Suggestions for Spiritual Awakening Audios

PeppermintPatty said:
I’m trying to read the Bible. I’ve tried the King James Version… it’s hard to read due to all the thou’s etc, I bought a kids version but the typeset is far too small, now I’ve ordered another child’s version. I just want to read the Bible. Why? I’ve studied spirituality for decades now and most of the info gives reference to the Bible.

At the moment I’m reading “Tea and Cake with Demons. It’s a book about Buddhism and I’m enjoying it. It’s easy to read and understand.

For some reason, and I’m not sure why, reading the Bible scares me. I think that’s why I’ve always given up. I’m constantly coming across the rath of God and his vengeance.
When reading spiritual literature I’ve never come across such a vengeful God.

Tea and Cake with Demons sounds scary but isn’t.

In order to complete my Bible study in 52 weeks I have to read the Bible. I’m hoping the new book I’ve ordered will work for this course I’m doing.
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Hello Patty, if you have already read a good book about Buddhism, I can warmly recommend a gentle book by Jack Kornfield, A Path With Heart. I found it keeps the promise on the cover of being "a guide through the perils and promises of spiritual life."

Reading the Bible isn't easy, but then again, I struggled with other epic literature, which is why I suggested you look at it from the angle I described. If you read it as literature that is working up to the fulfilment of a calling for the Jews, with those people becoming the suffering servants in a world full of alienation and sin, you might understand its direction. Christians say that Jesus was the fulfilment, and Christianity took on that role, but as history shows, Christianity has made (and continues to make) many of the mistakes that the Old Testament describes in its stories.

There are plenty of wrathful gods in epic literature: Indra (Hindu Mythology), Tlaloc (Aztec Mythology), Ares and Zeus (Greek Mythology), and Thor (Norse Mythology). The wrath of gods frequently acts as a catalyst for the conflicts that drive the plot forward in epic literature. When gods become angry or vengeful, they often instigate or exacerbate conflicts between mortals or between mortals and other supernatural beings, leading to epic battles and quests. The wrath of gods often tests the character and virtue of the heroes of epic literature. Heroes who can withstand or overcome the challenges posed by wrathful gods demonstrate their strength, courage, and moral integrity, earning the respect and favour of both gods and mortals.

Characters like Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh also exhibit traits of wrathfulness, but they undergo significant character development throughout the course of their stories. Gilgamesh begins the epic as a tyrannical and arrogant ruler who abuses his power and authority, often demonstrating wrathful behaviour toward his subjects. For example, he is depicted as arbitrarily asserting his right to sleep with newlywed brides, a practice that brings suffering to the people of Uruk. However, as the story progresses, Gilgamesh undergoes a transformation through his encounters and adventures. His friendship with Enkidu, a wild man created by the gods, leads to profound changes in his character. Through their friendship and shared experiences, Gilgamesh learns humility, compassion, and the value of companionship.

Remember, epic tales are also from societies which, on the surface, are far different to ours. Unfortunately, what often happens out of our sight resembles the epic tales of the past.
 

Thank you stopplemann. I’ve read a path with a heart, wherever you go, there you are, the power of NOW, and a few others which I can’t think of at the moment. All the books were easy to read. I think the reading problem has more to do with my mind.

The main reason I’m reading the Bible is because I bought a 52 week course on the Bible. If this new Bible doesn’t work then I’ll work on something else. I just want something to keep me on track with being guided by spirit.

Thank you for your detailed reasons while biblical literature is filled with ‘wrath’ . I thought I spelled that wrong.
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
Thank you stopplemann. I’ve read a path with a heart, wherever you go, there you are, the power of NOW, and a few others which I can’t think of at the moment. All the books were easy to read. I think the reading problem has more to do with my mind.
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Interesting! From Jon Kabat Zinn I have Coming To Our Senses and Full Catastrophe Living.
 
Question for anyone.

How do YOU know when GOD is talking to you or answering your prayers?

Is it a gut feeling, like intuition?
 
PeppermintPatty said:
I’m trying to read the Bible. I’ve tried the King James Version… it’s hard to read due to all the thou’s etc, I bought a kids version but the typeset is far too small, now I’ve ordered another child’s version. I just want to read the Bible. Why? I’ve studied spirituality for decades now and most of the info gives reference to the Bible.

At the moment I’m reading “Tea and Cake with Demons. It’s a book about Buddhism and I’m enjoying it. It’s easy to read and understand.

