"Books of the Bible Book Club" Exploring Transformative Faith: Abraham's Trust, Obedience, and Divine Provision

Kicking off my birthday month with excitement, I’m joined by the insightful Elder Harper for an enriching exploration of faith on "Queued4Christ." Imagine a faith so profound that it transforms your decisions, your sacrifices, and your understanding of God’s timing. We promise to guide you through the timeless story of Abraham and Isaac, uncovering the layers of trust and obedience that this narrative reveals. You’ll gain new perspectives on how faith can shape your journey, even in the face of life's most challenging trials.

Together, Elder Harper and I share personal anecdotes that illustrate the ever-relevant challenge of recognizing God's voice amid life’s demands. We unpack how the act of letting go, much like Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac, can lead to unexpected blessings and divine provisions. By reflecting on our own experiences, we highlight the significance of prioritizing divine plans over personal desires, offering a relatable lens through which to view obedience and sacrifice. This episode is a testament to the transformative power of yielding to God’s will.

As we wrap up our conversation, we celebrate the upcoming launch of my book, a project that embodies our shared faith journey and commitment to spiritual growth. We invite you to join us, not only in listening but in engaging with our supportive community across platforms. "Stay cute for Christ" is more than a catchphrase—it’s a call to action to live a life enriched by faith, trust, and spiritual truths. With heartfelt gratitude to our listeners, we encourage you to continue walking with us on this enlightening journey, using the Bible as your guide.

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Chapters

• 0:23 Books of the Bible Book Club
• 13:15 Faith Tested
• 19:56 Faith Beyond Understanding
• 29:09 Building Obedience Through Sacrifice
• 42:35 Divine Provision and Obedience
• 48:17 Trusting in God's Perfect Timing
• 1:00:38 Valuing Tested Faith for Glory
• 1:05:14 Prayer for Yielding to God's Word
• 1:09:57 Excitement for Book Launch

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:23

Hey everyone, this is Kiana, your creator and the host of cute for christ, and I want to say happy monday, y'all. And then it's the beginning of october. Look, this is my birthday month, y'all. So I'm excited, because this is my birthday week actually. So I'm excited, I'm excited, I'm excited. So, anyways, yeah, I know y'all we missing one, but she had to work tonight, so I'm so excited, I'm so excited that she's working, but I'm sorry that she's not able to be here.

Speaker 1: 0:59

But anyways, as you know, this is the Books of the Bible Book Club and I'm so excited tonight to be here with Elder Harper, I'm so excited. How are you tonight, elder Harper, doing awesome, glad to be in the number, glad to be in the Word of God and studying about our wonderful topic tonight. Yes, oh, my goodness, oh my goodness. It's going to be amazing tonight, and one of the things that I love about studying the books of the Bible is it's so rich. And so you know, as you read these stories, that you have heard your whole life and you be like you know what I'm saying Like it literally hits you, sometimes like a sack of potatoes for real. Oh, my gosh, I mean like for real. So, anyways, you know, before I go any further, I want to say thank you. I don't know if I said thank you, thank you, to everyone that has liked, you shared, you commented, uh, whatever you done, I'm so excited, okay, and like I said, um, this right here is something serious. Right, we take this, we don't take it for granted that we are vessels for Christ. We want to get the word out there because, you know, nowadays, um, it's people are not giving the unadulterated word, and so we are. Now, you know, we want to be able to learn it for ourselves. The Bible say study to show yourself approved, and so we want to be able to study it ourselves. Right, we don't know everything. We don't know it all. I ain't trying to get up here and be a know all or show all or whatever. I'm trying to be a Kiana and give it the way that God, daughter of the most high Right. So so, anyway, so I'm excited about the books of the Bible. Um, you know, make sure you are going to the YouTube channel. You can go and catch the replays, um, of the books of the Bible. You can also go to the podcast and catch it too. I make sure that it is out there where you for even you know, whatever way you like it, you know what I'm saying Like, if you like it on Facebook, look at it on Facebook. If you like it on YouTube, look at it on YouTube. If you like to listen to it, listen to it. It is available. So I wanted to, and I'm so thankful that God has given these resources and these tools where we can get the word of God out there. So I'm excited, y'all, I'm excited.

Speaker 1: 3:50

So, anyways, before we go a little further, I'm going to go ahead and say a quick prayer and then we can jump right on into the message tonight. Like I said, in my sister's absence. Trust me, she's going to be here next week, you know, but she is working, so I'm excited. So, anyways, I say a quick prayer. All right, dear Heavenly Father, we come to you.

Speaker 1: 4:20

First we want to say thank you. Thank you, god, for carving out this time that you have carved out for us. God, god, we thank you now, just even for this new month that you have brought us to God. We thank you now because we know it's at the end of the year, we know that we are going to finish this year strong, and so we thank you now for finishing the year strong. We thank you now for your love and your grace that you're going to bestow on us, god. God, we just thank you now for being in the midst. God. God, we want you to come in and to hide us behind the cross. Allow your word to go forth. Someone to hear this word, god. We want someone's heart to be pierced, someone to run and say and ask what they must do to be saved. And so we thank you now, god, for this word that is going to come forth. We thank you now for Ella Harper that is representing her family. God, we thank you now for touching her family, her children, her husband, everybody that is near and dear to her. God, we just thank you now for touching my family. We thank you now just for your love and being able to show your presence. God, we know that you are here and we thank you now. We love you, god, we honor you, god, we cherish you. It's in Jesus' name that I pray. Amen, amen, hallelujah. Thank you, god.

