Have you ever thought how special you are to God? You are His possession from the time He created you. There is such an individuality between God and us that it is difficult not to feel His love when reading Psalm 139. For every person created, God was pleased to create. A baby in the womb of a mother is God’s creation. It is God Who gives form and development to that child at the moment of conception. David said, “For You did form my inward parts; You did knit me together in my mother’s womb” (vs. 13). The word knit is to fasten together closely and firmly (Webster Dictionary). Knitting a shawl, we perceive that the thread needs to be tightly together, in order to sustain its strength and the ability to be used for long time. Imagine how orderly God created us! In perfect harmony and in perfection of action among the organs. Think of the brain and its complexities. It is a world of information restored in it as it is the control center of the body. No human being, smart as they can be will be able to create the body as God created with life and the brain with the ability to think, to reason, to decide, etc. It constitutes the part of the soul: the intellect, the emotion, the will. For every child that has been born, God wrote in His book all the days of his/her life (vs.16b). In some cases, there has been defect due to the parent’s taking drugs, or smoking cigarette, or alcohol, or even due to vaccine. This is not a work of God, but of man, who in his sinful nature, has altered God’s creation. God knows what’s best to keep our body healthy and strong. When He was knitting us together, He thought of us individually as special. He planned our future as in the number of days of our existence on earth: “Your eyes saw my uniformed substance, and in Your book all the days [of my life] were written before ever they took shape, when as yet there was none of them” (vs. 16).
Author: Jacinta da Cruz Rodgers
I have been committed to teaching the truth of the Word of God beginning with Trans World Radio on Bonaire, N.A and Swaziland, Africa (1969-1980), then through churches in the United States in both English and Portuguese and then through ministry in Israel (2005-2006). This ministry continues through local Bible studies and outreach to the world via the internet.
I have written a book about my life from that of an orphan in Brazil to missionary in 5 countries. You can find out more on the "Book" page of our blog site.
The Hymns That Broke Chains
Paul and Silas were victims of a severe persecution for having healed a girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination, who brought much gain to her own by foretelling (Acts16:16b). So it happened that this girl for many days caused great discomfort to Paul, until annoyed and worn out, he turned and said to the spirit within her, I change you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out that very moment (Acts 16:18). That caused her owners to take Paul and Silas to the authorities to be beaten with rods. They struck them with many blows and threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely. He, having received charge, put them into the inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks (Acts16:20-24). They were secured by the stocks, but their spirit was free to sing praises to God. Not burdened by their situation, at mid-night, they let praises to God, loud enough for the other prisoners to hear. That must have been a divine sound as if it had come from heaven, in the moment when all was calm and perhaps asleep. Heaven came down to Paul and Silas and they spread the sound for all the prisoners to hear. That, my friend, was powerful! We haven’t experienced such power in our time. Paul and Silas prayed, sang hymns of praise to God while in shackles. Imagine the state in which they were, to find the courage in faith which sustained them through their ordeal. Paul taught through the letter to the Philippians these principles: Rejoice in the Lord always, do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God (Phil. 4:4,6). This was a principal Paul observed and taught his churches. While shackled in jail, he lived what he taught through his experience. He didn’t complain but used the opportunity to spread the Gospel even when in chains. The hymns they sung were a way to show the prisoners that there was a God of love; nothing muzzled his mouth; the joy of the Lord planted in his heart spoke to all the other prisoners that the joy that comes from God provides strength even in the midst of bad circumstances.
What I Say to You, I Say to Everybody
(Mark 13:36-37)
YAHSHUA, when on earth, had much to say about the end times. God’s plans for the future of humankind and the world existed from the beginning of time. YAHSHUA gave just a glimpse of the end times, to warn, and alert us concerning preparedness. He was and is compassionate for men and never desired them to be destroyed through His judgment. He suffered in His body as men suffer more than all of us together to give us eternal life. The end times will not bring good news for the world collectively, neither for those who reject the message of salvation. YAHSHUA in His love and compassion, alerted us today, as He was doing to His disciples long time ago. We are living in the time of birth pains, which will bring the great tribulation, of which the Lord has spoken and warned preparedness to meet Him in order to escape such a time. Mark, as Mathew and Luke, wrote about events that precede the great tribulation according to the words of YAHSHUA. When He revealed to them the situation embracing the great tribulation, He knew that they would not be here on earth to experience the terror of the time; He knew however, that this generation we live in needed to know the truth. The main point is to be ready for the day when He returns. As we know well that the day neither the hour has been disclosed of His return.