For some reason, and I’m not sure why, reading the Bible scares me. I think that’s why I’ve always given up. I’m constantly coming across the rath of God and his vengeance.
When reading spiritual literature I’ve never come across such a vengeful God.

Tea and Cake with Demons sounds scary but isn’t.

In order to complete my Bible study in 52 weeks I have to read the Bible. I’m hoping the new book I’ve ordered will work for this course I’m doing.
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If you're going to try and read the Bible, I think you should use an New International Version. The message hasn't changed but the language is everyday English which makes even the process easier.

As far as 'when do you know God is answering your prayer'......I don't know. I was baptized into the Baptist church first and then entered the Seventh Day Adventist Church via declaration of faith, was on the church board for two years, taught children's classes for most of the 10 years I was a member, ran daily vacation Bible school two summers, went to weekly Bible studies and I could not give you an answer to that question. Maybe I'm too left brain, pragmatic or something but I often thought that people declare prayers answered when things work out like they want them too in the first place.

Like a friend once, who was working on his car's motor and just before he was supposed to go pick his kid up from school, dropped a bolt. For years after it was his go-to example, 'I dropped that bolt and I prayed so hard because my kid was waiting for me ......and suddenly there was the bolt, lying at my feet....'. For all the times I prayed, never heard a voice, just responded to situations based on ?????? Personal inclinations, what I'd learned from reading, examples from others in similar situations.......
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
Im on day 2 of the course and read Genesis 1-12. This is probably my 10th time reading these verses and they still don’t make sense to me
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Reading the Bible can be intimidating because people will sometimes tell you that you're doing it wrong. But it's not possible to do it wrong. They're trying to be helpful, but every person can read the Bible any way they choose.

Bill Moyers brought together people from all walks of life, from religious to non-religious, asked them to read Genesis, and talk about it. He had people read it that read a different religious book and people who didn't read any religious book. Some reviewed it like a piece of fiction. Some tried to interpret the myths in their own way based on their religion. Everyone had a different way of interpreting it. All are valid.

Here's a list of the episodes which I'm including to show how diverse the participants were.

Watch Bill Moyers: Genesis - A Living Conversation Season 1 | Prime Video

As for which version to read, there's a lot of people saying there's a right and wrong version for that too. There's only a right and wrong version that goes along with their beliefs. All versions are interpretations. Some scholars spend a lot of time trying to link it back to the earliest possible time.

But if it helps you understand it better or give a different perspective, it can give more understanding, which is the point, I think. This might sound out there and some might consider it sacrilege, but just to show that there's not one right way to read it, there's even a version called the Hawaii Pidgin English version.

Amazon.com

Some reviewers in that say it helped them understand better what the Bible is about in words they understand.

For a less specialized version, there's a version called The Message, which is supposed to be in contemporary language. There are others like that too. Doing a search on Bible versions will bring up all kinds of versions of the Bible.

https://www.amazon.com/Message-Bibl...eywords=bible+versions&qid=1712184324&sr=8-10

I don't think the version much matters. If you understand the words, that's what counts.

I wish you the best in your Bible reading adventure. I hope you have some fun with it and get what you're looking for from it.
 
Debrah N. said:
If you're going to try and read the Bible, I think you should use an New International Version. The message hasn't changed but the language is everyday English which makes even the process easier.

As far as 'when do you know God is answering your prayer'......I don't know. I was baptized into the Baptist church first and then entered the Seventh Day Adventist Church via declaration of faith, was on the church board for two years, taught children's classes for most of the 10 years I was a member, ran daily vacation Bible school two summers, went to weekly Bible studies and I could not give you an answer to that question. Maybe I'm too left brain, pragmatic or something but I often thought that people declare prayers answered when things work out like they want them too in the first place.

Like a friend once, who was working on his car's motor and just before he was supposed to go pick his kid up from school, dropped a bolt. For years after it was his go-to example, 'I dropped that bolt and I prayed so hard because my kid was waiting for me ......and suddenly there was the bolt, lying at my feet....'. For all the times I prayed, never heard a voice, just responded to situations based on ?????? Personal inclinations, what I'd learned from reading, examples from others in similar situations.......
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You sure have a lot of spiritual experience being a Sunday school teacher and all. Did you enjoy teaching?

