Podcasts about Mamre

August 6, 2025 Today's Reading: Acts 28:16-31Daily Lectionary: 1 Samuel 20:1-23; Acts 28:16-31“From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets.” (Acts 28:23)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Martin Luther once said, “Anywhere you cut the pages of Scripture it bleeds the blood of Christ.” That means when we open up the Old Testament, we don't have to search for Jesus like one of those “Where's Waldo” books or strain our eyes to see him like looking at some kind of optical illusion. It's not just that the Old Testament tells us about Jesus here and there, as if Jesus is a marmot or a prairie dog, poking his head up now and then. Jesus isn't just in the Old Testament. Jesus is the Old Testament. Luther is simply echoing what Jesus says in Luke 24:44.“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”When the apostles teach and preach the gospel in the book of Acts, they turn to the Old Testament to show how the same Lord who appeared in many and various ways throughout the Torah of Moses and the prophets has now appeared in the flesh. This is Paul's strategy as he catechizes the Jews in Rome as well. Being a good apologist, and knowing his audience, Paul goes to the Old Testament to argue, persuade, and convince his Jewish hearers that Jesus is the Christ. When Paul says, like he does in Romans, that Jesus is Lord, he's saying that the Lord of the Old Testament is the same Lord who became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary. The same Lord who met Abraham under the oaks of Mamre is the same Lord who was born under the Law to redeem us under the Law and to become the curse for us by dying on the tree. The same Lord who met Moses in the burning bush now meets us by becoming one with us, Immanuel, God with us. The same Lord who appeared and spoke to the prophets has now appeared as the Word made flesh. And this same Lord who is present in the books of Moses and the prophets is now the same Lord present for you in all the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation. And the prophets, apostles, and evangelists continue to bear witness to Christ crucified and risen for you.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.If Christ had not been raised from death Our faith would be in vain, Our preaching but a waste of breath, Our sin and guilt remain. But now the Lord is ris'n indeed; He rules in earth and heav'n: His gospel meets a world of need– In Christ we are forgiv'n. (LSB 486:3)Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz, pastor of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Milton, WA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Step back in time to the late Reformation and learn about a divisive yet inspirational figure: Matthias Flacius Illyricus. His contributions to Lutheranism still echo in our teachings today, from the Magdeburg Confession to parts of the Lutheran Confessions. Learning about Flacius's life will help you understand more intricacies of the Reformation than ever before.

Reading 1Genesis 18:1-10aThe LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,as he sat in the entrance of his tent,while the day was growing hot.Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;and bowing to the ground, he said:"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,please do not go on past your servant.Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,and then rest yourselves under the tree.Now that you have come this close to your servant,let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;and afterward you may go on your way."The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,"Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.Then Abraham got some curds and milk,as well as the steer that had been prepared,and set these before the three men;and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?"He replied, "There in the tent."One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,and Sarah will then have a son."Reading 2Colossians 1:24-28Brothers and sisters:Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,and in my flesh I am filling upwhat is lacking in the afflictions of Christon behalf of his body, which is the church,of which I am a ministerin accordance with God's stewardship given to meto bring to completion for you the word of God,the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,to whom God chose to make known the riches of the gloryof this mystery among the Gentiles;it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.It is he whom we proclaim,admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.GospelLuke 10:38-42Jesus entered a villagewhere a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.She had a sister named Marywho sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,"Lord, do you not carethat my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?Tell her to help me."The Lord said to her in reply,"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.There is need of only one thing.Mary has chosen the better partand it will not be taken from her."

A meditation preached at Lyncroft Centre, Toronto, on July 20, 2025.In Genesis 18 we have the account of the appearance of the Lord to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre.  It is a wonderful account, in the heat of the day, with the cicada and the grasshoppers buzzing and the heat haze. Then we get a mirror image of this with the account of Bethany, and Jesus being treated, with his apostles by Martha and Mary. (Luke 10:38-42)It's all about where we can contemplate God and serve him in our life. Framing our stresses, anxiety, our multiple tasks in the light of God's love.Music: Michael Lee of Toronto.Thumbnail: Andrei Rublev Icon of Three Angels at Oaks of Mambre, 1410 in Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost Old Testament Genesis 18:1-10a The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, "My lord, if I find favor with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on-- since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said." And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes." Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. They said to him, "Where is your wife Sarah?" And he said, "There, in the tent." Then one said, "I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son." The Psalm Psalm 15 Domine, quis habitabit? 1 Lord, who may dwell in your tabernacle? * who may abide upon your holy hill? 2 Whoever leads a blameless life and does what is right, * who speaks the truth from his heart. 3 There is no guile upon his tongue; he does no evil to his friend; * he does not heap contempt upon his neighbor. 4 In his sight the wicked is rejected, * but he honors those who fear the Lord. 5 He has sworn to do no wrong * and does not take back his word. 6 He does not give his money in hope of gain, * nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. 7 Whoever does these things * shall never be overthrown. The Epistle Colossians 1:15-28 Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers-- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him-- provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel. I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God's commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. The Gospel Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

‘They took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.‘And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner:  and these were confederate with Abram.'—Genesis 14:12 & 13‘Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.'—Colossians 3:2

Het is zomer. Het is warm. Het is weer waar je lui van wordt. Ook bij ons. En daarom doen we een zomerserie. En niet zomaar eentje, maar eentje over een van de aartsvaders; Jakob. En in dit verhaal, het verhaal dat hij voor het eerst ten tonele verschijnt, maakt hij nog niet een hele goede indruk… Luister nu de nieuwste aflevering van Gelukkig De Mens: Jakob deel 1 via #spotify, #pocketcasts, #applepodcasts, www.gelukkigdemens.nl/185-jakob-deel-1 in je eigen podcastapp. Abraham nam een andere vrouw, Ketura. Zij baarde hem Zimran, Joksan, Medan, Midjan, Jisbak en Suach. Joksan was de vader van Seba en Dedan; van Dedan stammen de Assurieten, de Letusieten en de Leümieten af. De zonen van Midjan heetten Efa, Efer, Chanoch, Abida en Eldaä. Zij allen waren nakomelingen van Ketura. Abraham gaf alles wat hij bezat aan Isaak. De zonen van zijn bijvrouwen gaf hij nog tijdens zijn leven geschenken, en hij stuurde hen weg naar een land in het oosten, Kedem, ver bij zijn zoon Isaak vandaan. Abraham leefde honderdvijfenzeventig jaar. Hij stierf in gezegende ouderdom; na een lang leven blies hij de laatste adem uit en werd hij met zijn voorouders verenigd. Zijn zonen Isaak en Ismaël begroeven hem in de grot van Machpela op de akker van Efron, de zoon van de Hethiet Sochar, dicht bij Mamre, het stuk land dat Abraham van de Hethieten had gekocht. Daar ligt Abraham begraven, evenals zijn vrouw Sara. Na Abrahams dood zegende God Isaak, zijn zoon, die bij de bron Lachai-Roï ging wonen. [...]

Legacy learner and leader - Trendsetting ObedienceWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/Network: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://www.youtube.com/@_battle4freedomhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%206%3A6-7&version=CJBDeuteronomy 6:6-7These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up.Genesis 50:1 Yosef fell on his father's face, wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then Yosef ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Isra'el. 3 Forty days were spent at this, the normal amount of time for embalming. Then the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.Genesis 50:4 When the period of mourning was over, Yosef addressed to the household of Pharaoh: "I would like to ask a favor. Tell Pharaoh, 5 `My father had me swear an oath. He said, "I am going to die. You are to bury me in my grave, which I dug for myself in the land of Kena`an." Therefore, I beg you, let me go up and bury my father; I will return.'" 6 Pharaoh responded, "Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear."Genesis 50:7 So Yosef went up to bury his father. With him went all Pharaoh's servants, the leaders of his household and the leaders of the land of Egypt, 8 along with the entire household of Yosef, his brothers and his father's household; only their little ones, their flocks and their cattle did they leave in the land of Goshen. 9 Moreover, there went up with him both chariots and horsemen — it was a very large caravan.Genesis 50:10 When they arrived at the threshing-floor in Atad, beyond the Yarden, they raised a loud and bitter lamentation, mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the local inhabitants, the Kena`ani, saw the mourning on the floor of Atad they said, "How bitterly the Egyptians are mourning!" This is why the place was given the name Avel-Mitzrayim [mourning of Egypt], there beyond the Yarden.Genesis 50:12 His sons did to him as he had ordered them to do — 13 they carried him into the land of Kena`an and buried him in the cave in the field of Makhpelah, which Avraham had bought, along with the field, as a burial-place belonging to him, from `Efron the Hitti, by Mamre.Genesis 50:14 Then, after burying his father, Yosef returned to Egypt, he, his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.Genesis 50:15 Realizing that their father was dead, Yosef's brothers said, "Yosef may hate us now and pay us back in full for all the suffering we caused him." 16 So they sent a message to Yosef which said, "Your father gave this order before he died: 17 `Say to Yosef, "I beg you now, please forgive your brothers' crime and wickedness in doing you harm."' So now, we beg of you, forgive the crime of the servants of the G_d of your father." Yosef wept when they spoke to him; 18 and his brothers too came, prostrated themselves before him and said, "Here, we are your slaves." Genesis 50:19 But Yosef said to them, "Don't be afraid! Am I in the place of G_d? 20 You meant to do me harm, but G_d meant it for good — so that it would come about as it is today, with many people's lives being saved. 21 So don't be afraid — I will provide for you and your little ones." In this way he comforted them, speaking kindly to them.Genesis 50:22 Yosef continued living in Egypt, he and his father's household. Yosef lived 110 years. 23 Yosef lived to see Efrayim's great-grandchildren, and the children of M'nasheh's son Makhir were born on Yosef's knees.Genesis 50:24 Yosef said to his brothers, "I am dying. But G_d will surely remember you and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya`akov." 25 Then Yosef took an oath from the sons of Isra'el: "G_d will surely remember you, and you are to carry my bones up from here." 26 So Yosef died at the age of 110, and they embalmed him and put him in a coffin in Egypt.https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2022%3A6&version=CJBProverbs 22:6Train a child in the way he [should] go; and, even when old, he will not swerve from it.Credit to:Photo by Melvin Matute from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-parents-and-child-palms-together-6211446/Photo by RDNE Stock project from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-a-tombstone-6841236/

Genesis 18:1-8 - And the Lord appeared to [Abraham] by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in Your sight, do not pass by Your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash Your feet, and rest Yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that You may refresh Yourselves, and after that You may pass on—since You have come to Your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.” And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” And Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to a young man, who prepared it quickly. Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them. And he stood by them under the tree while they ate.

Exit stage right - The Chief End of ManWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/Network: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://www.youtube.com/@_battle4freedomhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%2012%3A14&version=CJBEcclesiastes 12:14For God will bring to judgment everything we do, including every secret, whether good or bad.[Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep his mitzvot; this is what being human is all about.]The Westminister Shorter Catechism asks the question, "What is the chief end of man?” Many of us know the answer. "Man's chief end is to glorify G_d, and to enjoy him forever.Genesis 49:1 Then Ya`akov called for his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the acharit-hayamim. 2 Assemble yourselves and listen, sons of Ya`akov; pay attention to Isra'el your father.Genesis 49:3 "Re'uven, you are my firstborn, my strength, the firstfruits of my manhood. 4 Though superior in vigor and power you are unstable as water, so your superiority will end, because you climbed into your father's bed and defiled it — he climbed onto my concubine's couch!Genesis 49:5 "Shim`on and Levi are brothers, related by weapons of violence. 6 Let me not enter their council, let my honor not be connected with their people; for in their anger they killed men, and at their whim they maimed cattle. 7 Cursed be their anger, for it has been fierce; their fury, for it has been cruel. I will divide them in Ya`akov and scatter them in Isra'el.Genesis 49:8 "Y'hudah, your brothers will acknowledge you, your hand will be on the neck of your enemies, your father's sons will bow down before you. 9 Y'hudah is a lion's cub; my son, you stand over the prey. He crouches down and stretches like a lion; like a lioness, who dares to provoke him? 10 The scepter will not pass from Y'hudah, nor the ruler's staff from between his legs, until he comes to whom [obedience] belongs; and it is he whom the peoples will obey. 11 Tying his donkey to the vine, his donkey's colt to the choice grapevine, he washes his clothes in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk.Genesis 49:13 "Z'vulun will live at the seashore, with ships anchoring along his coast and his border at Tzidon.Genesis 49:14 "Yissakhar is a strong donkey lying down in the sheep sheds. 15 On seeing how good is settled life and how pleasant the country,he will bend his back to the burden, and submit to forced labor.Genesis 49:16 "Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Isra'el. 17 Dan will be a viper on the road, a horned snake in the paththat bites the horse's heels so its rider falls off backward. 18 I wait for your deliverance, Adonai.Genesis 49:19 "Gad [troop]— a troop will troop on him, but he will troop on their heel. 20 "Asher's food is rich — he will provide food fit for a king. 21 "Naftali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.Genesis 49:22 "Yosef is a fruitful plant, a fruitful plant by a spring, with branches climbing over the wall. 23 The archers attacked him fiercely, shooting at him and pressing him hard; 24 but his bow remained taut; and his arms were made nimble by the hands of the Mighty One of Ya`akov, from there, from the Shepherd, the Stone of Isra'el, 25 by the G_d of your father, who will help you, by El Shaddai, who will bless you with blessings from heaven above, blessings from the deep, lying below, blessings from the breasts and the womb. 26 The blessings of your father are more powerful than the blessings of my parents, extending to the farthest of the everlasting hills; they will be on the head of Yosef, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. Genesis 49:27 "Binyamin is a ravenous wolf, in the morning devouring the prey, in the evening still dividing the spoil.”Genesis 49:28 All these are the twelve tribes of Isra'el, and this is how their father spoke to them and blessed them, giving each his own individual blessing. 29 Then he charged them as follows: "I am to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave that is in the field of `Efron the Hitti, 30 the cave in the field of Makhpelah, by Mamre, in the land of Kena`an, which Avraham bought together with the field from `Efron the Hitti as a burial-place belonging to him — 31 there they buried Avraham and his wife Sarah, there they buried Yitz'chak and his wife Rivkah, and there I buried Le'ah — 32 the field and the cave in it, which was purchased from the sons of Het.”Genesis 49:33 When Ya`akov had finished charging his sons, he drew his legs up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.Credit to:https://unsplash.com/photos/an-empty-road-in-the-middle-of-a-wooded-area--YV0Zkh2jRMhttps://unsplash.com/photos/a-yellow-road-sign-sitting-on-top-of-a-sandy-beach-__HDU6msgQ4https://unsplash.com/photos/black-flat-screen-computer-monitor-uGqrMOHlkl0https://unsplash.com/photos/white-printer-paper-with-black-text-1UDjq8s8cy0https://unsplash.com/photos/red-theater-curtain-WW1jsInXgwM