The disciples knew in part about the end of time, and that awoke the curiosity to know more about it. While He sat on the Mount of Olives, Peter, and John and Andrew asked Him saying, “Tell us when is this to take place and what will be the sigh when these things all are about to be accomplished?” They sincerely wanted to know about the events that would lead to the tribulation or the end of times. YAHSHUA started by warning about false messiah; about wars, earthquakes, famines, calamities being them only the beginning of the tribulation, which He described as the intolerable anguish and suffering time, and the abomination of desolation mentioned by Daniel. In this chapter YAHSHUA also spoke of the invasion of the nation of Israel; persecution of Christians and much more. He left the disciples informed about the far future there were coming to the entire world. However, He didn’t leave them discouraged and hopeless. He told them parables that taught them readiness for that time. One particular parable was about the ten virgins, which speaks of His church, which was about to take place after He left the earth. Out of ten virgins, five were ready at the call or shout announcing the arrival of the Bridegroom. “Go out to meet Him” was the command. Awakening of their sleep, only five were ready with oil in their lamps, which symbolizes the presence of the Holy Spirit in them. It is of most importance that we be ready to meet our Lord, otherwise, the door to Him will be locked forever. No more opportunity to enter into the kingdom of God. YAHSHUA was and is always very concerned that we all be saved. He warned us by saying, [Watch, I say] lest He come suddenly and unexpectedly and find you asleep; and what I say to you I say to everybody: Watch 9give strict attention, be cautious, active and alert)!
Tribulation Dream 1980
This is a summary of someone’s dream forty-four years ago.
As soon as he had fallen asleep, a dream started with a very loud sound, as a sound of a horn from a car of the 1970’s. (I Thess. 4:16) It was piercing to the ear and lasted a long period of time. He was given the opportunity look from heaven and see many graveyards. He was brought very close to these graveyards, and what he saw was a very unusual thing; the dirt was breaking open violently and people were coming out of the graves. He saw resurrected people coming out of the graves. The condition they came out of it was very unusual: one cemetery plot headstone would have a person come out of the dirt and one next to it would not. It seemed to be not just random but kind of a categorized launching so to speak of these people out of the dirt. Again, it was very violent; it was almost as though the dirt was receiving a small explosion or something and breaking over and when people begun to come out, there were two things about their appearance: the clothes they were wearing seemed to be like a choir robe, kind of like a long dress, a cloak almost hanging off them but in the middle of the day it was like those outfits that entertainers were when they were under the lights. Their outfits and their person were brighter than the sun. He could see the brightness of these people coming out. Men, although they had these robes on, appeared to be very masculine; When women were resurrected, they look very feminine. Older people would come out with the appearance that they were old, but they weren’t old. You could tell that they had lived a full life, maybe 75 or 80 years, their lost hair was back again; they looked mature, they didn’t look aging; young people were resurrected and although, they looked very young, they weren’t very young; there was a maturity about them.
(These resurrected people were the ones who were born-again. They took part of the first resurrection according to Revelation 20: 6: Blessed and holy is the person who takes part in the first resurrection! Over them the second death exerts no power or authority, but they shall be ministers of God and of Christ, and they shall rule along with Him a thousand years (Rev. 20:6); Isaiah 26:19: Your dead shall live; the bodies of our dead shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light and the earth shall cast forth the dead again; for on the land of the shades of the dead, You will let Your dew fall (Isaiah 26:19; the reminder of the dead were not restored to life again until the thousand years were completed… (Rev. 20:5a).)