The reason I ask is because I’ve been watching a lot of Joyce Meyers lately and she’s often mentions when God lets you know but never offers how this is done. I’m guessing that it’s different for everyone.

When I worry about the future I get an aching feeling in my gut but when I let it go and just focus on the present moment, I feel great.

Paying attention to how my body feels seems to be relevant. Often times I let my mind wander into the worry zone and my body immediately lets me know to stop believing such thoughts.

Sometimes it’s hard to disregard unwanted thoughts. Then ocd kicks in and I have a hard time letting go. Meditation helps slow my brain down and realizing that I’m NOT my thoughts. I’m the thinker of my thoughts. Proper medication also helps lots.

I know when I listen to Joyce Meyers I feel better about myself. I also like to listen to Buddhism or read about Buddhism. It suggests focusing on others which is sometimes hard to do. Metal disorders distort perceptions which I always have to keep in mind. My thoughts aren’t who I am.

Thank you for answering such a hard question.
 
Christianity didn't work for me although I really wanted it to. I prayed and imagined god the best I knew how but after awhile it all seemed so redundant without results. I observed other so-called Christians trying find an inkling deception but they acted as believers in spite of my skepticism. I didn't get it and guess I never will because I won't believe in faith. Faith is belief without any evidence of proof, and I can't do that.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
You sure have a lot of spiritual experience being a Sunday school teacher and all. Did you enjoy teaching?

The reason I ask is because I’ve been watching a lot of Joyce Meyers lately and she’s often mentions when God lets you know but never offers how this is done. I’m guessing that it’s different for everyone.

When I worry about the future I get an aching feeling in my gut but when I let it go and just focus on the present moment, I feel great.

Paying attention to how my body feels seems to be relevant. Often times I let my mind wander into the worry zone and my body immediately lets me know to stop believing such thoughts.

Sometimes it’s hard to disregard unwanted thoughts. Then ocd kicks in and I have a hard time letting go. Meditation helps slow my brain down and realizing that I’m NOT my thoughts. I’m the thinker of my thoughts. Proper medication also helps lots.

I know when I listen to Joyce Meyers I feel better about myself. I also like to listen to Buddhism or read about Buddhism. It suggests focusing on others which is sometimes hard to do. Metal disorders distort perceptions which I always have to keep in mind. My thoughts aren’t who I am.

Thank you for answering such a hard question.
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I guess I'm the wrong person to ask about people like Joyce Meyers, whom I deeply mistrust, and those who have gained fortunes through their ministry. If you go by what she says about herself, you'd know God is answering your prayers by being blessed like she is. The problem is, most of us are not, and that is good so. Wealth compromises us, and soon, our advantages from being wealthy or influential blind us to basic spiritual truths and separate us from the reality that many people are going through. There are enough examples in the Gospels in which Jesus addresses that problem.

For me, prayer is a way to align with the way of the sacred, and I am more like the sinner who beats his chest with a contrite heart than the confident tele-evangelist who shows you how they are blessed. I feel that becoming more compassionate and noticing the signs that make us more intuitive, attentive, and able to face trials are signs of prayers being answered. We are all fragile beings, even those who seem resilient on the surface, and embracing that fragility has been a path for me to be more compassionate toward others.

OCD is a serious struggle, and from what you've said, it sounds as though you are using meditation to find release, which is also similar to Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy that Jon Kabat Zinn helped develop. There is a growing body of empirical evidence showing that mindfulness-based interventions are effective in increasing positive and/or decreasing negative effects in a variety of clinical conditions. You would have to ask for yourself about that kind of therapy, but be gentle with yourself.
 
caramel said:
Reading the Bible can be intimidating because people will sometimes tell you that you're doing it wrong. But it's not possible to do it wrong. They're trying to be helpful, but every person can read the Bible any way they choose.

Bill Moyers brought together people from all walks of life, from religious to non-religious, asked them to read Genesis, and talk about it. He had people read it that read a different religious book and people who didn't read any religious book. Some reviewed it like a piece of fiction. Some tried to interpret the myths in their own way based on their religion. Everyone had a different way of interpreting it. All are valid.

Here's a list of the episodes which I'm including to show how diverse the participants were.

Watch Bill Moyers: Genesis - A Living Conversation Season 1 | Prime Video

As for which version to read, there's a lot of people saying there's a right and wrong version for that too. There's only a right and wrong version that goes along with their beliefs. All versions are interpretations. Some scholars spend a lot of time trying to link it back to the earliest possible time.

