August 24, 2008 “It’s All In Your Head”
Philippians 2:5-11 Attitude
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,*
he did not think of equality with God -
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges*; -
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,*
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal's death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Something significant happened recently, something that gave legitimacy to the many sufferers of a chronic condition. Governor Joe Manchin presented a proclamation officially recognizing National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. Fibromyalgia is marked by widespread aches, pains, stiffness and fatigue. An estimated 10 to 15 million Americans suffer from the condition. Before it was a recognized condition, people suffering from it were often told, “It’s all in your head.”
Often, that phrase is used to explain away a host of things that people just can’t believe really exists. Today, I want to give legitimacy to something else of great importance.
The battle for spiritual growth begins in the mind. To grow spiritually, one must first have a personal, saving relationship with Christ. You might say, “It’s all in your head.” Spiritual growth is a decision of the will.
Terry Teykl has been called by God to call the church to prayer. Susan and I attended one of his Encounter Seminars yesterday. Several of our folks attended his seminar in Weston a few months ago. We are beginning small groups based on his book "Pay the Price." It is the best thing that I have ever read on prayer. One thing he mentioned yesterday was something about Post-Fall versus Pre-Fall theology. In other words, Post-Fall theology is what we believe about humanity after Adam and Eve fell in the garden. We spend a lot of time on that, but ignore the Pre-Fall scenario – what did God intend for us to look like – to think like?
Christ’s attitude consisted of 3 things: sacrifice, humility and obedience.
Boarding the SS Dorchester on a dreary winter day in 1943 were 903 troops and four chaplains, including Moody Bible Institute alumnus Lt. George Fox. World War II was in full swing, and the ship was headed across the icy North Atlantic where German U-boats lurked. At 12:00 on the morning of February 3, a German torpedo ripped into the ship. "She's going down!" the men cried, scrambling for lifeboats.
A young GI crept up to one of the chaplains. "I've lost my life jacket," he said. "Take this," the chaplain said, handing the soldier his jacket. Before the ship sank, each chaplain gave his life jacket to another man. The heroic chaplains then linked arms and lifted their voices in prayer as the Dorchester went down. Lt. Fox and his fellow pastors were awarded posthumously the Distinguished Service Cross.
The Cross – that instrument of death – a cruel thing but for us a beautiful symbol of sacrifice. Christ gave up his place in the Godhead in order to walk the earth as a man. He came, not to live, but to die. He wanted to die because in his death and resurrection from the dead, he opened the door to our eternal life. For Jesus, our great lover, it was worth it! His equality as God was not something that he clung to. In other words, he did not approach life with a since of entitlement. Have you ever met someone with that world view – the view that says, “Life owes me something” I deserve to get what I want. I’m looking out for me”? That’s not a Christ like world view. A Christ-like world view asks, “What can I sacrifice for God and others? What can I give away? What can I give up?
Sometimes our giving up is a matter of giving up the strongholds that we have erected in our minds – places that we are going to keep that are over and above God. In other words, it is stinkin’ thinking.’ These are the thoughts that we entertain that hurt us. The mean thoughts we have about others, or those thoughts that are self-destructive like the desire for things like pornography or drugs or alcohol or food or material. Sometimes the sacrifice is replacing the stinkin’ thinkin’ with magnificent musings – the magnificent things of God. We find such magnificent things in the word of God.
Christ’s had the attitude of sacrifice. He also had an attitude marked by humility. The fastest man on earth, Usain Bolt from Jamaica, has been getting some flack over his boasting. He easily won the 100 meter final at the Olympics –beating the previous world record by 3 hundredths of a second. Ten meters before the finish line he looked toward the crowd and beat his chest.
Jesus had the right to boast, but he didn’t. He could have beat his chest and said, “That’s right. I’m God. Look out. I got the power!” No, that was not his way. He came to serve. He came to touch the least, last and lost – the smallest of society. His greatness lies in his ability to care for the lowly. Someone once said that true humility is in helping those who in no way can return the favor or help you benefit in any way.
Paul had a great prescription for humility. He said, I am the least of the apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9), I am the very least of all the saints (Ephesians 3:8) and I am the foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).
Last week I preached about the importance of Prayer, Study and Service. These are a must for every Christian. However, sometimes, when we practice them, there is a temptation to feel superior to others. Humility prevents this. Humility admits, “I am always under construction. I will not fully arrive in this life.”
Phillip Brooks made an apt comment when he said, "The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is." quoted in Burning out for God, E. Skoglund, p. 11.
"They that know God will be humble," John Flavel has said, ' and they that know themselves cannot be proud." quoted in MBI's Today In The Word, November, 1989, p.20.
The door of life is a door of mystery. It becomes slightly shorter than the one who wishes to enter it. And thus only he who bows in humility can cross its threshold.
Isn’t it interesting that traditional Orientals bow to show honor and humility?
For many years Sir Walter Scott was the leading literary figure in the British Empire. No one could write as well as he. Then the works of Lord Byron began to appear, and their greatness was immediately evident. Soon an anonymous critic praised his poems in a London paper. He declared that in the presence of these brilliant works of poetic genius, Scott could no longer be considered the leading poet of England. It was later discovered that the unnamed reviewer had been none other than Sir Walter Scott himself!