Presented by Julie Busteed We are looking at what it means to practice hospitality as the Apostle Paul encourages us to do in Romans 12. Certainly, part of this is entertaining guests—and usually that's a planned event. But what about the unexpected guests? In Genesis we read about the patriarch Abraham and the three “visitors.” You can read the entire story in Genesis 18, but let me give you the highlights: The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground. He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by. Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant (Genesis 18:1-5). The story goes on to describe how he and Sarah quickly prepare meat and bread—the finest things they had on hand—and serve their three unexpected guests. They used what they had on hand. This is a great reminder that according to the Bible, being hospitable isn't about being perfect and having everything in place. It's more about being open and welcoming and offering to share what I have and focus on the relationship more than the presentation. Abraham saw his visitors' needs and met them. Their feet needed washing from the journey. They needed to escape the heat of the day in a shady place. He was eager to show hospitality and acted on it. My guess is they were not planning to host any visitors that day. But Abraham saw these visitors and was quick to greet them and invite them to stay and be refreshed. It may not have been convenient for him. There was a sacrifice of time and resources. Yet, he was welcoming and generous. What an example this is to you and me. Hospitality is not about having the perfectly clean house or a meal that's been planned and prepared in advance. It's opening our homes to welcome those in need. It's setting aside our agendas, seeing others, and reaching out.

The pasuk in this week's Parashat Shelach tells us that the Meraglim (spies) came to a place called נחל אשכול , the Valley of the Cluster, and there they removed a massive cluster of grapes. This enormous cluster was later used to frighten the Jewish people, as the spies described the giants who inhabited the land and implied that Bnei Yisrael had no chance of conquering it. Then the pasuk says the place was named אשכול —"Cluster"—because of the cluster they took. But the Sefer Minchat Ani asks an important question: it seems the place was already called נחל אשכול before the cluster was taken, as the Torah says they arrived at the Valley of Eshkol before picking the grapes. The Midrash resolves this by explaining that the place was already called Eshkol, all the way back to the time of Avraham Avinu. The Midrash quotes the pasuk " מגיד מראשית אחרית "—Hashem reveals the end from the beginning—and teaches us that Hashem sees the past, present, and future all at once. One of Avraham's close companions was named Eshkol, and Hashem placed that name in the minds of Eshkol's parents because of the future cluster that would be taken by the Meraglim in that very location. But this raises an obvious question: why? Why would Hashem cause a man to be named "Eshkol" because of an event that would occur hundreds of years later? The Minchat Ani brings another Midrash that sheds light on this. When Avraham was commanded to perform a brit milah , he consulted his three friends. Aner told him not to do it—he was too old to harm himself. Eshkol warned that if he did it, he would be weakened and vulnerable to attack. But the third friend, Mamre, encouraged him, saying: "The same Hashem who saved you from the fiery furnace, from the four kings, from famine—He is now commanding you. He will protect you." This powerful moment became a lesson passed down through generations. Every Jewish child would grow up learning how Avraham courageously performed the brit milah , how Mamre showed emunah , and how Aner and Eshkol doubted. And now, centuries later, that same test returned. The Meraglim echoed the voices of Aner and Eshkol, casting doubt on Hashem's power to bring them safely into Eretz Yisrael. They cut the Eshkol—the very cluster that symbolized the mistake of the man Eshkol from generations before. And just like Mamre, Caleb stood up and proclaimed his emunah , telling the people that Hashem, who had always protected them, would continue to do so. Hashem arranged it all—placing the Meraglim at the same site as Eshkol's legacy, giving them a chance to correct the mistake of the past. This wasn't random. Their test had been developing for centuries. Nothing in this world happens by chance. Every test a person faces is custom-designed by Hashem, planned with precision before that person even enters the world. We have no idea how much our actions matter, how intentional each situation is, and how carefully Hashem prepares our challenges. In the case of the Meraglim , Hashem gave them every opportunity to succeed. He placed them at Nachal Eshkol , at the exact site where history had already taught the lesson they needed to learn. But they failed. Still, the message for us remains: Tests are given to make us great. Hashem not only gives us challenges, but also provides us with the strength, wisdom, and circumstances to overcome them. Every test we face is hand-tailored to help us grow, elevate ourselves, and earn eternal reward. If we internalize this, we'll face our own tests with clarity and strength. And with Hashem's help, we'll overcome them—and fulfill our unique mission in this world. Shabbat Shalom.

How to study the Bible: Part IV. B. 4. The difficulties that Abram went through: The strife: Abram and Lot separated . Lot chose the Plain of Jordan because it was well watered: that was where Sodom and Gomorrah (Sodom which had sinners before the Lord exceedingly). Abram dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built an altar unto the Lord (Genesis 13:18).Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/chatting-from-the-word-hosted-by-oscar--4081759/support.

Context of Genesis; Hammurabi?; Ruling over other men - offices of power; King of Sodom; Aleph-mem-resh-phe-lamed = sayer of darkness; Disliking Hammurabi codes; Representatives vs lawmakers; Your relationship with government; Covetousness; Biting neighbor with the teeth of government; "Citizen"; "Shinar" = Babylon? Shin-nun-ayin-resh; Goyim = other nations; "Bera" son of evil; Families of God = generations; Rebellion of kings; Meanings in names; "Moses"; Becoming merchandise; Appetites for benefits at others' expense; Blood lickers; Seeing the whole truth; Lot in Sodom; Theme of the bible - being free souls under God's authority; vs Men who want to be God for you; "Hebrew"; Legal vs Lawful Title; The solution; Setting the captive free; Going the way of righteousness; "brother"; "Mamre" mem-resh - not just a location; Abraham = Hebrew = wanderer = not subject = free soul; In spirit and truth; "confederate"; Freewill offerings; Freeing people; shin-vav-heh = to agree; Righteous charity; Melchizedek; Taxation; Walking with Holy Spirit; Bread and wine?; Shem; Why Sodom was destroyed; Fleshpots; Charity-based social welfare; Use tax = Usury; Linking Genesis to Jesus; One purse government; Legal title; Permits; "Goyim"; Dictators; Idol worship; Servant ministers; Pure Religion; Lot's lot; Lacking faith; Repent and seek kingdom of God; How to get out of bondage; Christ's commands; Ps 91:1; Abraham, Moses and Christ in agreement; Gen 15:17 vision; Smoke and furnace; Mammon - righteous and unrighteous; Way of the world - force, fear and fealty; Learning to be Israel; God's simple way; Universal income?; Cost of liberty; Circumcision of your heart; Join us on the Living Network.

13:14 And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: 13:15 For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. 13:16 And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. 13:17 Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. 13:18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

Context of Genesis; Hammurabi?; Ruling over other men - offices of power; King of Sodom; Aleph-mem-resh-phe-lamed = sayer of darkness; Disliking Hammurabi codes; Representatives vs lawmakers; Your relationship with government; Covetousness; Biting neighbor with the teeth of government; "Citizen"; "Shinar" = Babylon? Shin-nun-ayin-resh; Goyim = other nations; "Bera" son of evil; Families of God = generations; Rebellion of kings; Meanings in names; "Moses"; Becoming merchandise; Appetites for benefits at others' expense; Blood lickers; Seeing the whole truth; Lot in Sodom; Theme of the bible - being free souls under God's authority; vs Men who want to be God for you; "Hebrew"; Legal vs Lawful Title; The solution; Setting the captive free; Going the way of righteousness; "brother"; "Mamre" mem-resh - not just a location; Abraham = Hebrew = wanderer = not subject = free soul; In spirit and truth; "confederate"; Freewill offerings; Freeing people; shin-vav-heh = to agree; Righteous charity; Melchizedek; Taxation; Walking with Holy Spirit; Bread and wine?; Shem; Why Sodom was destroyed; Fleshpots; Charity-based social welfare; Use tax = Usury; Linking Genesis to Jesus; One purse government; Legal title; Permits; "Goyim"; Dictators; Idol worship; Servant ministers; Pure Religion; Lot's lot; Lacking faith; Repent and seek kingdom of God; How to get out of bondage; Christ's commands; Ps 91:1; Abraham, Moses and Christ in agreement; Gen 15:17 vision; Smoke and furnace; Mammon - righteous and unrighteous; Way of the world - force, fear and fealty; Learning to be Israel; God's simple way; Universal income?; Cost of liberty; Circumcision of your heart; Join us on the Living Network.

