The Start of The Great Lent

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. 

Genesis 22:6

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.
       
Genesis 22: 1-8

            
        

That Isaac Carries on himself "the wood for the burnt offering" is a figure, because Christ also "himself carried His own cross," and yet to carry "the wood for the burnt Offering" is the duty of a priest.
        

He therefore becomes victim and priest. But what is added also is related to this: "And they both went off together." For when Abraham carries the fire and knife as if to sacrifice, Isaac does not go behind him but with him that he might be shown to contribute equally with the priesthood itself.
       
 Origen
       

Acquire Grace and Mercy

 

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord  

(2 Timothy 1:2)

Meet the sisters of peace: Grace and Mercy. The first is the ability to give to others that which they do not deserve; the second is the ability to withhold from others that reproof which they do deserve.  When these qualities are interwoven in our living, the end result will be peace.

God is the only one who has the absolute control of grace and mercy because they are inherent in His character.  In fact, these two gems are beyond our human capabilities.  If we are to be equipped to demonstrate exclusively God-like characteristics, then we must be endowed by God.

Scripture says God gives more grace to the humble (John 4:6), and that mercy can be obtained through prayer. (Heb. 4:16)  So then, by reverently seeking the Lord in prayer we can acquire grace and mercy to help us in our time of need.  In turn, we will be able to show grace and mercy unto others.  Always on the heels of the first two sisters is the third sister-Peace.

THINE IS THE KINGDOM…

There are certain mountains only God can climb. Ascend them and you’ll end up bruised and embarrassed. Stay away from them and you’ll sidestep a lot of stress. These mountains are described in the final phrase of the Lord’s prayer, “Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” A trio of peaks mantled by the clouds. Admire them, applaud them, but don’t climb them. 

It’s not that you aren’t welcome to try, it’s just that you aren’t able. The pronoun is thine, not mine; thine is the kingdom, not mine is the kingdom. If the word Savior is in your job description, it’s because you put it there. Your role is to help the world, not save it. Mount Messiah is one mountain you weren’t made to climb. 

Nor is Mount Self-Sufficient. You aren’t able to run the world, nor are you able to sustain it. Some of you think you can. You are self-made. You don’t bow your knees, you just roll up your sleeves and put in another twelve-hour day … which may be enough when it comes to making a living or building a business. But when you face your own grave or your own guilt, your power will not do the trick. 

You were not made to run a kingdom, nor are you expected to be all-powerful. And you certainly can’t handle all the glory. Mount Applause is the most seductive of the three peaks. The higher you climb the more people applaud, but the thinner the air becomes. More than one person has stood at the top and shouted, “Mine is the glory!” only to lose their balance and fall. 

“Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.” 

What protection this final phrase affords 

As you confess that God is in charge, you admit that you aren’t. 

As you proclaim that God has power, you admit that you don’t. 

And as you give God all the applause, there is none left to dizzy your brain. 

Max Lucado  

Whatever You Do It Comes Back As A Blessing Or Otherwise

A woman baked bread for members of her family and an extra one for a hungry passerby. She kept the extra bread on the Window-sill, for whoever would take it away. Everyday, a hunch-back came and took away the bread. Instead of expressing gratitude, he muttered the following words as he went his way: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!"

This went on, day after day. Everyday, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and uttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The woman felt irritated. "Not a word of gratitude," she said to herself... "Everyday this hunch-back utters this jingle! What does he mean?"  

One day, out of desperation, she decided to do away with him. “I shall get rid of this hunch-back," she said.  And what did she do? She added poison to the bread she prepared for him! As she was about to keep it on the window sill, her hands trembled. "What is this I am doing?" she said. Immediately she threw the bread into the fire, prepared another one and kept it on the window- sill.  

As usual, the hunch-back came, picked up the bread and muttered the words: "The evil you do, remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!" The hunch-back proceeded on his way, blissfully unaware of the war raging in the mind of the woman. 
Everyday, as the woman placed the bread on the window-sill, she offered a prayer for her son who had gone to a distant place to seek his fortune. For many months, she had no news of him... She prayed for his safe return. 

That evening, there was a knock on the door. As she opened it, she was surprised to find her son standing in the doorway...  He had grown thin and lean. His garments were tattered and torn. He was hungry, starved and weak. As he saw his mother, he said, "Mom, it's a miracle I am here. While I was but a mile away, I was so hungry that I collapsed.   
I would have died, but just then an old hunch-back passed by.  I begged of him for a small part of his food, and he was kind enough to give me whole bread. "As he gave it to me, he said, "This is what I eat everyday: today, I shall give it to you, for your need is greater than mine!" 

"As the mother heard those words, her face turned pale and red. She leaned against the door for support. She remembered the poisoned bread that she had made that morning. Had she not burnt it in the fire, it would have been eaten by her own son, and he would have lost his life! 

It was then that she realized the significance of the words: "The evil you do remains with you: The good you do, comes back to you!

“Do good, do not ever stop doing good, even if it is not appreciated at the time and never live in expectation to receive from those you did good to."

Remember, Never give to receive in return but "Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back."  Luke 6: 30 
"Give, and it will be given to you …. for the same measure that you use, it will be the measured back to you."   Luke 6 : 38