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THE SALVATION OF THE SOUL AND THE SPIRITUAL STRUGGLE We're finishing up Module One of our Salvation of the Soul series with this sixth and final session. We've explored how, in response to early experiences of forsakenness, a person can create a protective helper part in their soul. These strategies becomes embedded and trapped as immature attempts to protect us from harm, leading to more unnecessary suffering over a person's life. We've learned that our spirit can discover and gently engage with these outdated parts, not as enemies, but as once-useful protectors doing their best. With spiritual authority and compassion, we can invite them to step aside and make room for our true Helper—the Holy Spirit—who reveals to us our God-designed self, united with Jesus and the Father. There is a graphic story of a spiritual struggle in Genesis 32 about Jacob who wrestles with God, where God appears to Jacob in the form of an angel. Jacob's life had been one continuous struggle, creating many unhelpful helper parts in his soul, using his own wits and skills and devious ways to get what he believed was due to him. His twin brother Esau came out of the womb before him, but Jacob grabbed his heel to get there first and it went on from there because it was in Jacob's spirit to want the blessing of God upon his life - that was his heart, and we discover later that it was not Esau's heart. But Jacob had lied and cheated and achieved many successes and some failures by constantly putting his unhelpful helper parts to use. He got to the point in in his life after cheating his brother Esau and pretending to his blind father Isaac that he was his brother, to get the first born blessing and  manipulating his father-in-Law Laban that he knew there had to be change in his life that only God could achieve in him. He was about to meet up with Esau again after many years in a proposed meeting for reconciliation, and he was worried that Esau might even exact revenge upon him. He let his family go on ahead and stayed alone and in the night, he finds himself in a spiritual struggle with God in the form of an angel and wrestles with God. In Jacob's wrestle with God, he became both a loser and a winner in the same encounter, just as we do with God because we can't beat God, but we stay in the struggle because God's blessing means more to us than any other blessing. And Jacob refused to let God go until God had blessed him. So in his willingness to have attitudes and behaviours overcome in his soul, he showed God that he was sincere in his spirit. And then God mercifully affirmed him in that by saying, ‘you have prevailed with God'. So, he didn't beat God, but God still declared him a spiritual winner. His spirit yielded to God and his soul surrendered its many unhelpful helpers, and he won God's blessing. They had thought they knew better than God in their grasping for blessings rather than faithfully receiving them from God. That is what our helper parts do – until they get to know and faithfully trust God for his best for us. But we can say to our souls to hold fast to the confession of your hope without wavering for he who has promised is faithful. (Hebrews 10:23). And God was faithful to Jacob with his promise despite Jacob's wayward ways. God changed not only his nature, but also changed his name from Jacob to Israel, which means prevailing with God. So our spiritual struggle with God is not against God, it's with God, and he says ‘we can walk together'. Israel also means prince. He received a new identity and a new place of authority in the purpose of God for his life. But he also received a permanent limp where his hip bone was damaged when the angel struck him and that finished the struggle, and this left Jacob with a new moment by moment awareness of his vulnerability. Now this is being a real person, and his unhelpful helper parts were no longer hidden, but they were no longer ruling his life if and when they were triggered. He now knew what to choose, and he knew how to choose, and he knew how to live in God's blessing, and that limp kept reminding him - you're vulnerable. He could glory in his spiritual struggles and infirmities, because when he was weak God was strong in him and with him.  Paul also tells us of his many spiritual struggles, and he encourages us in our spiritual struggles. He said when I am weak the power of Christ can rest upon me. (2Corinthians 12:9). Our spirit knows all the parts of us, and our struggles are like weighty burdens that our helper parts are carrying, and they often confuse our interpretations of situations, and they allow self-focussed emotional reactions and errors of judgment to occur – the missing of the mark – the sin which we later regret. The Bible speaks of these burdens and struggles in the book of Hebrews. ‘Lay aside the weights and the sin that so easily besets us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1)  This is what is meant by our besetting sin – the repetitive missing of the mark, driven by entrenched unhelpful helpers.  Jesus tells us to lay aside our burdens and come to Him for rest: Come to me, all you who labour and are heavy burdened (phortizo 5412 - to overburden with ceremony or spiritual anxiety – our spiritual struggle). Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28).  His yoke is easy because he offers us grace to walk closely with him, bonded and supported. Instead of carrying the heavy weight of old soul helper parts struggles and confusion, we now take on a lighter burden – a lighter spiritual struggle - the challenge of trusting Jesus. But even that faith comes from Him; He is the author and finisher of our faith. He's saying, “I'm doing the heavy lifting—believe in me.” Jesus lifts the pain and failure we carry and gives us rest. We are no longer bonded to unhelpful soul strategies -we are yoked with Him.  This becomes an intelligent and spiritual process of our human spirit, together with the Holy Spirit, having dialogue with those parts with curiosity, and having those parts indicate to us what they feel, what they think, and what do they think they have to do in order to keep our whole system in balance at the time. And we now become Unbonded from them and bonded to Jesus through the New Helper – the Holy Spirit who brings the truth of what's been going on and what will now go on in our faith walk with Jesus. God planned in eternity for the saving of our soul and to become transformed into a Life-giving Spirit, after his likeness, not just in his image. Jesus became that life giving spirit by becoming human when he was already a life-giving spirit in heaven. And we become a life-giving Spirit by becoming partakers of his Divine nature. He planned that before Adam even sinned. We could say that Jesus had already saved us before Adam even fell. The faith process of the transformative work of coming into the likeness of Jesus as a life-giving Spirit is outlined in Ephesians chapter four. Paul knew the experience of having the ‘Old Man' – the nature of Adam within him while at the same time having the ‘New Man' – the Spirit of the life of Christ Jesus within him. He explains to us the process of making the inner exchange from living as the old creation to living in the New Creation – from a mindset of separation to a mindset of togetherness. Put off your old man (the old self in the likeness of Adam), which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt (phtherio -wasteful and ruinous manner) through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the New Man (the New self), created after the likeness of God in true righteousness (which means being aligned with God's ways) and holiness (set apart for his destined  purpose for your life). (Ephesians 4:22),  Paul is inviting us into something wonderful. He says we can invite our old self to stand aside, our old helpers forming the soul of our human nature and trying to drive our life with these old attitudes and habits. And welcome home the new creation self that is created after the likeness of God, aligned with his heart and devoted to him.  God says, you aren't that old image with that deficient soul. You are in Christ, you are a new creation, and I want you to know who you are and I want you to live your new life as I created it to be lived. This is a determination of God and we no longer need to get in the way. Each part of our orphan spirit's heart that has been wounded can now be healed. Every lie that we've wrongly believed about ourselves is now able to be corrected and brought into line with God's idea of who we truly are. Whatever other people's negative ideas have done to us to devalue our true worth are erased by faith. That life changing process becomes the way of life. It becomes the way of discipleship to Jesus who knew how to be still and know his Father's ways and his guidance and direction. But for that to happen we need to embrace that same practice of being still and knowing God. The next module of the series is all about that. It is called the Practice of Presence Prayer.  When Christianity became Christendom in the 4th century the church became political and warlike and financially rich and powerful with a form of godliness but denying the power thereof (2Timothy 3:5). However there remained (and still does) a silver river of redemption, a river of life flowing through dedicated Godly men and women who gave themselves to contemplative practices and the Scriptures and pastoral care and teaching that were modelled by the early Church Fathers. This river has been flowing over all those hundreds of years, and I will be sharing the Scriptural foundations of that transformative way of receiving the salvation and healing of our souls and becoming a life-giving Spirit. Paul O'Sullivan – pauloss@me.com