Sermon Summary: Genesis 49 Andy's sermon focused on Genesis 49, the chapter where Jacob, nearing the end of his life at 147 years old, blesses his sons and prophesies about the future of their tribes. The sermon explored the themes of God's grace in using flawed individuals, the importance of looking to God for deliverance, and the significance of waiting patiently for God's timing. Andy began by reflecting on how words spoken to us, especially in our youth, can profoundly shape our lives. He connected this to the Genesis passage, where Jacob's words to his sons would define their destinies. He noted that while some blessings were influenced by past actions (Reuben, Simeon, and Levi), others, like Judah, contained prophetic statements about the coming Messiah. The sermon highlighted the contrast between the initial blessings, which were shaped by past negative actions, and the later ones, which contained prophetic hope. Andy pointed out the prophetic statement about Judah: "The scepter will not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." He explained that this refers to Jesus and the future day when all nations will bow down to Him. He also noted the extensive blessings heaped upon Joseph, pondering if this indicated continued favoritism or recognition of Joseph's role in saving God's people. A central theme of the sermon emerged from Genesis 49:18: "I look for your deliverance, O Lord." Andy described this as a pivotal moment in the chapter, a prayer for times of desperation. He likened it to the simple, heartfelt prayer, "Oh God, oh God, oh God, help," emphasizing that such prayers are valid and necessary, especially when facing challenges and uncertainties. He stressed that Jacob, even while giving these grand pronouncements, recognized the future challenges and weaknesses of his descendants, and the need for God's intervention. Andy then elaborated on four key aspects of this phrase: A Prayer for Times of Desperation: Andy emphasized that this prayer is relevant to our current times. He encouraged the congregation to cry out to God for help, whether for personal struggles, the future of the church, or the well-being of their children and grandchildren. He reiterated that Christians are not "goody-goodies" but flawed individuals whom God uses. He stressed that the good news of Jesus is that God loves to use people who are "messed up" and "screw up". He stated that God has come to us, taking the initiative through Jesus' death and resurrection, and that our response is to acknowledge and rely on Him. A Foundation: Andy described this phrase as a bedrock statement that should undergird everything we do. He drew a parallel to Jesus' parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27), emphasizing the importance of putting God's words into practice. He urged the congregation to make "I look for your deliverance, O Lord" a central part of their lives, a constant reminder of their dependence on God, regardless of whether things are going well or poorly. He asked the congregation to consider what their driving force in life is, and to place this phrase at the center of their lives. Looking and Waiting: Andy acknowledged the difficulty of waiting, contrasting it with the instant gratification promoted by modern society. He reminded the congregation that God's timing is different from ours, referencing the story of Abraham and the long wait for his descendants. He challenged them to consider investing in things they might not see come to fruition in their lifetime, echoing Jacob's prophetic words about the Messiah, which he would not witness. He quoted several Psalms and a passage from Romans about waiting patiently for the Lord: Psalm 37:7 ("Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him"), Psalm 40:1 ("I waited patiently for the Lord"), and Romans 8:25 ("But if we hope for what we don't have, we wait for it patiently."). He warned against the pitfalls of trying to force things to happen or becoming discouraged and abandoning faith. He used the analogy of police horse training, where the horse is trained to stay focused and not be distracted, to illustrate the importance of building practices into our lives that keep us focused on God. He referenced Hebrews 12:2 ("Fix your eyes on Jesus"). All Points to Jesus: Andy concluded by emphasizing that Jesus is the ultimate source of deliverance and salvation. He reiterated that humanity is cut off from God due to sin, but Jesus came to pay the price and reconcile us to God. He stressed that Jesus delivers us not only from the consequences of our rebellion but also from the pain, hurt, trauma, and negative reactions that result from it. He called on those exploring Christianity to recognize Jesus' central role in salvation. In his closing prayer, Andy led the congregation in a time of reflection and confession. He invited them to consider areas in their lives where they needed God's deliverance, including healing, the effects of negative words, destructive behaviors, a lack of focus on God, and a desire for immediate results. He also prayed for those considering making a first-time commitment to Jesus. He concluded by asking God to "come and have your way" in their lives. Bible References: Genesis 49 Hebrews 11 Matthew 7:24-27 Psalm 37:7 Psalm 40:1 Romans 8:25 Hebrews 12:2 Transcript Freedom, freedom. Good morning everybody. Good morning. Good morning guys, 146. If you've got a Bible, if you want to turn to me to Genesis chapter 49, we've almost made it. Yay! 18 months now of working through Genesis and we've almost made it. I was chatting to Sheila on Thursday, Sheila Wingrove. So if you don't know, Sheila Wingrove has produced this amazing display in the foyer, right? I know we all rush into church because we want to be here, so we rush past it. But please take your time to study that and be amazed. It's a fantastic piece of work and we need to figure out how we keep it for posterity because it's such a beautiful thing. She was chatting to me on Thursday saying she's got no room left, so I'm not allowed to say anything this morning. Because there's no space to put anything. Good gospel here. But amazing, you know. So just two weeks left and then we're all itching to see how we're going to do services that only last an hour and a half. Two on a Sunday. I don't know how we're going to do that, but we'll see. Easy. Easy. So Genesis 49, I don't know about you, can you remember stuff that perhaps your mum or your dad said to you when you were younger? Anybody remember things they used to say? Good things? No hands. Bad things? A few hands. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We remember, don't we? I can remember. Is this me? Do I need to stand still? That would be good. I'll try and stand still. I can remember mum used to say, you know, when I was a lot younger, wait till your father gets home. Anybody have that? We're a generation, aren't we? My dad always used to say when I'd done something well, he'd always say, nine out of ten, because there's always room for improvement. And things like that. But perhaps a teacher, you know, you remember what your teachers used to say to you, you know, must try harder. Could do better. And things like that. And those words can kind of stick, can't they? Yeah, sorry about that. So those words stick with us, don't they? And they kind of can shape our lives. But, you know, most of us have had things spoken to us that did that type of thing. In fact, we had that fantastic Good Friday service that those guys did standing up here. And they talked about some of those things that had affected their lives. And they talked about, remember, they flipped those cards over and they talked about how Jesus was dealing with those things. In exactly the same way we've heard Evie describe the same thing this morning. In exactly the same way I responded to some of the stuff that my parents had said. You know, we don't want to be men and women who let those things restrict what God has in store for you and for me. And so here we are, we're reaching the end of Jacob's life. And as we've seen throughout Genesis, it's a significant moment when someone dies and they pass on this blessing to their children. We've seen it from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob and Esau, remember all of that. And now here we are with Jacob himself doing it. And Cornelius taught us last week how he did it to his grandchildren first, Joseph's kids. And then we come to this chapter and he does it to the rest of his sons. So I'm just going to read it, if that's okay. I might read quite quickly because it is quite long. But I think it's good to read the Word of God at times. So Genesis 49. Then Jacob called for his sons and said, gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Imagine your dad saying that to you. That would be an amazing moment. Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to your father Israel. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength. Excelling in honor, excelling in power, turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel. For you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it. Simeon and Levi are brothers, their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly. For they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger so fierce and their fury so cruel. I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel. Wow. Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah. You return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness. Who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. I'm not quite sure what that means. Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships. His border will extend towards Sidon. Issachar is a royal bone donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path. It bites the horse's heels so its riders tumble backwards and look for your deliverance, oh Lord. Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels. Asher's food will be rich, he will provide delicacies fit for a king. Naftali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness, archers attacked him. They shot at him with hostility, but his bow remained steady. His strong arms stayed limber because of the hand of the mighty one of Jacob, because of the shepherd, the rock of Israel, because of your Father's God who helps you, because of the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and the womb. Your Father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-hold hills. Let all of these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning, he devours the prey. In the evening, he divides the plunder. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. Then he gave them these instructions. I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave of the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite along with the field. There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave in it were brought from the Hittites. When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. That is the way to go. That's what I want to do. Definitely. Jacob at this point is 147 years old, and as we've seen over the last weeks and months, what a life. You know, struggling at birth with his brother, grasping his ankle as they're born, wheedling Esau out of his birthright and deceiving his dad to obtain the blessing, having to flee the family home, having to work for his uncle for 14 years so he could marry the woman of his dreams, being tricked into marrying a different woman in the meantime, and all that kind of stuff, and then his uncle deceiving him back as well and having to flee his uncle because of what happened, the meeting with Esau to try and patch things up and then never seeing Esau again, and then outliving his wives. This really bad family example we saw of having favourites amongst his kids, not a good idea, and thinking Joseph was then dead all of these years to finally be deceived by his own sons, and then having to leave the land of God's promise and come to Egypt. What a life. What a life. But at the same time, what we have also seen is God at work in this man's life, and God in his grace, choosing to fulfil his own plans and purposes through the life of Jacob. And that is a weird one for us, isn't it? Because what it says is that God is about using people that are messed up, that screw up. The Bible calls it sin. We might have other language. But he loves to take those people and use them for his glory and for his purposes. And that's such a repeat theme through this whole book, and I know I said it probably the last five times I've spoken, but it is such an important theme that we grasp that because we have to help people understand that people who are Christians are not goody-goodies. They're bady-baddies, right? We are bady-baddies, right? You know, we screw up. We mess up. We don't like to talk about it, and we don't own up. But we develop masks and other approaches to hide that. But we are screwed up, and we're shafted, if we're brutally honest. And the reality is God has come, and he loves to use people that are exactly like that. And that's the good news of Jesus. So it's so important that we grasp that. And so, yeah, here we are at the end of Jacob's life. He's speaking about the future and about defining his sons, what their families will become and what the tribes that come from those families will become. And it's interesting, and we're not going to go into all of them because time does not permit, and I'm not quite sure what I say about some of them, but it's interesting because those opening ones, that Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, their blessing is dictated by what they have done in their lives. That's how Jacob speaks to them. What they have done, the bad things that they have done in their lives, has an immediate repercussion on the so-called blessing that he gives them that's going to shape how they will be. Interesting. Then we get to Judah, and it's completely different. We begin to see in what he says about Judah the prophetic statements about a Messiah coming. We're in Genesis. We're in the beginning. And we still see, we begin to see here, there's an inkling in his eye. There's a twinkling in the distance. There is something happening that is going to happen. And we read this beautiful statement that the scepter, the government, if you like, will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler star from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. He's talking about Jesus. And the obedience of the nations will be his. There is coming a day when the obedience of the nations will belong to Jesus, and all nations will bow down to him. There is coming a day. And Jacob, right here in Genesis, he doesn't understand it, as Hebrews 11 tells us. He doesn't get it, but he's prophesying it. He's speaking it out in faith. He's certainly not going to see it in his few hours he's got left. But he's speaking out in faith because he sees that happening. And so there's this amazing prophetic statement in Judah. And then there's the one about Joseph near the end. There is so much blessing that he oodles on Joseph. He makes you think, is he still thinking that Joseph is his favorite here? Is that what's going on? Because he's really ladling on thick the blessings on Joseph. Or is it perhaps because actually Joseph is the one out of all those brothers that has rescued them and actually is part and parcel of the purposes of God to help God's people survive through this period of famine and obviously we saw through the whole story of Joseph how God used him. I don't know which it is. But it's interesting he calls him prince amongst his brothers. But what I want to do just briefly is hoe him. There's a little verse I read in the middle which kind of leaps out because it's out of context of everything else that's going on. He's giving his blessings to his people, to his kids, and he's telling them what's going to happen. And right in the middle in verse 18 we get this little phrase, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. That's a bit weird, isn't it? You think he's on a roll. He's on a train. I've got 12 sons to get through. He's 147. Can't I remember all their names? I forgot the right one with the right name. And all that sort of stuff. You think he'd be concentrating on getting all of that out. And then right in the middle, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. Or a different translation says, I wait for your salvation, O Lord. And why does he do that? It's almost like as he thinks about the future and as he thinks about the children of God and the people of God, that maybe God is showing him something about the challenges that lie ahead. And that he himself is aware of the struggles and the challenges they'll face and the hardship of God's people being true to him and not being overwhelmed by their enemies, not being led astray by other nations or other societies, or not having their faith and their trust in God diluted by what is going on around them. And he cries out in the middle, God, I look for your deliverance, Lord. Unless you do this, Lord, it isn't going to happen. Unless the Lord builds the house, it's builder's labor in vain. God, unless salvation comes from you, there's no hope, no matter what we say. And so four things quickly. Number one, this is a prayer for times of desperation. And there's no time like now for a time of desperation. Right in the middle of blessing his kids, he cries out. It reminds me many, many, many years ago of listening to John Wimber talk about when you're going to pray for someone for healing and you've not seen it before and you're not used to it and you have no idea what's going to happen and you want to pray for it and you're going to step out. We go in a room and we pray, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, help. That's all you need to do. If you're struggling with praying, I want to encourage you. You haven't got to pray great long prayers and quote loads of scripture and shout to the ceiling, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, help. It's right where it starts. And that is what is happening here. That's what Jacob's doing. He's explaining that out and it's like as he blesses his children and he thinks about their future and the future of the tribes of Israel that despite such big statements he's making over their lives, he sees something of the challenges. He sees their weaknesses. He sees the likelihood of them being influenced by society around them. He sees the frailties of their own heart. And so he cries out, God, you have got to come if this is going to work. Lord, if you are going to have a people that are yours, if your Messiah is going to come through Judah as he's just prophesied, then God, you have got to come and do this. Maybe even he's reflecting on his own life, his own awareness of mucking things up. And perhaps after all these years, he could now stand with a little bit of integrity and understand he's only where he is because of God delivering him and the salvation of God coming to him. So as you think about your future, whatever age you are this morning, as you think about your future, let's get a hold of this as a phrase to say, God, we need your deliverance. God, I need your deliverance and your salvation. As we think about the future of the church here, and yeah, we might get excited, at least for a little bit, while we do two services and a major building project and see people saved and more people getting baptized and people saved and added and more groups starting in the church and the impact on the community growing and growing and growing. We need to come back to, oh God, we need your deliverance. It is you, Lord. It is you. As we think about our children, our grandchildren, oh Lord, I look to you for your deliverance, Lord. I look to you for your salvation. It's a great prayer in times of desperation because for his kids it's not their skills, it's not their character, it's not their efforts, it's not even the prophetic word that he brings, but it is God who is the deliverer. It is God who is the bringer of salvation. And that is what is so special and unique about Christianity. And you might not be a Christian this morning, you're just exploring it and trying to understand it, and you might be chatting to some of your friends, but what does it really mean and what is it like? And you come along because you're just dipping a toe in the water. And I want to just labor the point that the uniqueness of it is that God has come to us, not the other way around. You can look at what goes on here this morning and I think our singing and the rest of it is kind of us trying to make ourselves right before God. Because it can look like that, and it does look like that, but that isn't what's going on. What has happened is Jesus has taken the initiative and he has come 2,000 years ago. He died on a cross for the sins of the world, including your sins and my sins, to put us right with God and he has taken that initiative, and three days later God has raised him from the dead. And now death is no longer the finality that it once was in our thinking because Jesus has broken that. He has taken the initiative and come to us, and what we do in a meeting like this, I hope in the morning, is we are responding to that. We are not trying to make our way to God, but we are responding to what he has done to us and for us and his love for us. So number one, it's a prayer in times of desperation. Number two, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. It's a foundation. It's like a bedrock statement that undergirds everything that we do. Jesus told that parable, didn't he, that the wise man built his house upon the rock. And he told us that not so that we could learn a little song, but he taught us that because he says, what, the wise man is what? The one who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice. Exactly. He puts them into practice. And so this statement is exactly like that. We need to figure out how do we put this into practice that we look to God for your deliverance, that we wait for your salvation. It's like a statement that needs to be brought front and center to our lives, whether we are struggling with things, whether things are going well as the church moves forward and as we make changes about what's happening, as we make greater inroads with the gospel in the life of the community here, and perhaps as we even think, dare to think, oh, this is going quite well, or whatever. It's a reminder not to get smug, not to get complacent, but to come back and say, you know what? I look for your deliverance, Lord. I wait for your salvation. And we need to bring that front and center of our lives and not let it compete with other statements and other things. You know, what is it that ultimately drives you forward and drives me forward? What makes you tick? If you could have one sentence over your life, what would it be? And whereabouts would this fit in that context? What is it that, despite everything, we need to return to time and time again? What is it we wait for? Is it our paycheck? Is it our benefits landing? Is it the next holiday? Is it the next thing? Or do we wait for your salvation, Lord? Do we look for your deliverance? You see, Jacob can prophesy amazing things, but what is it he puts right in the middle, like the pivot of which all of these things are commenting on? Things can go well. What does he return to? Some of those blessings are good things, but what does he come back to? Things can go pear-shaped. What does he come back to? We can make all the changes we want as a church, but what do we return to? We look out for your deliverance, O Lord. And we need to be men and women grappling with getting that in the front and centre of our lives. And as we think about Jordan thought and Baitmore and the edges and the surrounding area, God, we look for your deliverance. We wait for your salvation. We can try all the programmes, all the groups, whatever we want to, but unless God moves, there is nothing there. It is not going to happen. And because we are caught up with the plans and purposes of God, we've got to come back to this. Lord, it is your deliverance we are looking for. Turn your eyes towards Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow straight deep in, in the light of his glory and grace. Absolutely. Hope you knew that in 146 as well. It's so true, you know, and we need, the more we can come back to that, I think the better place we will be. The third thing about this statement is, you know, it's about looking and it's about waiting. Anybody enjoy waiting? There's no hands here. We don't do it, do we? You know, try telling a toddler to wait. We went to Yorkshire Wildlife yesterday and our granddaughter was with us and, you know, I want a biscuit now, now, now. I want a drink now, now. I want this now. You know, try telling a toddler to wait. It just doesn't work, does it? But then, actually, I'm not sure how much better it gets as we get older. Because we want the result, don't we? We don't want the waiting bit. We want the result at the end. That is what we're looking for. The whole of the advertising industry that we are all succumbing to is geared on giving you a result as fast as possible. Have this and it will change your life. Have this and it will make your life better. Instant success, instant access, et cetera, et cetera. Whole of technology, you know, on our phones, on our watches. It's all about instantaneous stuff all the time. And so the idea of waiting is kind of drifting away from life in general and the stuff that we have to wait for becomes a real pain. Well, if we get ourselves in a position where we say, waiting for your salvation of God is a real pain, then we've lost the plot along the way. Because God wants to work in our hearts and sift our hearts to cause us to become many women who learn what it is to wait for Him. Another thing Genesis teaches us is that God's time and timing is not ours. Remember when God first spoke to Abraham, however many months ago it was, and gave him the promises that your descendants will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Here we are, 232 years later, and his descendants are 66 that have gone to Egypt. 232 years. That should cause us to think a little bit about, we want to see God at work, we absolutely look for God's deliverance and salvation, and we want to pray and play our part in that, but maybe the great things that God is going to do are going to be after we've gone and been with Him, after we've hooked our legs onto the bed and gone to be with our fathers. Maybe that's when it's going to happen. That speaks, that's a challenge to me, because I think, what do I want to invest in and put my time in that I actually won't see? It's a challenge, isn't it? But he teaches, here's Jacob prophesying about the coming Messiah thousands of years later that he isn't going to see. Psalm 37 verse 7 says, Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret when people succeed in their ways. That's a good statement, that's a good one to put over our doorways, isn't it? Do not fret when people succeed. Psalm 40 verse 1, I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry. Well, Paul writes to the church in Rome in chapter 8 verse 25 says, But if we hope for what we don't have, we wait for it patiently. Waiting and patience is a fundamental part of following Jesus. Hope, you know, we have to get a hold of that. And the impact of the world around us on that is that we don't like doing that. And so we need to bring that front and centre. And I guess there's two pitfalls, you know, one is we try and make it happen because we don't like waiting. So we end up a bit like Abraham having Ishmael, we've done it ourselves but it wasn't the right thing. Or we get so bored waiting we forget about it and go off and do something else. I remember when I was a child, I went to what is now called Urban Saints, had a less politically correct name in those days. But we went to see the police horse training centre in Manchester, because that's where I lived at the time. And it was interesting because you imagine a group of like 11 and 12 year olds, spotty 11 and 12 year olds, and we were all given flags way bigger than this and whistles to blow, whistles to blow, big flags to wave like this. And there's two lines of kids down like that. And then this guy, policeman comes along on the horse and the horse just, we're all looking, blowing the whistles and all that. And the horse just calmly straight down because he'd been trained to do that, because they used them in riots and football crowds at the time and all that kind of stuff. And it was fascinating to see, although it's still etched in my brain. But that is what it is, it's a little bit like, we've got to build things into our lives that stop us being distracted from this call of God to wait on him patiently and to pursue him patiently. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Otherwise these distractions will come in. And finally, fourthly, this all points to, this is all about Jesus. He is the one who brings deliverance. He is the one who brings salvation. So we wait for him and he brings that deliverance. If you're not a Christian this morning, then again I want to say, we're cut off from God, that's our starting place. Our sins have cut us off from God and we ignore him and we act as if there is no God and we act as if, you know, he's certainly not going to be angry with us when we do things that are wrong and that we're under his judgment and we're only of his anger. And yet Jesus has come and paid that price for you and for me, the ultimate cost and that great exchange has taken place and what we deserve he gets and what we don't deserve we get has taken place. He's paid that price for you and for me and to unpack that. Therefore Jesus is not only the one that does that, he is the one who brings deliverance or salvation from the effects of that rebellion against God in our lives. The pain, the hurt, the trauma, the rejection, the impact of all of that on our character and our lives, he is the one. So we look to him for deliverance, for salvation. You know, as Evie beautifully explained this morning, that's what she was describing, how Jesus and the Word of God has brought about a change in our life, things he used to listen to. Actually, she's bringing the Word of God to apply to trump that because that's what it does. The love of God trumps that and we need to be men and women that are constantly coming back to that. So Jesus is the one who brings deliverance to those things but he also brings deliverance from the reaction we have of those things that have affected us, those negative things that lead us to turning in on ourselves, to shutting others out, to putting on masks, to taking addictive substances, to abuse that we do or that is done to us. And so he is the one that we look to for deliverance and for salvation this morning. And so just by way of response, as I finish, in Hebrews 11, the writer of the Hebrews says this, he says, by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and worshipped as he leaned on the top of the staff. And talks about how Jacob, along with all those other old patriarchs of the faith, as they're called in Hebrews 11, were looking for God's deliverance, for God's salvation. They didn't see it in their lifetime but they were looking for it and its completion is found in Jesus. I wonder if I could stand please, I'd just like to pray. I'm not sure how well I've done this but I mean, the chapter is about a blessing on 12 guys but right in the middle is this key pivot point that actually it is God we need to look to for our deliverance and for salvation. And as I think about it, I just want to be really practical here and I just want us to pray together. I thought of a few things where we need to perhaps be applying that to our own lives. One of these might be relevant for you. I just want you to be honest as we stand here before God. Maybe it's healing. Jesus commands us to pray for the sick. He doesn't command us to heal the sick. That's his business whether he does it or not. He asks us to pray for the sick. And there can be a tendency for us as God's people to wane from praying for the sick for various reasons. So maybe you're here this morning and maybe there's something physical, something mental, something emotional that you are healing for. We look to you for deliverance, Lord. This chapter is about the prophetic words that Jacob speaks over his sons that then describes how their lives and their families' lives would pan out. For some of us this morning, negative words have been spoken to us that we still carry, that still shape us and still prevent us from entering into all the goodness that God has for us. We look to your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, those words have shaped our identity. There was a food bank visit over the road from here and while I was just talking to the lady, I chatted to the girl who was about 8 or 9 years old. We were talking about school and she said, I'm no good at school because my mum says I'm stupid. Yeah, exactly. But for some of us here this morning, words like that have impacted us deeply and are keeping us away from the good things that God has in store. We look to you for your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, our reaction to those bad things that have happened in our lives is that we have ourselves embraced destructive and negative patterns of behaviour or addictions or other things that have harmed us or harmed others. We look for your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, perhaps the thing that God is highlighting is that you've stopped looking at God as the thing that needs to be front and centre. You've stopped looking at God as the thing that needs to be front and centre in your life and you've allowed other things to creep in and nudge that off centre. And this morning God is saying, hey, what about bringing me back? Bringing me back front and centre. We look for your deliverance, Lord. Maybe for the first time, maybe you've been coming along for a while and you've never made that decision to say, yeah, I want to submit to Jesus and I want to go for it with him and I want to invite him into my life. We wait for your salvation, Lord. And for some, the desire in our hearts, if we're honest, is still for immediate results, even in the church, even in our Christianity. We want the next thing, the next thing and the next thing. And today God wants to do a work in your heart. We look for your deliverance, Lord. We wait for your salvation, Lord. Father, we want to pray, Lord. We want to thank you, you treat us so gently, with such love and such care. And Father, as we stand before you this morning, you know the state of our hearts, you know the issues, you know the things that are going on, you see it all. And Lord, we stand here honestly before you and just pray, Father, come and have your way. Come and have your way in our lives, Lord. Lord, we'll do a work in our hearts as we stand here this morning. We want to say, Father, we look for your deliverance, Lord. We look to you. We don't want to look to other things. And we want to say, Father, we wait for your salvation. We don't want to try anything ourselves. But we call on you today, Lord. We call on you, Father, for your salvation in our own lives, in the lives of our families, in the lives of our children, in the lives of our grandchildren, Lord, in the lives of our neighbors, in the lives of the homes around here. Father, we call on you for your salvation. We call on you, Lord, for the lives of the people that are in the schools in this area. And Father, we pray, God, Lord, help us to keep our eyes fixed on you. And Father, we wait for you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Andy. Let's, I just feel in the four instances...