But if it helps you understand it better or give a different perspective, it can give more understanding, which is the point, I think. This might sound out there and some might consider it sacrilege, but just to show that there's not one right way to read it, there's even a version called the Hawaii Pidgin English version.

Amazon.com

Some reviewers in that say it helped them understand better what the Bible is about in words they understand.

For a less specialized version, there's a version called The Message, which is supposed to be in contemporary language. There are others like that too. Doing a search on Bible versions will bring up all kinds of versions of the Bible.

Amazon.com

I don't think the version much matters. If you understand the words, that's what counts.

I wish you the best in your Bible reading adventure. I hope you have some fun with it and get what you're looking for from it.
Click to expand...
I’m sorry for taking so long to reply. I thought I’d replied to this already. Your post was exactly what I needed to read. My entire life I’ve never really understood the Bible and now I’m understanding that I don’t have to. I’m reading an easy to read version online so I can continue with the course I’m doing. The lessons I’m doing ARE indeed helping.

The first week was about ‘trying to have a positive attitude.’ This is something that can ALWAYS be helpful. It’s too easy for me to wallow in self pity. I literally make myself sick doing that. As soon as I shift my awareness back to ‘being on purpose’ which is to look after my family, I instantly feel better.

Thank you for your post. I will need to read it a few more times . Today I’m painting and listening to Wayne Dyer. Wayne has a way of making everything make sense which is soothing but I’m also realizing that everything doesn’t HAVE TO make sense. I don’t have to understand everything. What a huge relief that is. Thank you for helping me learn this valuable lesson.
 
The entrance of psychology into the "science's" brought with it a new and introverted approach to how we operate from within. It explained that within our original make up, our genetics, and brain functioning, the exists at least three major players. The ID, the Ego, and the Super Ego. When we learned what these were, it was now harder to assign our "soul" to the one "God". We were now creating "God" from our own psychology. It is a major reason the Buddhism caught on so well in the west. Buddhism studies the mind, and is basically psychology 101.

Most all of us have practiced some form of meditation, and most methods teach a way to let go of thoughts instead of "clinging" to them. When we cling to our thought/s we create an emotional bond with it. Letting go of thought also releases the emotional attachment. So we practice not being so hung up on this or that, until something catches our interest and we desire to get involved with "it". There we go, back into thinking, emotional reactions, and the need to make meaning out of our experience. This is also well described in Buddhist teaching, that clinging and non-clinging are the same thing. That the real understanding of enlightenment is just normal human life, with all it's flaws, and glory. :)
 
My problem reading the Bible is my inability to compare a biblical timeline of past events and present day occurrences. Can biblical history be used to warn and predict the future?
I don’t understand the Bible, it is hard for me to read so I don’t try, before you judge me know that I refrain from reading wherever I go.
church services: Praise god’s name, honor name of god, call on god‘s name, proclaim god’s name, trust god’s name, does god put situations in your path to trust god, love gods name.
there was a time when I depended wholly on god before I dissected and inspected god to reach a logical solution living in the moment, depending wholly on the air I breathed accomplishing whatever I chose because I believed.
The past, a fading memory, I cannot repeat. Indeed this moment is a step forward with only the air to guide me..
 
Pstmcdowell said:
Greetings.Think about this question? Does God has a plan for everyone and everything?That includes you, and it includes Deeper Fellowship Church. None of us can fully know God’s plan. The best we can do is pray and listen for clarity. Our church leadership has been doing just that and are excited to announce our latest church project which you can donate BTC cryptocurrency.My names is Pastor William McDowell.Money is a uniquely human issue, one we all struggle with to one degree or another. Even if you’re financially blessed, you still have the burden of stewarding your money wisely.And we believe that one of the best ways to invest your money is into the local churches.
Please do Charity and Donate to(Homeless people across the world) and also for our Church Project 🙏🙏
We accept Bitcoin:
bc1qpk88uwzfzw75wrllluj6rd2za3djlhw85rc7fv
Sincerely
Pastor William Mcdowell
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Are you hustling coin to benefit your church project? Oh yeah, I want to finance your cause, sorry I don’t we are allowed to solicit funds even if you believe it is for a good cause, I’ve got some Louisiana swampland located in NY for sale for a reasonable contribution.
 