This episode is part 12 in a series going through the story of the Book of Mormon.In Jacob chapter 6, Jacob uses the allegory of the vineyard from the prophet Zenos mentioned in the previous chapter to call the people of Nephi to reflect and repent. Of course, I point out where I see statements that are borrowed from the Bible.In Jacob chapter 7, Jacob encounters a heretic named Sherem who teaches that no "Christ" will come. After Jacob rebukes him, God strikes Sherem with a fatal illness. Sherem renounces what he taught before. We are left unclear if this was a deathbed conversion or just a heretic fearing judgment from God.I discuss a little about the last statement from the book of Jacob, which is "Brethren, adieu."Further research:Book of Mormon in videoJoseph Smith: The Prophet of the RestorationThe Book of Mormon online: Jacob [chapters 6, 7]*** Please contribute to the Hurricane relief fund for A.M. Brewster ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

This episode is part 12 in a series going through the story of the Book of Mormon.In Jacob chapter 6, Jacob uses the allegory of the vineyard from the prophet Zenos mentioned in the previous chapter to call the people of Nephi to reflect and repent. Of course, I point out where I see statements that are borrowed from the Bible.In Jacob chapter 7, Jacob encounters a heretic named Sherem who teaches that no "Christ" will come. After Jacob rebukes him, God strikes Sherem with a fatal illness. Sherem renounces what he taught before. We are left unclear if this was a deathbed conversion or just a heretic fearing judgment from God.I discuss a little about the last statement from the book of Jacob, which is "Brethren, adieu."Further research:Book of Mormon in videoJoseph Smith: The Prophet of the RestorationThe Book of Mormon online: Jacob [chapters 6, 7]*** Please contribute to the Hurricane relief fund for A.M. Brewster ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

This episode is part 11 in a series going through the story of the Book of Mormon.In Jacob chapter 5, Jacob relays the "mystery" he just mentioned. It's something the Nephites as children of Israel should have read or heard. A prophet named Zenos wrote an allegory of Israel as an olive tree. This allegory clearly borrows from several passages of the Bible, but adds far more detail.Did you know that an ancient prophet in Israel wrote a story depicting how the church would have a lot of denominations bearing wild fruit? Did you know his story also described the origin and fate of the Book of Mormon's Lamanite and Nephite peoples?Amazing prophecy! Or, perhaps, it was all Joseph Smith with 20/20 hindsight and imagination.Sources Cited:The Biblical Antiquities of Philo chapter 25"Is Anything Known of the Prophet Zenos Outside of the Book of Mormon?" Scripture Central, August 20, 2020.Encyclopedia of Mormonism, s.v. "Zenos," accessed April 6, 2025.Further research:Book of Mormon in videoJoseph Smith: The Prophet of the RestorationThe Book of Mormon online: Jacob [chapter 5]*** Please contribute to the Hurricane relief fund for A.M. Brewster ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!Mentioned in this episode:Affiliate Link: Blackout CoffeeBlackout Coffee is a coffee company that supports traditional American values of strong families, personal responsibility, and patriotism. Blackout Coffee delivers to active duty military and first responders. Be Awake, Not Woke with their rich and flavorful coffees, teas, and hot cocoas.Blackout Coffee

This episode is part 11 in a series going through the story of the Book of Mormon.In Jacob chapter 5, Jacob relays the "mystery" he just mentioned. It's something the Nephites as children of Israel should have read or heard. A prophet named Zenos wrote an allegory of Israel as an olive tree. This allegory clearly borrows from several passages of the Bible, but adds far more detail.Did you know that an ancient prophet in Israel wrote a story depicting how the church would have a lot of denominations bearing wild fruit? Did you know his story also described the origin and fate of the Book of Mormon's Lamanite and Nephite peoples?Amazing prophecy! Or, perhaps, it was all Joseph Smith with 20/20 hindsight and imagination.Sources Cited:The Biblical Antiquities of Philo chapter 25"Is Anything Known of the Prophet Zenos Outside of the Book of Mormon?" Scripture Central, August 20, 2020.Encyclopedia of Mormonism, s.v. "Zenos," accessed April 6, 2025.Further research:Book of Mormon in videoJoseph Smith: The Prophet of the RestorationThe Book of Mormon online: Jacob [chapter 5]*** Please contribute to the Hurricane relief fund for A.M. Brewster ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!Mentioned in this episode:Affiliate Link: Blackout CoffeeBlackout Coffee is a coffee company that supports traditional American values of strong families, personal responsibility, and patriotism. Blackout Coffee delivers to active duty military and first responders. Be Awake, Not Woke with their rich and flavorful coffees, teas, and hot cocoas.Blackout Coffee

This episode is part 10 in a series going through the story of the Book of Mormon.In Jacob chapter 3, Jacob continues his sermon against the people of Nephi for their pride, greed, and polygamy. I discuss a little about the polygamy issue I raised in the last part. Jacob also warns the Nephites that, if they don't repent, they could end up with darker skin than the Lamanites. Apparently, in the ancient Americas, sin affects skin. And darker skin is a curse from God.Jacob chapter 4 talks about how the brass plates record many clear prophecies about Jesus: the atonement, that He is the "only begotten Son" and that Abraham and Isaac are a picture of God the Father and Jesus. Because the Jews in captivity became stiffnecked against the clear prophecies that even the prophets before them received, God took away these clear prophecies and gave them words harder to understand.The LDS church argues that Joseph Smith restored the true church from apostasy. The Book of Mormon claims that the Bible we have today has lost "plainness."Further research:Book of Mormon in videoJoseph Smith: The Prophet of the RestorationThe Book of Mormon online: Jacob [chapters 3, 4]*** Please contribute to the Hurricane relief fund for A.M. Brewster ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

This episode is part 10 in a series going through the story of the Book of Mormon.In Jacob chapter 3, Jacob continues his sermon against the people of Nephi for their pride, greed, and polygamy. I discuss a little about the polygamy issue I raised in the last part. Jacob also warns the Nephites that, if they don't repent, they could end up with darker skin than the Lamanites. Apparently, in the ancient Americas, sin affects skin. And darker skin is a curse from God.Jacob chapter 4 talks about how the brass plates record many clear prophecies about Jesus: the atonement, that He is the "only begotten Son" and that Abraham and Isaac are a picture of God the Father and Jesus. Because the Jews in captivity became stiffnecked against the clear prophecies that even the prophets before them received, God took away these clear prophecies and gave them words harder to understand.The LDS church argues that Joseph Smith restored the true church from apostasy. The Book of Mormon claims that the Bible we have today has lost "plainness."Further research:Book of Mormon in videoJoseph Smith: The Prophet of the RestorationThe Book of Mormon online: Jacob [chapters 3, 4]*** Please contribute to the Hurricane relief fund for A.M. Brewster ***We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

What do we do when we face paralyzing fear? In Jacob's time of fear, he prayed. That's the mark of spiritual transformation. Jacob came to Laban's territory prayerless, but now he departs in holy prayer. This passage shows us what it looks like to lean on Christ in times of fear, and through prayer to carve out a different path by honestly remembering how good the Lord has already been to us, and expressing what we need from Him in the moment.