Sermon Summary: Genesis 49 Andy's sermon focused on Genesis 49, the chapter where Jacob, nearing the end of his life at 147 years old, blesses his sons and prophesies about the future of their tribes. The sermon explored the themes of God's grace in using flawed individuals, the importance of looking to God for deliverance, and the significance of waiting patiently for God's timing. Andy began by reflecting on how words spoken to us, especially in our youth, can profoundly shape our lives. He connected this to the Genesis passage, where Jacob's words to his sons would define their destinies. He noted that while some blessings were influenced by past actions (Reuben, Simeon, and Levi), others, like Judah, contained prophetic statements about the coming Messiah. The sermon highlighted the contrast between the initial blessings, which were shaped by past negative actions, and the later ones, which contained prophetic hope. Andy pointed out the prophetic statement about Judah: "The scepter will not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his." He explained that this refers to Jesus and the future day when all nations will bow down to Him. He also noted the extensive blessings heaped upon Joseph, pondering if this indicated continued favoritism or recognition of Joseph's role in saving God's people. A central theme of the sermon emerged from Genesis 49:18: "I look for your deliverance, O Lord." Andy described this as a pivotal moment in the chapter, a prayer for times of desperation. He likened it to the simple, heartfelt prayer, "Oh God, oh God, oh God, help," emphasizing that such prayers are valid and necessary, especially when facing challenges and uncertainties. He stressed that Jacob, even while giving these grand pronouncements, recognized the future challenges and weaknesses of his descendants, and the need for God's intervention. Andy then elaborated on four key aspects of this phrase: A Prayer for Times of Desperation: Andy emphasized that this prayer is relevant to our current times. He encouraged the congregation to cry out to God for help, whether for personal struggles, the future of the church, or the well-being of their children and grandchildren. He reiterated that Christians are not "goody-goodies" but flawed individuals whom God uses. He stressed that the good news of Jesus is that God loves to use people who are "messed up" and "screw up". He stated that God has come to us, taking the initiative through Jesus' death and resurrection, and that our response is to acknowledge and rely on Him. A Foundation: Andy described this phrase as a bedrock statement that should undergird everything we do. He drew a parallel to Jesus' parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24-27), emphasizing the importance of putting God's words into practice. He urged the congregation to make "I look for your deliverance, O Lord" a central part of their lives, a constant reminder of their dependence on God, regardless of whether things are going well or poorly. He asked the congregation to consider what their driving force in life is, and to place this phrase at the center of their lives. Looking and Waiting: Andy acknowledged the difficulty of waiting, contrasting it with the instant gratification promoted by modern society. He reminded the congregation that God's timing is different from ours, referencing the story of Abraham and the long wait for his descendants. He challenged them to consider investing in things they might not see come to fruition in their lifetime, echoing Jacob's prophetic words about the Messiah, which he would not witness. He quoted several Psalms and a passage from Romans about waiting patiently for the Lord: Psalm 37:7 ("Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him"), Psalm 40:1 ("I waited patiently for the Lord"), and Romans 8:25 ("But if we hope for what we don't have, we wait for it patiently."). He warned against the pitfalls of trying to force things to happen or becoming discouraged and abandoning faith. He used the analogy of police horse training, where the horse is trained to stay focused and not be distracted, to illustrate the importance of building practices into our lives that keep us focused on God. He referenced Hebrews 12:2 ("Fix your eyes on Jesus"). All Points to Jesus: Andy concluded by emphasizing that Jesus is the ultimate source of deliverance and salvation. He reiterated that humanity is cut off from God due to sin, but Jesus came to pay the price and reconcile us to God. He stressed that Jesus delivers us not only from the consequences of our rebellion but also from the pain, hurt, trauma, and negative reactions that result from it. He called on those exploring Christianity to recognize Jesus' central role in salvation. In his closing prayer, Andy led the congregation in a time of reflection and confession. He invited them to consider areas in their lives where they needed God's deliverance, including healing, the effects of negative words, destructive behaviors, a lack of focus on God, and a desire for immediate results. He also prayed for those considering making a first-time commitment to Jesus. He concluded by asking God to "come and have your way" in their lives. Bible References: Genesis 49 Hebrews 11 Matthew 7:24-27 Psalm 37:7 Psalm 40:1 Romans 8:25 Hebrews 12:2 Transcript Freedom, freedom. Good morning everybody. Good morning. Good morning guys, 146. If you've got a Bible, if you want to turn to me to Genesis chapter 49, we've almost made it. Yay! 18 months now of working through Genesis and we've almost made it. I was chatting to Sheila on Thursday, Sheila Wingrove. So if you don't know, Sheila Wingrove has produced this amazing display in the foyer, right? I know we all rush into church because we want to be here, so we rush past it. But please take your time to study that and be amazed. It's a fantastic piece of work and we need to figure out how we keep it for posterity because it's such a beautiful thing. She was chatting to me on Thursday saying she's got no room left, so I'm not allowed to say anything this morning. Because there's no space to put anything. Good gospel here. But amazing, you know. So just two weeks left and then we're all itching to see how we're going to do services that only last an hour and a half. Two on a Sunday. I don't know how we're going to do that, but we'll see. Easy. Easy. So Genesis 49, I don't know about you, can you remember stuff that perhaps your mum or your dad said to you when you were younger? Anybody remember things they used to say? Good things? No hands. Bad things? A few hands. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We remember, don't we? I can remember. Is this me? Do I need to stand still? That would be good. I'll try and stand still. I can remember mum used to say, you know, when I was a lot younger, wait till your father gets home. Anybody have that? We're a generation, aren't we? My dad always used to say when I'd done something well, he'd always say, nine out of ten, because there's always room for improvement. And things like that. But perhaps a teacher, you know, you remember what your teachers used to say to you, you know, must try harder. Could do better. And things like that. And those words can kind of stick, can't they? Yeah, sorry about that. So those words stick with us, don't they? And they kind of can shape our lives. But, you know, most of us have had things spoken to us that did that type of thing. In fact, we had that fantastic Good Friday service that those guys did standing up here. And they talked about some of those things that had affected their lives. And they talked about, remember, they flipped those cards over and they talked about how Jesus was dealing with those things. In exactly the same way we've heard Evie describe the same thing this morning. In exactly the same way I responded to some of the stuff that my parents had said. You know, we don't want to be men and women who let those things restrict what God has in store for you and for me. And so here we are, we're reaching the end of Jacob's life. And as we've seen throughout Genesis, it's a significant moment when someone dies and they pass on this blessing to their children. We've seen it from Abraham to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob and Esau, remember all of that. And now here we are with Jacob himself doing it. And Cornelius taught us last week how he did it to his grandchildren first, Joseph's kids. And then we come to this chapter and he does it to the rest of his sons. So I'm just going to read it, if that's okay. I might read quite quickly because it is quite long. But I think it's good to read the Word of God at times. So Genesis 49. Then Jacob called for his sons and said, gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come. Imagine your dad saying that to you. That would be an amazing moment. Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob, listen to your father Israel. Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might, the first sign of my strength. Excelling in honor, excelling in power, turbulent as the waters, you will no longer excel. For you went up onto your father's bed, onto my couch and defiled it. Simeon and Levi are brothers, their swords are weapons of violence. Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly. For they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. Cursed be their anger so fierce and their fury so cruel. I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel. Wow. Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies. Your father's sons will bow down to you. You are a lion's cub, O Judah. You return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness. Who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah nor the ruler's staff from between his feet until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch. He will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine and his teeth whiter than milk. I'm not quite sure what that means. Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships. His border will extend towards Sidon. Issachar is a royal bone donkey lying down between two saddlebags. When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labor. Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path. It bites the horse's heels so its riders tumble backwards and look for your deliverance, oh Lord. Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels. Asher's food will be rich, he will provide delicacies fit for a king. Naftali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns. Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness, archers attacked him. They shot at him with hostility, but his bow remained steady. His strong arms stayed limber because of the hand of the mighty one of Jacob, because of the shepherd, the rock of Israel, because of your Father's God who helps you, because of the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, blessings of the breast and the womb. Your Father's blessings are greater than the blessings of the ancient mountains, than the bounty of the age-hold hills. Let all of these rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers. Benjamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning, he devours the prey. In the evening, he divides the plunder. All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessing appropriate to him. Then he gave them these instructions. I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave of the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite along with the field. There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah. The field and the cave in it were brought from the Hittites. When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up onto the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people. That is the way to go. That's what I want to do. Definitely. Jacob at this point is 147 years old, and as we've seen over the last weeks and months, what a life. You know, struggling at birth with his brother, grasping his ankle as they're born, wheedling Esau out of his birthright and deceiving his dad to obtain the blessing, having to flee the family home, having to work for his uncle for 14 years so he could marry the woman of his dreams, being tricked into marrying a different woman in the meantime, and all that kind of stuff, and then his uncle deceiving him back as well and having to flee his uncle because of what happened, the meeting with Esau to try and patch things up and then never seeing Esau again, and then outliving his wives. This really bad family example we saw of having favourites amongst his kids, not a good idea, and thinking Joseph was then dead all of these years to finally be deceived by his own sons, and then having to leave the land of God's promise and come to Egypt. What a life. What a life. But at the same time, what we have also seen is God at work in this man's life, and God in his grace, choosing to fulfil his own plans and purposes through the life of Jacob. And that is a weird one for us, isn't it? Because what it says is that God is about using people that are messed up, that screw up. The Bible calls it sin. We might have other language. But he loves to take those people and use them for his glory and for his purposes. And that's such a repeat theme through this whole book, and I know I said it probably the last five times I've spoken, but it is such an important theme that we grasp that because we have to help people understand that people who are Christians are not goody-goodies. They're bady-baddies, right? We are bady-baddies, right? You know, we screw up. We mess up. We don't like to talk about it, and we don't own up. But we develop masks and other approaches to hide that. But we are screwed up, and we're shafted, if we're brutally honest. And the reality is God has come, and he loves to use people that are exactly like that. And that's the good news of Jesus. So it's so important that we grasp that. And so, yeah, here we are at the end of Jacob's life. He's speaking about the future and about defining his sons, what their families will become and what the tribes that come from those families will become. And it's interesting, and we're not going to go into all of them because time does not permit, and I'm not quite sure what I say about some of them, but it's interesting because those opening ones, that Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, their blessing is dictated by what they have done in their lives. That's how Jacob speaks to them. What they have done, the bad things that they have done in their lives, has an immediate repercussion on the so-called blessing that he gives them that's going to shape how they will be. Interesting. Then we get to Judah, and it's completely different. We begin to see in what he says about Judah the prophetic statements about a Messiah coming. We're in Genesis. We're in the beginning. And we still see, we begin to see here, there's an inkling in his eye. There's a twinkling in the distance. There is something happening that is going to happen. And we read this beautiful statement that the scepter, the government, if you like, will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler star from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs. He's talking about Jesus. And the obedience of the nations will be his. There is coming a day when the obedience of the nations will belong to Jesus, and all nations will bow down to him. There is coming a day. And Jacob, right here in Genesis, he doesn't understand it, as Hebrews 11 tells us. He doesn't get it, but he's prophesying it. He's speaking it out in faith. He's certainly not going to see it in his few hours he's got left. But he's speaking out in faith because he sees that happening. And so there's this amazing prophetic statement in Judah. And then there's the one about Joseph near the end. There is so much blessing that he oodles on Joseph. He makes you think, is he still thinking that Joseph is his favorite here? Is that what's going on? Because he's really ladling on thick the blessings on Joseph. Or is it perhaps because actually Joseph is the one out of all those brothers that has rescued them and actually is part and parcel of the purposes of God to help God's people survive through this period of famine and obviously we saw through the whole story of Joseph how God used him. I don't know which it is. But it's interesting he calls him prince amongst his brothers. But what I want to do just briefly is hoe him. There's a little verse I read in the middle which kind of leaps out because it's out of context of everything else that's going on. He's giving his blessings to his people, to his kids, and he's telling them what's going to happen. And right in the middle in verse 18 we get this little phrase, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. That's a bit weird, isn't it? You think he's on a roll. He's on a train. I've got 12 sons to get through. He's 147. Can't I remember all their names? I forgot the right one with the right name. And all that sort of stuff. You think he'd be concentrating on getting all of that out. And then right in the middle, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. Or a different translation says, I wait for your salvation, O Lord. And why does he do that? It's almost like as he thinks about the future and as he thinks about the children of God and the people of God, that maybe God is showing him something about the challenges that lie ahead. And that he himself is aware of the struggles and the challenges they'll face and the hardship of God's people being true to him and not being overwhelmed by their enemies, not being led astray by other nations or other societies, or not having their faith and their trust in God diluted by what is going on around them. And he cries out in the middle, God, I look for your deliverance, Lord. Unless you do this, Lord, it isn't going to happen. Unless the Lord builds the house, it's builder's labor in vain. God, unless salvation comes from you, there's no hope, no matter what we say. And so four things quickly. Number one, this is a prayer for times of desperation. And there's no time like now for a time of desperation. Right in the middle of blessing his kids, he cries out. It reminds me many, many, many years ago of listening to John Wimber talk about when you're going to pray for someone