Speaker 1: 5:45

Don't get me to sing it on here. I know it's like. Did you say singing Uh-huh Singing, shouting at it? Yes, it's like prayer, right, it just yeah, the stirring was starting. I'm telling you, and the thing about it, you know we'll get on here, we will, even if we get off of you know we'll get on here, we will. Even if we get off of here, we can pray for another hour. People don't know. This thing is real. This thing is real. We can just do a prayer episode one day. That's fine, girl, come on now, come on in the room.

Speaker 1: 6:28

But anyways, I'm so excited about the lesson tonight. Oh, my goodness, we are still in the book of Genesis. I thought we were going to be able to move out of Genesis, but it's too much. There's a lot in Genesis move out of Genesis, but it's too much, it's too long, it is too many good stories. That is we need now, in this present day.

Speaker 1: 6:54

You know what I'm saying, and so this one right here is is something that I feel like is going to be good for this season, this time and this. You know this tonight for someone, and so the lesson is going to be the sacrifice of Isaac, which is faith tested. Ok, I know, I know I ain't the only one who faith has been tested. If your faith has been tested, put some fire in the chat, because we coming for the devil, right, we coming for the devil because we want to make sure that we want God to know that he is. We trust him, right, yes, but our faith is going to be tested. You know, you can look at the trials that is around you, you can look at everything and and you have to say, oh my God, what did God say? Though, you know what I'm saying, and so that is. That is a hard, sometimes it's very hard, but yeah, so, anyways, we're going to isaac's, the sacrifice of isaac and faith testing, and I'm gonna read.

Speaker 1: 8:09

I want to read all these scriptures because I feel like they give content. You have to, you have to have, even though everybody, probably you know most of us, I'm gonna say everybody, most of us know the story, but I do want to read um genesis 22, 1 through 19. Okay, yeah, it ain't it. They short scriptures, y'all. I'm gonna read in the english standard version, okay, so, thank you, right? Well, I'll be starting reading and you'll be like what's she reading from? Yeah, where we at, where we at, so, but anyways, genesis 22,.

Speaker 1: 8:59

It says 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 Marah and offer him there as a burnt offering, on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you and I'm going to start right there for a second how many times if God asked you to give something that you love, my God, you gave me this. My God, you gave me this. He want me, okay, anyways. So verse three says so.

Speaker 1: 9:43

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 he, of which God, had told him. On the third day, abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 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 will. I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you, and I want to stop right there.

Speaker 1: 10:20

In the King James version, it says that I will go and we will come back. Right, yes, it did. That is faith. Talk right there all day long. God, you knew you was going to do what God told you to do, okay. But you said we will come back, right, we will come back Right, right.

Speaker 1: 10:41

And so verse 6 says and Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac, his son, and he took it. He took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both. So they both of them together. 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 in the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Now, isaac looking like, okay, like, where where's that? Where's that, daddy, where's the lamb? Like, oh, okay, I don't see no lamb. See the lamb, I don't see it. But either, here is another faith talk that I got. Abraham said god will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. So they went both of them together. Now Abraham already knew he was sacrificing his son, but he still was faith talking. I love it, I love it.

Speaker 1: 11:59

So, anyways, verse nine say when they came to the place of which God had told him, abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order, in order and bound Isaac, his son, and lay him on the altar on top of the wood. Now I know Isaac was like hold up. I thought you said it was a lamb. What's going on? So, anyway, verse 10 it said that abraham reached out of his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son, but the angel of the lord called to him from heaven and said abraham, abraham. And he said here I am. He said do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear god, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son from me. And abraham lifted up his eyes and looked and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns, and, of course, the king james version of ram in the bush, don't they say that? And uh, abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.

Speaker 1: 13:15

So abraham called the name of that place the lord will provide, which a lot of people know it as Jehovah Jireh. Okay, I want to stop real. Second, in King James Version it does say thicket, but in the message in 14 I love this it says Abraham named that place. God Yireh, god sees to it. That was right after the Bible was caught in the thicket. Okay, keep going, keep going, but the Lord will provide.

Speaker 1: 13:56

As it is said to this day on the mount of the Lord, it shall be provided. Verse 15 it said and the angel of the Lord, it shall be provided. Verse 15 it said and the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said by myself, I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, and you see how it is stressed only son. Verse 17 says I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply your off offsprings as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore, and your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because you have obeyed my voice. So abraham returned to his young men and they arose and went together to beersheba. Okay, that is so.

Speaker 1: 15:03

Look just those scriptures. By itself, you know what I'm saying. It's so much in there together, you know, because of the simple fact that you know, and a lot of people may think that, okay, you know, abraham sacrificing his son, but I sacrificing his son, but I, you know, it's sometimes we, we, often we have to learn how to have that faith talk that that abraham had. When god give us that, give us a promise, or say that he's gonna do this, he's gonna do that, and god say, okay, well, will you give it back to me? That's almost like, that's almost like all tithe and all offering. When God say, oh, they say, you know, give a tenth, right, you know, we have to know that God gave it to us. He's the only one that give it to us, right, we got to steward it well and we have to know that when God asks us to do that.

Speaker 1: 15:58

So, when you think about that the story of Abraham and having to sacrifice his only, only son, his only son what comes to mind Like you know, because there's some people around here that don't like to sacrifice nothing First of all, like, why are you even asking me? So I'm going to stop doing what I want to do, you know, let alone something I really, really, really love, really really love. So what, when, when, when you, when you hear that the story of Abraham having to sacrifice Isaac, when, um, have that been like a time where you just had that God had given you something, and then you had to be like okay, god say okay, ok, I want you to give it back to me. Have that ever been a time where you had to do that? I remember, I do remember going through something similar to this, but not to this magnitude.