All the sudden, the people that came, they just disappeared. As soon these people disappeared, mass hysteria began to hit the earth. People had the appearance of absolute despair, there was pandemonium everywhere, there was mass chaos, lawlessness and fear was working everywhere. He was able to see many quadrants of the earth; all the globe was experiencing this. As the mass pandemonium permeated society, there was a very unusual event that happened; TV, telephone, radio and this very unusual communicator devise, was able to see into many homes; they were white boxes that looked like televisions. When he saw this, they were in every home in the USA. It looked as if television was playing through them. All those media devises were shut down for about a two-week period. He knew now what he was seeing was personal computers in people’s homes. The television communication was down for a period of time. This shut down alarmed people and lasted for about two weeks. Can you imagine all your telephone, computers, televisions and radio being shut down for a two-week period of time? Can you imagine the hysteria in all the businesses? He was shocked at the current events; events that were hard to describe, because lawlessness and fear began to permeate society completely. After two weeks’ time, television and radio started up again. However, it was completely different than it was previously. The broadcast was bombarded everywhere. It was depicting a soon to come new government and leadership, a man would emerge to lead the world. He finally came on the scene and spoke with great eloquence and charisma; he was soothing and promised answers to all current issues; this man was soothing and extremely convincing; he was able to solve nearly all problems; he was a consummate communicator. He explained that the removal of all those people was God’s judgment upon them. This individual was rallying the globe. It was very, very frightening. Almost immediately, he begun to communicate through large screen televisions that were strategically placed where general populous met. This was the norm; now what was strange about this was that this man’s speeches for the whole world was new times for us human beings. New directives for global peace and the need to give up citizenship for world citizenship. He continually and constantly spoke of world order in the benefits of all men growing together in peace. He could do signs and wonders and fix all the problems, I will never forget his face, (he said). His face was almost supernatural in appearance; he was almost too perfect; he was the most handsome man I’d ever seen. He had everything going together for him, he had kind of chisel kind of look to his face; everything about his appearance was almost perfect. When he spoke, he had a very strange quality about him.
(Paul said, The coming of the lawless one, the antichrist is through the activity and working of Satan and he will be attended by great power and with all sorts of miracles and signs and delusive wonders- and by unlimited seduction to evil and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing because they did not welcome the Truth but refused to love it that they might be saved; therefore, God sends upon them a misleading influence, a working of error and a strong delusion to make the believe what is false in order that all may be judged and condemned who did not believe in the Truth, but took pleasure in unrighteousness (II Thess. 2:9-12). )
A Roof and a Crowd
“Where there is a will, there is a way.” Life is full of surprises coming from every direction. It becomes reality for the pursuer of dreams. Mountains, we did not expect are sometimes present in the fulling of a dream, or a plan. I call this an obstacle. The Bible tells us a story of a crippled man, desperately needed the attention of YAHSHUA for his healing. Mark registers the incident in chapter 3:1-5: And YAHSHUA having returned to Capernaum, after some days it was rumored about that He was in the house [probably Peter’s]. And so many people gathered together there that there was no longer room [for them], not even around the door…Then they came, bringing a paralytic to Him, who had been picked up and was being carried by four men. When they could not get him to a place in front of YAHSHUA because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him; and when they had scooped out an opening, they let down the quilt or a mat upon which the paralyzed man lay. And when YAHSHUA SAW THEIR FAITH, He said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven and put away. Something must be reasoned in the words of YAHSHUA:” son, your sins are forgiven.” We understand here that sin, in many cases, is the result of diseases. YAHSHUA, in His divinity had the power to save that man from hell and at the same time, heal him physically. He had to deal with the cause for his disease first, so that he would be healed in its entirety. The realization of sins in our lives should be the primary concern when directing our petition to our Lord YAHSHUA for healing.