In Jacob, dood in Qatar is te horen hoe journalist Lex Boon en kunstdetective Arthur Brand verwikkeld raken in een intrigerende zaak rondom de raadselachtige dood van de Nederlandse Jacob in Qatar. Jacob is daar werkzaam voor het privémuseum van een steenrijke sjeik, als hij in 2021 dood wordt aangetroffen in zijn bed. Dat gebeurt een paar maanden nadat de voormalige Nederlandse directeur, Kees Wieringa, een onthullend boek heeft uitgebracht over de giftige werksfeer en de dubieuze praktijken in het museum. Wist Jacob te veel?  Jacob, dood in Qatar is een podcast van Lex Boon, geproduceerd door Submarine, onder begeleiding van Marion Oskamp en Simn Heijmans. DOCS is de documentaire podcast van de publieke omroep onder eindredactie van NTR en VPRO. Presentatie: Dija Kabba Meer informatie: 2doc.nl/docs, vragen of reacties kun je sturen naar: docs@ntr.nl

In Jacob, dood in Qatar is te horen hoe journalist Lex Boon en kunstdetective Arthur Brand verwikkeld raken in een intrigerende zaak rondom de raadselachtige dood van de Nederlandse Jacob in Qatar. Jacob is daar werkzaam voor het privémuseum van een steenrijke sjeik, als hij in 2021 dood wordt aangetroffen in zijn bed. Dat gebeurt een paar maanden nadat de voormalige Nederlandse directeur, Kees Wieringa, een onthullend boek heeft uitgebracht over de giftige werksfeer en de dubieuze praktijken in het museum. Wist Jacob te veel?  Jacob, dood in Qatar is een podcast van Lex Boon, geproduceerd door Submarine, onder begeleiding van Marion Oskamp en Simn Heijmans. DOCS is de documentaire podcast van de publieke omroep onder eindredactie van NTR en VPRO. Presentatie: Dija Kabba Meer informatie: 2doc.nl/docs, vragen of reacties kun je sturen naar: docs@ntr.nl

In Jacob's last words to his sons, Jesus reveals his unearned grace in an unexpected way. Whether we're wrestling with past mistakes like Judah or enduring trials like Joseph—we can be confident Jesus is at the center of it making all things new.

In Jacob's last words to his sons, Jesus reveals his unearned grace in an unexpected way. Whether we're wrestling with past mistakes like Judah or enduring trials like Joseph—we can be confident Jesus is at the center of it making all things new.

Today is a day of great mysteries revealed by the Lord. Join Prophet Hari Rao as he unveils the importance and power of a name. As you listen, may these profound truths sink deep into your spirit. While what you hear with your ears might be forgotten, what you receive in your spirit will remain.Jacob, a deeply flawed man named "deceiver" at birth, lived up to his name by deceiving his own family. Despite this, God was not intimidated by Jacob's mess or afraid to associate with him. Like Jacob, we all have lived up to the names given to us, which have become part of our identity. Sometimes, life is a journey of undoing a name. God, however, is not deterred by our frailties. When you come to God, you come to someone who can turn your life around.Jacob deceived his father and brother, usurping the blessing of the firstborn and stealing Esau's birthright. We often equate blessings with material possessions, but Jacob understood the power of the words his father was about to speak over his brother. Truly spiritual people understand that everything proceeds a word. Words spoken by a spirit are always more valuable than substance.Jacob's encounter in Genesis 28 occurs at the same location where his grandfather, Abraham, also encountered God and raised an altar to honor Him. This location had transformed from a mere physical place into a spiritual portal; the altar activated the spiritual DNA of the man who worshiped there decades ago. This is how you secure future generations. Your consecrations, altars, and sacrifices can speak for generations long after you are gone. You shape the future through the covenants you make, the prayers you pray, and the altars you raise. A legacy is not just an institution you build but the life you live before God.In Jacob's dream, he didn't just see a ladder; he saw mysteries, truths, and dimensions tabernacled in the Lord Jesus. The ladder is not just a physical element; it signifies a hierarchy of truths and mysteries. The distance between heaven and earth is bridged by truth, which is Jesus Himself. Jacob is now encountering this mystery and truth, receiving understanding from God. Every mystery conceals a reality, and this ladder leads Jacob to the God of his father. He learned mysteries that could provoke an encounter. Understanding these truths grants access to hidden realities.Jacob made a covenant with God, vowing to serve Him if he could return to his father's house in peace. Now, sixteen years later, Jacob wrestled for this covenant as he returned. Jacob was a man carrying mysteries; he understood the power of covenants and how to create lasting memorials before God. It wasn't by chance; he engineered and prepared for these encounters. Often, we receive a divine encounter or word and move on, unsure of how to immortalize that moment with God. Each divine encounter should be made a memorial, sealed by raising an altar before God. This is how you seal an encounter and make it immortal before God.Jacob wrestled with a mysterious being for his blessing, who, despite being stronger, needed to be released by Jacob before sunrise because he sought to remain a mystery and not become public domain! This is why you need fathers who wrestle with hidden mysteries and truths to reveal them. The angel refuses to bless Jacob and instead asks for his name, knowing Jacob doesn't understand that he was already blessed and that what he truly lacked was an identity.Every person has the opportunity to bury their struggle with them. But Rachel, overcome by her pain and past, named her son Benoni, a son of sorrow, repeating the mistake made by Jacob's mother. However, Jacob, aware of patterns and the power of a name, intervenes and calls him Benjamin, meaning "son of my right hand," affirming a new identity devoid of past sorrows.What is your name? Because your identity unlocks your blessing.May God open your eyes to reveal your true identity in Him. Receive grace for a new name that will unlock your blessings. 

In Jacob's story, he has tricked his father, stole from his brother, and might feel lonely because of his own actions.  Maybe he assumes no one wants to be with him.  But God is faithful and visits Jacob in a dream to tell him he has a future, he has a friend, and to have faith. Today's scripture comes from Genesis 28:18-22 Original Broadcast Date: June 9, 2024 creekwoodumc.org

