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>positive cross</span>
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…
Some aspects of Christmas disclose themselves covertly: The Christ-child, tiny babe, was also Mankind’s Savior and continues our Personal Defender. You see, justice precedes love in God’s saving scheme, and we must see this. Justice and judgment must factor in, or we lose realness. Without grounds for judicial release in the objects of love, love has not much meaning. Moses, in Exodus 15, led Israel three days without water toward Mara. The waters there were bitter and the people shrieked. Who could blame them, but was there a meaning? Moses begged an answer from God, crying with body prostrated. God showed him a tree and Moses threw the tree into the water, and the waters were made sweet. First thought is: God, using God’s man, leads them, but they hate the bluntness of circumstance. Number two, God wants to demonstrate justice and truth, so he judges the bitter water –a…
Love and death A person must lay down their life in order to love the way God loves and stay true to the Bible. They must remove self, right now; place their very soul on the line; but could any even be willing? Do we wish for genuine self-sacrificing love? Are we empowered enough to become a victim for the sake of another? “Well, maybe for a child or wife” we say; but how many times can we do this? We willfully forsake a career, a good opportunity, a chance at success, a relationship with another, to love that chosen one unconditionally? Rare! In our face; God risks His own reputation to befriend a totally undeserving and conniving Abram and line up on the field’s same side with him. I don’t see a lot of this going on in our society. Pee-Wee Reese put his arm around Jackie Robinson in…
The right emotion involves the body’s muscles and nerves…The left emotion, however, is controlled by information from the heart…Dr. Carl Stevens (Divine Resources for Healing p.9) This (two emotions) concept originates a Bible phenomena where emotions are referred to as “bowels,” “reins”, and “kidneys”; metonyms all. Early psychology recognized, and eastern medicine still distinguishes, emotions attached to and represented by various body organs. W. James as referenced from “Baker’s Encyclopedia of Psychology p.353” stated that “emotions are reflexes” They arise as a result of stimuli that have symbolic meaning to the individual. Since emotions are compound reflexes, they normally possess the properties of all reflexes: they can be facilitated (made to flow easier) or occluded (their flow is cut). They sum-mate (peak out), are graded in intensity, and are subject to fatigue.” More recent psychology has explored also the cognitive aspect of emotional stimulation. Going along with W. James’ theory,…