Stoppelmann said:
I guess I'm the wrong person to ask about people like Joyce Meyers, whom I deeply mistrust, and those who have gained fortunes through their ministry. If you go by what she says about herself, you'd know God is answering your prayers by being blessed like she is. The problem is, most of us are not, and that is good so. Wealth compromises us, and soon, our advantages from being wealthy or influential blind us to basic spiritual truths and separate us from the reality that many people are going through. There are enough examples in the Gospels in which Jesus addresses that problem.

For me, prayer is a way to align with the way of the sacred, and I am more like the sinner who beats his chest with a contrite heart than the confident tele-evangelist who shows you how they are blessed. I feel that becoming more compassionate and noticing the signs that make us more intuitive, attentive, and able to face trials are signs of prayers being answered. We are all fragile beings, even those who seem resilient on the surface, and embracing that fragility has been a path for me to be more compassionate toward others.

OCD is a serious struggle, and from what you've said, it sounds as though you are using meditation to find release, which is also similar to Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy that Jon Kabat Zinn helped develop. There is a growing body of empirical evidence showing that mindfulness-based interventions are effective in increasing positive and/or decreasing negative effects in a variety of clinical conditions. You would have to ask for yourself about that kind of therapy, but be gentle with yourself.
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Ok I understand what you mean about Joyce Meyers. She’s a good preacher but comes across as arrogant and entitled. She has built herself an empire and expects her followers to not only give her money but an amen at every place in her sermons. There are many contradictions in her sermons.

What gets me the most is that we are told to pray hard and often to fix own problems; hand them over to God but then asked to give money to the church to fix their problems.

While I want to read the Bible, I am leaning more towards Buddhism than Christianity. Reading the Bible is on my life bucket list, more than anything.

OCD IS a HUGE struggle for me. Mindfulness helps completely. Mindfulness is a huge part of cognitive therapy. That’s a very good point. I’m not sure how successfully I’m going to be with regards to reading the Bible but I’m going to try.
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
Ok I understand what you mean about Joyce Meyers. She’s a good preacher but comes across as arrogant and entitled. She has built herself an empire and expects her followers to not only give her money but an amen at every place in her sermons. There are many contradictions in her sermons.

What gets me the most is that we are told to pray hard and often to fix own problems; hand them over to God but then asked to give money to the church to fix their problems.

While I want to read the Bible, I am leaning more towards Buddhism than Christianity. Reading the Bible is on my life bucket list, more than anything.

OCD IS a HUGE struggle for me. Mindfulness helps completely. Mindfulness is a huge part of cognitive therapy. That’s a very good point. I’m not sure how successfully I’m going to be with regards to reading the Bible but I’m going to try.
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You certainly have identified some big contradictions with Meyer's sermons.

Buddhism, especially as Jack Kornfield portrays it, is a gentle attitude towards life and has many aspects similar to Christianity. It is a little more pragmatic in some areas, and it leans on a more taoistic view of the ineffable. It still holds reverence for the Tao (or Dao), and Taoists do this by chanting mantras while meditating. In the Tao Te Ching, the Three Purities are heaven, humanity, and earth, and the mantras are invocations to promote healing and may help when silent meditation becomes difficult. Of course, Buddhism and Taoism are different traditions, but they share common values.

As I said before, there is nothing wrong with reading the Bible as long as we realise that, despite being prose, the Old Testament is an epic narrative, similar to the epic poetry of other traditions. The exclusivism promoted by some religions isn't realistic to anyone who has become familiar with many of the world's religious traditions. We all have common themes because we are one humanity, and the sooner we notice this the better.

Good luck with your reading!
 
Mr. Ed said:
My problem reading the Bible is my inability to compare a biblical timeline of past events and present day occurrences. Can biblical history be used to warn and predict the future?
I don’t understand the Bible, it is hard for me to read so I don’t try, before you judge me know that I refrain from reading wherever I go.
church services: Praise god’s name, honor name of god, call on god‘s name, proclaim god’s name, trust god’s name, does god put situations in your path to trust god, love gods name.
there was a time when I depended wholly on god before I dissected and inspected god to reach a logical solution living in the moment, depending wholly on the air I breathed accomplishing whatever I chose because I believed.
The past, a fading memory, I cannot repeat. Indeed this moment is a step forward with only the air to guide me..
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I’m not judging you Ed. Part of me feels the same way
Stoppelmann said:
You certainly have identified some big contradictions with Meyer's sermons.