Speaker 1: 17:07

Similar to this, but not to this magnitude. But I do recall a time where I had to turn around and release something that was like new to me, and it's like it could be very painful because it's like there's a element of shock involved, and I feel like the Lord capitalizes on those moments, that human emotion, and it really challenges our flesh. And so it is going to have us confront and have to come to an intersection of and choose who am I going to serve? What is it that I care about the most? It's going to force you to choose a priority and so, um, yes, for myself. I can't even remember exactly what it was.

Speaker 1: 17:55

I just do remember this feeling of man, like I just got here or I just I just did this thing, and now you're telling me something else, right, but but it was for him, it was for his glory, and I'm like, um, yeah, I choose you, lord, I'm, I'm, I'm gonna go with what you want me to go with, because you know what's good, you know what's right, and so that's why I think, with Abraham, this is so big, because his faith was being built, you know, I mean, it doesn't tell all his backstory, so it's like we don't know all the things that caused his faith to be built, to be able to believe this, something like this Right, your only son and notice, they stress, only only son Multiple times. And I can you know one of the times where I was like, you know, my faith was truly tested and you know, god had given me something big that I had been praying for. And then he was like, okay, you know it was when, you know, I started at the radio and I know, you remember, I got the, got the, you know, got. I had my own radio show and all that stuff. It did, it did. God was like, okay, now I need you to move here. And I'm like, well, god, I just started there. And I'm like, you know, the same day that I signed the contract for the radio, god wanted me to go look at apartment in, you know, in Atlanta. And I'm like, well, god, but I did it because of the simple fact that I knew his voice and that that's all that's the thing right there, his voice, and that that's all, that's the thing right there. We have to know his voice and know when god is saying that god is doing. You know I'm saying, and so you know. So that leads us to that first point.

Speaker 1: 19:56

Where is the nature of tested faith? Right, you know that faith beyond understanding, you know we don't understand it. You know, abraham's faith was tested in the most extreme way, you know, when god commanded him to sacrifice his long-awaited son, his only son, the son that he had in his old age. And I stress, oh, and that's the time. So, um, you know it's and, and the thing about it. You know, we have to know that sometimes that faith beyond understanding is, um, you know, it looked, they looked at like a certain type of way, it's looked crazy. You know, we have to know that people are not even just us. People are looking at us like we crazy. So when you have those faiths, that's beyond understanding how do you handle those situations where you like okay, god said it, god said it, I'm going to believe it how do you handle those situations?

Speaker 1: 21:30

Because I didn't have to like waver in my voice or, you know, show that I wasn't certain it. I mean it was just like. You know, this is what he said, and I mean it was I'm not going to say it was high or low or very emotional or not. The point was, at the end of the day, whatever I was displaying, whatever I was giving off, whatever I was showing is, you know, this is what the Lord told us to do, this is what I'm going to do, you know. So it's like no matter if I had shared how I felt about it, or, you know, if I was, if I was concerned or not. I just knew that.

Speaker 1: 22:07

I think for me, like I was just so deeply rooted that if he said it, it's going to happen. So that kind of brought a different kind of attitude to it, like we don't have no choice here, you know. So, um, yeah, I, um, yeah, for me, I, definitely, whoever I talk to, or whatever, if they understood it or not, it would just be like look, this is what, this is what God said. So we just gonna have to go with it, you know, and just look at it on the back end. Look, pray for right. Just truly imagine how Isaac face was looking like. You know what I'm saying. And it reminded me of jesus carrying his own cross to his his, you know, and I was, and I was sitting, I was like, right, he would carry his own cross.

Speaker 1: 23:22

You, you know, and the thing about it, some people really don't understand that faith. That's how faith is, you know, abraham, but see, when he, when he went, and he was saying and he told his service, oh, we'll be back, don't work. That's how. That's the character of God, right, we know that he. We can trust god's actions, we can trust his character because he undid it before. Right, we know that, okay, and and and you know the thing about it, it says abraham believed god could even raise Isaac from the dead, even if he did have to go all the way through with it. That's the type of faith that we have to have when it comes to that point where we know that God promises a yes and amen.

Speaker 1: 24:19

It's been some time, let me tell y'all. Just last week, remember, I was telling you last week. I ain't gonna go into full, full detail, but I was waiting on, I was waiting on on um, I said a little piece of change, right, let's wait on a little piece of change. And I said, well, god, I know you got. And the moment that I was like I believe God, that next day it came through and I was like, look at God, because of the simple fact that I can trust God's character because he's done it before. Right, he done did it before, he'll do it again. He done did it before and he'll do it again. So we can definitely relate that to Abraham when he got the son.

Speaker 1: 25:09

When he got the son, that was very faith building in itself. So he probably was able to say the same thing you know, lord, well, you gave me this child. So if you could do that, if you could give me a child beyond my childbearing years and my wife's right years, and you and you, you brought it into being. This wasn't even my idea. So I'm sure you're able you're more than able to see this through. So, yeah, I think how that was very faith building right there. I mean, you know, and a lot of people is, and I feel like the problem of today is is that people don't realize God track record. They do not pay attention to his track record, they don't pay attention to the fact that he brought you out. He brought you out of darkness, he healed your body. You know what I'm saying. You know, and I think that's that's a thing.

Speaker 1: 26:14

The Lord knew that things would have to be called into remembrance. He calls us that. There's this aspect of remembering that we in this flesh, our humanity, have to do. We're just not able to live life and hold on to every fact and full cognition like he is at all times, because he's eternal, he lives outside of time. Well, we're living inside of time. So we have, we have memories and we have to recall. We have to do this thing of recollection, and so it's like okay, I need you to remember what I did before.

