Many Sons Had Faather Abraham...

As I was reading through Genesis just now, an old familiar passage stood out:
"But Abram said, 'O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?' And Abram said, 'You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir.'
  Then the word of the LORD came to him: 'This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir.' He took him outside and said, 'Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them.' Then he said to him, 'So shall your offspring be.' Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness."

We've heard this before and we get it. Abram has Isaac, Isaac has babies, and Isaac's babies have babies. The next thing we know, we find ourselves wading in Numbers and 1 Chronicles. You don't need a clear night sky to count the stars. Just look in the Bible!

But yet again, God outdoes Himself. It is not enough for Abram to literally have more descendant than stars in the sky. He has to spiritually as well. If only Abram(now Abraham!) could sit in on a typical sundayschool morning and watch a bunch of sugar-high grade schoolers singing, "Father Abraham had many sons. Many sons had faaather Abraham. I am one of them, and so are you! So let's all praise the Lord..." If only he could see what was just around the corner, not just Isaac's kids but those who by faith are considered Abraham's offspring. As Romans 9 so beautifully puts it, "....But it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring." That's all of us Christians! The Church. And further still...If only he could see that his "seed" would eventually be Jesus Christ Himself. What an incredible thought!

And yet I can't exclaim again what a pity it is Abraham didn't have a leather-bond copy of the Bible and then not see this truth myself. The cloud of witnesses who have gone ahead before me (including all those who the author of Hebrews didn't even have time to touch on), the spiritual equivalent of Elijah's seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to baal, the church. All, Father Abraham's children. And all my family in some strange sense. I am never alone. And the incredible consequence of never being alone; both in that nice warm way and in the prodding/spurring/terrifying sense.


This next year, remember you are a son of Abraham. And through Christ, a son of the Most High. (Does that make you Abraham's brother too? Nevermind, that thought messes up the song) No matter how dark it is, there are always stars. May you know that you truly are never alone.
Abby

P.S. The best way I know of remembering a spiritual truth is to stop trying feeling good about it or have this inner glowing peace and instead facing that truth daily in the Bible. REMIND yourself. And then remind me.

Waiting and DOING.

"At that time, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps and did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming and they all became drowsy and fell asleep."
Matthew 25

This passage continues and I've always read it as "be prepared!" For some reason, it struck me this time around as "Expect to wait." Both sets of virgins were asleep by the time the bridegroom came. They weren't "prepared" in that sense. This is more than just carrying a end-of-the-world-care- kit in one's purse; this is expecting to wait. Carrying out our faith with fear and trembling. And we see this in some of Paul's letters, his warnings to those who loaf around waiting for the Lord's coming. They had sold everything and expected him to come. Again, this is just like the angels told the disciples in Acts, "Why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven. "

  We are to follow Christ with our minds set on heavenly things, not earthly. For we died and our life is now hidden with Christ in God. But we also need to be grounded! Get going! Do stuff!

Sorry my thoughts are disconnected (I've been saying that so much I might as well sign with it instead of my name). My excuse this week is exams. More on this later, Lord willing!

Abby

But what about you?

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
....
"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."


Just noticed this for the first time. What is Christ's response? This:

"....And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it..."

The account according to Matthew 16:13-20.

Jesus asks Peter who He is and ends up telling Peter who he is. I feel like there's a name for this structure. Either way, how awesome is that?! And in a somewhat silly, subjective way, when we confess Christ, when we say who He is, that's when we truly find out who we are.

"For you died and your life is now hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, you also will appear with Him in glory...."