Freshwater

Located in the wilds of Wyoming, the name Freshwater was chosen as a Western analogy to Christ. Just as He is the Living Water, and we must have Him to have eternal life, any desert dweller knows the importance of fresh water to life, both for self, and the nourishment of crops or livestock. By taking nourishment in God and His word, we strengthen our own relationship with Him, our faith, and the quality and abundance of our fruitfulness.

Our keystone verse is from Jeremiah, Chapter 17, Verse 8: "For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see whenSave heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

The fruit that we speak of is mentioned in Galatians 5:22
"22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

And the heat could be anything we experience that might test our faith in God; trials and tribulations, relationships, anything that focuses our love and attention anywhere but on Him...

Wednesday, April 7, 2021

Pastor Paul Page April 2021 Abraham's Big Test

 

Genesis 22:1-13 Genesis 22:1-14 1And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

 

Abraham’s Big Test

 

Abraham was holding on to God’s word, to God’s promise to him. Abraham told Isaac that God would provide a lamb.

 

Abraham followed God’s command. He did not hold anything back, but gave willingly everything to God. Abraham had faith in God.

 

God put a test in Abraham’s life to see if he would do what he was told. God also tested Isaac – He didn’t have to obey his father, but he was old enough he could have ran or fought – God tests us as well. Will we lay down our lives to Him and follow His will?

 

Abraham had to be remembering God’s word, God’s promises as he walked up that mountain.

 

God wants our obedience.

 

Abraham never questioned God, he got up early and did what God had asked. This is what God wants from us.

 

Hebrews 11:1717 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,

 

James 2:21-2221 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

 

Romans 10:1717 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

Hebrews 11:1 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

Ephesians 2:8-10For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:Not of works, lest any man should boast.10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

 

We are saved by faith, not works. We are God’s works – our job after we’re saved is to go out and work to share Christ with others.

 

There are parallels in this story.

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son. 

God was willing to sacrifice His son.

John 3:1616 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

              Isaac was willing to give himself, to be a sacrifice.

              Jesus was willing to give Himself, to be THE sacrifice.

John 15:1313 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

 

              Abraham took Isaac to where Jesus would later be crucified.

 

              Isaac carried the wood for the fire.

              Jesus carried His cross.

 

              Isaac asked where is the lamb? Abraham answered God will provide.

              We need to remember even in the hardest times that God will always provide for you and me, and he has already provided the greatest gift of all, Jesus, the Lamb of God.

John 1:2929 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

 

Hebrews 11:1717 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,


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