Speaker 1: 26:58

Look back, you know, and that's why these stories in the bible are so important to us, because even that will aid us in looking back, you know, and looking at what he did and he was so meticulous in his instructions and why he said what he said. So it gives us even a greater reason to trust him, because he's so intentional, he has forethought, foresight, right. Well, he is all of that, because even the fact that, like you said, he had to carry his own wood. That wood is even a symbol of humanity, that that represents human being, mankind, you know. And Jesus having to carry his cross, you know it's that same symbolism there. It's like not only um has he done it before and he's continuing to do it.

Speaker 1: 27:50

There's layers of his genius that we, we, should be able to stand back and see and be able to trust that as well. Even he's got, he's got mechanisms within these situations to build our faith even the more right. You know what I'm saying. So it's not just what he said is how he do right, move right. All of it put together is building this bigger picture, like you can trust me, right, right, I mean, just like how the bible say in romans 8, 28.

Speaker 1: 28:22

You know I'm saying we know that all things work together, you know, for the good, for the good of those who love the Lord, and so you know, you know being that, when we are doing doing the faith, I know it's hard to do it, and so that leads us to the next one, which is the cost and the significance of his obedience. We know that it's hard to do. Being obedient is, of course, like the Bible says, better than sacrifice. Right, obedience is better than sacrifice. Why? Because God knows that he can trust you when he tell you to do something. Oh Lord, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 29:09

We often get to that point where it be so hard to be obedient when God tell us to do something, but it comes at a cost, because if God can't trust us, then guess what? He won't even give us. What we send our way though Right, you know what I'm saying or it'll stop the blessings that he wants to give us. It's blessings that he wants, it's blessings that we want and blessings that we need. It's stuff we don't even recognize that we need. It's stuff we don't even recognize, right, that we need. It's like being obedient to him unlocks levels, like it unlocks a whole, like parts of his kingdom that we need. Like how can I, you know, give you this that's gonna change the world, right? I can't get you to do this, right, that's just gonna help you. You know what I mean, and your family, you know. So the blessing that he got after that was huge, right, you know. And, like you said, it unlocks levels, oh, my goodness. And I and it's I don't know why I always go to Super Mario Brothers.

Speaker 1: 30:32

I'm always thinking about Super Mario Brothers. I love you. It's okay, stay right there with Super Mario, but you know, like, when you get, when you get on one level and you, you know, like, when you get, when you um get on one level and you, you know, you do do this and do that, you unlock so many different things. You know, and that's how it is with God, when you could be, when you could be doing exactly what God asked you to do to get to that next level, god is going to open up more things and give you more blessings and unlock this and unlock that, but he can't give it to you all at once. You know what I'm saying. If you have all of that at once, because he don't know if you're going to be obedient on that next level, god might ask you to sacrifice everything on that next level, right, everything. And then you say well, john, I don't know about that, I don't want to be obedient, I don't want to do that, I don't got to hear it because it's so hard. You know so.

Speaker 1: 31:31

But we know that the high cost of obedience which is Abraham obedience was not just about following a command. It involved the willingness to give up the most precious thing in his life, his son Isaac. We know that the true obedience to God often requires sacrifice. It can be deeply costly. Can you imagine having to give up your son? Can you imagine having to give up your son? I just couldn't imagine. But you got people. People nowadays don't even want to give up a tenth of their money. You know what I'm saying. They don't want to give they. They be talking why I gotta get a church 10, 10 percent. Uh, because I mean you know what I'm like, why I got to get a church 10%. Because I mean you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 32:26

So when you think about that deeply costly obedience or sacrifice that we have to do, man, there have been a time where you just had to be like okay, god, I hope to be obedient, and it was the very, very hard, something hard for you to give up. It was more like instructions of what I had to do. There was something that I wanted to do that I could not do at the cost of being disobedient. So I had to stay put instead of moving away or leaving from a certain situation. But staying there was like the best decision that I could have made. I mean burned me to the core. I mean burn, okay, cause, like, when I say burn, I mean like, ooh, the burning was so. That was it. That's what he was going for. He was going for my heart to be changed, my mind, my thinking to be augmented.

Speaker 1: 33:33

Like I could not have gone on the path that he had chosen for me to go on if I had not done this thing, if I had not passed this test, because, um, no, it was a big sacrifice, um, and, and it costs a lot, because I had to endure, you know. So the cost was you know, can you sit still, can you endure this for me? Um know, can you sit still, can you endure this for me? Um, and it was a lot. I mean to tears, to, I mean, I felt like I was dying. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1: 34:11

So, so, so, yeah, when, when god does these things? Like he have, um, he has a purpose for it. You know, um, I had something to say, uh, when you said deep cost, um, oh, what was it? Um, but that sacrifice man, that sacrifice it, he knows what he's doing. He knows what he's doing because he's he's working on something, he's trying to build something in us, he's trying to get something to us and it's like man, if we don't just let go, right, let go and let him do what he's doing. Right, like they say, let go, let God. Right, we can't see the rest of the story, right, right, I know what I was about to say. The story, right, right. Oh, I know what I was about to say.

Speaker 1: 35:07

Listen, it's really terrible that. You know, we need to just learn how to honor the lord and really trust the fact that he know what he's doing for real, because the world is getting it. The enemy and his cohorts are understanding this process and procedure because things are becoming exposed and uncovered, you know, especially regarding sacrifice and things of that matter that matter. Can we, can we love god, can we desire god so much, so right, can we, um, be okay with his system and how it worked? It might not be fulfilling greed for us, it might not be fulfilling, um, the lust of the eyes and the flesh in the, in the, in life, right, right. But can we go through his testing, go through his processes, to receive the glory? Can we value glory? Because the world is valuing power, the world, right, doing money and fame, and they are receiving money, power and fame, but we know that those things will fail? Right? Can we submit to a system that is going to give us something that's everlasting, that's not gonna burn, and all the way when, when he comes to to test everything by fire? Like, right, you know right, yeah, I mean you know. Like, like you say, we, the the world is getting it right, they is getting it, but we, the thing about it.

