The story of Abraham’s sacrifice in Genesis reveals the faithfulness and obedience of Abraham to the LORD God. During Abraham’s life, Abraham had moral failures with half-truths, trying to force God’s promises and even laughing at God’s promises, but Abraham always trusted and obeyed the LORD God by faith. Because of Abraham’s faith and obedience, the LORD God found Abraham’s heart faithful, and He declared Abraham righteous before Him and called Abraham a friend. Abraham was willing to sacrifice and surrender everything to the LORD God because he knew everything belonged to Him. An example of Abraham’s surrendered life comes with the birth of his beloved son Isaac. After Isaac’s birth to Abraham and Sarah, the LORD called Abraham to test Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience to Him with trials and temptation. The LORD instructed Abraham to take his beloved and only son Isaac to the land of Moriah and offer Isaac as a sacrificial offering. Isaac was God’s covenant-promised son to Abraham and Sarah. Ishmael was Abraham’s son and was blessed by God, too, but he had already left Abraham’s home with his mother, Hagar. Abraham, in active faith and obedience to the LORD, rose early the next morning, saddled his donkey, took his beloved and only son Isaac, and went to the mountain instructed by God, arriving on the third day. In his obedience, Abraham believed the LORD would provide the lamb for the offering, and he also believed the LORD could raise the dead. So, Abraham placed the wood for the offering on Isaac’s shoulders. Abraham came to the place designated by the LORD, built an altar, and prepared his son Isaac as a sacrifice when the Angel of the LORD God called from heaven and stopped Abraham from sacrificing his son Isaac. The LORD found Abraham’s heart surrendered to Him with fear and honor. Abraham lifted his eyes and found a ram graciously provided by the LORD as another sacrifice instead of Isaac, and Abraham sacrificed the ram as an offering and not his son, Isaac. Many biblical scholars see that sacrifice provided for Isaac as Christ Jesus our Lord, who is the Righteous Servant and Lamb of God given as a ransom and atoning sacrifice for our freedom from sin and shame. The LORD is our Provider (Yahweh-Yireh), and He always provides. Then, the Angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven, and the LORD promised Abraham an eternal blessing to all nations through his Seed (Christ Jesus) and multiplication of his descendants as the stars of the heavens and the sand of the seashore because of Abraham’s faithfulness and obedience to Him. The blessings of Abraham have now come through Christ Jesus, who is the Savior and Lord of the earth, to bring heaven’s blessings, peace, salvation, and forgiveness to all people who love and obey Him with faith and belief. Also, the LORD knew Isaac would never be sacrificed because He forbids child sacrifice in His Law. Importantly, Abraham revealed the active faith accepted by God with a heartbroken self-will and surrendered all to God. Everyone who repents and follows God with Abraham’s example of faith and obedience is also declared righteous (justified), blessed, adopted, and saved before the LORD. Jesus is the LORD and let EVERYONE worship Jesus as King!

One of the most beautiful themes of the Holy Bible is knowing that our good and loving LORD God of heaven and earth sees, knows, and hears everything - our pains, suffering, failures, mistreatment, good deeds, and the evil deeds of ourselves and others. In Genesis, the living LORD God came to earth to visit Abraham with His two holy angels. Abraham trusted with faith and obedience in the Eternal God, and Abraham was declared righteous (morally right) as a chosen friend and prophet of the Most High God. However, Abraham and his wife Sarah were not perfect, but they always remained faithful to the living LORD God. One hot day, Abraham was resting near his tent when visited by the LORD and His two angels. Abraham greeted the LORD and His angels with kindness and joy and invited them into his home. Abraham and his wife Sarah prepared a delicious meal for the LORD and His angels. While eating, the LORD shared some excitement with Abraham and Sarah that Sarah would give birth to a son. Sarah was barren and childless. At the divine announcement, Sarah laughed just as Abraham had previously laughed, but Abraham and Sarah believed in God’s promise of a child despite being very old and past childbearing. The Almighty LORD announced to Abraham that Sarah would be the mother of nations, and she would give birth to a son named Isaac in her old age. The LORD assured Sarah that anything is possible with Him because He is all-powerful (omnipotent). Sarah considered the living LORD God faithful in all His ways and faithful to keep His promises. Next year, by God’s grace, Sarah became pregnant with a baby boy as promised. Abraham named their new son Isaac, and Isaac was circumcised on the 8th day, as God commanded. Isaac’s name means laughter, and he is the spiritual child of promise, chosen by God, and the descendant of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. The living LORD God promised Abraham that He would establish His everlasting covenant with Isaac, but the LORD would also bless Abraham’s son Ishmael. Importantly, the LORD informed His holy angels that Abraham would become a great and mighty nation with many descendants, and all nations of the world would be blessed through Abraham. In addition, the LORD God wanted Abraham to instruct his children, his household, and all future generations to keep His holy ways, always do what is good and right by faith, and turn from Satan’s wickedness and violence. After His great announcement to Abraham and Sarah, the LORD, who is the Judge of all the earth, had seen and heard from heaven of the sin, outcry, wickedness, and evildoing of Sodom and Gomorrah, and so He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah to prevent Abraham and his descendants from following their evil pathway. The living LORD God is forever good, merciful, and gracious, and He always saves and protects with blessings those who look to Him in faith and obedience and repent by turning from Satan’s immorality and evildoing. Let everyone repent of sin and wholeheartedly love and worship the living LORD God and His Son Christ Jesus as Lord in spirit and truth and faithfully obey and serve Him daily! Our loving God sees and hears everything!