for healing and you've not seen it before and you're not used to it and you have no idea what's going to happen and you want to pray for it and you're going to step out. We go in a room and we pray, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, help. That's all you need to do. If you're struggling with praying, I want to encourage you. You haven't got to pray great long prayers and quote loads of scripture and shout to the ceiling, oh God, oh God, oh God, oh God, help. It's right where it starts. And that is what is happening here. That's what Jacob's doing. He's explaining that out and it's like as he blesses his children and he thinks about their future and the future of the tribes of Israel that despite such big statements he's making over their lives, he sees something of the challenges. He sees their weaknesses. He sees the likelihood of them being influenced by society around them. He sees the frailties of their own heart. And so he cries out, God, you have got to come if this is going to work. Lord, if you are going to have a people that are yours, if your Messiah is going to come through Judah as he's just prophesied, then God, you have got to come and do this. Maybe even he's reflecting on his own life, his own awareness of mucking things up. And perhaps after all these years, he could now stand with a little bit of integrity and understand he's only where he is because of God delivering him and the salvation of God coming to him. So as you think about your future, whatever age you are this morning, as you think about your future, let's get a hold of this as a phrase to say, God, we need your deliverance. God, I need your deliverance and your salvation. As we think about the future of the church here, and yeah, we might get excited, at least for a little bit, while we do two services and a major building project and see people saved and more people getting baptized and people saved and added and more groups starting in the church and the impact on the community growing and growing and growing. We need to come back to, oh God, we need your deliverance. It is you, Lord. It is you. As we think about our children, our grandchildren, oh Lord, I look to you for your deliverance, Lord. I look to you for your salvation. It's a great prayer in times of desperation because for his kids it's not their skills, it's not their character, it's not their efforts, it's not even the prophetic word that he brings, but it is God who is the deliverer. It is God who is the bringer of salvation. And that is what is so special and unique about Christianity. And you might not be a Christian this morning, you're just exploring it and trying to understand it, and you might be chatting to some of your friends, but what does it really mean and what is it like? And you come along because you're just dipping a toe in the water. And I want to just labor the point that the uniqueness of it is that God has come to us, not the other way around. You can look at what goes on here this morning and I think our singing and the rest of it is kind of us trying to make ourselves right before God. Because it can look like that, and it does look like that, but that isn't what's going on. What has happened is Jesus has taken the initiative and he has come 2,000 years ago. He died on a cross for the sins of the world, including your sins and my sins, to put us right with God and he has taken that initiative, and three days later God has raised him from the dead. And now death is no longer the finality that it once was in our thinking because Jesus has broken that. He has taken the initiative and come to us, and what we do in a meeting like this, I hope in the morning, is we are responding to that. We are not trying to make our way to God, but we are responding to what he has done to us and for us and his love for us. So number one, it's a prayer in times of desperation. Number two, I look for your deliverance, O Lord. It's a foundation. It's like a bedrock statement that undergirds everything that we do. Jesus told that parable, didn't he, that the wise man built his house upon the rock. And he told us that not so that we could learn a little song, but he taught us that because he says, what, the wise man is what? The one who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice. Exactly. He puts them into practice. And so this statement is exactly like that. We need to figure out how do we put this into practice that we look to God for your deliverance, that we wait for your salvation. It's like a statement that needs to be brought front and center to our lives, whether we are struggling with things, whether things are going well as the church moves forward and as we make changes about what's happening, as we make greater inroads with the gospel in the life of the community here, and perhaps as we even think, dare to think, oh, this is going quite well, or whatever. It's a reminder not to get smug, not to get complacent, but to come back and say, you know what? I look for your deliverance, Lord. I wait for your salvation. And we need to bring that front and center of our lives and not let it compete with other statements and other things. You know, what is it that ultimately drives you forward and drives me forward? What makes you tick? If you could have one sentence over your life, what would it be? And whereabouts would this fit in that context? What is it that, despite everything, we need to return to time and time again? What is it we wait for? Is it our paycheck? Is it our benefits landing? Is it the next holiday? Is it the next thing? Or do we wait for your salvation, Lord? Do we look for your deliverance? You see, Jacob can prophesy amazing things, but what is it he puts right in the middle, like the pivot of which all of these things are commenting on? Things can go well. What does he return to? Some of those blessings are good things, but what does he come back to? Things can go pear-shaped. What does he come back to? We can make all the changes we want as a church, but what do we return to? We look out for your deliverance, O Lord. And we need to be men and women grappling with getting that in the front and centre of our lives. And as we think about Jordan thought and Baitmore and the edges and the surrounding area, God, we look for your deliverance. We wait for your salvation. We can try all the programmes, all the groups, whatever we want to, but unless God moves, there is nothing there. It is not going to happen. And because we are caught up with the plans and purposes of God, we've got to come back to this. Lord, it is your deliverance we are looking for. Turn your eyes towards Jesus. Look full in his wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow straight deep in, in the light of his glory and grace. Absolutely. Hope you knew that in 146 as well. It's so true, you know, and we need, the more we can come back to that, I think the better place we will be. The third thing about this statement is, you know, it's about looking and it's about waiting. Anybody enjoy waiting? There's no hands here. We don't do it, do we? You know, try telling a toddler to wait. We went to Yorkshire Wildlife yesterday and our granddaughter was with us and, you know, I want a biscuit now, now, now. I want a drink now, now. I want this now. You know, try telling a toddler to wait. It just doesn't work, does it? But then, actually, I'm not sure how much better it gets as we get older. Because we want the result, don't we? We don't want the waiting bit. We want the result at the end. That is what we're looking for. The whole of the advertising industry that we are all succumbing to is geared on giving you a result as fast as possible. Have this and it will change your life. Have this and it will make your life better. Instant success, instant access, et cetera, et cetera. Whole of technology, you know, on our phones, on our watches. It's all about instantaneous stuff all the time. And so the idea of waiting is kind of drifting away from life in general and the stuff that we have to wait for becomes a real pain. Well, if we get ourselves in a position where we say, waiting for your salvation of God is a real pain, then we've lost the plot along the way. Because God wants to work in our hearts and sift our hearts to cause us to become many women who learn what it is to wait for Him. Another thing Genesis teaches us is that God's time and timing is not ours. Remember when God first spoke to Abraham, however many months ago it was, and gave him the promises that your descendants will be as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Here we are, 232 years later, and his descendants are 66 that have gone to Egypt. 232 years. That should cause us to think a little bit about, we want to see God at work, we absolutely look for God's deliverance and salvation, and we want to pray and play our part in that, but maybe the great things that God is going to do are going to be after we've gone and been with Him, after we've hooked our legs onto the bed and gone to be with our fathers. Maybe that's when it's going to happen. That speaks, that's a challenge to me, because I think, what do I want to invest in and put my time in that I actually won't see? It's a challenge, isn't it? But he teaches, here's Jacob prophesying about the coming Messiah thousands of years later that he isn't going to see. Psalm 37 verse 7 says, Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret when people succeed in their ways. That's a good statement, that's a good one to put over our doorways, isn't it? Do not fret when people succeed. Psalm 40 verse 1, I waited patiently for the Lord. He turned to me and heard my cry. Well, Paul writes to the church in Rome in chapter 8 verse 25 says, But if we hope for what we don't have, we wait for it patiently. Waiting and patience is a fundamental part of following Jesus. Hope, you know, we have to get a hold of that. And the impact of the world around us on that is that we don't like doing that. And so we need to bring that front and centre. And I guess there's two pitfalls, you know, one is we try and make it happen because we don't like waiting. So we end up a bit like Abraham having Ishmael, we've done it ourselves but it wasn't the right thing. Or we get so bored waiting we forget about it and go off and do something else. I remember when I was a child, I went to what is now called Urban Saints, had a less politically correct name in those days. But we went to see the police horse training centre in Manchester, because that's where I lived at the time. And it was interesting because you imagine a group of like 11 and 12 year olds, spotty 11 and 12 year olds, and we were all given flags way bigger than this and whistles to blow, whistles to blow, big flags to wave like this. And there's two lines of kids down like that. And then this guy, policeman comes along on the horse and the horse just, we're all looking, blowing the whistles and all that. And the horse just calmly straight down because he'd been trained to do that, because they used them in riots and football crowds at the time and all that kind of stuff. And it was fascinating to see, although it's still etched in my brain. But that is what it is, it's a little bit like, we've got to build things into our lives that stop us being distracted from this call of God to wait on him patiently and to pursue him patiently. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Otherwise these distractions will come in. And finally, fourthly, this all points to, this is all about Jesus. He is the one who brings deliverance. He is the one who brings salvation. So we wait for him and he brings that deliverance. If you're not a Christian this morning, then again I want to say, we're cut off from God, that's our starting place. Our sins have cut us off from God and we ignore him and we act as if there is no God and we act as if, you know, he's certainly not going to be angry with us when we do things that are wrong and that we're under his judgment and we're only of his anger. And yet Jesus has come and paid that price for you and for me, the ultimate cost and that great exchange has taken place and what we deserve he gets and what we don't deserve we get has taken place. He's paid that price for you and for me and to unpack that. Therefore Jesus is not only the one that does that, he is the one who brings deliverance or salvation from the effects of that rebellion against God in our lives. The pain, the hurt, the trauma, the rejection, the impact of all of that on our character and our lives, he is the one. So we look to him for deliverance, for salvation. You know, as Evie beautifully explained this morning, that's what she was describing, how Jesus and the Word of God has brought about a change in our life, things he used to listen to. Actually, she's bringing the Word of God to apply to trump that because that's what it does. The love of God trumps that and we need to be men and women that are constantly coming back to that. So Jesus is the one who brings deliverance to those things but he also brings deliverance from the reaction we have of those things that have affected us, those negative things that lead us to turning in on ourselves, to shutting others out, to putting on masks, to taking addictive substances, to abuse that we do or that is done to us. And so he is the one that we look to for deliverance and for salvation this morning. And so just by way of response, as I finish, in Hebrews 11, the writer of the Hebrews says this, he says, by faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph's sons and worshipped as he leaned on the top of the staff. And talks about how Jacob, along with all those other old patriarchs of the faith, as they're called in Hebrews 11, were looking for God's deliverance, for God's salvation. They didn't see it in their lifetime but they were looking for it and its completion is found in Jesus. I wonder if I could stand please, I'd just like to pray. I'm not sure how well I've done this but I mean, the chapter is about a blessing on 12 guys but right in the middle is this key pivot point that actually it is God we need to look to for our deliverance and for salvation. And as I think about it, I just want to be really practical here and I just want us to pray together. I thought of a few things where we need to perhaps be applying that to our own lives. One of these might be relevant for you. I just want you to be honest as we stand here before God. Maybe it's healing. Jesus commands us to pray for the sick. He doesn't command us to heal the sick. That's his business whether he does it or not. He asks us to pray for the sick. And there can be a tendency for us as God's people to wane from praying for the sick for various reasons. So maybe you're here this morning and maybe there's something physical, something mental, something emotional that you are healing for. We look to you for deliverance, Lord. This chapter is about the prophetic words that Jacob speaks over his sons that then describes how their lives and their families' lives would pan out. For some of us this morning, negative words have been spoken to us that we still carry, that still shape us and still prevent us from entering into all the goodness that God has for us. We look to your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, those words have shaped our identity. There was a food bank visit over the road from here and while I was just talking to the lady, I chatted to the girl who was about 8 or 9 years old. We were talking about school and she said, I'm no good at school because my mum says I'm stupid. Yeah, exactly. But for some of us here this morning, words like that have impacted us deeply and are keeping us away from the good things that God has in store. We look to you for your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, our reaction to those bad things that have happened in our lives is that we have ourselves embraced destructive and negative patterns of behaviour or addictions or other things that have harmed us or harmed others. We look for your deliverance, Lord. For some of us, perhaps the thing that God is highlighting is that you've stopped looking at God as the thing that needs to be front and centre. You've stopped looking at God as the thing that needs to be front and centre in your life and you've allowed other things to creep in and nudge that off centre. And this morning God is saying, hey, what about bringing me back? Bringing me back front and centre. We look for your deliverance, Lord. Maybe for the first time, maybe you've been coming along for a while and you've never made that decision to say, yeah, I want to submit to Jesus and I want to go for it with him and I want to invite him into my life. We wait for your salvation, Lord. And for some, the desire in our hearts, if we're honest, is still for immediate results, even in the church, even in our Christianity. We want the next thing, the next thing and the next thing. And today God wants to do a work in your heart. We look for your deliverance, Lord. We wait for your salvation, Lord. Father, we want to pray, Lord. We want to thank you, you treat us so gently, with such love and such care. And Father, as we stand before you this morning, you know the state of our hearts, you know the issues, you know the things that are going on, you see it all. And Lord, we stand here honestly before you and just pray, Father, come and have your way. Come and have your way in our lives, Lord. Lord, we'll do a work in our hearts as we stand here this morning. We want to say, Father, we look for your deliverance, Lord. We look to you. We don't want to look to other things. And we want to say, Father, we wait for your salvation. We don't want to try anything ourselves. But we call on you today, Lord. We call on you, Father, for your salvation in our own lives, in the lives of our families, in the lives of our children, in the lives of our grandchildren, Lord, in the lives of our neighbors, in the lives of the homes around here. Father, we call on you for your salvation. We call on you, Lord, for the lives of the people that are in the schools in this area. And Father, we pray, God, Lord, help us to keep our eyes fixed on you. And Father, we wait for you. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Andy. Thank you, Andy. Let's, I just feel in the four instances...