Our Mothers Knew It with Maria EckersleyA Creative Study of Come, Follow MeBook of Mormon [JACOB 5-7] Insights“The Lord Labors with Us”April 8 - April 14, 2024WEEK 15: SUMMARY=================Lesson Summary:Jacob's final teachings will focus our attention squarely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In Jacob 5, he'll teach us Zenos' allegory of the Olive Tree to help us understand the depth and infinite scope of God's love for His children. Next, in chapter 6, he'll urge us to be reconciled to God through Christ in this life and not procrastinate the day of our repentance. In chapter 7, Jacob we teach us how to be unshaken in the face of fierce opposition when he encounters Sherem, the first Anti-Christ of the Book of Mormon.This week we'll open up conversations about the Olive Tree symbolism by creating our own paper-bag vineyard. Next, we'll balance a trio of knives to study the tools Jacob used to know and defend truth. Finally, we'll play a new Kahoot to help us review the first 3 books of the Book of Mormon and appreciate the steadying force of scripture study in our lives.1) “I will liken thee … unto a tame olive tree”: Vineyard Craft2) “He had hope to shake me from the faith”: Triangle of Truth Knives3) “They searched the Scriptures”: Kahoot Challenge #1CHAPTERS=========00:00:13 CREATIVE INTRODUCTION00:03:23 OBJECT LESSON 100:08:30 OBJECT LESSON 200:12:30 OBJECT LESSON 300:15:23 WRAP UPFollow Maria on:Creative Come Follow Me digital courseMeckMom.comInstagram @meckmomlifeYouTube CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST DISCLAIMER: This podcast represents my own thoughts and opinions. It is not made, approved or endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or creative interpretations, implied or included are solely those of Maria Eckersley ("MeckMom LLC"), and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Great care has been made to ensure this podcast is in harmony with the overall mission of the Church. Click here to visit the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Our Mothers Knew It with Maria EckersleyA Creative Study of Come, Follow MeBook of Mormon [JACOB 5-7] Insights“The Lord Labors with Us”April 8 - April 14, 2024WEEK 15: SUMMARY=================Lesson Summary:Jacob's final teachings will focus our attention squarely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In Jacob 5, he'll teach us Zenos' allegory of the Olive Tree to help us understand the depth and infinite scope of God's love for His children. Next, in chapter 6, he'll urge us to be reconciled to God through Christ in this life and not procrastinate the day of our repentance. In chapter 7, Jacob we teach us how to be unshaken in the face of fierce opposition when he encounters Sherem, the first Anti-Christ of the Book of Mormon.Questions to Consider:Jacob 5:4 | How do you see agency and omnicience working together in the same space. As an omniscient God, why does he speak in possibilities?Jacob 5:18 | Have you seen examples where those who are new to the Covenant draw strength from and simultaneously add strength to the Church?Jacob 5:30-31 | How can the trap of being busy but not productive in the Lord's way lead to apostasy in us?Jacob 7:4 | Why is flattery such an effective tool of the adversary? How do we guard against it?Jacob 6:5 | Do you see connections between cleaving and covenants? How do we cleave unto God?CHAPTERS=========00:00:13 INSIGHTS INTRODUCTION00:04:36 SPARK 1: HE USES MANY TOOLS00:13:18 SPARK 2: HE IS A GARDENER AND A TRAINER00:20:36 SPARK 3: HE WORKS WHEN WE DO NOT SEE HIM00:24:49 SPARK 4: HE IS AN OPTIMIST00:28:55 SPARK 5: HE MOURNS LOSS AND GIVES MEASURED RESPONSE00:34:43 SPARK 6: CHARACTER OF A PROPHET, PROPHETS SPEAK PLAINLY00:40:09 SPARK 7: CHARACTER OF A PROPHET, PROPHETS SEEK GOD'S WILL00:48:01 QUESTIONS00:51:22 WRAP UPFollow Maria on:Creative Come Follow Me digital courseMeckMom.comInstagram @meckmomlifeYouTube CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST DISCLAIMER: This podcast represents my own thoughts and opinions. It is not made, approved or endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or creative interpretations, implied or included are solely those of Maria Eckersley ("MeckMom LLC"), and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Great care has been made to ensure this podcast is in harmony with the overall mission of the Church. Click here to visit the official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Jacob's Ladder #4: In His Presence Journey with Lana and Courtney, as they themselves encounter God, even while talking about Jacob's encounter. In this episode we learn that God's promise was not dependent on Jacob's actions, for God declared, “I will…” For He is the great I AM. In Jacob's brokenness and wayward moments, God reveals His grace, as He is the one who leans in close. And it is there In God's presence that everything changes. In His presence we can do anything. Through the revelation of who He is, there is birthed a courage and boldness to do all He has asked us to do — a courage to believe in the promise and to dream again.

This week on the show Maine and Simon recap Nick Rodriguez vs Victor Hugo on WNO 22.We kick off news with a discussion of Pit Fighting Jiu Jitsu announced matchups, and Polaris Open information. We jump right into recapping the main event of Nick Rodriguez vs Victor Hugo, we talk about the guard work and submission attempts and perfect strategy from Victor that led him to a decision victory. In the welterweight title match we talk about Mica Galvão vs Kenta Iwamoto, we discuss the wrestling counter of Mica into submissions and the variety of offensive options Mica used in the matchup.  In the recap of Amanda "Tubby" Alequin vs Adele Fornarino the second fastest submission in WNO history with Adele hitting an Aoki lock in 24 seconds. In the Lightweight title match we talk Dante Leon vs Diego "Pato" Oliveira, and how the featherweight champ became the two division WNO champ. We recap the lightning fast SLX transition to the heel hook that Pato hit to take the 155 pound title, and how the weight played less of a factor in the match than we had anticipated. In Tainan Dalpra  vs Oliver Taza, we talk about Tainan Dalpra second no-gi black belt match and how the AOJ game planning and positional control was the big deciding factor in the decision for Tainan. We also talk about who we want to see Tainan Dalpra face next. In Jacob "The Hillbilly Hammer" Couch vs Sebastian Rodriguez we discuss the leg locks of Jacob Couch and how his game plan was as similar as we predicted using nearly the same entry that he used to win ADCC East Coast Trials to hit a powerful heel hook to win the match. In Elijah Dorsey vs Ivan Herrera we talk about Dorsey modified americana from the back position. In Max Hanson vs Daniel Sathler we talk about the flying armbar over the guard submission that Sathler was able to hit.  We discuss Ashlee Funegra vs Marilyn Cruz and how Funegra used great positional control to take the decision. We also talk about the matchup Dory Aoun vs Kyle Chambers, where Dory took a close decision win. In the preview section we run through the top names in the 2024 ADCC European, Middle Eastern, and African trials.Recorded 2-12-2023

This week on the show Maine and Miranda preview Nick Rodriguez vs Victor Hugo on WNO 22.We jump right into previewing the main event Nick Rodriguez vs Victor Hugo, the third match so far with Hugo taking the first three we talk about the changes to Nicky Rods passing and overall game since their matches in 2020 and 2021.In the welterweight title match we talk about Mica Galvão -vs Kenta Iwamoto, we discuss the wrestling and the variety of offensive options Mica has in the matchup.  In a late replacement match we talk Amanda "Tubby" Alequin vs Adele Fornarino, adn the possibility that Tubby will continue to mix up her game plan since her One FC match. In the Lightweight title match we talk Dante Leon vs Diego "Pato" Oliveira, the featherweight champ, and how the recent staggering weight routine may play a factor in the match. In Tainan Dalpra  vs Oliver Taza, we talk about Tainan Dalpra second no-gi black belt match and how the AOJ game planning may be the big deciding factor in this matchup. In Jacob "The Hillbilly Hammer" Couch vs Sebastian Rodriguez we discuss the leg locks of Jacob Couch and if his game plan would be similar to the one he used to win ADCC East Coast Trials.In Elijah Dorsey vs Ivan Herrera we talk about Dorsey consistent score first strategy. In Max Hanson vs Daniel Sathler we talk about Max holding all the regional belts and winning his way onto WNO. We discuss Ashlee Funegra vs Marilyn Cruz in another big matchup for the Funegra sisters.We also talk about the style matchup between Dory Aoun vs Kyle Chambers. Recorded 2-5-2023

Altars are places where we offer up to God the things that consume us, control us and compete with His place in our lives. We also build altars as an act of worship because we realize God has kept us. Jacob is 97 years old before he builds an altar to God. In Jacob, we see the radical love of a God who presses us until we realize what He's always known — we'll never be home in ourselves or in Him until we build Him an altar.  