Living and walking daily with faith and obedience to the living LORD God are themes throughout the Holy Bible. Our wholehearted faithfulness with obedience to the living LORD God leads to doing God’s will and pleasing Him. Examples of people walking with faithfulness and obedience to the living LORD God include Enoch, Noah, Moses, Joshua, David, Job, and notable Christ Jesus our Lord. Abraham of the Old Testament is another perfect example of prompt faith expressed in obedience to the living LORD God, and Abraham’s example of faith with trust and obedience is a golden thread that runs throughout the Old and New Testaments. The living LORD God of heaven and earth found Abraham’s heart faithful and obedient to Him. Abraham expressed his continual love and faithfulness to the LORD God in worship and giving by looking to and calling upon the LORD’s Name in holy reverence and worship, bringing His Presence into his life and heart. Our wholehearted faith with trust expressed in obedience and worship to the living LORD God leads to His divine blessings (happiness), mercy, and favor (grace). Genesis chapters 1 through 11 describe the good beginnings of creation, then the original sin of Adam and Eve, the flooding of Noah’s generation because of evil and violence, and the scattering of humankind throughout the earth at the tower of Babel due to pride and self-reliance without God. After the tower of Babel, the coming of Abraham (Abram) from Noah’s son Shem family line gave the world hope of redemption as Christ Jesus our Lord would come from Abraham’s family line to bring heaven’s salvation and blessings to the entire world. The living LORD God of Glory called Abraham to move from Ur in Babylon-Chaldeans (ancient Mesopotamia) and move to a new land in Canaan, the Promised Land of Israel-Palestine. The people of Canaan were descendants of Noah’s other son, Ham, who Noah cursed because of Ham’s disrespect during the time of his father’s drunkenness. Abraham obeyed the living LORD God’s voice and call with faith, and he moved with his wife Sarah (Sarai), who was barren without children, and their helpers to the new land of Canaan, which he would receive as an inheritance. Sarah’s name means princess, and she was a beautiful woman who loved and respected her husband, Abraham.The living LORD God blessed Sarah to become the mother of many nations. Also, Abraham’s nephew Lot and Lot’s helpers went to the new land with Abraham and Sarah. Soon, Abraham and Lot’s helpers began to argue with strife over the pasturelands for their animals. So, Abraham, wanting to live in peace with his nephew Lot, allowed Lot to pick which land to own and live on, and Lot chose the green grass but evil, lawless, and wicked lands of Sodom and Gomorrah for his new home. After Lot’s departure, the living LORD God of heaven and earth blessed Abraham and promised Abraham all the land of Canaan (Israel-Palestine) forever. Even more, the living LORD God blessed Abraham to become the father of many nations with many descendants (offspring) as the stars of the heavens, the dust of the earth, and the sands of the seashore because of his faith and obedience to Him. Then, the living LORD God led Abraham to the land of Hebron. Abraham was a Hebrew (Jew) along with his sons Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, and they are considered the patriarchs of the Holy Bible and they were also blessed with many descendants, including our Christ Jesus our Savior. Furthermore, Abraham was the father of Ishmael with the bond servant Hagar, and the living LORD God also promised Abraham many great nations and blessings through his son Ishmael and Ishmael’s descendants. Abraham was a wealthy man with livestock, gold, silver, and many faithful servants. Although Abraham was rich, the living LORD God was Abraham’s shield and great reward. Abraham believed and trusted in the living LORD God by faith, which led to Abraham’s righteousness before God. Ultimately, everyone who belongs to Christ Jesus by faith and obedience is also Abraham’s offspring and descendants because Abraham is the father of all who believes in the living LORD God and His Son, Christ Jesus, as Lord. The living LORD God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham, and Christ Jesus and the other New Testament writers referred to Abraham as an example of faithfulness and obedience to the living LORD God. Abraham and Sarah sometimes struggled with impatience and lack of trust regarding God’s timing of His promises, but they always returned to the living LORD God with faithfulness and obedience to Him. In the New Testament, Christ Jesus referred to Abraham’s side as the place of blessedness where the righteous go after death.