Gods many; Ruling judges; Which god do you worship (serve)?; Two "worlds"; Constitutions; Legal systems; Governing ourselves; "Shechem"; Circumcision?; Living God's way; Nimrod the hunter?; "Leaven"; Making the word of God to none effect; Baptism?; The Temple Laver; Hyrcanus and Aristobulus; Death of Zachariah; Sacrificing; Gen 17:4; Antisemitism?; Sons of Shem; Melchizedek; Good sons; Following Abraham; Corban?; Agreement with Egypt; Becoming Israel; Gen 18:1; "plains" of Mamre; 3 men?; nun-tzdek-biet+yod+mem (stood by); Divine spark; Referencing spirit; Where is Holy Spirit leading you?; Learning the Tree of Life; "Elder"; Church jobs; Hunters and Shepherds; Reading the bible; Testing forgiveness; Entertaining angels; Understanding societal relationships; v9 Sarah; Bible translators; Robbing Christ's Church; Sarah's denial; Fear not!; Lacking faith; Cry of Sodom and Gomorrah; Bargaining for Sodom; LORD and Lord; Today's politics; Seeing divine spark; Blessing from Shem; Abraham's case; Sin of Sodom; Aleph-lamad-vav; Plains and Oaks?; Walking in Spirit and Truth; The sin of Sodom; Weakening the poor; Long, fat breadlines; The need for challenge; Giving life; "Mamre" mem-mem-resh-aleph; Rebellion?; Understanding Abraham; Church of Constantine in Milan - ordered baptism; Blood money; Mixing iron and clay; Anti-Christian ministers; Welfare snares; Legal charity; Willful ignorance; "Mara" mem-resh-aleph - not spirit and truth; Beyond rebellion; Covetousness; Consequences; Job 39:18; Job 39:9; Revealing required corruption; Unicorn; Instant Christians; Zeph 3:1; Revealed lies; Becoming merchandise; False freedom; Opening eyes; Who is your savoir?; Sour grapes; The Harlot; Sloth; Gather and care for one another.