Source Unknown. We get too consumed with being the best or even better than others. In Christ, we must be willing to take a back seat!
Christ’s attitude consisted of sacrifice, humility and finally, obedience.
Thomas Watson wrote, “Christ went more readily ad crucem (to the cross), than we do to the throne of grace. “
Peter T. Forsythe was right when he said, "The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master". Warren W. Wiersbe, The Integrity Crisis, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, p. 22.
I mentioned to you last week that Paul wrote this letter from a Roman prison while awaiting a hearing with Caesar. It is the old choice, which still is presented to every soul; the old crisis, which reappears in every experience. Caesar, or Christ, that is the question: the vast, attractive, skeptical world, with its pleasures and ambitions and its prodigal promise, or the meek, majestic, and winning figures of Him of Nazareth?
The election remains for each of us. And the moment of the election, in the shaded and solemn "Valley of Decision," will be memorable in our history, when suns for us have ceased to shine! Source Unknown. What will it be – the ways of Caesar or the ways of Christ? Whom will we obey. The decision is critical. It marks the difference between eternal death and eternal life.
I've read that when Edward VI, the king of England in the 16th century, attended a worship service, he stood while the Word of God was read. He took notes during this time and later studied them with great care. Through the week he earnestly tried to apply them to his life. That's the kind of serious-minded response to truth the apostle Paul calls for in today's Scripture reading. A single revealed fact cherished in the heart and acted upon is more vital to our growth than a head filled with lofty ideas about God.
One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
August 17, 2008 - Grace and Peace
“Greetings, Earthlings”
1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God's holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders* and deacons.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.
4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy
Two West Virginians were driving through Louisiana. As they were approaching the town of Natchitoches, they started arguing about the pronunciation of the name.
Upon stopping at a fast-food establishment for lunch, the West Virginian who was driving asked the manager, “Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would you please pronounce where we are – very slowly – very clearly?”
The manager leaned over the counter, smiled, and said,
“Burrrrrr-gerrrrrr-Kiiiing.” That was a total misunderstanding.
Paul was a man who was lost even though he thought he was in the right place. At the heart of his situation was a complete misunderstanding.
Let’s first come up to speed about the background of this man. His parents gave him the Hebrew name Saul. He was named after the first King of Israel who was of the same tribe as Paul - the tribe of Benjamin.
He also bore the Latin named Paulus and was proud to be a citizen of the Greek town of Tarsus. His Father was wealthy enough to buy his Roman citizenship; as a consequence, Paul was born a Roman citizen.
Paul studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel and was a strict Pharisee. In his own words, “I advanced in Judaism beyond many of his own age among his people – extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers” (Gal. 1:14).
Paul first appears in the New Testament as a supporter of the stoning of Stephen – holding the cloaks of the executioners. As he stated, “I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (Gal. 1:13). He used his influence with the High Priest in Jerusalem to get permission to track Christians down in far away cities.
So at about 35 AD, at the age of about 30, he was on his way to Damascus to arrest followers of the Way. Just outside of the city, he was knocked off his feet by a blinding light and a thundering voice. At first, he might have thought that God was shouting approval for his work, “Saul, Saul.” But then the voice continued, “Why are you persecuting me?” “Who is it, Lord?” asked Paul. Then the words that rocked his world – “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
For Paul, it was the impossible becoming reality. Jesus, whom he denied as a joke – a hoax – was calling to him from beyond. His world crashed. The sky was falling. The God whom he thought he had been serving faithfully left him completely dumbfounded. He had radically misunderstood.
Jesus gave him instructions: “Get up, go into the city; someone there will tell you what to do” (Acts 9:5). Those traveling with Paul took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. He spent 3 days in total darkness without so much as a bite to eat or a sip to drink – trying to make some sense of it all. All that was - was no longer important. All that would be was still a mystery.
Finally, Annanias showed up at his residence. God had spoken to Annanias in a vision, “Get up, got to Straight Street, find the house of Judas. There you will find a man named Saul. He is there right now praying. He has seen a vision in which a man named Annanias comes to him, lays his hands on him, causing him to see.”
It’s not hard to understand Annanias’ skepticism, “But God – I know about that man; he is a killer! He hates Christians. He has come to drag us to Jerusalem for trial and execution!”
But God did not relent, “Go. I have chosen him for an important work. He must tell about me to non-Jews and Jews. I will show him how much he must suffer for me.”
Annanias obeyed. He found Paul just as Jesus told him he would. He laid his hands on Paul, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road to Damascus. He sent me so that you can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, Paul received his sight. The Bible says that something like “fish scales” fell from his eyes. He got up, was baptized then ate. Did you get the order there? Even before he ate he was baptized. If that were me I would have probably said, “Bring me food!” But Paul’s change was so absolutely total that he wanted to mark his new life with a great sign of commitment to
Christ – baptism. He was now a Christian. You see - there is a greater food than our favorite dish. There is spiritual food.
Saul met with the followers of Damascus. Soon he began to preach in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is the son of God.” No one could believe it – both believers of the Way and non-believers.
Paul was the chief persecutor of the church during the first five years of its beginning. He became the most influential voice in the history of the church next to his Lord and Savior.