Speaker 1: 36:46

We have to know that, even whatever we go through, even the stuff that we have to give up in obedience, we know that we're going to get it back. You know what I'm saying. So that's why we have to um worship, even when we are being obedient. You know what I'm saying? Right, and that's part of it. Like god is so good, like he he's he even built worship into his system and we have to understand, like the job, what is the purpose of worship, all of these things, like you just mentioned about Romans 8, about all things working together. Right, it's not just the system, it's not just the experiences that we live that's going to work together. It's how we interact with his ways that make it work. You know what I'm saying, girl. Like our participation, our yielding, he got worship right there. Do you know what worship is doing for us. Right, it's helping us out. Right, you know what I'm saying Because you know what's the thing about it. That is a form, even in our obedience is that form of worship? You know, because we, we allow him, we know that God, we recognize that he is the Lordship, that he is over our lives. He is the one that's leading us, he is the one that's guiding us so we can. That's a form of worship, right there, amen. You know. We don't have to say there, there, amen. You know, oh, my gosh, when you just said even obedience, that obedience is a form of worship too.

Speaker 1: 38:29

You know what I thought, thought about now I'm late to the party. I didn't know how to play um uno, like we play now. We gotta take your black card. Wait a second, you? No, I was right, oh, my god, not around a whole bunch of cousins, okay, oh, my goodness, right around me all the time in my youth to just be learning a whole bunch of different stuff. But, yeah, take it because it took on that. You know how to play spades, though. Right, yeah, I know how to play spades. Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'm good. But all that stacking and all of that, that adding on and all y'all get to draw to.

Speaker 1: 39:14

But that's what this reminded me of. It's like worship on top of worship on top of worship. You see what I'm saying? Because it's the lifestyle, it's what he built into the game. He built it into it so that we can have that prophetic advantage. We can have that God advancement according to the way he already set it into being, because he said that we're the head and not the tail. Right, we're above only and not beneath, so it's like we don't have to advance in the evil way, like how the enemy is doing. You know that's costing in a negative way, right, what we're costing is is, according to our flesh, it's a sacrificing of our desire, our will, right, but we don't understand that it is accelerating us in ways that we don't even understand and being able to position us for blessings. That's going to affect us. We don't love God, right, right, right. And like you say, and that's the next point, is the joy of the obedience when we get to that point, because we get those blessings you know what I'm saying we, you know, we get, you know the promises that God multiplying his, you know, his descendant multiplying his nation, multiplying this, all those we get that. You know what I'm saying, because we were obedient and doing what God has called us to do. You know that's, that's so good. I love it. I love it. So, anyways.

Speaker 1: 40:55

The next one is the foreshadowing of divine provision. Okay, now we know that at this moment is the foreshadowing of divine provision. Okay, now we know that at this moment, abraham was when he was about to sacrifice Isaac. God intervened and provided a ram as a substitute. You know this. It didn't only spare Isaac, but it also show how God was able to provide in those desperate circumstances, because he know that we are. He knew that Abraham was, you know, going to do it. He knew that Abraham was like, look, you said it, god, I know you know, was like look, you said it, god. I I know you know.

Speaker 1: 41:46

So have there been a time where you just was like, um, god had asked you to do something and and you was like, okay, okay, god, I'm gonna do it. And he stepped in and said, no, you ain't gotta do that, like, oh, let me see, I don't know, it's been a long time. Did he have to do something? Yes, like I was about to do something and then he just went ahead and um and did it himself. Yeah, um, I can say, because here's the thing, because God knows he knows his faithful servants, yeah, he does. And he know that, like I'm a, I'm a faithful servant. Yeah, and, and you and you know me, if God tell me to do something, good what I'm gonna do it, I don't care how nervous, scared I am, I'm gonna do it.

Speaker 1: 42:35

But you know, it's been times where God just say, you know what? I got a ram that I don't have. You don't have to sacrifice it, I got you. You know what I'm saying. And it's been, you know, especially in those moments where you are being obedient out of despite of something that you really didn't want to give up, but you would. It don't matter, you know what I'm saying Because you're God and I understand it. And God is like, nah, nah, I got you. I just I'm saying because you're God and I understand it, and God is like, nah, nah, I got you. I just I was just texting you, I was just, you know what I'm saying. So I have that bit, a moment, where you just been like you know what, god, I'm gonna do it, and God said, nah, yeah, I got you, I got you, thank you.

Speaker 1: 43:18

Yeah, I know I have like come across that to some degree in my walk. I again, when I read these stories, it really puts me in the the severity mindset of it. So that's why I'm trying to recall, and I don't recall something like to this extreme. But, yes, um, just like Jesus said, you know, there's nothing that's uncommon a man. He's been tempted by everything, just like us. So it's like, yeah, I know I have definitely come across this in my life to some degree and I have been thankful for every time there was a ram in the bush, because I know that, you know, I have felt that and and received him as that, like a nod, like a wink right, all right, yeah, that's right, good job, good job. I knew you were gonna do it, I got you man. Yeah, you know, and that's and that's the thing God knows. Like I said, he knows his faithful servants Right, and he knows that, even in the midst of us, you know, like Pastor Darius always say doing nervous and scared Sometimes he know that it's going to be too bad and he know you're doing, but he be like no, I got you.