On another occasion, there was a certain man who had suffered with a deep-seated and lingering disorder for thirty-eight years. When YASHUA noticed him lying there, knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to him, Do you want to become well? He answered, Sir, I have nobody when the water is moving to put me into the pool; but while I am trying to come [into it] myself, somebody else steps down ahead of me. YAHSHUA said to him, Pick up your bed and walk! Instantly, the man became well and recovered his strength and picked up his bed and walked… Afterward, when YAHSHUA found him in the temple, He said to him, See, you are well! Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you. The man went away and told the Jews that it was YAHSHUA Who had made him well. For this reason, the Jews began to persecute and sought to kill Him, because He was doing these things on a Sabbath (John 5:5-9,14-15). Here there is no obstacle for the healing of this man, except his own sin. YAHSHUA warned him not to continue in sin, otherwise, worse was going to happen to him.
Silver and Gold I Do not Have
Those were days of miracles, days of power and revival. The ministry of YAHSHUA on earth had finished after His redeeming work for humanity. The twelve disciples minus one were instructed to carry on the work He had left behind for them to do. He set the foundation for His church and entrusted the disciples to continue the work until He returns to fetch His bride. His church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ YAHSHUA himself the chief Cornerstone. In Him the whole structure is joined together harmoniously, and it continues to rise into a holy temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:20-21). The church had its beginning at Pentecost. It was forty days later after His resurrection that He sent His Spirit to earth to bring about a revival in the beginning of the disciples’ ministry the world had never experienced. So, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled together in one place; when suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting and there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated ad distributed and which settled on each one of them … when this sound was heard, the multitude came together and they were astonished and bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in his own dialect. (Acts 2:1-3,6). So, the church of YAHSHUA had its beginning in a most unique way. Unliky today’s many churches with its gods of many colors, and lifeless. Churches with doctrines contrary to God’s standards. Lifeless, their gods can only sit where they put them to be; some with their arms opened ready to receive children for a sacrifice.
The beautiful love of our Lord YAHSHUA has no measure. He gave all His life to redeem the world. And when He left the earth, He still stayed in the form of His Holy Spirit, to counsel, to guide, to teach, to convict and sanctify those to be according to the image of YAHSHUA, so that we might walk in holiness, as He is holy, until that day when we are taken from this world and are glorified. As He is, so we will be. Meanwhile, YAHSHUA gave the responsibility to the disciples to build His church. In those days of great revival, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit to perform miracles and wonders, as a sign of His presence on earth. Those days were filled with wonders and people from all around witnessed and some participated in that movement. There were about three thousand souls saved during those days. Day after day the disciples regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose… constantly praising God and being in favor and good will with all the people; and the Lord kept adding daily those who were being saved. (Acts2). That was the time to be alive to experience first-hand the message of Gospel of YAHSHUA in its pure form. No denominations with their doctrinal differences; just the pure and fresh gospel straight from those who walked with YAHSHUA for three years, learning from Him and being trained for the purpose to carry on the ministry of the church. And here we have, the apostles in action! In Luke ten, we have the report of the seventy disciples after they return from their mission; they said, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name! Amazing what YAHSHUA answered them: He said, I saw Satan falling like a lightening from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power that the enemy [possesses] and nothing shall in any way harm you. (Luke 10:17-19). Before YAHSHUA ascended to heaven He commanded the disciples to go into all he nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you and behold, I am with you all the days to the close and consummation of the age. (Matt.28:19-20).
Healing Was Included in YAHSHUA’S Atonement
When YAHSHUA completed His work of atonement to save the world, He said, “It is finished!” What did He mean by that? We were redeemed from hell and healed from diseases. The Prophet Isaiah says: For many the Servant of God became an object of horror; many were astonished at Him; His face and His whole appearance were marred more than any man’s and His form beyond that of the sons of men… He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men. A Man of sorrows and pains and acquainted with grief and sickness, and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him; surely, He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows and pains, yet we considered Him stricken, smitten and afflicted by God; but He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain peace and well-being for us was upon Him and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole (Isaiah 52:13; 53:3-5). And Psalm 22 Continues: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from the words of my groaning?… Many [foes like] bulls have surrounded me, strong bulls of Bashan have hedged me in. Against me they opened their mouths wide, like a ravening and roaring lion; I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is softened [with anguish] and melted down within me; my strength is dried up like a fragment of clay pottery; my tongue cleaves to my jaws and You have brought me into the dust of death (Ps. 22: 1,12-15). Here, He describes the horror of His sufferings; that was when the Romans broke His body by scourging Him without mercy. That was for our healing, my friend. These prophetic utterances were fulfilled and registered in the New Testament by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and Acts.