About thirty years after his Damascus Road experience, he found himself imprisoned in Rome. In an ironic twist, the religious leaders arrested him, just as he had done to the Christians years before. When it became apparent to him that he was in danger of execution, he exercised his Roman citizen right and appealed to Caesar. While waiting for a hearing with the Emperor, he wrote to his beloved friends in Philippi. He started his letter with a wonderful introduction: “It’s Paul. Timothy is with me. We are His servants. To all God’s people in Philippi, Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace and peace – two great words. What a way to begin a greeting – grace and peace! Say them with me: “Grace and peace.”
Our greetings to people can make it or break it. I remember in one of the churches that I served that a gentleman showed up for Sunday School, something that he evidently had not done in many a year if at all. One of his friends, put his hand on his heart, put his other hand on the wall and said, “Look out, the walls are going to fall down. Look who’s here!” He meant it jokingly, and they had a good enough relationship that it was ok, but some would not have taken that so well. We need to watch our hellos! Statements like, “It’s about time, or look what the cat drug in are not necessarily words of grace or peace. We need to watch our words and even our looks, for a look can convey distaste or mistrust, too.
Paul understood these two words – grace and peace - better than most – maybe better than anyone. Paul wrote to Timothy, telling him that Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of which he was the worst. According to Paul, he was the least deserving person on the planet, but Jesus died for him, too. What’s grace? Undeserved love.
It doesn’t matter how bad you are – Paul was worst. If God can save Paul, God can save you, too. God can save those whom we think deserve it least or don’t deserve it at all. Grace – God’s undeserved love. Where would we be without it?
Peace – that inner tranquility that comes from above – a calm spirit even in the face of disaster. If anyone had disaster – Paul did. Listen to his explanation of his hardships that he shared with his friends at Corinth:
No one has worked harder than I, or been in prison more frequently, or been flogged more severely, or been exposed to death as much as I. I’ve received 39 lashes 5 times; I’ve been beaten with rods 3 times; I was stoned and left for dead; I was shipwrecked 3 times – spending a night and a day in the water at sea; I’ve been in danger from my own people, I’ve been in danger from strangers; I’ve been in danger in the city; I’ve been in danger in the country; I’ve gone without sleep, without food; I’ve been cold, and I’ve even been without clothes. And if this was not enough, my mind never rests because of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).
Remember, Jesus told Annanias that Paul would suffer for him. Indeed he did.
And yet, Paul knew the peace of God. If he could know such peace, so can we, because we will never suffer as much as he did.
The peace of God is a quiet assurance that no matter what, “everything works to good for those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Guess who wrote that? Right – Paul!
Paul’s peace came from the assurance that no matter what, God is in control. He found that out on the Road to Damascus.
Do you have a Road to Damascus? I’m not talking about a blinding light and voice experience. I’m wondering about your road – your encounter – where did you meet Jesus. Where do you still meet him today? You have to have a regular encounter with Jesus to have the peace that he gives. It starts on the Road to Damascus (your salvation), but it does not end there. You must meet him again and again in prayer and in the Bible.
When Paul wrote to Philippi it was as if he were saying “Greetings, earthlings!” The Bible is for everyone – for all people for all time and applies to every situation of life.
We are going to study Philippians for 3 more Sundays. Philippians starts great – but you haven’t seen anything yet. We will look intensely at: developing a great attitude, putting Christ first, and overcoming worry.
But for now, grace and peace, to you, in the name of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!
“Greetings, Earthlings”
1 This letter is from Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus. I am writing to all of God's holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the elders* and deacons.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.
4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy
Two West Virginians were driving through Louisiana. As they were approaching the town of Natchitoches, they started arguing about the pronunciation of the name.
Upon stopping at a fast-food establishment for lunch, the West Virginian who was driving asked the manager, “Before we order, could you please settle an argument for us? Would you please pronounce where we are – very slowly – very clearly?”
The manager leaned over the counter, smiled, and said,
“Burrrrrr-gerrrrrr-Kiiiing.” That was a total misunderstanding.
Paul was a man who was lost even though he thought he was in the right place. At the heart of his situation was a complete misunderstanding.
Let’s first come up to speed about the background of this man. His parents gave him the Hebrew name Saul. He was named after the first King of Israel who was of the same tribe as Paul - the tribe of Benjamin.
He also bore the Latin named Paulus and was proud to be a citizen of the Greek town of Tarsus. His Father was wealthy enough to buy his Roman citizenship; as a consequence, Paul was born a Roman citizen.
Paul studied under the great Rabbi Gamaliel and was a strict Pharisee. In his own words, “I advanced in Judaism beyond many of his own age among his people – extremely zealous for the traditions of his fathers” (Gal. 1:14).
Paul first appears in the New Testament as a supporter of the stoning of Stephen – holding the cloaks of the executioners. As he stated, “I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it” (Gal. 1:13). He used his influence with the High Priest in Jerusalem to get permission to track Christians down in far away cities.
So at about 35 AD, at the age of about 30, he was on his way to Damascus to arrest followers of the Way. Just outside of the city, he was knocked off his feet by a blinding light and a thundering voice. At first, he might have thought that God was shouting approval for his work, “Saul, Saul.” But then the voice continued, “Why are you persecuting me?” “Who is it, Lord?” asked Paul. Then the words that rocked his world – “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.”
For Paul, it was the impossible becoming reality. Jesus, whom he denied as a joke – a hoax – was calling to him from beyond. His world crashed. The sky was falling. The God whom he thought he had been serving faithfully left him completely dumbfounded. He had radically misunderstood.