Speaker 1: 44:42

You know what I'm saying, cause I know it's been plenty of time where I just been like like, okay, god, I'll do it. And I can say, like you know, it was something, I was trying to think of something, but it was something that I really, really didn't want to do and I kept praying, and I really really didn't want to do and I kept praying and I think I think you, I know I was telling you one time, but oh, I can't remember exactly what it was, but I know I was praying, I was like God, almost like Jesus, like, okay, god, can you take this away from me? You know I'll do it, but can you tell? And God, just, he just did it. You know he took it away because he knew that I would do it anyways.

Speaker 1: 45:33

And so you know, sometimes we have to realize that, no matter what God is doing, he's always going to provide a way, like, like they say, if he brought you to it, he'll bring you through it, regardless. You know what I'm saying He'll make a way, he'll provide for you, he'll make, and that's and that's where Jehovah Jireh came, that's where the Lord, the Lord will provide, came. You know, we know Abraham named that place because he had the ram in the bush, because he said okay, yeah, you don't have to sacrifice your son, I see, see that you would do it. I see that you, that you would listen to my voice and you would do it, but now I'm going to provide for you, and so that's, that's the that's. You know, I feel like that's how God is and absolutely it is how God is, and I feel like the Bible is really like.

Speaker 1: 46:25

The bible is really well, not even just about all of it, us living it out right, us being people in this world, children of his that he made. It's really like him telling his story, because that's how, like, when I was reading in the message translations, that translation um, and I think this one is um, it's not word for word, but it, it still gives um, like the, the wording of of what the strongs is, and so when it said um jehovah jireh was saying you know, god sees to it. That mean like god sees to it himself, and so that's like another way of saying God will provide. But the thing about that is it's like he has been providing since the beginning, right? So even just the fact that he made him wait a little bit, you know what I'm saying. Like all of this, the way it had to be walked out, right, the fact that it took time you know what I'm saying right, the fact that the fact that they were walking all the way to the top of the mountain, god was like he made them wait. You know it's, it's like okay, like you know that's he was really making his point, I'm right, and I mean, there are situations like this where he's like you're going to learn, you about to see me today. I'm gonna show you who I you about to pass this test. You gonna pass this test, you're gonna get it. You know what I'm saying and I feel like that's what this word, that's what our lives really, for real, is really all about, because the reality is is that he's seeing to it all. You know he, he has to even even want to talk about jesus. You know, um, oh wait, was it jesus? No, no, no. Let me back up. Yeah, no, no, no. I think I'm talking about a prophecy. That's regarding jesus, um, and it is actually regarding intercession.

Speaker 1: 48:17

He was looking for a man and he couldn't find anybody to um, you know, to do. He was trying to get done, and it's like he, he said to himself like I have to do this myself. You know what I'm saying. And so it's like, yes, that that's what he was always up to. He's always been doing things himself to you know, show forth, show mankind, you, mankind, this is who I am, this is who you are. We are learning him, we are learning his ways before we meet him again. We're not gonna be strangers when we meet him again and he catches up, we're gonna learn and know okay, you really are who you say, you are right, right and so it. And so it's like, yeah, this was like you said, it was a foreshadowing to show how he was able to provide, and it's like this he tells his stories over and over again in different volumes in the book, and it's like his voice and pick gets larger with each picture, even leading up to the cross, and it's like, right, we don't get it by now.

Speaker 1: 49:32

You know exactly, exactly, exactly. You know, and, and and we know that, like I, and I said this earlier about how um isaac had to carry his own um wood and fire and stuff, it's just like jesus, it's. This is, you know, christ's sacrifice when, when god provided his only son right, so he didn't make, he didn't just make Abraham do it. He did it too. You know what I'm saying, that's what I'm saying. He did it too.

Speaker 1: 50:13

Like he's not gonna ask us to do stuff that you know he know we're not capable of and this is what I wanted to say earlier Cause like he will not put more on us than what we can bear. We never think about that scripture in like a different context. But even when it comes to sacrificing, he knows what we're capable of. He knows, you know and I don't know why I'm thinking about like a manager, but you know, most good managers, they know they are capable of doing exactly what the employee do, right. So they know that, okay, if I can, if you're doing it, I could do it. That means I could do it too, you know, and that's how it is.

Speaker 1: 50:58

God, god, already, he, he knows that we're capable of it, because guess what? I'm going to send my son? I'm going to send my only son, you know, to sacrifice, and we know that Jesus went on, he actually all the way to save us. So we know that we can trust that God will provide for our needs. You know, even when he has asked us to sacrifice, we don't have to worry about the simple fact that God is. You know, he asked us to sacrifice. Oh, my God, I got to sacrifice, but you're going to get a greater reward. You know we can live with that assurance that God's provision is always timely. Yes, so you know, when you think about how God's provision is always timely and perfect, um, god's provision is always timely and perfect Cause you got some people that um don't like waiting, god done told them to do something.

Speaker 1: 52:13

They, they don't like waiting and they feel like they can rush it. But when you think about how God's um his time and how perfect his time is, what do you think about that? How? Because God has perfect time, oh, my goodness, so he doesn't just like they say, the ram in the bush, it came out, it came out of nowhere. They brought and this is, this is what I don't. I ain't gonna say I don't get, but they was up there doing all of this and they didn't even see that the lamb was in the bush. You see what I'm saying? Huh, it just, it just came right. So when you think about how perfect god timing is, you know in our life, and even now we know that god is going to show up, do um, what do you think about when you think about that? So that's something.

