Jacob and Esau provide an allegorical story, particularly the big blessing steal episode, which touches our lives See, Esau headed up the family birthright command chain, showing his red head a few moments before twin Brother Jacob’s hand appeared on his heal, no contest. Mom however had heard, “the elder shall serve the younger.” She started big-dreams dreaming for Jacob and frankly Esau was daily forsaking his favorite-son opportunity with animalistic displays and crude initiations. As Father Isaac increased in age, his faculties faded including the eyes. Mom discerned the situation—a befitting time for a deceptive maneuver. She must put Jacob up to it, however, and so worked her carefully devised scheme in a systematic fashion. Jacob, (supplanter), had experimented with this kind of cheat already, and had manipulated Esau’s birthright at an earlier low moment in brother’s famed history. His conscience, obviously prior-educated and conditioned with Mom’s deceitful ways,…
Tag: <span>Deception</span>
Wheeling Pittsburgh Steel, Allenport PA (first heard the gospel here) Now to quote a Christian thinker Dr. Ed Smith, a Baptist Minister, referring to wounds and healing, “To facilitate emotional renewal, we need to identify the three basic elements in the renewal process: (1) the present emotional pain, (2) the original memory container and (3) the original lie(s) implanted in the memory container.” What is he saying? Apparently a wound sticks in a memory container and in that container are lies? What kind of lies? Can I conjecture? On the one hand, raw barbaric self lies, or contrarily, socially acceptable fig-leaf cover-up lies, take your pick. These two, emerging out of a man’s heart, both poise to interpret a devastating slam, when it occurs. (The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.) Psalm 58:3 So, on one side, emotions of…
The Bible tells us, The fear of man brings a snare,( Proverbs 29:25). and a big snare it is. So big, this snare, it invades a whole life from beginning to end. Call it what you may; paranoia, phobia, insecurity, or dread; fear grips a lot of people and sticks them into corners they hate, but can’t escape. Man, scares man the most — the unpredictability, the instability, the irrationality, the stupidity, the impulsivity; need I continue? Me scares me too. Is there help? Why do men build up their bodies, carry a weapon, put a tattoo on their arm or form a gang? They do it because in the world of fear, strength and advantage mean everything. Fighting is often fear driven. So are a lot of sports. As a boy I played football and became known in our circles as an illusive runner. My secret? I was afraid…
We have a wedding in our family this weekend and I must do the ring ceremony. Oh boy! What to say? Vows? Well, regardless of my speech impediments, vows, vows, vows are commitments of a special kind. Our marrying candidates will circulate their rings amongst the congregation as the ceremony proceeds, and ask for all to have a special prayer for them. Is this for real? I asked the question also. Answer– extremely real. Why? Because vows are not lightly taken . Our society has left God out of the mix, and recreated a blend in which vows today are not so popular. As a culture, we have taught our children directly or indirectly that vows and commitments are too extreme. We have intimated that they are too hard to keep and have allowed our children to break promises left and right. How have we done this?…
So the opposers, careful and calculated, return with some smashing outside maneuvers. Another go-at-it brings up the question of natural law and Civil law. The cliches begin “so you are teaching people they don’t have to follow laws” The ‘end around’ insinuates ‘grace’ is the equivalent of anarchy. Boldly expressed, the latest maneuver messes with the mind. In the eyes of the competition, grace people always rebel against societal order. Lets think about why this is not true. In a good way, ‘control’ is an important concept here. A secret to the healed soul finds a person stepping out of a wounded soul via yielding to Holy Spirit-control. Not Law-control or self-control but Spirit-control eliminates the nonsense. In Proverbs 16:32 we see the principle of ruling our spirit. This in the Hebrew also carries the meaning “become like” our spirit. So,…
God came to my house and asked for charity. And I fell on my knees and cried, “Beloved, what may I give?” “Just love,” He said. “Just love.” St. Francis of Assisi Mere knowledge deceives big time. A mom passes into eternity and a sincere friend says,” your mom went to heaven”. Information-wise, a nice thought and probably true, however, only a partial comfort happens. Why? Because as human beings, our hurts go deeper. Vulnerable, and beginning to miss mom with overwhelming grief, the son or daughter need what mere knowledge lacks, a penetration of love or comfort perhaps. Let us not be fooled for convenience sake, simply because we lack the words for a proper responce. Another person walks up in the same situation and gives a big hug and says “I will pray for you”. This is better, but still falls short. Frankly, what the grieving person might…