Jesus gave him instructions: “Get up, go into the city; someone there will tell you what to do” (Acts 9:5). Those traveling with Paul took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. He spent 3 days in total darkness without so much as a bite to eat or a sip to drink – trying to make some sense of it all. All that was - was no longer important. All that would be was still a mystery.
Finally, Annanias showed up at his residence. God had spoken to Annanias in a vision, “Get up, got to Straight Street, find the house of Judas. There you will find a man named Saul. He is there right now praying. He has seen a vision in which a man named Annanias comes to him, lays his hands on him, causing him to see.”
It’s not hard to understand Annanias’ skepticism, “But God – I know about that man; he is a killer! He hates Christians. He has come to drag us to Jerusalem for trial and execution!”
But God did not relent, “Go. I have chosen him for an important work. He must tell about me to non-Jews and Jews. I will show him how much he must suffer for me.”
Annanias obeyed. He found Paul just as Jesus told him he would. He laid his hands on Paul, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road to Damascus. He sent me so that you can see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, Paul received his sight. The Bible says that something like “fish scales” fell from his eyes. He got up, was baptized then ate. Did you get the order there? Even before he ate he was baptized. If that were me I would have probably said, “Bring me food!” But Paul’s change was so absolutely total that he wanted to mark his new life with a great sign of commitment to
Christ – baptism. He was now a Christian. You see - there is a greater food than our favorite dish. There is spiritual food.
Saul met with the followers of Damascus. Soon he began to preach in the synagogues, saying, “Jesus is the son of God.” No one could believe it – both believers of the Way and non-believers.
Paul was the chief persecutor of the church during the first five years of its beginning. He became the most influential voice in the history of the church next to his Lord and Savior.
About thirty years after his Damascus Road experience, he found himself imprisoned in Rome. In an ironic twist, the religious leaders arrested him, just as he had done to the Christians years before. When it became apparent to him that he was in danger of execution, he exercised his Roman citizen right and appealed to Caesar. While waiting for a hearing with the Emperor, he wrote to his beloved friends in Philippi. He started his letter with a wonderful introduction: “It’s Paul. Timothy is with me. We are His servants. To all God’s people in Philippi, Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace and peace – two great words. What a way to begin a greeting – grace and peace! Say them with me: “Grace and peace.”
Our greetings to people can make it or break it. I remember in one of the churches that I served that a gentleman showed up for Sunday School, something that he evidently had not done in many a year if at all. One of his friends, put his hand on his heart, put his other hand on the wall and said, “Look out, the walls are going to fall down. Look who’s here!” He meant it jokingly, and they had a good enough relationship that it was ok, but some would not have taken that so well. We need to watch our hellos! Statements like, “It’s about time, or look what the cat drug in are not necessarily words of grace or peace. We need to watch our words and even our looks, for a look can convey distaste or mistrust, too.
Paul understood these two words – grace and peace - better than most – maybe better than anyone. Paul wrote to Timothy, telling him that Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of which he was the worst. According to Paul, he was the least deserving person on the planet, but Jesus died for him, too. What’s grace? Undeserved love.
It doesn’t matter how bad you are – Paul was worst. If God can save Paul, God can save you, too. God can save those whom we think deserve it least or don’t deserve it at all. Grace – God’s undeserved love. Where would we be without it?
Peace – that inner tranquility that comes from above – a calm spirit even in the face of disaster. If anyone had disaster – Paul did. Listen to his explanation of his hardships that he shared with his friends at Corinth:
No one has worked harder than I, or been in prison more frequently, or been flogged more severely, or been exposed to death as much as I. I’ve received 39 lashes 5 times; I’ve been beaten with rods 3 times; I was stoned and left for dead; I was shipwrecked 3 times – spending a night and a day in the water at sea; I’ve been in danger from my own people, I’ve been in danger from strangers; I’ve been in danger in the city; I’ve been in danger in the country; I’ve gone without sleep, without food; I’ve been cold, and I’ve even been without clothes. And if this was not enough, my mind never rests because of my concern for all the churches” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).
Remember, Jesus told Annanias that Paul would suffer for him. Indeed he did.
And yet, Paul knew the peace of God. If he could know such peace, so can we, because we will never suffer as much as he did.
The peace of God is a quiet assurance that no matter what, “everything works to good for those who love God, those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Guess who wrote that? Right – Paul!
Paul’s peace came from the assurance that no matter what, God is in control. He found that out on the Road to Damascus.
Do you have a Road to Damascus? I’m not talking about a blinding light and voice experience. I’m wondering about your road – your encounter – where did you meet Jesus. Where do you still meet him today? You have to have a regular encounter with Jesus to have the peace that he gives. It starts on the Road to Damascus (your salvation), but it does not end there. You must meet him again and again in prayer and in the Bible.
When Paul wrote to Philippi it was as if he were saying “Greetings, earthlings!” The Bible is for everyone – for all people for all time and applies to every situation of life.
We are going to study Philippians for 3 more Sundays. Philippians starts great – but you haven’t seen anything yet. We will look intensely at: developing a great attitude, putting Christ first, and overcoming worry.