God's Covenant with Abram Setting - After these things . is Abram back at the sacred trees of Mamre or is he outside of Salem? Outside of Salem is the last place we saw him, but his camp was outside of mamre. The answer is we don't know. We are having another conversation with God. 7 And He said to him,…

Genesis 18:1-6,8 from the ArchiveNew Living Translation18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you've honored your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.”  8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.Music: "Rest in the Shadow" by Julian & Melissa Wiggins,Used with permission.

Garth Heckman The David Alliance TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com    19) A. The Three Visitors: Three men appear to Abraham near the oaks of Mamre. They announce that Sarah will have a son. Sarah laughs at the announcement. NOT MUCH IS SAID OF SARAHS FAITH… SHE ACTUALLY HAS NO FAITH OF HER OWN!    B. Isaac's Birth: Sarah conceives and bears Isaac. Abraham is 100 years old.   She is a woman full of doubt… BUT GOD HONORS HIS WORD   SARAH She is a woman full of doubt.     GOD CAN MOVE ANYWAY!  Faith feeds the invisible (so does fear) Hebrews 11:11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.   v. 11 A dative of accompaniment  She received faith… i.e. by faith of Abraham she received the gift of a son. It was not Sarahs faith it was Abrahams faith that got her pregnant.  You don't have to believe… I will believe for you!  YOUR SPOUSE DOES NOT HAVE TO BELIEVE YOUR PARENTS,  YOUR KIDS,  YOUR PASTOR YOUR BOSS   -  IT DOES NOT MATTER IF YOU BELIEVE! 

Notes - https://www.generationword.com/notes/Genesis/39-Genesis_20_1-Great_Trees_of_Mamre.pdf

“The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre.” (Genesis 18:1 NLT) Abram (who was later renamed Abraham) was given an extraordinary promise. God announced that He would bless Abram with a son and a land for his descendants. Those descendants would become a great nation—one that would bless all other nations. God didn’t include a timetable with His promise. He wanted Abram and his wife Sarai (who was later renamed Sarah) to trust Him. But as time passed, that became more and more difficult for the childless couple. In Genesis 12, God instructed Abram to leave his country and move to the land of Canaan—the Promised Land. When Abram got to Canaan, the Lord appeared to him and confirmed His promise to give the land to Abram’s descendants. And in Genesis 17, the Lord appeared to Abram to make a covenant with him. If Abram served God faithfully and lived a blameless life, God would give him countless descendants. The Lord then changed Abram’s name to Abraham because he would be the father of many nations. One day, Abraham was sitting at the entrance of his tent during the hottest part of the day when he saw three men nearby. Abraham recognized one of them as the Lord Himself. The Bible doesn’t say how Abraham recognized Him, but it may have been because he had already encountered the Lord on two previous occasions. So the encounter at Mamre was the third time the Lord appeared to Abraham. And on all three occasions, it was Jesus he came face to face with. It couldn’t have been God the Father. The apostle Paul wrote of Him, “No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will” (1 Timothy 6:16 NLT). Jesus Himself touched on His encounter with Abraham during His confrontation with the Pharisees in John 8. “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?” they replied (verse 57 NLT). They couldn’t wrap their minds around the idea that the One who stood before them had also stood before Abraham centuries earlier. Unlike the Pharisees, Abraham knew exactly who he was talking to. And it must have gratified him to hear the Lord confirm again that Sarah would give birth to a son. Sarah, on the other hand, had a different reaction. She laughed to herself when she heard the Lord’s words. She was, after all, nearly ninety years old, and Abraham was nearly one hundred—not exactly the prime childbearing years. Jesus reassured the couple with an important question by quoting Genesis 18:14: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” (NLT) Within a year, they would have their answer. And they would name him Isaac. It is interesting how Jesus came to different people in the Bible. To Abraham, Jesus came as a traveler. We know that Jesus said, “Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad” (John 8:56 NLT). Why did the Lord come to Abraham as a sojourner? That is what Abraham was. Jesus meets us where we are, in a way that resonates with us. He appeared to Abraham and Sarah to encourage them to be patient, to trust God’s timing, and to prepare for the blessings and challenges that lay ahead. He does the same thing for us, as often as necessary, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Reflection question: How might the Lord reassure you or give you the perspective you need to trust His promises and His timing? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alam mo bang nagsinungaling si Abraham tungkol sa tunay nilang relasyon ni Sarah bilang mag-asawa? Sabi sa Genesis 20:1–2, “Nilisan ni Abraham ang Mamre at nagpunta sa lupain ng Negeb sa pagitan ng Kades at Shur, at tumira sa Gerar. Habang siya'y naroon, kapatid ang pakilala niya kay Sara, kaya ito'y pinakuha ni Abimelec, hari ng Gerar.”All Rights Reserved, CBN Asia Inc.https://www.cbnasia.com/giveSupport the show

Have you ever been standing on the threshold of something good – perhaps one of God's promises – and all of a sudden it's as though everything starts to go wrong?   On the Threshold Have you ever stood on the threshold of something good, I mean something really good, something fantastic? Maybe it's the promise of a promotion, or the promise of a pay increase, or you've just fallen pregnant or your wife has and in the not too many months, there's going to be this new life in your family, or a great holiday, or a new home, or peace where there was conflict and you stand there and you think, "This is going to be faaaannntastic. I just can't wait". And then all of a sudden, it's like all hell breaks loose. Everything and everyone kind of comes after you with a pickaxe; at work and at home, in your heart and in your head, there's turmoil. And you think, "Hang on a minute. I'm about to step over into this Promised Land and well, it's supposed to be fantastic. What is going on?" We've all been there, right? So has God and today we are going to look at His specific Word that He wants to speak right into that. This week on the programme, we are going to look at this ‘Promised Land' thing. And the Promised Land was born when God promised a land to Abraham, the father of Israel, and centuries later Israel crossed over into that Promised Land. It started with this beautiful promise to Abraham that we looked at last week. If you have a Bible, grab it, open it up at Genesis chapter 13, beginning at verse 14. This is what it says: The Lord said to Abraham, after Lot had separated from him, ‘Lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are, to the north and the south and the east and the west, all the land that you see, I will give to you and your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, your offspring will also be able to be counted. Get up, walk the length and the breadth of this land for I will give it to you'. So Abraham moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which is at Hebron and there he built an altar to the Lord. What a stunning promise! What an incredible promise! What an impossible promise! See, Abraham was an old man and he and his wife Sarah hadn't had any children and from that promise began a long and winding road for the nation of Israel. Centuries later they travelled through the exodus, they went through this desert and they'd gone on this long journey. And Israel ultimately is about to cross over into the Promised Land and all of a sudden their leader Moses, whom God used to set them free out of slavery from Egypt; to go through the Red Sea; that amazing miracle, to guide them through the desert for forty years – all of a sudden Moses, their leader dies. And God comes along to his successor, Joshua, with some godly advice – more than advice, admonition. Now we are going to have a look at that today. It's in Joshua chapter 1, beginning at verse 1. This is what God said: After the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua, son of Nun, Moses' assistant, ‘Moses, My servant is dead. Now then you and all these people, get ready to cross over the Jordan River into the land that I am about to give to them, the Israelites. I have given you every place where you will set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to the Lebanon, from the great river, the Euphrates, all the Hittite country to the great sea on the west and no one, no one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead this people to inherit the land that I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong; very courageous. Be careful to obey all My law that the servant Moses gave you. Don't turn from it to the right or to the left so that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let the Book of this Law depart from your mouth but meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything that's written in it, then you will be prosperous and successful. Haven't I commanded you, Be strong and courageous? Don't be terrified; don't be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.' Just think about it. They have been on this long journey for forty years, the exodus in the desert and they are about to cross over into the Promised Land and Moses dies. Oh, fantastic! What lousy timing. They had this tried and proven leader and he is gone, and so the reins get handed over to Joshua, his assistant and God repeats the promise that He made to Abram and that He made to Moses; He repeats that promise to Joshua: "I have given you this land - I have promised this land to you and no one will be able to stand against you." Oh, that's not good; that's not good at all. If God has to promise you that no one is going to stand against you. All these different tribes and nations that are already in the land; they're not going to invite Israel in to take their land. They are not going to say, "Oh, God said you could have it, well sure, go ahead, take all our land." Not likely! Israel is in for a bunch of battles and then God says: "I will never leave you or forsake you." This is not looking good. God says: "Be strong and courageous," and again, He says: ‘Be strong and very courageous.' And a third time in that passage we just read, He says: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged." Now you are Joshua, you were there forty years ago, on the other side of the Red Sea. You saw the miracle when Moses lifted his staff and the Red Sea parted and Israel passed through and all of a sudden Pharaoh's army tried to chase them and the sea came together again and Pharaoh's army was drowned. You were there. The euphoria of God's amazing miracle. You've spent forty years in the desert and you think, "surely it must be over by now. We are just days away from crossing over into this Promised Land, from realising the promise that God made to Abram centuries before". And now God's setting you up; preparing you for a tough time. He talking about battles and wars and being strong and courageous. This is life and death stuff. Is that what you expected of the Promised Land after all this time? That's why I've called this series of programmes, "It Time to Take the Promised Land" because it doesn't get delivered to your front door like a pizza. God's promise of a land flowing with milk and honey is accompanied by God's reality - battles along the way. You have to take the Promised Land. And it's the same today. You know what I've noticed? The rest of the world doesn't want me to have God's peace and joy. The rest of the world doesn't want me to live in God's promises. The devil wants to spoil God's plan for my life and every time God is about to do something amazing in my life, all hell seems to break loose. The devil just doesn't want me to have the Promised Land. Now Joshua could have sat up on his side of the Jordan River, heard what God was saying about not getting discouraged and about the battles and thought, ‘No, I'm outa here', but he didn't. He believed in God‘s promise and he crossed over and he went about taking the Promised Land. He knew it was time to take the Promised Land.   Courage in the Promises Well, here they are. They are standing on the threshold of the Promised Land after forty years in the desert and all the trials, after the nation being in slavery in Egypt. Centuries before, God had promised to Abraham this Promised Land and they are standing on the Jordan and they are looking over the Jordan and what they see is this so-called Promised Land but there are all these people and tribes and kings and fortified cities and armies. On the one hand, they believe in God's promise, but on the other hand, they're looking at this reality. God calls us into His Promised Land here and now, today. There are promises all through the Bible about our relationship with God. Jesus said in John chapter 10, verse 10: The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy but I have come that you may have life in all its abundance. That's a promise! Jesus wants us to have an abundant life. He said: The Kingdom of God is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again and then in his joy, he went and sold all that he had and he bought that field. Again Jesus said in Matthew chapter 13: The Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who is looking for fine pearls when he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and he bought it. Do you get the picture? When we give our lives to Jesus, lock stock and barrel, He invites us into a land of promise and He is saying that this land of promise; the Kingdom of God, it's like … it's like a treasure – that's what it is meant to be like. And the promises are so different to what the world promises. Not a physical land or physical wealth or all that other stuff but a Promised Land that is quite different. In Luke chapter 17, verse 20, Jesus put it this way: Once having been ask by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said, ‘The Kingdom of God doesn't come because of your careful observation nor will people say, ‘Here it is,' or ‘There it is,' because the Kingdom of God is within you.' The Promised Land isn't something out ‘there' – it's not a new house or a new car or all that stuff. The Promised Land; the Kingdom of God is in our hearts. And so often we feel like Joshua standing on the threshold, looking back and then looking forward, wanting to believe in the promises of God but … they are so hard to believe-in some days aren't they? I'm going to talk right now about taking courage in the promises of God. This is so important because we normally focus on the things that we can see – all the problems and the obstacles that are in front of us. But God calls us to set our eyes on the things that are above; to set our eyes on heavenly things. Look again at what God said to Joshua about this Promised Land. Joshua, chapter 1, verse 3: I have given to you every place where you will set your foot as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to the Lebanon, from the great river, the Euphrates, through all the Hittite country to the great sea on the west. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you. Isn't it interesting, he uses the past tense; actually the Hebrew perfect tense. He says, "Every place where you will set your foot as I promised Moses, I have already given you." It's a done deal! As far as God was concerned, the Promised Land was absolutely a done deal. It was given and when God gives, who can block that? That's God's perspective, even though our perspective is all about the things that we can see – the obstacles and the enemies and the fears and the broken relationships and the people who are bugging us who are never going to change. I tell you, when I became a Christian twelve years ago, I had so much dysfunction in my life, I can't begin to tell you. And through that passage in John chapter 10, verse 10, where Jesus said: I have come that you may have life in all its abundance. I just let Him write that on my heart. Jesus wants you and me to have an abundant life. And if I looked at me and my life and the predicaments I was in, I had no right to believe that promise from Jesus! But the Holy Spirit takes His Word and He writes it on our hearts and He gifted me to lift my eyes to look at heavenly things. I believed so imperfectly, going through some things, I was so afraid some days and so lonely some days. But at the end of the day, what Jesus did on the cross for you and me was to remove all sin, all of the reproach of the past, and open the door to an abundant, outrageous, wonderful relationship with God. It's a done deal! It's past. It's completed. The abundant life has been purchased for you and me. And it's now time to walk in it. And the point of what God said to Joshua was there will be battles: I have given you every place where you will set your foot as I promised Moses. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you or forsake you. See, the promise is a done deal. When people come against us, they won't be able to stand against us and rob us of the promises of God. And God will never leave us or forsake us. It's a completely different way of looking at things. Instead of looking at the problems, we look at the promises. It's completely different. And for me in my life, over these last twelve years, in every day, here and now, where I get my courage is in the promises of God, because when God promises something, nobody can take that away. And the focus of that promise; our relationship with Him, the Kingdom of God, the peace and the joy that flows from that, is where it's all at. All that other stuff - that will come and go – relationships and health and money – they're all temporary. What will last forever is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Joshua literally means "God saves" and that's the same name that Jesus had, (Joshua was His actual Hebrew name), to lead us into the Promised Land and it is an act of faith to take courage in the promises of God. And we can do that because they're a done deal.   Prospering in God's Word Now, God is expecting some stiff opposition for Joshua and his people when they cross over the Jordan to take the Promised Land. Remember we looked at that passage, Joshua chapter 1, verse 1 and the following verses. And three times – there is Joshua with all that he has been through, standing on the banks of the Jordan ready to cross over into the Promised Land – and three times God says to him; "Be strong and courageous", "Be strong and very courageous", "Be strong and courageous, do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go". I always a worry a little bit when God tell us "not to be terrified", you think, "Uh, oh, this is not going to be pleasant." That's often the way as we decide to lay hold of God's promises in our hearts. Things so often get a whole bunch worse before they get better. Jesus said: Peace, My peace I leave with you - My peace I give to you. Yeah man, that's what I want; that's God's peace; that's God's promise, I want that promise. Jesus promised that to His disciples just before He was about to be crucified at a dangerous and fearful time where there would be pain and loss and fear for their own lives. So He explains what He is on about. He says this: My peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I don't give it to you the way the world does. Don't let your hearts be troubled and don't let them be afraid. (John 14:27) We often have to deal with obstacles and fear to lay hold of the promises of God in our lives, I do, you do, we all do. And it's at those times that we grow, when we understand that that's the reality and that the promises of God stand amidst all the obstacles, all the uncertainty, all the things we look at and think, "I can never get through those on my own." That's the whole purpose of God's promises. So what's our part of this? Well, let's see what God said to Joshua. He said: Be careful to obey the law that My servant Moses gave you. Don't turn from it to the right or the left, that you might be successful wherever you go. Do not let the Book of this Law depart from your mouth, instead meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything that is written in it, then you will be prosperous and successful. See, God was saying to him, "You know where it's at. Let My Word come to life in your heart. Don't forget about it. Don't let it depart from your mouth". In other words, "don't let it leave your mouth permanently; instead meditate on it day and night. Do what it says and then you will be prosperous and successful." Meditate so that it becomes part of you, so that you start living your life My way, says God, then you'll be prosperous; then you'll be successful. You know, I know so many Christians who own a Bible. "Well, it's somewhere, I think. It's up in the cupboard or maybe it's at the bedside table or gathering dust somewhere." I want to tell you something about the Word of God. I would be a nervous wreck by now if I didn't spend time in God‘s Word every day. I'm in the front line of ministry, my job is leading people into the Promised Land through what I am doing right now, through these programmes; helping people to take a hold of God's promises and the devil is not happy about that. The world is not always happy about that, even other Christians sometimes, they don't always understand. And here we are, my wife and I and the team here at Christianityworks, in a ministry that's building and growing. Three years ago I started recording our first radio programmes. I didn't have a single radio station who had committed to airing them. Nothing. Just this call from God in my heart – a promise from Him written on my heart by His Holy Spirit. And today, just three years later, these programmes are being heard on seven hundred stations in eighty countries. There are millions of people listening. Now you might think, "WOW, that's fantastic; that's great," and it is. But do you have any idea how many trials, how many battles, how much opposition, the lack of funds, the uncertainty – any idea how hard that was along the way, and some days continues to be? We all have to go through this stuff in our lives. Whatever story and plan God has written for our lives. Yours is going to be different to mine. But as we step out into the Promised Land, into what God has called us to do, we are going to go through some stuff. And we will have a temptation to do it in our own strength or to give up or to compromise here and there. And the promise of God was, "Josh, get My Word into your heart. Meditate on it day and night; soak it in; let it never, ever depart from you and you will be prosperous and successful in what I've called you to do." In other words, do it God's way and not our own way. See, in His Word God reminds us of His promises and the Holy Spirit comes and writes them into our hearts in a way that we never could. What soldier would walk onto a battlefield without a weapon? The Apostle Paul, when he was talking about the armour of God in Ephesians chapter 6 says: The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. So many Christians walk out onto that spiritual battlefield and they leave God's Word, the sword of the Spirit, in the cupboard and wonder why they suffer defeat after defeat. That's nuts! God's promises are a done deal. People will come against us and they won't be able to stand against us. God said: I will never leave you or forsake you. And when we meditate on God's Word, when we let it become part of us, when we live it out through faith, that's when His success and His prosperity show up.