In Jacob's dying song we revisit a great theme of the book of Genesis: 'The Significant Son'. Remember the hope of Genesis 3:15? The woman's son would crush the serpents head. Perhaps Adam and Eve where hopeful that their first born Cain would be their savior. As the narrative continues, the birth of Seth following the murder of Able and the banishment of Cain may have renewed their hopes of salvation. Through the ages, the patriarch's hopes were kept alive through the elect line as Enoch defied death, Noah sailed humanity through the waters of judgement to a new world, Abraham received a covenant of light and blessing to the nations, Isaac was miraculously born, and Jacob received the birthright. Yet could any of these men deliver us from evil hearts and redeem this fallen world of sin and its effects? No. Nevertheless, In Jacob's song, hope for a savior still lives though perhaps barely audible to his sons by way of his feeble dying voice. Thankfully, his oracle is written down forever in the pages of Holy Scripture where we may behold its weight and glory in light of New Covenant fulfillment.

In Jacob and Jordan's dream job factory this episode is nuclear mechanical engineer Harry Stevenson, discussing his career and his dream job. May contain uranium, vegetables and formaldehyde. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15). These words are part of the promise God made to Jacob as Jacob flees from his brother's wrath. The Bible is full of promises like these: from God's promise to Adam and Eve to bring redemption all the way to Jesus promise that he is coming back. The Bible's narrative, one might say, is propelled forward by these promises. The Bible does not portray Jacob as morally or even spiritually upstanding in any way. Throughout his story, his faults are front and centre. It is important to see this because the Bible is not about upstanding people we should emulate. Rather, it is the story of God's faithfulness to unfaithful humans. These are the kinds of promises percolating throughout the Bible. Promises that God will prosper people who are particularly unworthy of God's attention. Let's look at the promises God made to Jacob and hear them as promises made to us, who are very much like Jacob. We need to hear them in the messiness of life, some of it, of our own making. These promises are not reserved for those on the spiritual mountain top but for those sloshing through the valleys. The first part of the promise is that God will be with Jacob as he flees. In Jacob's day, most people believed that the deities only had power in local areas, not able to influence events beyond their territory. Thus, it is remarkable that God can go with Jacob wherever he ends up. David explores this truth in Psalm 139, finding comfort in the reality that he cannot escape God's presence. Jesus leaves his disciples with the same promise before he returns to heaven (Matthew 28:18-20). He gives this promise even though some of them still doubted (17). He makes good on his promise by sending his Holy Spirit. This Spirit reminds us that we are the children of the heavenly father. The second part of the promise to Jacob is that God will watch over him. Again, it is a promise that Israel as a whole, comes to claim. Psalm 121 is probably the most well known and it places this promise into the liturgy of Israel and the church. It became part of our worship because it is so difficult to believe. We sing it to each other to shore up our faltering faith. Jesus reworked this promise when he said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). We know it is part of this promise because Jesus is quick to add, “And the realm of the dead will not overcome it”. The church is up against the worst kind of enemy, but Jesus will keep his church. He makes this promise to his disciples who probably would not be permitted to members in our churches. They just didn't get who Jesus was, yet the promise is made. And to this day, he has kept it. Again, it is important for us to consider to whom God makes these promises. Jacob is a schemer and deceiver. He does not act out of faith, but doubts that God is able. Yet, God goes with him. This is God's mercy. Consider this in the context of your own doubts and waywardness. If the promises of God are dependent on our worthiness, none would ever be fulfilled. They are dependent on God's faithfulness to his own Word. That is good news indeed. Consider this promise also in the context of Christ's church which seems to fail more often in holiness and grace then she succeeds. In the messiness of Christian community, we rely not on ourselves but in the promises of Jesus. This is the good news of the gospel.  Journey on with God's blessing, May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!

Baggage--we all have it and we all carry it. The baggage we carry weighs down our relationships with others--family and friends, co-workers and neighbors. Our baggage gets in the way of an honest walk with God, ruins marriages, and ends friendships. BUT…there is good news for those who are weary of carrying their baggage everywhere they go. Through the life of Jacob we will learn how God uses our baggage to help us know Him, and then invites us to give Him all that weighs us down. In Jacob's baggage we find redemption, reconciliation, purpose, and value. Life does not have to be heavy. We are invited to travel light. Baggage will teach us let go.  This week we will open up the bag of family relationships and sibling rivalry, revealing the impact Jacob and Esau's relationship still has on our world today.

Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics: Chassidus Applied to 10 TevesWhat is the significance of this day? Why is the siege of the wall around Jerusalem so pivotal? How is it possible that we go from the brightest days of Chanukah into one of the darkest days of the Tenth of Teves, the beginning stage of the Temple's destruction? How could something so apparently negative and sad occur in Teves, which contains the word tov, good? Chassidus Applied to VayechiWhy is the chapter about Jacob's passing called Vayechi (lived)? Why do we say that Jacob's best years of his life were the 17 years he spent in Mitzrayim? And if so, why was he so adamant that he be buried in the Holy Land? Why did Jacob keep a “grudge” against Shimon and Levi for the massacre of Shechem? In Jacob's blessings to his children he tells us that great kings will come from Judah, great judges from Dan, great seafarers from Zevulun. Can we deduce which tribe performers originate from? What does it mean that Yaakov Avinu lo meis (Jacob our father did not die)? How could Joseph defile and embalm his father, something prohibited by the Torah? New Year:Is it appropriate to wish “Happy New Year”? What is the story with Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev about this? Should we celebrate when an evil person dies? Can homeopathy be used as a remedy? How can we ensure that good deeds should be done with consideration for others? Follow-up: Irreverent questions Previous week's Torah chapters:Miketz: Can Joseph's interpretation of Pharaohs dreams also be a life lesson for us about the importance of saving money and resources in case we need them in the future? Vayeishev: What was Joseph punished for asking the chief cupbearer to intervene on his behalf to get him out of jail?

In Jacob’s meeting with Esau we have a beautiful picture of God’s gracious, faithful, enduring love for us. (Gene Pensiero Jr.)

In this message we look at the life story of Jacob. In the story of Jacob, we find God working beauty in brokenness. In Jacob's story, we find a lot of brokenness. Yet, God is working amidst of all of it. We will walk through three tendencies in Jacob's life, deception, dysfunction and struggle, and seek to apply some of his life lessons to our lives.

In this message we look at the life story of Jacob. In the story of Jacob, we find God working beauty in brokenness. In Jacob's story, we find a lot of brokenness. Yet, God is working amidst of all of it. We will walk through three tendencies in Jacob's life, deception, dysfunction and struggle, and seek to apply some of his life lessons to our lives.

In Jacob adopting Joseph's sons into his family, we see a picture of what God does for us in Jesus. In Jesus, we are blessed by God and belong to his family.