But for now, grace and peace, to you, in the name of God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
August 10, 2008 -- "Dealing with Conflict"
We have been hearing about the life of Jacob, this the 3rd week in the 3 part series. In case you have missed anything, let me bring you up to speed. Jacob, along with his mother Rebekkah, deceived his father and his brother, obtaining his father’s blessing as his first heir. Esau was the first heir, but a crafty plan changed all that. When Esau learned of the deception, he hit the roof!
Matter of a fact, I think that he would have liked the shirt that I spotted recently, worn by one of our children: RECYCLE MY BROTHER. Esau would have loved to have recycled his brother as a compost pile!
He literally sought to kill him. Jacob ran away to his Uncle Laban’s, where he lived for 20 years. His Uncle deceived him as well (it ran in the family), causing Jacob to marry the wrong girl. He ended up working 14 years for the woman that he really wanted to marry. God blessed the works of Jacob’s hands; his shepherding prospered, he gained many servants and he had many children. He decided to part company with Laban and to head home without even giving Laban a chance to kiss his grandchildren goodbye. Laban, in great anger, pursued him! After a 7-day journey, he caught up to Jacob. Had it not been for a dream in which Laban heard God say, “Be careful how you treat Jacob,” who knows what would have happened. Laban and Jacob made a covenant not to interfere with the other (always a good thing for in-laws to do!) and this great benediction came as a result: “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.”
Today, we find Jacob continuing his journey home. He has come very close to his stomping grounds as we begin this next passage in our series, Genesis 32, verse 3 and following:
(Gen 32:3-31 NIV)
Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.'"
When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."
In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well.
He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape."
Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"
He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, "Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds."
He instructed the one in the lead: "When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?' then you are to say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.'"
He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: "You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. And be sure to say, 'Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.'" For he thought, "I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me."
So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered.
Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
From the story of Jacob – particularly this last chapter - we learn how to handle conflict. Here are some things to remember in the heat of the battle:
1. Don’t speak in anger; cool off first! Rebekkah realized this when she said, “I will send Jacob away until Esau cools off, and then I will send for him. The anger was so great between the 2 that it took 20 years to cool off. But, had they met in anger, one or both would have undoubtedly died!
2. If the conflict is severe, send a trusted messenger of peace on ahead of yourself. A trusted, mature Christian friend will plead your case and remind your opponent of God’s grace. Also, send a gift; it can’t hurt! Even though Esau was not a man in need of anything, his heart was softened by the hospitality and the gratitude that his brother Jacob showed through the giving of gifts. In a sense, it was a restoration of the inheritance that Jacob stole. If it is in your power to make things right, do so!
3. Put yourself last in relationship to your opponent: Jacob said, in effect, to his brother Esau: “You are my lord; I am your servant.” Jacob did not go in demanding his way or singing his own praises or even thinking that he was better than Esau. Isn’t it funny that we can consider ourselves servants of God but not of people? As servants of God, we serve people!
Jacob didn’t go in with a chip on his shoulder or an axe to grind.” One of the worse ways that we can start a disagreement is to say, “I’ve got some things to get off my chest!” That puts your opponent on the defensive, and it can only get worse from there. Instead, go in with humility, being able to admit your role in the disagreement. Even if you feel very strongly that you are not at fault, go in with the position of servant, willing to listen, speaking in calm. That will go a long way to mending the difference.
Please realize that not every conflict can be repaired. You can’t make someone reconcile if they do not want to reconcile. You can only be responsible for yourself. The Bible says that as far as it is up to you, do what you can do. Leave the rest to God. It may be that the best you can do is say, “I’ve done all that God required me to do. Now I must part and let God fill the void.”
4. Pray! Pray! Pray! Solicit the prayers of other mature Christians. And pray some more! More has been accomplished through prayer than any other means or resource. I am happy to say that we are becoming a prayer filled church! Watch what God will do with that! Remember, prayer is just a conversation. We converse with people everyday. Don’t forget to include God in your conversation. Tell God how you feel, what you need, and ask for God’s guidance to do His will.
5. Last, fess up to your own shortcomings! Finally, Jacob took responsibility for his own actions. Even if you are not responsible for the conflict, or only minutely responsible, admit that you are a person who makes mistakes – an imperfect person. Seeing yourself in this light will allow you to have a greater compassion for your opponent and keep you from popping off in the heat of the moment. We are all sinners, prone to mistakes and even complete crack-ups at times. I love the saying, “If not for the grace of God, there go I.” If you go into a conflict with any other attitude than this, look out for escalation!
Our story ends with this amazing wrestling match between Jacob and a supernatural opponent. There are many unanswered questions that we have about this encounter. Here is what we do know. The Bible says that Jacob wrestled with a man – using the Hebrew “ish” for “man” not once or even twice but 6 times in this passage. But this could not have been an ordinary man, because with just a touch the man separated Jacob’s femur from his hip socket. Jacob continued to wrestle him – even holding him from getting away. Jacob was a strong man; remember - he rolled away the stone in front of Rachel’s well all by himself – something that took several shepherds to do. But even such a strength could not hold God. It would seem, then, that the being was a messenger of God - an angel.
But Jacob says that he saw God face to face and prevailed. What of that? In other places in the Bible, we read of people who have seen the angel of the Lord and commented that they have seen the face of God. See Judges 13:22. Also note that Hosea in 12:2-4 commented about the encounter and called the being an angel.