Matthew writes: Then the governor’s soldiers took YAHSHUA into the palace, and they gathered the whole battalion about Him. And they stripped off His clothes and put a scarlet robe upon Him. And weaving a crown of thorns they put it on His head and put a reed in His right hand. And kneeling before Him, they made sport of Him, saying, Hail king of the Jews! Mark says: And they struck His head with a staff make of a reed and spat on Him and kept bowing their knees in homage to Him. And when they had finished making sports of Him, they led Him out to crucify Him (Mark 15:19-20). Luke describes YAHSHUA’S agony in the Gethsemane Garden saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done. And there appeared to Him an angel from heaven, strengthening Him in spirit. And being in agony [of mind], and prayed more earnestly and intently, and His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground. (Luke 22:42-44). After being scourged severely, without strength left, they made Him to carry our cross. Six hours hung on the cross, He suffered the worst pain, the separation from His Father, when our sins were put on Him. “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me”? He suffered the pain of hell. His sacrifice was completed when He affirmed,” It is finished!” Salvation for the world, and also physical healing. We Praise You, YAHSHUA! Thank you for our healings. We have learned to accept His sacrifice for our salvation, but we struggle receiving the gift of healing. The fact is, the healing was part of His atonement. He gave us faith, and hope, which we must mingle together to receive our healing. Hope is empty without faith. Faith is the “spark plug” of hope. Faith and hope were in the words uttered by Him on the cross- IT IS FINISHED! The Word of God will not return to Him void of accomplishing that for which He sent. When we pray His words back to Him, He will answer us, no matter how long it will take. In Isaiah 55:10 He said: For as the rain and snow come down from the heavens, and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that it may give see to the Sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
If then the Bible says, By His stripes we are healed and made whole (Isaiah 53: 5), What do you think it means? Why is that that we can’t grasp His word to believe with hope and faith for it to be accomplished in us? Psalm 91 says, You shall tread upon the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot (Ps. 91:13); YAHSHUA gave to the seventy disciples authority and power to trample upon serpent and scorpions and over all the power that the enemy possesses and nothing shall in any way harm you (Luke 10:19). These are our enemies!
Whom Are You Waiting for?
In these days and hours, the world is waiting for a change to better the lives of people; freedom from debts, low prices of goods, low interest rates to be able to afford a nice size house; the world waits for a man who will bring harmony among nations, called peace. Meanwhile, the world is turning the other way, facing judgment at the door. Look around you, what do you see that is pleasing to your soul? A body covered with tattoos? Confusion of sexes? Violence? And many other subjects we will not mention here. The world smells like it needs a coffee enema, better yet a spiritual enema. The foul smells that the world spreads around, makes it to be distasteful to people of faith in the Lord YAHSHUA. Sadly, not everyone named Christian are aware of the world’s spiritual situation, for they became part of it. These, like the days of Lot, when he and his family were tormented with the life styles of those days, are Lot’s day. YAHSHUA said, as it were in the days of Noah and Lot, so it will be in His day. This is a sign we go by to know how close He is to fetch His bride. Paul’s letter to Titus says, For the grace of God has come forward for the deliverance from sin and the eternal salvation for all mankind; it has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness and worldly desires to live discreet , upright, devout lives in this present world, awaiting and looking for the (fulfillment, the realization of our) blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Messiah YAHSHUA; Who gave Himself on our behalf that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for Himself a people who are eager and enthusiastic about living a life that is good and filled with beneficial deeds (Titus 2:11-14).