Rev. Curtis Deterding, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Fort Myers, FL, joins host Rev. Brady Finnern to study Genesis 28. Jacob fled out of fear for Esau. God has a habit of visiting people when they were afraid, thankfully, He still does today. In Jacob's dream, the Lord connects heaven and earth with His appearance to reaffirm His presence by saying, “I am with you and keep you wherever you go.” We have that same promise of our Lord Jesus, “Behold I am with you always to the very end of the age.” “Lord Jesus Christ, as You are with us, we ask that You continue to connect heaven and earth by Your gifts. Be with us in our fears and pour Your peace upon us and bless the next generation with Your salvation and peace. In Your name. Amen”

** #060 Fornification ** :: Jacob 3-4 :: Sister Gigi tries to get a free Book of Mormon from the church without getting back on their records. Brother Jones improves the English language. Sister Patience loses patience with Smitty's shitty prose. Sister Gigi's TikTok as promised in the episode. Have fun ya'll! https://www.tiktok.com/@damnitgigi :: Memorable Quote 1: :: Sister Patience: "Hey Jones, say 'lasciviousness' 5 times really fast." Brother Jones: "Fuck you Patience." :: Memorable Quote 2: :: Sister Gigi (paraphrasing a part of Jacob 4:10): "Seek not to counsel the Lord, bitch!" :: Highlights: :: The team learn what "lasciviousness" means, sort of. Sister Gigi talks about Mormons preserving food; specifically beans, and even tuna! Brad Sounds return! Satan with 3 mouths! "God the Dick". A play in too many parts. :: Stoney Baloney :: If you want to see how the meaning of "stone that the builders rejected" has evolved over time, here's a journey! In Psalms 118:22, the "stone" is the Jewish people, despised as worthless by their neighbours. God surprised all by using these discarded building materials to defeat their enemies, and make their nation great again. Such a political message. Which is unsurprising. In Matthew 21:42, Jesus is trying to outwit some Jewish scholars who didn't like him. He mixes this quote from Psalms, with a silly parable of his own. The "stone" is the title/blessings/birthright of being "God's people". He's saying it will be given to others more worthy than these scholars. Oooh scathing! In Jacob 4:16-17, Smitty is saying the "stone" is Jesus. A foundation to build a righteous people. The "rejected" part was a reference to the unwelcome reception Jesus faced from the Jewish establishment in the New Testament. This meaning Jesus never used; neither did the psalmist! At this stage of the Book of Mormon story, Jesus' birth is still 500 years in the future, and these words were supposedly written by a Jew familiar with just the Psalm. So how any of it could make any "plain" simple sense is rediculous. Smitty betrays himself by including this common Christian rhetoric/misinterpretation in his boring story. #Reasons to stay home this Sunday# - https://bookofboredom.com/reasons/ #Join the Blasphemy# - https://facebook.com/groups/BookOfBoredom #Patreon (Bonus Episodes)# - https://patreon.com/BookOfBoredom #Twitter# - https://twitter.com/BookOfBoredom #TikTok# - https://tiktok.com/@BookOfBoredomPodcast #Instagram# - https://instagram.com/BookOfBoredomPodcast #YouTube# - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMjDavWoT73Cev3IAie_XBA #Website# - https://bookofboredom.com/ A nice review on any podcast platform will help frustrate the Heavenly Father's boring plans for your future.

Welcome to The Nonlinear Library, where we use Text-to-Speech software to convert the best writing from the Rationalist and EA communities into audio. This is: RadVac Commercial Antibody Test Results, published by johnswentworth on the LessWrong. Background: Making Vaccine Results are in from the commercial antibody tests. Both my girlfriend and I came back negative - the test did not detect any Spike antibody response in the blood. This post will talk about how I'm updating based on these results, and the next steps. Here's our timeline so far; more info on the vaccine is in the original post and the radvac whitepaper: We've taken five doses, spaced apart weekly (on Tuesdays). The first three doses only included six of the nine peptides, due to delays from the manufacturer. (Spike 660, Spike 1145, and Orf1 5471T were the three missing.) The blood draw for this test took place the day after the fifth dose. I expect this is too soon to notice significant impact from the last two doses; vaccines in general seem to typically take 2-3 weeks to kick in, and that is my expectation for this one as well. (Also, it was an "IgG antibody test", and WebMD says these antibodies typically take about 2 weeks to show up after covid symptoms show from an actual infection.) This is intended to mainly be a test of the first three doses. The test apparently used the "DiaSorin Liaison(R) SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 IgG assay" (I didn't know this until the results came in). According to the FDA, it has about 92% sensitivity and 99% specificity. The "S1/S2" part indicates that it's testing for response to the S1 and S2 subunits of the spike protein - together, these are essentially the whole spike protein. Important thing to notice: the test was looking for Spike antibodies, and two of our three missing peptides were Spike peptides. Indeed, there were only 3 Spike peptides among the full 9, so with two missing, we only had one Spike peptide in our first three doses. (The rest target other parts of the virus.) So that makes the test significantly less useful than it would otherwise be, and makes me more inclined to get another test in 2-3 weeks when the doses with the other three peptides have had time to kick in. How I'm Updating In the original post, I called this test "searching under the streetlamp". It wasn't super likely to come back positive even assuming the vaccine worked as intended, but it was relatively cheap and easy to run the test, so it was our first check. Given the missing Spike peptides and the test only checking against Spike, it was even more likely to come back negative than I originally estimated. In Jacob's prediction questions, I gave roughly a 25% chance that a commercial antibody test would pass for most people, given three doses and all 9 peptides. I gave the vaccine about 75% chance of working overall, distributed over several different possible worlds. In this specific scenario, it's clear that the prior on test passing should be even lower. (Reminder on the possible worlds: the vaccine could induce antibody response in the blood and mucus, only mucus, or not at all. It could induce T-cell response separate from antibody response. It could work sometimes, much like how the first dose of commercial mRNA vaccines tend to work in 75% or 85% of people, and in that case I expect more doses/more time to make it work more often.) After updating on the results, I'm down to about 60-70% chance of working overall. Unfortunately this test just didn't give us very much information - at least about the vaccine working. Aside from the test result, we do have one more small piece of information to update on: I was quite congested for 1-2 days after the most recent three doses (and I was generally not congested the rest of the week). That's exactly what we'd expect to see if the vaccine is working as intended, and it's pretty strong evidence that it's doing something. Updating on both that and the test results, I'm at ~70% that it works overall...

In Jacob's life, the Holy Spirit was not an invited guest, but a party crasher. Jacob's call, conversion, strengths, and weaknesses are outlined - which prompts us to ask- Lord, why did you pick Jacob-- ... which leads us to ask- Lord, why would you pick me-- This is the fourth biography in an eight part series.

In Jacob's life, the Holy Spirit was not an invited guest, but a party crasher. Jacob's call, conversion, strengths, and weaknesses are outlined - which prompts us to ask- Lord, why did you pick Jacob- ... which leads us to ask- Lord, why would you pick me- This is the fourth biography in an eight part series.

In Jacob's life, the Holy Spirit was not an invited guest, but a party crasher. Jacob's call, conversion, strengths, and weaknesses are outlined - which prompts us to ask- Lord, why did you pick Jacob- ... which leads us to ask- Lord, why would you pick me- This is the fourth biography in an eight part series.

In Jacob's next movie pick, he proves that John Candy was indeed a real actor and not just a figment of his imagination. To do this, Jacob has to take us back to 1987 in John Hughes slapstick comedy, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, or as Sage would like to call it, Planes, Trains and Mostly Automobiles. In this review, the boys cover all of the comedic highlights from the movie and the heartfelt story underlying it all, along with debating Thanksgiving food and the best and worst holidays. If you listen until the end, you'll get to hear about the surprising 10-point bump from Sage and a little bit of banjo from our main man Steve Martin. This movie was directed by John Hughes. GD4AM: 80/100 IMDb: 7.6/10 Metacritic: 72/100 RT: 92% A man struggles to travel home for Thanksgiving with a lovable oaf of a shower curtain ring salesman as his only companion. Currently streaming on Hulu.