So what do we make of this great wrestling mach? For one thing, when Esau would gaze upon Jacob for the first time, he would see him limping. This may have been the straw that broke the austere camel’s back, opening Esau’s heart to his brother. Also, the wrestling match was an event that characterizes Jacob’s life up to that point. He was a person of struggle; he struggled with his brother, his father, his father-in-law, and his wife Leah and God himself. The event also marks an abrupt change in Jacob’s life. Finally, in all of his struggling, he was prevailing - probably in part because he finally learned his lesson. To mark the separation of the past from the future, his name was changed from Jacob (meaning “he clutched”) to Israel (meaning “God strives.”) It is from this name that the descendants of Jacob will be named the “Israelites.” Remember, God said, “I will make your name great; your descendants will be as the sand of the shore.”
What is your struggle today? What is blocking you from receiving the blessing of God? Jacob’s block was several fold; he was manipulative, selfish, a liar and a deceiver. He had a victim’s mentality – everyone was against him! These things blocked the blessings of God. It took him years to understand this. The freedom that came from confessing his sinful nature to God is an incredible release of the blockage. Would you like to have that as well? Christ is here, right now, for you, if you will approach him and be honest with him, confessing your shortcomings and asking for his blessing, the blockage will begin to break up. Let’s meet him now. Pray with me.
Oh God, we admit that we are prone to error – mistakes on the small scale and on the grand scale. Some of those shortcomings have kept us blocked from receiving your blessing. Come to us now, through Jesus Christ. Help us to trust him fully, believing upon him as Your Son, freeing us to live for you and to experience the ultimate freedom of forgiveness and spiritual prosperity. If anyone hearing these words or reading these words doesn’t have you in their heart, please help them to ask you now, even praying these words:
Come, Jesus, be Lord of my life. Forgive my sins, unclog the blockage, and help me to grow in you, experiencing your great blessing. I don’t know what all this means, I just know I need you. Come, and change me! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
We have been hearing about the life of Jacob, this the 3rd week in the 3 part series. In case you have missed anything, let me bring you up to speed. Jacob, along with his mother Rebekkah, deceived his father and his brother, obtaining his father’s blessing as his first heir. Esau was the first heir, but a crafty plan changed all that. When Esau learned of the deception, he hit the roof!
Matter of a fact, I think that he would have liked the shirt that I spotted recently, worn by one of our children: RECYCLE MY BROTHER. Esau would have loved to have recycled his brother as a compost pile!
He literally sought to kill him. Jacob ran away to his Uncle Laban’s, where he lived for 20 years. His Uncle deceived him as well (it ran in the family), causing Jacob to marry the wrong girl. He ended up working 14 years for the woman that he really wanted to marry. God blessed the works of Jacob’s hands; his shepherding prospered, he gained many servants and he had many children. He decided to part company with Laban and to head home without even giving Laban a chance to kiss his grandchildren goodbye. Laban, in great anger, pursued him! After a 7-day journey, he caught up to Jacob. Had it not been for a dream in which Laban heard God say, “Be careful how you treat Jacob,” who knows what would have happened. Laban and Jacob made a covenant not to interfere with the other (always a good thing for in-laws to do!) and this great benediction came as a result: “May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent one from the other.”
Today, we find Jacob continuing his journey home. He has come very close to his stomping grounds as we begin this next passage in our series, Genesis 32, verse 3 and following:
(Gen 32:3-31 NIV)
Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He instructed them: "This is what you are to say to my master Esau: 'Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, menservants and maidservants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.'"
When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, "We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him."
In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well.
He thought, "If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape."
Then Jacob prayed, "O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two groups. Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'"
He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys.
He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, "Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds."
He instructed the one in the lead: "When my brother Esau meets you and asks, 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?' then you are to say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.'"
He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: "You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. And be sure to say, 'Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.'" For he thought, "I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me."
So Jacob's gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp. That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.
When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak." But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered.
Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
Jacob said, "Please tell me your name." But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip.
From the story of Jacob – particularly this last chapter - we learn how to handle conflict. Here are some things to remember in the heat of the battle:
1. Don’t speak in anger; cool off first! Rebekkah realized this when she said, “I will send Jacob away until Esau cools off, and then I will send for him. The anger was so great between the 2 that it took 20 years to cool off. But, had they met in anger, one or both would have undoubtedly died!
2. If the conflict is severe, send a trusted messenger of peace on ahead of yourself. A trusted, mature Christian friend will plead your case and remind your opponent of God’s grace. Also, send a gift; it can’t hurt! Even though Esau was not a man in need of anything, his heart was softened by the hospitality and the gratitude that his brother Jacob showed through the giving of gifts. In a sense, it was a restoration of the inheritance that Jacob stole. If it is in your power to make things right, do so!
3. Put yourself last in relationship to your opponent: Jacob said, in effect, to his brother Esau: “You are my lord; I am your servant.” Jacob did not go in demanding his way or singing his own praises or even thinking that he was better than Esau. Isn’t it funny that we can consider ourselves servants of God but not of people? As servants of God, we serve people!
Jacob didn’t go in with a chip on his shoulder or an axe to grind.” One of the worse ways that we can start a disagreement is to say, “I’ve got some things to get off my chest!” That puts your opponent on the defensive, and it can only get worse from there. Instead, go in with humility, being able to admit your role in the disagreement. Even if you feel very strongly that you are not at fault, go in with the position of servant, willing to listen, speaking in calm. That will go a long way to mending the difference.