Speaker 1: 53:00

Actually, it's been one of my favorite topics lately, because we have been talking about that in our ministry too, and one thing that really stood out about it to me something that our pastor brought up is that God is working on something before and he is touching this person, touching that person. He's waiting for this to happen, he's getting this to happen, and so all of these different moving parts, we don't see it at the moment, right, but in due time, when that perfect time comes, it's gonna meet on our location at the perfect time. Why? That's because he is setting the scene, right. He is setting the scene. So, even if that ram had a shoulder, it wouldn't have meant nothing. If isaac went up there, if my bush, if that ram had been waiting in the bush even before they got up there, it would not have meant anything. If, right, if abraham wasn't up there, right? So if, if isaac just decided to run up the hill with his own wood, just to be running up there, what did that mean? Nothing. It had to be this scenario. It had to be okay. Y'all go up and worship, go sacrifice.

Speaker 1: 54:20

You said, all the instructions, everything mattered. All of this mattered because it set the scene. It. It set the scene, it put an expectation out there. So God is going to match up.

Speaker 1: 54:33

See, we think so small of the Lord, my God. We think that he can't, we think that he can't fulfill, he can't meet the budget, he can't meet the other end, he can't fulfill the promise, he can't do the miraculous thing. That's going to not only blow our mind but complete the equation. You know what I'm saying. So, when it comes to this waiting, people don't need to think you just waiting, just to be waiting, because God feel like just holding his, his hand back. No right, that's too simple, that's right. That girl, that's too small, that's too small. And and like you said, you know, everything had to work together.

Speaker 1: 55:22

God is a strategic God and you know, and when he gave the instructions and said go do this, go do this, go do this, you know what I'm saying. And we have to be able to to, you know, trust God fully to do what God has, those strategic things that God has given us. We have to be able to say you know what, no matter how, how difficult it seems, no matter what the situation is, we can obey him and say you know what I'm going to do, this, this and this. You know what I'm saying, my God, just like. Just like when we tell our children, okay, go, do this, this, this, and if they miss one, one step, it's gonna throw everything off because you're not listening and you're not trusting that what I told you to do. That is gonna get you to the expected end, right, and that's what God is trying to get you to the expected end, right, and that's what God is trying to get us to. Is that expected end? And we have to know that, if he brought us to it, he is going to, he is truly going to take us through it and we have to have that faith.

Speaker 1: 56:41

You know our faith is going to get tested. I don't want y'all to sit out here and just think that, yeah, you know, I done, did this, god, I done, did that, I done, did that. Your faith is still going to get tested because the enemy knows right, he knows, just like you know, what God told you to do. The enemy knows, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, and most people don't feel like their faith is gonna get tested because god told them. Your faith is gonna get tested regardless, and we have to. We have to make sure that we are trusting that god will provide for all our needs according to his will, regardless of what the enemy is trying to tell us and what he's trying to do. So you know, right there, I really think that, like you said, we don't, we don't think our faith is going to get tested.

Speaker 1: 57:37

I I I think sometimes kind of we get kind of tunnel vision. You know, we get kind of singularly focused on the thing we want. You know, we get very kind of just, I just want this thing, I'm just waiting for this one thing, and we're not even recognizing that we are a part of, like such a larger situation, like the scope is bigger and wider than what we think. And the fact is is that we say, yes, our lives are not our own, so that there's so many components and factors that are moving all at once to get us to where we need to be and to get other people where they need to be, and then we forget that we're inside the word and that we have an enemy, that there is opposition, you know, and it's like, don't, don't forget that, just because you've been given instructions that you have to persevere Like you got to like little, like stay in that thing. You can't lean on your own feelings inside thing. You can't lean on your own feelings inside exactly. And I think, right, it's like an order there. We can't default back to our feelings while we're waiting. You know, yes, that's why our faith just about got to be tested anyway, because we, we don't know how to like hang in there long enough to, you know, stay the course. Because we'd be ready to jump ship, because it make us feel some kind of way, you know, and that's how. That's why he got it. That's part of the reason why he got to do it, because he's wanting us to learn to stay in there, stay the course. And though there is distraction, you know, and we make up, we we have to recognize that something is probably going to happen. Expect it, you know it. Just gone and expect it and recognize that you gotta stay focused in order to get to it.

Speaker 1: 59:40

And the bible say in first peter one and seven I wanted to read the scripture so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perishes through it is, though it is tested by fire may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. So we know that it's gonna be tested and it's so good it's gonna go through the fire. I just wanted to read that again. It was so good. You want me to read it again? Yeah, please. So good so that the tested genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that perished though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. That's 1 Peter, 1 and 7.

Speaker 1: 1:00:38

Listen, he's telling us right there. Right there, he is wanting us to value his stuff. Look Right, it's more precious than gold. It's more Come on now. More precious than gold. Your tested faith is more precious than gold. My tested faith is more.

Speaker 1: 1:01:00

You know what we need to say that out in the audience. Type that, type that. Type that. More precious than gold. More precious than gold or more precious, because you know when you think about it, that's what people is after now. Is gold, right, money, fame, whatever you know, but your fame tested, tested and tried that is that valuable, lord. Is that what you're telling me? Me making it to the other side, is more valuable than a currency. Uh, in this world, this system, people get killed over gold. People are hungry for gold, right? Oh, my god, that is that's. We don't think there's nothing. We just want to whine and complain, or we want to not give it or not do it.

Speaker 1: 1:01:55

You know, I'm telling you and he's trying to get us to ascribe value to us going through this process, allowing him to work in this something that is going to result in praise and glory. We need to study where glory is. We need to study and understand the value of praise. Everything has a job and I think that I just want people to understand this, that a lot of times we read these words and I just really want to encourage people to do word studies and things like that and go deeper into the meanings of these things, because when you're real carnal, minded the word praise, the word glory, it just sounds real churchy, it sounds like something good, it sounds like something godly. But what does it mean? What is it? What is the importance of it? Right, and it is said even at the, at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Right Of Jesus. So it's like he's trying to reveal himself. Exactly. That goes back to what I was saying in the beginning Like, this is his whole masterpiece.

