Genesis 33:24-32 records an amazing event in the life of Jacob. At a time when Jacob was fearing the coming of his brother Esau...sending gifts to him to "appease him" and sending his family to safety, Jacob is alone at night. A "man" comes to him and they wrestle all night. At daybreak the "man" tells Jacob to let him go. Jacob refuses until the "man" blesses him. In response, the "man" changes Jacobs name to "Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed" (v. 28). Jacob named the place where this occurred, "Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered" (v 30).
This is such a fascinating story! I don't know all of the meaning that God has loaded into this event. I suspect that one lesson is about wrestling with God in prayer and persisting. Jesus certainly taught us this in Luke 11:5-13 and Luke 18:1-8. In Luke 18:7-8 Jesus says, "now shall not God bring about justice for His elect, who cry to Him day and night...I tell you that He will bring about justice for them speedily..."
In Luke 11:8-10 Jesus teaches us to persist in prayer. He says to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking...and we will receive and find and see the door opened!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Resurrection
"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).
Christ overcame the power of death! Death could not hold Him! He conquered the sting of death, which is sin (1 Cor 15:56), and God "gives us the victory" over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:56,57)!
So, let's live in this victory. "Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning" (1 Cor 15:34). "...be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor 15:58).
Christ overcame the power of death! Death could not hold Him! He conquered the sting of death, which is sin (1 Cor 15:56), and God "gives us the victory" over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:56,57)!
So, let's live in this victory. "Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning" (1 Cor 15:34). "...be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord" (1 Cor 15:58).
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
When Love Came Down
In this Christmas season we are joyfully reminded of why Christ came into the world. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Jesus Christ came into the world revealing God the Father (John 14:9;1:18).
1 John 4:8 says that God is love. Jesus came to earth to demonstrate this love. He came to earth humbling Himself by becoming a man and submitted to death on the cross for our sakes (Philippians 2:5-8). In describing this incredible demonstration of grace Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8:9 that He became poor that we might become rich! For in Christ we are the children of God, heirs to God Himself (Romans 8:17)!
I love the song, "When Love Came Down," by Stuart Townend. In the first verse and chorus he writes:
When Love came down to earth and made His home with man
The hopeless found a hope, the sinner found a friend
Not to the powerful, but to the poor He came
And humble, hungry hearts were satisfied in Him
What joy, what peace has come to us
What hope, what help, what love
Amen!!
1 John 4:8 says that God is love. Jesus came to earth to demonstrate this love. He came to earth humbling Himself by becoming a man and submitted to death on the cross for our sakes (Philippians 2:5-8). In describing this incredible demonstration of grace Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8:9 that He became poor that we might become rich! For in Christ we are the children of God, heirs to God Himself (Romans 8:17)!
I love the song, "When Love Came Down," by Stuart Townend. In the first verse and chorus he writes:
When Love came down to earth and made His home with man
The hopeless found a hope, the sinner found a friend
Not to the powerful, but to the poor He came
And humble, hungry hearts were satisfied in Him
What joy, what peace has come to us
What hope, what help, what love
Amen!!
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Power of Giving Thanks
What a great national holiday, Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is about giving thanks to God for what He has so graciously given us. In giving thanks we praise God as our Provider. Giving thanks to God reminds us that what we have is because of God's gracious provision.
Even when we approach God to ask Him for something, we are to start with giving Him thanks for what He has already done for us (Philippians 4:6). When I give thanks to God for my blessings, I grow in my appreciation for what I already have. It is no wonder that being thankful for what we have is a key to contentment and peace in our lives (Philippians 4:6,7,11-13). Notice in Philippians 4:11-13 that Paul connects contentment with the statement in verse 13, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Now, that's power!
Even when we approach God to ask Him for something, we are to start with giving Him thanks for what He has already done for us (Philippians 4:6). When I give thanks to God for my blessings, I grow in my appreciation for what I already have. It is no wonder that being thankful for what we have is a key to contentment and peace in our lives (Philippians 4:6,7,11-13). Notice in Philippians 4:11-13 that Paul connects contentment with the statement in verse 13, "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Now, that's power!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
What is God's Name?