Please realize that not every conflict can be repaired. You can’t make someone reconcile if they do not want to reconcile. You can only be responsible for yourself. The Bible says that as far as it is up to you, do what you can do. Leave the rest to God. It may be that the best you can do is say, “I’ve done all that God required me to do. Now I must part and let God fill the void.”
4. Pray! Pray! Pray! Solicit the prayers of other mature Christians. And pray some more! More has been accomplished through prayer than any other means or resource. I am happy to say that we are becoming a prayer filled church! Watch what God will do with that! Remember, prayer is just a conversation. We converse with people everyday. Don’t forget to include God in your conversation. Tell God how you feel, what you need, and ask for God’s guidance to do His will.
5. Last, fess up to your own shortcomings! Finally, Jacob took responsibility for his own actions. Even if you are not responsible for the conflict, or only minutely responsible, admit that you are a person who makes mistakes – an imperfect person. Seeing yourself in this light will allow you to have a greater compassion for your opponent and keep you from popping off in the heat of the moment. We are all sinners, prone to mistakes and even complete crack-ups at times. I love the saying, “If not for the grace of God, there go I.” If you go into a conflict with any other attitude than this, look out for escalation!
Our story ends with this amazing wrestling match between Jacob and a supernatural opponent. There are many unanswered questions that we have about this encounter. Here is what we do know. The Bible says that Jacob wrestled with a man – using the Hebrew “ish” for “man” not once or even twice but 6 times in this passage. But this could not have been an ordinary man, because with just a touch the man separated Jacob’s femur from his hip socket. Jacob continued to wrestle him – even holding him from getting away. Jacob was a strong man; remember - he rolled away the stone in front of Rachel’s well all by himself – something that took several shepherds to do. But even such a strength could not hold God. It would seem, then, that the being was a messenger of God - an angel.
But Jacob says that he saw God face to face and prevailed. What of that? In other places in the Bible, we read of people who have seen the angel of the Lord and commented that they have seen the face of God. See Judges 13:22. Also note that Hosea in 12:2-4 commented about the encounter and called the being an angel.
So what do we make of this great wrestling mach? For one thing, when Esau would gaze upon Jacob for the first time, he would see him limping. This may have been the straw that broke the austere camel’s back, opening Esau’s heart to his brother. Also, the wrestling match was an event that characterizes Jacob’s life up to that point. He was a person of struggle; he struggled with his brother, his father, his father-in-law, and his wife Leah and God himself. The event also marks an abrupt change in Jacob’s life. Finally, in all of his struggling, he was prevailing - probably in part because he finally learned his lesson. To mark the separation of the past from the future, his name was changed from Jacob (meaning “he clutched”) to Israel (meaning “God strives.”) It is from this name that the descendants of Jacob will be named the “Israelites.” Remember, God said, “I will make your name great; your descendants will be as the sand of the shore.”
What is your struggle today? What is blocking you from receiving the blessing of God? Jacob’s block was several fold; he was manipulative, selfish, a liar and a deceiver. He had a victim’s mentality – everyone was against him! These things blocked the blessings of God. It took him years to understand this. The freedom that came from confessing his sinful nature to God is an incredible release of the blockage. Would you like to have that as well? Christ is here, right now, for you, if you will approach him and be honest with him, confessing your shortcomings and asking for his blessing, the blockage will begin to break up. Let’s meet him now. Pray with me.
Oh God, we admit that we are prone to error – mistakes on the small scale and on the grand scale. Some of those shortcomings have kept us blocked from receiving your blessing. Come to us now, through Jesus Christ. Help us to trust him fully, believing upon him as Your Son, freeing us to live for you and to experience the ultimate freedom of forgiveness and spiritual prosperity. If anyone hearing these words or reading these words doesn’t have you in their heart, please help them to ask you now, even praying these words:
Come, Jesus, be Lord of my life. Forgive my sins, unclog the blockage, and help me to grow in you, experiencing your great blessing. I don’t know what all this means, I just know I need you. Come, and change me! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
August 3, 2008 "Generational Sin"
(Genesis 29:1 - 14 NIV) Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.
When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they replied.
He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?" "Yes, we know him," they answered.
Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?" "Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."
"Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."
"We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."
While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood."
What Comes Around Goes Around
Last week, we were visiting the spot where Jacob had his dream about the stairway to heaven. This event took place on Jacob’s journey from the house of his mother and father to the house of his mother’s brother – his Uncle Laban. Jacob first meets some shepherds, followed by his cousin Rachel. She was a shepherdess, a rare thing in that day. We learn why later. Laban had just two daughters. Rachel was the younger. Leah was the older. They helped their Dad take care of the flock.
Rachel took Jacob home to meet her Father and the rest of the family. Laban fully welcomed his nephew. After a month, Laban offered to pay Jacob for all of his hard work. Jacob countered with an offer of his own. Instead of working for wages, he offered to work for Rachel. Laban agreed - if Jacob would work 7 years, then he could have her. The Bible says that Jacob loved Rachel so much that the 7 years seemed like just a few days to him.
