless galaxies into existence and gave all living things the breath of life! He certainly is a God who can be trusted!  The reason, so many times, that we fail to trust God in situations is simply that we don't fully trust and believe that He has our situation under control.  As followers of Christ, we still struggle with doubt, fear and unbelief. This is all part of a growing faith, we need to be able to admit our fear and doubts to God and ask him to help us with our unbelief just as the boy's father did in Mark 9. As you go out this week, get real with God, be honest with Him and ask him to develop in you the kind of trust and faith that Abraham and Isaac had, ask Him to teach you to clearly hear His calling and respond with “hear I am Lord.”


God bless, and have a great week! -Terry-