They Begged Him to Depart From Their Town
That day, was a very busy day for YAHSHUA. When He came down from the mountain, great throngs followed him (Matt.8:1). The people’s physical needs were many. On that day, He healed a leper, who worshipping Him said, Lord, If You are willing, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. YAHSHUA, with great compassion, reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed (vs2-3). When going to Capernaum, He was met by a centurion, begging YAHSHUA to heal his servant. So, YAHSHUA healed the centurion’s servant. At Peter’s house, He found Peter’s mother-in-law lying ill with a fever; He touched her hand and the fever left her; she got up and began waiting on Him (vs.14-15). And thus, He fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases (Isa.53:4). YAHSHUA’S life was the Word of God; He lived the Word, He preached the word. All prophecies coming from Him were fulfilled or will be fulfilled. Even before His trials, He fulfilled the Isaiah’s prophecy. People ran after Him to be healed and to hear Him teach. He was the most popular man on earth in His days. Perfect in all He said and done, yet, He was hatred by the Jewish authorities, even today many of them continue hating Him for no cause.
Our Ways Are Not God’s Ways – God’s Thoughts Are Not Our Thoughts
(Isaiah 55: 8- 11)
Abraham was seventy-five years old when God called him to leave his country, relatives and his father’s house to a land He was going to show him. He promised to make a great nation from him and bless him with riches. Seventy-five in those days was still a young age, relatively speaking, for his father had died at the age of 205. He had no children at that time, for his wife was barren. When the Lord appeared to Abraham in a vision a second time, he said to the Lord God, What can You give me, since I am going on childless and he who shall be the owner and heir of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? Look, You have given me no child; and born in my house is my heir. Abraham in his human nature is puzzled, not understanding God’s time line for the fulfillment of His promise. Sixteen years later, God came to Abraham again and this time he made a covenant between Him and Abraham. This covenant was that Abraham shall be the father of many nations; he probably wondered when, since sixteen years had passed since God had called him out of his land to a new land He was going to give him but his wife still was barren.
When God came to Abraham the last time before his wife conceived, he was at the age one hundred and his wife at ninety years old. God’s promise of a son became a matter of laughter to both of them. But God assured them that time that He was going surely to return to them when the season had come round, and behold, Sarah his wife was going to have a son. The reality to them was that they were now old, well advanced in years; it had ceased to be with Sarah as with women. Therefore Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I have become aged shall I have pleasure and delight, my lord being old? The Lord saw and heard Sarah and said, Is anything too hard or too wonderful for the Lord? At the appointed time, when the season comes around, I will return to you and Sarah shall have borne a son (Gen.17,18:10-14). God’s thoughts are not our thoughts; our ways are not His ways!
The Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for her as He had promised (Gen. 21:1). Abraham was one hundred and Sarah ninety years old; but what is it to the Lord, since He is the Creator of life, and He is not in a frame of human time? He opened the womb of Sarah and what seemed impossible to them and their family, and a matter of laughter, became an expression of God’s power and faithfulness, for there is nothing hard for Him. His thoughts are not our thoughts; our ways are not His ways. He could have called someone younger according to our thoughts and reasoning; or He could have given Abraham a son earlier, but how would they have known the depth of God’s power and wisdom in the fulfilling of His promise to them? In our weakness God’s strength is manifested. Abraham had to go through a few experiences in life before he would see the reality of the promises. First he had to believe in the only true God, since he had come from a family of idol worshippers; second, he had to have faith to take the first step in obedience to God. Faith and obedience were then credited to him, for doing the impossible as far as to obey God in sacrificing his only son as God had asked of him to do. He had waited for that son twenty-five years. Now the Lord wanted to take him back. The depth of his faith went beyond the visible reality; in his faith he obeyed, believing God was going to give him his son back after he had killed him, as we read in Hebrews 11:17-18: By faith Abraham, when he was put to the test, had already brought Isaac for an offering; he who had gladly received all welcomed [God’s] promises was ready to sacrifice his only son, of whom it was said, through Isaac shall your descendant be reckoned, for he reasoned that God was able to raise [him] up even from among the dead. Indeed in the sense that Isaac was figuratively dead, he did receive him back from the dead. “God’s thoughts are not our thoughts; our ways are not God’s ways”!
Light from the Word 