We find with Jacob’s story his challenge of handling his own value fluctuations —secondly, his forming of deep personal convictions. We find this even more than with the stories of Abraham and Isaac. Another way of saying it is; he was made to stand, in the midst of circumstances and relationships, while these pressed against his inward citadel, gradually forcing a determined-fight mentality in Jacob. He fought the war between belief and unbelief. For healing, Jacob gives us, uncensored, stark reality in living color. We have looked at the fallen nature of man worked in, now we look at the “reversing” plan of God; and it too, chiseled into a soul. Jacob’s adverse challenges arose from a flight of fear. Brother Esau had threatened to kill him, leading to a miserable tenure under uncle Laban. So, he is made to deal with his own insecurity and the deceit of Laban…
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On this day 12 years ago our son Joshua went to heaven. Now, what do we want? To see him again soon. You lit up our lives for a short 25 years and we miss you today, Josh, and the wait seems long; but eternity is longer. Can’t wait! St. Augustine says: He that loveth little, prayeth little; he that loveth much, prayeth much. What do you want? Surprisingly we rarely visit this thought. What do I need, what can I eat, what do I need to do and what does God want, are statements more common. Christians say, “I lost my vision when things didn’t work out and now I am just meandering.” “What do you want?” When I dutifully focus on my Savior. He says “what do you want?” Some folks in the Bible got healed because when Jesus asked them “what do you want?” —they had an…
“…and that they were afraid was the essential consequence of the fact that they retrograded from Gods love and had therefore incurred Gods wrath.” Franz Delitzsch Conscience “a knowing together with God” awakens the terriblest. Every gritty body nerve, and every psychic sinew, in denial, dreads the dawning of conscience. It arrives as a wake up call on the level of a freight-train. It whisks us away into a clawing-out mode of life. Flat-out life-loathing attends it. We’re hijacked into bustle’s whims, all of which we vowed, would get consideration when hell freezes over. But no; we’re head-over-heels right now, hot-footed feet blazing. “My life slipped way out of sync, my true-blue supporters turned out miserable liars.” “Woe is me, I am undone, a man of unclean lips.” “Thou Art the Man.” cried Nathan” Conscience: confronts the willful infant coddle and screams “get the ‘h’ off your…
It is really a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. Yet in the midst of it I have found a quiet and holy people. They have discovered a joy which is a thousand times better than any pleasure of this sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus are the Christians- and I am one of them St Cyprian Lets talk about the hows of getting things outside of us, inside of us. We do it all the time by accident but how on purpose? Well, God simplifies this for us. He enters us when we believe in Him, and brings all His endowments with Him. But is this enough? It is more than enough for now and forever. Also it champions a start to what is to come still in my remaining time controlled existence. Make…
Pump house from the side door Some guys on T.V. talk about what we have to do, and they use a lot of Bible verses. Most of the talking sets the record straight on our responsibilities, and how to go about accomplishing them. These guys teach us how to not lose God’s favor and maintain a good standing. They are good at this kind of instruction. They speak this way all the time. I notice also how they appear so intelligent and have gained a lot of applause in other circles. Truly they are leaders and generally they know more than me so I must quietly learn from them. Boy, I wish I could learn all of their techniques and how-to-do-its. Some are Doctors and some Bishops or Elders even. When we hang out listening to these men and women, we sure feel good about finally knowing what some things…
Josh and Puddle Sometimes folks can’t focus in life, lured away toward a seductive universe, one featuring a soothing state of mental relaxation, centering problems removed. Let’s explain. People with attention deficit disorder are known to have remarkable powers of concentration without distraction, but only in the world of their chosen fantasy. Amazing. The more a person succumbs to the alluring facade, the less able they are to concentrate on other things? Interesting and telling. A person watches porn on the internet or immerses themselves in a video game, or plays excessive bingo, or whatever they give their heart to, and the real world becomes a loathsome chore. Not too hard to understand. How can the natural course of life compete with such intense and provocative views that challenge, stimulate and require some perceived risk? Likewise, some believers are distracted from fervent preaching and teaching of the Word, because they…
Arizona Lake 1989 Folks in general don’t want to talk about anything too negative. Why is that? Darkness and light are both alike to God, but not to us. Psalm139:12. See, the highway of holiness admits and allows the wayfaring man, and the fool does not err therein. Isaiah 35:8. This gives all of us entry there, but few find it. For this reason men struggle still with the hills and valleys of life and mostly ride the ups and downs. We have a tendency to see God as a mere moral One and prosperity means God’s favor, where adversity means God is mad at us. To most He is a God of circumstances. Let me open a thought. Do we have an expectation for our life, or are we contented to handle anything that life dishes up? Careful. Well no, we are not contented to take anything, we have…
Are you a control freak? Are you the kind of person who has to have an on/off switch for everything? I have some good news for you—well, some of it good, and some of it bad. Which do you want first? You want the bad first? OK here goes; many things are out of our ability to control. So, can we define which and which not? Yes, all things that re-create me as “God” situationally are not, my dear friends, consented to, going forward. I can never hold my stuff’s control to the extent that God does, and this registers bad news for some. It means; I can never predict or dictate a situation’s outcome, or pull things together by some power-demonstration which pushes all to finally perform their duty, enabling the problem to simply work itself out. Did you notice how that many problems are because others are just not…
Josh on Sunday School bus, 1984 As a Christian, how can I have a good self image? Well, “what a person believes other people think about them,” is how the world looks at a self-image. So, lets start there. When a person has a poor self-image, it hints to me they are still a bit on the subjective side. In other words, they may unconsciously care about what others think because they must have a good evaluation next time they do a check. Fine! God’s response to these types, (maybe all of us), expresses how He thinks about us, and that is His answer. He can’t, however, impress us with His evaluation till we come to our end of self-evaluation. See, we are so full of other standards of measurement, God’s gauge can’t find it’s way in there. I know we can say all the big words, but honestly, our…
Wagon Wheels at Jerome Arizona 1989 What is important to us? Again, what is important to you? You might say, “Why do you ask?” and I would reply, “Because, if we know this kind of info about a person, we basically know them. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he,” so says the Bible. “Heart” thinking contrasts with “mind” thinking as “heart” displays a habit of thinking. Heart involves thoughts which have been focused upon often, believed on; enough to create a pattern in the heart/processor. Like a depository, they become our fixed and steady stuff. They got this way because they have importance to us, or otherwise they would not have stuck. So, again the question, what is important to you? Sooner or later all could find this out to a degree, if they hang out with you long enough. See, this kind of info records…