Speaker 1: 1:03:00

He said we, his workmanship. In the first place, we're his handiwork. So not only are we, his workmanship, his handiwork, right, right, this whole story is our life. We're valuable. So, even those who, thinking about taking a life you can't even take your life, don't do it. Right, because you're valuable.

Speaker 1: 1:03:21

The lord is telling you that your story is valuable, your life is valuable. Right, he's trying to reveal Jesus to you. That's so good. That's so good. I love that. I love that. This is why he tells us to think on these things. Right, you see, because this is what elevates our mind, this is what causes us to come out of stinking thinking. This is the stuff that causes us to not stay in the rhythm, in the patterns and systems of this world. Something has to break that up, and the only thing that's going to break that up is the truth. And Isaac and Abraham is showing us a pattern today.

Speaker 1: 1:04:07

I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I'm telling you oh, my goodness, well, look, we're going to bring you to that expected end. God wants to see, he's going to test you to make sure that you are a true warrior for him, you are faithful to him. You are going to do everything that he asks. Faithful to him, you are going to, you know, um, do everything that he asked you to do, and that's that's how he knows that he can trust you with his blessings. He can trust you with his um, you know, with with all the glory that he's going to give us and everything. So I'm excited, um, elder Harper, I'm going to just let you say what you have to say and go ahead on and pray, and then I mean we'll, we'll get on out of here tonight.

Speaker 1: 1:05:14

So in the closing prayer, I just want to um pray for our minds to shift and to change about sacrifice. Let our minds be changed when it comes to um yielding to god, yielding to his word, yielding to the things that he has given for us to do, like Keonah said, because it is going to bring us to our expected end and we don't have to overthink things. It's just a matter of love and letting the repertoire that's being built, the record that he is, is is, bringing into our lives. Let that be the loudest voice, not the white noise, not the bills, not the children, all of these things that want to pull on all of our faculties and just desire all these different parts of us, but he he is. He gives us a way of escape every time that we are tempted, and we don't have to give into a temptation of distrust, right, right, we can hang on to his unchanging hand and apply what has been given in his word in Romans 8, what he's been given in his word in Genesis 22, and so that's what I want to cover for us, because we all have to walk this out. We all have to walk this out, oh, honey, hallelujah.

Speaker 1: 1:06:34

So, father, god, in the name of Jesus, we thank you tonight, lord God, for another opportunity to go through your word and glean. We pick up the spoils, we pick up the nutrition, god, that you have left for us in the field. We thank you, lord, god, that it is your desire for us to grow and to share and to grow. You want us to multiply. So I pray that your word springs forth, lord God, in your people. Father, let them see that you are doing a new thing. Don't they see it that you're doing it now? You're doing it might as well, you're doing the work in them now and, father, with every step that they take closer to you, father, you are taking multiple steps towards them. So I thank you that your word is true, that when we draw nigh to you, you draw nigh to us.

Speaker 1: 1:07:20

I pray for each one of us, lord god, to operate in obedience. I pray that we be obedient to your voice, lord, because you know what you're doing, you know where you're trying to get us to, father. So let us lay aside every weight that so easily besets us, father, and follow hard after you. Father, forgive us. Forgive us for every time we said no, forgive us for every time we questioned and doubted. Forgive us for every time we didn't understand your great plan, where we couldn't do the math to put two and two together, because that's not even what's required. You just require us to see you, hear you and obey, just to obey. So I pray that it be uncomplicated, lord. Oh, god, forgive us.

Speaker 1: 1:08:05

And just let it be uncomplicated, god, for your people, father, that we would just trust you wholeheartedly, knowing that you know exactly what you are doing. You are a Jehovah child and you have revealed yourself to us through your word, and I thank you, father, that this is protected. Lord, god, put a hedge of protection around every viewer, every listener, every person who intends to respond to your voice tonight. So we thank you, god, for your covering and we lift up Miss Kiana, father, that she would continue to be strengthened, lord God, in her walk of obedience, and I thank you that you're doing it in her as well. Thank you, lord God, for it all. In Jesus' name, we pray Hallelujah, amen, amen, lord, thank you, god, girl, thank you, jesus. I'm telling you, I'm telling you, I felt that. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. We thank you, god, for everything.

Speaker 1: 1:09:06

And, like I always say every week, this will not stick if you do not give your life to Christ. You have to be able to know that he is your savior. You have to be able to know that he is the one that is going to kind of lead and guide you to all. It is what we talked about, because everything we talked about is not going to work if you don't give your life to Christ. So all you have to do is ask a-c-t-s. You can acknowledge that you are a sinner. You can confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the cross. You can turn from your ways, turn from the ways that's going against him. You can seek after a Bible based church, a church that is teaching the word of God and not changing the word of God. Ok, and so, anyways, I thank you.

Speaker 1: 1:09:57

Thank you, elder Harper, for your time, for your diligence being here. God, I thank you. I ask God to protect you. Diligence being here. God, I thank you. I ask God to protect you and cover you. I'm so excited that you are here. You can always, always, make sure you go to the website at wwwcubicchristcom. Y'all. I got my book coming. I'm so excited. Look, let me tell y'all it's taking a minute because it's in the working Like we working it, we working it. Right, I'm so excited about that. And so you can still go and you can pre-order um at at wwwcubephricecom or wwwcubephriceorg. You can go to both websites. So, anyways, make sure you are going to the podcast, make sure you are just liking sharing. You're doing all that good stuff. So, anyways, I thank you again and I just want you to please stay cute for Christ. All right, bye, y'all.