Buddhism, especially as Jack Kornfield portrays it, is a gentle attitude towards life and has many aspects similar to Christianity. It is a little more pragmatic in some areas, and it leans on a more taoistic view of the ineffable. It still holds reverence for the Tao (or Dao), and Taoists do this by chanting mantras while meditating. In the Tao Te Ching, the Three Purities are heaven, humanity, and earth, and the mantras are invocations to promote healing and may help when silent meditation becomes difficult. Of course, Buddhism and Taoism are different traditions, but they share common values.

As I said before, there is nothing wrong with reading the Bible as long as we realise that, despite being prose, the Old Testament is an epic narrative, similar to the epic poetry of other traditions. The exclusivism promoted by some religions isn't realistic to anyone who has become familiar with many of the world's religious traditions. We all have common themes because we are one humanity, and the sooner we notice this the better.

Good luck with your reading!
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Taoism (also spelled Daoism) is a religionand a philosophy from ancient China that has influenced folk and national belief. Taoism has been connected to the philosopher Lao Tzu, who around 500 B.C.E. wrote the main book of Taoism, the Tao Te Ching. Taoism holds that humans and animals should live in balance with the Tao, or the universe. Taoists believe in spiritual immortality, where the spirit of the body joins the universe after death.

*****************************************************

Thank you for writing that. I actually strongly believe that the spirit of our body joins the universe after death. I actually prefer to chant than sit quietly in meditation.

I wish I’d studied religion in school while I had the chance. Lately I have a difficult time reading anything. I think I’m getting early dementia. Either way, I want to become more spiritually aware.
 
Genesis 22 - verse 10 especially

10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

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It’s verses like this that I find so confusing. Why would God want anyone to kill another.
I realize Abraham chose a ram to kill as an offering but my bigger question is why is God expecting such a sacrifice? Its disturbing!
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Genesis 22 - verse 10 especially

10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

************************************************
It’s verses like this that I find so confusing. Why would God want anyone to kill another.
I realize Abraham chose a ram to kill as an offering but my bigger question is why is God expecting such a sacrifice? Its disturbing!
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The story of Abraham and the sacrifice is indeed a tough cookie. We can only confront it with the horror you’ve shown because Isaac was the promised son and the biggest sacrifice. It is this story that many preachers point to with reference to Jesus, whom New Testament authors also stylise as the promised son who dies for our sins.

It is a test of faith, and Abraham says, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” He hopes he will not have to sacrifice Isaac, but he is prepared to do so because he has God's promise. Ultimately, it is an exaggerated story to make a point of faith before moral misgivings, which often is a cause of contention in the Old Testament. God rejects King Saul for not killing men, women, children, and animals in an attack on his enemies, for example.

In light of Jesus's teachings on love, it can no longer apply and shows that a paradigm change has occurred, which is also visible in the prophets.
 
Being spiritually aware is either you are or you are not. Spiritual awareness means to me a bond or connectedness to all as in One. Some call this Oneness and if you have this you have it all. No need to search any further you have “IT” Practice and discipline teaches you how to move freely between levels of consciousness if that is what you want to do? Basic awareness is huge if you have not experienced yet, many people don’t feel the connection and if you do Bravo!
 
PeppermintPatty said:
Genesis 22 - verse 10 especially

10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.

************************************************
It’s verses like this that I find so confusing. Why would God want anyone to kill another.
I realize Abraham chose a ram to kill as an offering but my bigger question is why is God expecting such a sacrifice? Its disturbing!
Click to expand...

The three major religions that use the Old Testament as their Holy Book are Christian, Jewish, and Muslim.

The story of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 is significant for all three Abrahamic faiths—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—although the interpretations vary somewhat:

Christians typically interpret the story as a foreshadowing of Jesus' crucifixion. The sacrifice of Isaac is seen as a type or prefiguration of the sacrifice of Jesus, and Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son is seen as a demonstration of his faith in God's ultimate plan of salvation.

Jews generally interpret the story as a test of Abraham's faith and obedience. It is seen as a demonstration of Abraham's complete trust in God, even in the face of the most difficult circumstances. The story is also seen as an example of God's mercy, as he ultimately spares Isaac's life.

Muslims also see the story as a test of Abraham's faith, but in Islamic tradition, it is Ishmael, not Isaac, who is to be sacrificed.
 
An awareness statement: Toto I don’t think we are in Kansas anymore.
 

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