In the beginning, the living LORD God created the world with abundance and goodness without sin or shame. The living LORD God graciously blessed Adam and Eve, except He commanded Adam and Eve never to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as eating the forbidden fruit would lead to death. Genesis 3 describes the beginning of sin on earth. In Genesis 3, a sneaky and tricky snake (serpent) empowered by Satan (Devil) came into Eden, the divine sanctuary of God. The lying snake saw Eve, and he deceived Eve and Adam into disobeying God's commandment by eating from the forbidden tree. Eve saw that the fruit from the forbidden tree was good food, a delight (pleasing) to the eyes, and desirable for wisdom, so she took and ate the forbidden fruit and gave some to Adam to eat. Then, Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened, and they felt shame. Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command and followed Satan by eating the forbidden fruit. The living LORD God was walking through Eden, but Adam and Eve hid themselves amongst the trees in shame and fear of the living LORD God. Disobedience to God and following Satan always brings shame and fear! The living LORD God asked Adam and Eve if they had eaten the forbidden tree. Adam said yes but blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. The living LORD God cursed the snake to always crawl on his belly and eat the ground dust. Also, the LORD God punished Adam and Eve and cursed the grounds with thorns and thistles due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience in obeying Satan. Adam named his wife Eve because she was the mother of all living as a life-giver. However, the living LORD God removed Adam and Eve from the tree of life and Eden. The living LORD God placed angels (cherubim) and a flaming sword to guard Eden’s entrance and the tree of life. Adam and Eve’s disobedience to the living LORD God caused the original sin and the great fall of humankind, leading to shame and death. Since the beginning, Satan and his dark workers are lawless and deceiving liars, thieves, and murderers who roam the earth seeking to accuse, tempt, kill, steal, and destroy all the goodness and abundance of God. Obeying Satan leads to depression, destruction, and death. Here is the good news: Satan and his evil workers will be destroyed and NEVER enter the new heavens and earth. Here is more good news: God brought the hope of Christ Jesus as the Seed of Eve to defeat and crush the serpent’s head. Christ Jesus is our Savior and Second Adam from heaven who brings new life, salvation, forgiveness, righteousness, and reconciliation with the LORD God. The Holy Bible promises the crown of life and access to the tree of life to those who love and obey the living LORD God and His Son, Christ Jesus, even during testing, trials, and temptations. Let EVERYONE become wise and blameless by resisting, fleeing, and running from Satan and his evil temptations that try to lead you astray into sin and shame and away from God’s goodness and joy. Jesus is Lord!

The living LORD God is the Creator-King from everlasting to everlasting that has existed before creation with wisdom and power. The beginning of all creation with the heavens and earth began in goodness and wisdom with the living LORD God (Holy Trinity) of God the Father, God the Son (Christ Jesus), and God the Spirit. In the beginning, the heavens and earth were empty and filled with darkness without form until the Spirit of the living God hovered over the waters of the earth and then the living LORD God Almighty spoke with power the Word of God and brought forth light and life on the earth. The Holy Bible declares that the living LORD God (Elohim, Yahweh) with wisdom and power spoke the Word of God, created, and named day and night, the heavenly skies, oceans and seas, dry grounds and lands with mountains, hills, fruit and vegetation, and then the sun, moon, and stars in the universe. Then, the living God Almighty spoke and created the fish and sea creatures in the oceans, the birds and other flying creatures in the sky from the dust of the ground, and then He made the animals from the dust of the ground so they all could be fruitful and multiply (increase) in numbers. The living LORD God’s most important creation was humans, both male and female, whom He created in His image and likeness to conform to the image of Christ Jesus to multiply and rule with dominion. Adam was the first man created and formed from the dust of the earth and given the breath of life, and then the living LORD God created a woman from Adam to be his helper and companion so together they could care for God’s creation and Kingdom on earth. The living LORD God planted a beautiful garden for Adam and Eve to live called Eden, and Eden was paradise and a divine sanctuary filled with abundance and goodness without any sin or shame. The Spirit of the living God flowed with rivers through the Garden of Eden to bring life and creation. Together, Adam and Eve took care of Eden. Many trees and plants grew in Eden. The living God graciously gave Adam and Eve all fruits and vegetables in Eden, except He commanded Adam and Eve never eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. After creating the heavens and earth, the living LORD God rested on the seventh day (Shabbat) from all His good works. One day, all creation will end after cleansing by fire with the appearance of Christ Jesus in the sky to begin anew in goodness with the living LORD God. The Holy Trinity of God (Triune God) brings light and life that defeats and conquers ALL darkness and evil. Only the living LORD God deserves all our first love, worship, and praise as King of kings and Lord of lords of the heavens and earth as the heavens declare His glory, majesty, and sovereignty.