By day, Randy Jacobs is a veteran producer and voiceover talent at Corus Radio in Vancouver.In Jacob's off hours, his alter ego RC Weslowski is an award-winning slam poetry champion, spoken word artist and community arts organizer.We welcome him to this episode of Broadcast Dialogue - The Podcast to talk about his love for all things spoken word and audio, and his newly-released book of poetry "My Soft Response to the Wars."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Title by Jess Lally   With Simon Taylor https://simontaylorfunnyboy.com/ insta: @simontaylorfunnyboy   Look out for Simon's new book: "One Night Stand" https://larrikinhouse.com/product/one-night-stand/   In Jacob's family, the highway is a place of pain, power and unhealthy parental patterns. After having all his large number of siblings left on the side of the road over the years, Jacob's in the front seat. But can he break the cycle of road rage before it's too late?   Song List: "Oh Damn!", "On the Side of the Road", "I want pee just in the toilet", "I'm full of rage", "Love Conquers All" "We're on the Freeway to Family"   Cast: Morgan Phillips, Amy Ruffle, Jake Leaney and special guest Simon Taylor Teched by Emmet Nichols Edited by Morgan Phillips

Joe Henderson, Co-Show Runner and Executive Producer of the hit TV series, “Lucifer,” joins the Three Rural White Guys to discuss political agenda setting. In Jacob's sunburned return from the Caribbean, the guys discuss anti-vaxers and D.C./Puerto Rico Statehood.

In Jacob, you see the God of encounter at work to take you from where you are to where you should be through the discipline, leadings and dealings of the Holy Spirit. Discover more in this episode.Support the show (http://paypal.me/francisugbeikwu)

In Jacob's seeming tragic loss of his favored son Joseph, there was more going on than meets the eye. Pastor Ronnie uses this narrative starting Genesis 37 to show how to the people of God are to view the tragedies of life in a message entitle "Lessons from a Bloody Coat."  

Friday 19th February Praise God! We thank God for this lovely Friday. I pray it would be a wonderful weekend for every one of us in the name of Jesus. We are still continuing our discussion on the different shades or expressions of love. We spoke about the 7 kinds of love recognised by the Greeks which we also see their instances in the bible, and yesterday we began to look at the different shades of love one by one. Today we will talk about Storge and Pragma. Storge is what we can call familiar or the family love. It is something close to Phieo, but not exactly. Phileo is the love between friends but Storge goes deeper than that. It is the love between family. The love that parents have for their children and the children for their parents. We saw this kind of love when the prodigal son experienced when he met his father. When the prodigal son demanded for his inheritance and messed up his opportunity, his father still took him back because of Storge. We see Storge demonstrated again when Jarius. He was the leader of synagogue and normally he should not be seeing Identifying with Jesus not to talk of bowing to Him publicly. But because of the love he had for his daughter, he humbled himself and met Jesus publicly worshipping Him. It was the love of the parent for his dying child that made him do that. It was Storge the family love. (Mark 5 vs 22-23) The next type of we will talk about love is Pragma. The word pragmatic was derived from the Greek word Pragma. This type of love is enduring or lasting. It is the love that grows over time. It is the love that develops between a husband and wife after many years of marriage. It is not the honeymoon kind of love. It is much deeper than that. This type of love endures because it's been tested over time. Imagine when you have been married for 20 years or you are still able to maintain your love for each other. This kind of love we see expressed between Abraham and Sarah. As they grow older, the love they have for each other made them protect each other. In Genesis chapters 11 and 20 we see how they protect each in the face of threat from King Abimelech and King of Egypt. These kings wanted Abraham's wife. Abraham told Sarah to tell people that she was his sister. It was the pragmatic thing for Abraham and Sarah to act in that way to preserve their lives and love. In Jacob and Leah story, we saw the same thing. Leah wasn't Jacob's wife of love, it was Rachel. But after Rachel's death, the Bible talked about Jacob and Leah keeping themselves in love till the end of their days. After the death of Rachel, he grew to love Leah and they stayed that way till the end of their lives. Pragma is a type of love that grows over time. It is enduring love. What shade of love are you expressing or experiencing? Pragma? Eros? Storge? Or Phileo? God bless you and have a lovely weekend.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you (Genesis 28:15). The Bible is full of promises: from God's promise to Adam and Eve to bring redemption all the way to Jesus promise that he is coming back. The Bible's narrative, one might say, is propelled forward by these promises. On Tuesday, I spoke about God's promises to Jacob as he fled from his angry twin. The Bible does not portray Jacob as morally or even spiritually upstanding in any way. Throughout his story, his faults are front and centre. It is important to see this, because the Bible is not about upstanding humans whom we ought to emulate. Rather, it is the story of God's faithfulness to unfaithful humans. So, let's take a look at the promises God made to Jacob and hear them as promises made to us, who are very much like Jacob. We need to hear them in the midst of the mess that life is for us, some of it, of our own making, not from the spiritual mountain tops. The first part of the promise is that God will be with Jacob as he flees. In Jacob's day, most people believed that the deities only had power in local areas; they had no power outside it. Thus, it is remarkable that God can go with Jacob wherever he ends up. David explores this in Psalm 139, finding comfort in the reality that he cannot escape God's presence. Jesus leaves his disciples with the same promise as he returns to heaven (Matthew 28:18-20). He gives this promise even though some doubted (17). He makes good on his promise by sending his Holy Spirit. This Spirit reminds us that we are the children of the heavenly father. The second part of the promise to Jacob is that God will watch over him. Again, it is a promise that Israel as a whole, comes to claim. Psalm 121 is probably the most well known that places this promise into the liturgy of Israel and the church. It became part of the liturgy because it is a difficult thing to believe. We sing it to each other to shore up our faltering belief. Jesus reworked this promise when he said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). We know it is part of this promise because Jesus is quick to add, “And the realm of the dead will not overcome it”. The church is up against the worst kind of enemy, but Jesus will keep his church. He makes this promise to a group who probably would not be permitted to make ‘profession of faith' in our church. They just didn't get who Jesus was, yet the promise is made. And to this day, he has kept it. God also promises Jacob that Jacob will return to his father's land. God will see it done. God will bring him back. That part of God's promise receives all kinds of layers as the biblical story progresses. Too many layers for us to consider today. We'll save that for next Tuesday. But let me at least say this about that part of the promise. It ends in a party. So, Tuesday will be party day. And it will lead us into the season of Lent 2021.

In Jacob's loneliness and fear, there appeared a Man who wrestled with Jacob. Who was this mysterious man, and why the wrestling match? There are times we go thru periods of fear and loneliness and actually find ourselves wrestling with God. Rest assured, like Jacob, these divine "wrestling matches" are for your good and His glory!