After the 7 years was up, Jacob asked Laban for his daughter. Laban threw a big feast, and then brought his daughter to Jacob. They spent the night together. In the light of the morning, to Jacob’s utter and complete surprise, he discovered that he was not with Rachel but with Leah. He could not believe it! Jacob approached Laban, “What is this that you have done to me? Why have you deceived me?”
Deception – something that Jacob knew very well. But now, he is the victim. What comes around goes around. Sin has drastic consequences. It just doesn’t affect one person. It goes further – sometimes even to the next generation, and even the one after that. This seems to be the case with Isaac and Jacob.
So, I want to focus on generational sin today. There are some things that are done which have an effect for several generations. How do we break these cycles? First, we must recognize the fact that what we do will indeed impact our children. They are sponges, and they will learn so much from us – both good and bad. We must take responsibility for those lessons that we teach – either directly or indirectly. An apology might be in order. Some explanations might be in order. Some changes might be in order. Next, we need to take a hard look at ourselves. What behaviors are we continuing to do that bring the same bad results? Some of that behavior might be learned behavior – stuff we did not know that was wrong at the time but became deeply ingrained in us.
We need flashlights – we need to take a good hard look into the deep, dark areas of our hearts, and see what is going on. The only way to do this is with God’s help. Ask God to illuminate those areas that need changed or discarded.
What a difference this would have made if Jacob had taken this approach. Even with this terrible deception, he was slow to learn – not willing to yet take a deeper look at his own deceptions.
The power of sin is far reaching – even deep into families – sometimes last generations. There may even be some sins that the church commits – the effects of which last for generations. Let me mention a few: being more concerned about self-preservation instead of soul-preservation, serving the institution more than the people, creating dependence upon the clergy and other professionals for ministry instead of every member being in ministry, mistreatment of pastors, idolizing of pastors, playing favorites, overlooking the least, the last and the lost, to name a few.
We need a confession and repentance time, don’t we? Would you join me? Come to receive forgiveness and the communion of God!
(Genesis 29:1 - 14 NIV) Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large.
When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well's mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.
Jacob asked the shepherds, "My brothers, where are you from?" "We're from Haran," they replied.
He said to them, "Do you know Laban, Nahor's grandson?" "Yes, we know him," they answered.
Then Jacob asked them, "Is he well?" "Yes, he is," they said, "and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep."
"Look," he said, "the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture."
"We can't," they replied, "until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep."
While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess.
When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and Laban's sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle's sheep.
Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.
As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister's son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things.
Then Laban said to him, "You are my own flesh and blood."
What Comes Around Goes Around
Last week, we were visiting the spot where Jacob had his dream about the stairway to heaven. This event took place on Jacob’s journey from the house of his mother and father to the house of his mother’s brother – his Uncle Laban. Jacob first meets some shepherds, followed by his cousin Rachel. She was a shepherdess, a rare thing in that day. We learn why later. Laban had just two daughters. Rachel was the younger. Leah was the older. They helped their Dad take care of the flock.
Rachel took Jacob home to meet her Father and the rest of the family. Laban fully welcomed his nephew. After a month, Laban offered to pay Jacob for all of his hard work. Jacob countered with an offer of his own. Instead of working for wages, he offered to work for Rachel. Laban agreed - if Jacob would work 7 years, then he could have her. The Bible says that Jacob loved Rachel so much that the 7 years seemed like just a few days to him.
After the 7 years was up, Jacob asked Laban for his daughter. Laban threw a big feast, and then brought his daughter to Jacob. They spent the night together. In the light of the morning, to Jacob’s utter and complete surprise, he discovered that he was not with Rachel but with Leah. He could not believe it! Jacob approached Laban, “What is this that you have done to me? Why have you deceived me?”
Deception – something that Jacob knew very well. But now, he is the victim. What comes around goes around. Sin has drastic consequences. It just doesn’t affect one person. It goes further – sometimes even to the next generation, and even the one after that. This seems to be the case with Isaac and Jacob.
So, I want to focus on generational sin today. There are some things that are done which have an effect for several generations. How do we break these cycles? First, we must recognize the fact that what we do will indeed impact our children. They are sponges, and they will learn so much from us – both good and bad. We must take responsibility for those lessons that we teach – either directly or indirectly. An apology might be in order. Some explanations might be in order. Some changes might be in order. Next, we need to take a hard look at ourselves. What behaviors are we continuing to do that bring the same bad results? Some of that behavior might be learned behavior – stuff we did not know that was wrong at the time but became deeply ingrained in us.
We need flashlights – we need to take a good hard look into the deep, dark areas of our hearts, and see what is going on. The only way to do this is with God’s help. Ask God to illuminate those areas that need changed or discarded.
What a difference this would have made if Jacob had taken this approach. Even with this terrible deception, he was slow to learn – not willing to yet take a deeper look at his own deceptions.
The power of sin is far reaching – even deep into families – sometimes last generations. There may even be some sins that the church commits – the effects of which last for generations. Let me mention a few: being more concerned about self-preservation instead of soul-preservation, serving the institution more than the people, creating dependence upon the clergy and other professionals for ministry instead of every member being in ministry, mistreatment of pastors, idolizing of pastors, playing favorites, overlooking the least, the last and the lost, to name a few.
We need a confession and repentance time, don’t we? Would you join me? Come to receive forgiveness and the communion of God!
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