Jesus is the central story of the Holy Bible. The center of the Holy Bible is Jesus and His loving death on Calvary’s Cross as the Passover Lamb of God to bring salvation, redemption, unity, and healing from Satan’s darkness, despair, and depression. The Old Testament prophets predicted Jesus’s coming as the Messiah (Christ, Anointed One, Son of David) so we can receive heaven’s new spiritual life, forgiveness, peace, and salvation through repentance (turning from Satan) with faith and obedience to Jesus. Our repentance with faith and obedience to Jesus provides divine healing, inner peace, salvation, and new life within our lives and hearts. All God’s grace, promises, and blessings find their fulfillment in Jesus, and they are YES and AMEN. The living Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth has given His Son Jesus all power, authority, and dominion, and He anointed Jesus as Lord and Head of the Church, which is His body. Jesus is the Creator and the glorious image of His Holy Father. Moreover, Jesus is God and the incarnate Word of God that became human flesh and now reigns as King and Ruler of the world. King Jesus is the Anointed One from Father Abraham and King David’s family line, as promised by the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Jesus is not only the King and Savior of the Jews, but He is the Savior and King of the world. Jesus is the all-powerful King of kings and Lord of lords and He reigns as One with this Holy Father. The New Testament writers declare that Jesus is the Son of the living God empowered by the Holy Spirit, and everyone must listen and obey Him, which brings life. Jesus is truth and grace without deception, falsehood, or trickery, and we must obey His commandments and teachings. The teaching of Jesus focused on love, mercy, and goodness towards others. Moreover, Jesus taught everyone to love and trust our Holy Father, the Sovereign LORD God of heaven and earth, for all our needs as He is our provider and protector. Jesus the Messiah is the power and wisdom of God, and He graciously gives everyone His righteousness, holiness, and wisdom who repents and believes in Him. Through our repentance with faith and obedience, believers of Jesus are reborn and adopted into the family of God, and we become joint heirs with the Resurrected Jesus as His brothers and sisters. Jesus is Lord!

Prophecy runs throughout the Holy Bible, including the Old and New Testaments. Holy prophets are true prophets of God empowered and strengthened by the Holy Spirit for service to proclaim God’s message, encourage and comfort His people, and explain or predict God’s will for the future. The Sovereign LORD God appoints His prophets and places His words in His holy prophets’ mouths and tongues, and their message comes true. True prophets of God are given access to God’s heavenly throne room, and these holy men and women have seen God’s glory and power so they can speak His moral and holy message to all people. Many great men and women of the Old and New Testaments are called prophets or prophetesses, including Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah, John the Baptist, and prophetesses, Miriam, Deborah, and Anna. Some of the holy prophets’ messages include visions and dreams of the future, and their message calls all people to the Sovereign LORD God with wholehearted love, faithfulness, obedience to Him, and goodness and fairness towards others. Holy prophecy with love is the church’s foundation and a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit for helping, teaching, comforting, strengthening, and uplifting God’s people while also declaring Jesus’s Lordship. The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy as the Old Testament prophets predicted His coming as the Messiah (Christ, Anointed One, Son of David). The New Testament wrote that the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings of the Old Testament predicted God’s Gospel message of redemption, restoration, and forgiveness through Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is the Great Prophet of God and the new Moses filled with God’s words, and everyone must listen to and obey Jesus’s holy words and teachings. Often, holy prophecy spoke against leaders and the people for their disobedience to God’s covenants, evil behavior, wickedness, injustice, and idolatry, and they spoke of God’s judgment and punishment because of such evildoing. The Holy Bible describes the requirements of a holy prophet and warns everyone to reject any false and deceiving prophecy of Satan that calls for worshiping and seeking guidance from other gods, goddesses, witchcraft, mediums, spiritists, occult practices, magic, omens, or sorcery. These false and dark prophets of Satan are filled with blasphemy, greed, and lying spirits to lead people astray into utter darkness, evildoing, wickedness, sexual sins, and unfaithfulness to God. False prophets and teachers are often disguised as angels of light, but their deeds, bad fruits, and teachings are wicked, sinful, and lawless, and they deny the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus is Lord!