In a world where things are being hourly, minutely shaken up around us we need something to strengthen and solidify us. In Jacob's writings he mentions often his own and his desire  to help others receive unshakeable faith. In chapter 5 he quotes Zenos' allegory of the olive tree that, if likened to us, is a story of how God helps the trees of his vineyard grow, become strong (and unshakeable), and bear fruit of hope and peace. In chapter 7 Jacob's faith is tested by Sherem and, yet, remains unshakeable. So study with us this week as we learn how to solidify our faith in the face of uncertainty. Show Notes: Visit our website scripturestudyproject.com or connect to us on Instagram or Facebook Music: "Something Elated" by Broke For Free

Understanding the textGod speaks through the Word, creation, and through His Son. But at times, God also speaks through dreams, as is the case in this particular text. In Jacob's dream, God reaffirms His covenant promise to provide land and numerous descendants. God is still carrying out the plan and promise He gave to Abraham.However, in this dream, there is an added element that foreshadows Christ. Jacob sees a ladder that connects heaven and earth. In Genesis 11, the people of Babel tried to build their own ladder to reach into the heavens and were cursed for it. This, however, is different. This ladder is no human-built contraption. It is God's ladder reaching from heaven to earth. It is not a ladder that Jacob can ascend. Rather it is a ladder that God himself must descend to be with His people.Additional scripture1. Genesis 11:1-92. John 1:43-513. Psalm 15Applying the text1. What is the difference between the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and the ladder in Jacob's dream?2. What is the purpose of Jacob's dream? What is God seeking to teach him?3. How is Jesus the fulfillment of Jacob's dream?

In Jacob's final breaths, his poetic prophecies point us to an unshakeable truth!

This sermon examines Jacob and Esau, and the ways that Jacob deceived his father to take Esau's blessing. In Jacob's "performance act" and through Esau's desperation we see that God uses both for redemption, and that we can look to Jesus to be free from performing.

In today's work landscape, people aren't limited by what corporate position they hold or what their job title is. Everyone can piece together their dream career with initiative, hard work, and a little luck. Perhaps there's no better example of that than Jacob Morgan, a leading author, speaker, and expert on the future of work. He also happens to be married to me. After a few disastrous jobs in the corporate world, Jacob realized he wanted the freedom to work for himself and push himself in new ways. Instead of just getting coffee for executives, he wanted to be guiding them and helping them create good environments for their employees and customers. The path from recent college grad to a successful speaker who now travels the world wasn't easy—Jacob started out speaking for free and hustling to make his voice heard, but his career has grown and gained momentum over the last decade and put him in a position to continuously expand and grow his brand. Jacob's formula for success as a professional speaker and author, or really as just an entrepreneur with a voice, is to “Be everywhere all the time”. To him, building a personal brand comes down to three things: consistency, visibility, and frequency. You need to pick a topic as your expertise and be as consistent as you can with it. Instead of bouncing around and addressing a number of business-related topics, Jacob writes and speaks only about the future of work and employee experience, which has built his brand and made him the go-to expert in those areas. To be visible, Jacob says you have to be everywhere in the most seen places, which includes making podcasts, writing articles, attending conferences, and more. And frequency means doing it all the time. Between the articles, blogs, videos, and podcasts, Jacob's content is always being published, which keeps him fresh in his viewers' eyes; the same principle applies to anyone building a personal brand—be frequent to keep content new and fresh. Building a personal brand is a continuous effort, but it can eventually open doors to new possibilities. In Jacob's case, it has led him to writing three books and now working with his spouse where he and I can find the crossover between their respective work with employee experience and customer experience. Between Jacob's personal experiences working in the corporate world and his research and travels that have taken him to organizations around the world, he has become passionate about organizations building effective employee experiences, which play a huge role in the future of work. As technology grows and the workforce changes, employers need to change their mentality around work to focus less of tasks and more on people. To create a company where people want to work, executives need to be aware of the people who work there, which means getting out from behind their desks and actually interacting with employees and customers. Leaders need to start a dialogue with employees about what they like and dislike and what can be improved. Employees also need to get engaged and join the conversation—if they want to help build a human-centered organization that can withstand changes to the workplace, they need to stand up and make their voice heard. The future of work is changing and opening doors to new opportunities for people in all industries. To prepare, employees need to build their personal brands and get involved in their organizations. If there is something you are unhappy with, follow Jacob's example and either fix it or get out. With involvement and dedication, you can better your organization or create your own opportunities to build a career that is perfect for you.

[paypal-donation] DNA & Book of Mormon: It's a favorite topic of anti-Mormons because evidence seems to show that Native Americans came from Asia rather than from the Middle East as the Book of Mormon implies.  Dr. Ugo Perego is a population geneticist.  How does he explain this?  Would you be surprised that he talks about concubines? Ugo:  We cannot deny scientifically that there were people here before Lehi.  We don't know anything about the Jaredites really.  We think we know but we don't know anything about the Jaredites.  Could the Jaredites play any role with pre-Lehites?  We don't know to what extent.  We know there were people, probably millions of people. So Lehi's family comes.  They come from Jerusalem.  These people that are here come from Asia.  They are closely related genetically to Asian people.  Lehi's family comes, 30, 40, 50 people.  There are the Mulekites that are coming too.  We don't know how many.  We don't know if they are a population isolated.  We don't know if they mix with locals.  People say, “The Book of Mormon doesn't say anything about others here, so they didn't exist.”  True, but the Book of Mormon is also summary.  It is not a full record.  It's what Mormon decided to put in there, and if its focus is to bring people to Christ, it's going to talk about what people were doing to get ready or not ready for that.  It's going to leave a lot of the details out. ... This is first generation.  Is that possible that because they had the gospel and they encounter other people and then teach them the gospel and they become part of their group?  You go to Jacob chapter two.  Jacob, first generation in the Book of Mormon lands, how many people are there right now of that group, the original group?  How long have they been there?  In Jacob chapter two is frustrated with the Nephites for taking too many wives and too many concubines.  You have got a group of people that are what, 60-70, they are all cousins.  Where do you get these concubines from?  How are you satisfying your sexual desires with this? Actually I've been doing some discussions lately with some other people around here, according to Israelite tradition, because in the Old Testament it talks about concubines, and Hagar was a concubine of Abraham.  The reference to concubine usually—you can take wives, multiple wives according to Jewish tradition.  They are wife as long as they are part of your same culture or your same social status.  But concubines are usually foreign women.  They do not have the same status as your family, so you treat them as some sort of wife, there is a legal binding, but they do not have the same status.  Could it be that the Nephites were doing the same, some foreign women, some local indigenous women? GT:  Today with ISIS[1] in the Middle East, a lot of times they are taking these Yazidi women and they are basically sex slaves.  Is that kind of…? Ugo:  Sex slaves, that's another word for concubine.  It depends culturally where you are.  Sex slaves is probably the worst situation you can have.  I mean you are really there only to satisfy sexual pleasure.  Concubine has some rights as well.  In fact even today with Islam you can have up to four wives and as many concubines as you want but the problem is that when the husband dies, the inheritance only goes to the first four wives.  As long as the man is alive, the concubines have the same rights as the women, the same lifestyle or status, but then when the husband dies they don't get anything.  They leave. ... Then you have Jacob chapter seven, you have Sherem, the first anti-Christ that goes to Jacob and he says, “I have been looking for a long time to meet with you.”  How long does it take to meet somebody that just came with you from across the ocean?  You were on the same ship together for heaven's sake.  How long does it take to talk together? Then he says, in verse 4, Jacob 7:4 he says that Sherem was much learned with the langu...

In Jacob's blessing God reveals that only those who believe in Him can be a part of Christ's Church. Jacob's blessing is:ExpectedExclusiveExtensiveReading: Hebrews 12: 14-17, 25-29Text: Genesis 27:1-40Time:MorningMinister:Rev. J. VanSpronsenTexts:Genesis 27

In Jacob's Dream about a stairway to heaven, the Lord bridges the gap between earth and Heaven. We'll see: 1. How the Lord confirms his presence with us 2. How the Lord calls us to walk with Him.Time:MorningTexts:Genesis 28:10–22