When God called Moses to go to Egypt to lead Israel from captivity, Moses said to God (in Exodus 3:13): "Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' now they may say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?" In verse 14, "God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Then, in verse 15 He revealed Himself further: "The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is My memorial name to all generations."
The English word, LORD,used in this passage in many Bibles is actually, YHVH in the Hebrew (the original language of this text). This name is thought to be a derivation of "I AM THAT I AM." This phrase is thought to describe God's self existence, eternal nature, and unchanging nature. Some have said that the phrase, I AM THAT I AM, is a "...etc" type phrase. In other words it would be like saying, "I AM THAT I AM THAT I AM THAT I AM..." It is conceptually challenging for us to understand that God is eternal and eternally faithful! I agree with David that knowing God is "too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it" (Psalm 139:6). I need God's revelation to even start to try to understand in a small way His omnipresence (He is everywhere) and His omniscience (He is all-knowing) and His omnipotence (He is all powerful)!
The English word, LORD,used in this passage in many Bibles is actually, YHVH in the Hebrew (the original language of this text). This name is thought to be a derivation of "I AM THAT I AM." This phrase is thought to describe God's self existence, eternal nature, and unchanging nature. Some have said that the phrase, I AM THAT I AM, is a "...etc" type phrase. In other words it would be like saying, "I AM THAT I AM THAT I AM THAT I AM..." It is conceptually challenging for us to understand that God is eternal and eternally faithful! I agree with David that knowing God is "too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it" (Psalm 139:6). I need God's revelation to even start to try to understand in a small way His omnipresence (He is everywhere) and His omniscience (He is all-knowing) and His omnipotence (He is all powerful)!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
David Inquired of the Lord
A very important phrase is repeated in 2 Samuel about David. In 2 Samuel 2:1-2, "Then it came about afterwards that David inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go up to one of the cities of Judah?" And the Lord said to him, "Go up." So David said, "Where shall I go up?" And He said, "To Hebron." So David went up there..."
David inquired of the Lord before he acted. When God answered him, David did according to what God had said. In 2 Samuel 5:19,20 and 5:23-25 we find David inquiring of the Lord, God answering him, and David obeying God.
The result of this relationship is described in 2 Samuel 5:10, "David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him."
David inquired of the Lord before he acted. When God answered him, David did according to what God had said. In 2 Samuel 5:19,20 and 5:23-25 we find David inquiring of the Lord, God answering him, and David obeying God.
The result of this relationship is described in 2 Samuel 5:10, "David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him."
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
New Wine in Old Wineskins?
Matthew 9:16,17 - "But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."
Jesus addresses our tendency to believe that the key to fresh encounters with God is the religious activity that at one time was accompanied by the presence of God. In this context the practice of fasting seemed to accompany the Spirit-filled preaching of John the Baptist. So, the fasting by John's disciples must have been the key to the powerful moves of the Holy Spirit in John's preaching.
Such a mindset can cause such spiritual or religious activities to become a new orthodoxy or even devolve into superstition, both of which are devoid of God's Spirit. God wants us to hunger for His presence and pursue His will today. We need to keep seeking Him (Col 3:1,2), deep calling deep (Psalm 42:7). God is enthroned upon the praises (Hebrew = tehillah = singing a new song of praise) of His people (Psalm 22:3). The newness of the praise is tied to the continuing (fresh) experience of God's presence in the believer's life. God's fresh wine response of His presence truly does bless us.
Jesus addresses our tendency to believe that the key to fresh encounters with God is the religious activity that at one time was accompanied by the presence of God. In this context the practice of fasting seemed to accompany the Spirit-filled preaching of John the Baptist. So, the fasting by John's disciples must have been the key to the powerful moves of the Holy Spirit in John's preaching.
Such a mindset can cause such spiritual or religious activities to become a new orthodoxy or even devolve into superstition, both of which are devoid of God's Spirit. God wants us to hunger for His presence and pursue His will today. We need to keep seeking Him (Col 3:1,2), deep calling deep (Psalm 42:7). God is enthroned upon the praises (Hebrew = tehillah = singing a new song of praise) of His people (Psalm 22:3). The newness of the praise is tied to the continuing (fresh) experience of God's presence in the believer's life. God's fresh wine response of His presence truly does bless us.
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