“Jacob’s Lesson Of Faith”

(Gen. 32:24) "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day." In the above verse, God brought Jacob to the place where he must now face his brother Esau. Twenty years earlier he tricked Esau out of his birthright and the blessing of God, and Esau vowed to kill him. This night while Jacob was left alone in his tent, a man suddenly appeared in the dark and began to wrestle with him. Jacob knew that this man was sent from God, but little did Jacob know that this night he was wrestling not with an angel or a  man, but rather the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jacob would later say, "for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved." Just like Jacob, there needs to be a time in our life where we stop wrestling in the flesh,  and surrender to God’s will and way for our lives. That night God changed a conniving Jacob into a Prince called Israel, for God said,  "for thou has power with God and with men. Once the wrestling was over Jacob learned that his true power was not in his ability to manipulate but rather in his ability to simply trust God to handle his problems. By the time Esau arrived God had already changed the heart of Esau from  hatred to a love for his brother.  Jacob was never the same, and neither will we be once we realize that God's power and blessing is not acquired by the works of our flesh, but rather by our faith in a prayer answering God.

“All Things Work Together For Good”

(Rom. 8:28) "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."  There is probably not a better lesson to learn in life than the lesson that the above verse teaches.  God wants all believers to know that whatever happens to us in this life, that He will use it for our good and his purpose, if we continue to love and trust him. God in his sovereign will, chose us, and called us to fulfill his will in this life, so that we accomplish that which he has already purposed for us to do. In short, whatever happens to us is already approved and purposed for his glory and our good. God never causes bad things to happen to you, but he does use them to build in us his character, so that we might use it for a better good. In the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis, God used the bad things that Joseph's brothers did to him, the years of being imprisoned falsely, and the wisdom that he gained along the way, to build in him the character and ability of a great leader who not only saved Egypt from famine, but who also brought Israel into Egypt to fulfill the will of God

“The False Religion Of Babel”

(Gen. 11:4) "And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name…" Little is mentioned in this passage concerning the great sin of the people of Babel, but there is much here that angered God. 1) "And they said, Go let us build" The purpose of the tower of Babel was to create an alternate way to reach heaven apart from God. They agreed together, (under the leadership of Nimrod) to construct a man-made system of salvation and worship. 2)"And let us make a name."  Satan's plan since the beginning of time has been to place his name above Jesus Christ, the glory of God, and the Word of God. Since Babel, Satan's methods have not changed, for he is still using compromise, and ecumenicalism to deceive. That's why in (Rev.17:5) God named the final state of Satan's apostate religion MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." Babylon's corrupted "name" has infiltrated every religion to some degree through idolatry, astrology, sorcery, witchcraft, and paganism. May God help us to discern the truth of God's Word, from the error of Babylon in this day in which we live!

The Purpose Of Abiding In Christ

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."   Abiding in the vine of Christ has a purpose.  1) Reproductive. The only way that someone can lead a soul to the Lord or acquire the godly character of Jesus is to abide with Jesus in a personal relationship. God desires to use us to bring forth the fruit of Christ into the world. We do so as we draw from the vine of Christ and his word. 2. Reconstructive. The Father is one that prunes our lives to remove the bad and unprofitable things that cause us not to bear more fruit. Daily, our God is at work perfecting us and instructing us as to the way of the Lord more perfectly. 3) Rewarding. Everyday God promises those that abide in him, spiritual fruit, souls, answered prayer, joy, love, peace, and a friendship that no man can  ever take away.

The Resurrection Of The Dead

(John 11:25) "… I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" Many verses in the Bible speak of the resurrection of the dead, but not one is more important than this one. Jesus said "he is the" resurrection and the life, for there is no other. The resurrection is a promise made by God to man that though a man's body dies yet shall "he live," and not just his soul and spirit but also the body that he was born with. This might seem strange but God is interested not just in the redemption of the soul and spirit of man but also in resurrecting and redeeming his flesh. "even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body" (Rom. 8:23).  "Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Phil 3:21). When a man dies his flesh sleeps waiting for the glorious day when God shall resurrect and refashion that which was corrupted by sin. The resurrection will be a glorious day for God's redemption will then be complete, and all of death "shall be swallowed up in victory." For our victory is found only in Christ.

Which Father Is Your Father

(John 8:38) " I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father." In the above verse Jesus made it clear to the Pharisees that the reason they didn't hear or believe in him was because they were of the offspring of Satan. (44) "Ye are of your father the devil." When Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, they lost the goodness and perfection of creation, and because they lost it ever since man has been deceived by Satan. Ever since, man's ears and eyes have been blinded, but if a man will repent of his sin, his spiritual sight and hearing can be restored again. Once saved the curse and wrath of God is removed, and the adoption process of God makes him once again a child of God, but be careful the teachings of this world's father are very different from the teachings of our Heavenly Father. We therefore must study and learn the Word of God for ourselves least we continue to be deceived and blinded by Satan. The family today is very messed up, and it's messed up because the philosophy and ways of the world are patterned after the teachings of Satan our sinful father and not God our Heavenly Father.

Brethren,  Jesus ought to be our example of Fatherhood, he was a perfect reflection of his Father. Follow him and your home and life will be blessed.

The Good Shepherd

(John 10:11) "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." As we look at this text we see that Jesus was again preaching specifically to the Pharisees about what a proper shepherd should be. Jesus related the job of a good shepherd to that of a "porter" or watcher who is left in charge of feeding the shepherd's sheep in his absence. A good shepherd ought to be faithful and willing to protect and even die for the sheep that have been placed into his trust. Jesus wanted the Pharisees to understand that they had lost their purpose and had become "hirelings" rather than shepherds. (13) "The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep." Brethren we have a great shepherd whose name is Jesus Christ. He has promised us in his Word that he will "never leave us nor forsake us." He is a good shepherd because he was willing to lay down his life for us on the cross. (18) "No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. Jesus came to save and keep God's sheep till He returns. That’s why true sheep here his voice and follow. The sheepfold is the Church, and Jesus Christ the door into it.  "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."