You know – God is full of promises. Amazing promises. But so often – it's hard to see how those promises fit into the reality of our lives – here and now.   Promises, Promises, Promises Well, I am really excited because we're starting a new series this week called, "It's Time to Take the Promised Land". What sort of a series title is that? "It's Time to Take the Promised Land". Well, here's my hunch. We live in a world that promises so much: A world of brands and products and experiences and travel and luxury – a world that promises so much. Marketers talk about the brand promise. For example, here's my favourite. On TV, the advertisements for margarine or breakfast cereal or low-fat milk. Right? Have you ever noticed them? Here's what they look like. Here's the setting. It's a kind of trendy, today kind of kitchen and the sun's always streaming in through the windows. It's never raining; it's always sunny. Mum's smiling as she prepares breakfast. She's slim and happy and well-adjusted, and this well-adjusted teenager bounds in smiling and spreads margarine on their bread or pours the milk on their cereal or whatever, and then ... Then this cool-looking forty-something dad strolls in, and he is good-looking, and then he grabs a piece of toast and kisses his wife before he reads the newspaper. This is the sort of family and breakfast that most people would like to have, but the reality ... Well, the reality's a bit different to that ad. I mean, the reality is that there are millions of people watching that ad who don't know where their next meal's coming from. The reality is that a lot of the people watching that ad, their families and marriages are falling apart. The reality is, even if they aren't, they're bringing up teenagers and that's tough and there's dysfunction. The reality is, most people's families and kitchens and lives look nothing like those glossy images on the ad. Images selling margarine or cereal or milk, making a brand promise that if you buy this product ... well ... this is what your life will look like. You look at that in the cold, hard light of day, and it's absolutely nuts. Right? I mean, it's crazy to try to link a margarine to a well-adjusted family. New car ads are the same. They're always out on the open road; there's only ever that one car on the road, and the brand promise is if you buy me, you'll have the freedom to roam. Isn't it funny how the car ads never have someone stuck in peak-hour traffic, ever? See, there are so many things in this world that hold out a promise that they can't deliver. On the one hand, we want to live out those images of success the marketers kind of dangle under our noses. On the other, we so often ... well ... we never do. We never quite get there. It never quite works the way that the advert says it will, and that's the psychology of marketing. You create an image that creates desire, and the person sees the gap between the image and their reality, and so they spend money to buy that thing to buy the brand promise, and they discover it doesn't work, and so the marketers dish up the next image, and round and round and round we go, on this treadmill of broken promises. It makes our consumer economies go round, and here you and I are with this treadmill of broken promises, brands that never really deliver their brand promise, and God comes along with a promise. God makes lots of promises. "I'll be your God, and you will be My people, and I'll walk among you. I'll bless you and keep you and comfort you and guide you" ... Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life in all of its abundance." It's almost like God's painting this picture of a promised land – a land that's almost too good to be true – a land ... a life ... well, to you and me, it seems a bit like the kitchen and that family in the margarine ad. In the reality of our lives, the promises of God can be hard to swallow, especially when we're still on that treadmill of broken promises, going round and round and round ... In this day and age, God's promises are harder to accept than ever. Now ... now we're getting close to the heart of this new series, "It's Time to Take the Promised Land", because God is a God of promise, and brand Jesus is the one brand that actually delivers. God's plan is to lead you and me into His promised land – a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of blessing, but (here's the but) He involves us in that process and we have a part to play. The first step that we're going to talk about today in this whole thing of walking into God's promised land is accepting His promise in the first place; letting Him write that promise on our hearts, and believing it with all that we are; believing it with every fibre of our beings, with our very lives. You see, we can't have the promised land (we can't go there, we can't settle) unless first we believe it in our hearts. God is a God that calls us to faith, and faith means believing before we see it. Now we're going to talk about that very thing today because if we're going to talk about accepting the promises of God, you can't go there without talking about it: Faith. It's when we place our faith in Him. When we place our faith in His promises, then ... then He calls us on to cross over into that land, and to take the land. Now that's a shock and a surprise to me. We're going to be looking at that a bit over the coming weeks. It's really important that we understand the journey. God's promised land isn't like pizza delivery. You know, He doesn't ring the doorbell and deliver the promised land; God actually calls us out of the front door, to take a step of faith, and it can be a tough journey with battles all along the way. We're going to be looking through the book of Joshua over the coming few weeks in the Old Testament, because the book of Joshua is about the time that Israel crossed over into the promised land. They'd been in slavery in Egypt and then on the exodus for forty years, and the book of Joshua begins right on the threshold of the promised land, and they have an upfront decision to make. Do I really want God's promised land, really? And if I do, am I going to let Him write His promise on my heart, and carry it round with me through thick and thin – the bright sunny days, and the cold wet days? Well, today's programme is all about letting Him write His promise on our hearts, His plan for us to dwell in His promised land. As we're going round and round and round on that treadmill of broken promises, where many people have this empty unfulfilled life, we have a decision today to make. We can decide that it's time to step off that treadmill and to take the promised land.   One Man's Promise So where does this term, "The promised land" come from? Well, it all begins when God promises some land to Abraham. Now God first engages with His people, Israel ultimately, through Abraham – the father of Israel. Abraham was living very comfortably indeed. He was quite wealthy, in a place called Ur, which is near Babylon or around modern-day Bagdad, and God calls him out of that place. If you have a Bible, grab it, and open it up at Genesis chapter 12. God calls him out of this place. This is what happens: Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your family and your father's house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. Incredible promise for Abram and Sarai, who were old. I mean, they were well into their seventies; they were childless, and there is a two-part blessing here, two-part promise: Land and children, but there in the comfort and the wealth, they believe God, so they step out. They up and leave all of that. They take their possessions and servants and animals, and they hit the road and head westward to a land called Canaan. Now, what happened when they got there? Well, we read about that in Genesis 12:6-8: When they had come to the land of Canaan, Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time, the Canaanites were in the land. Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, ‘To your offspring I will give this land.' So Abram built an altar to the LORD who had appeared to him. Now just think about God's promise to this old man. Firstly, your descendants. The guy is seventy years old, and he and his wife have not been able to have children, but God promises him descendants. Not only descendants, but God says, "I will make you a great nation". Really? And, "I will give this land to your descendants". Imagine Abram. "But God, I'm in my seventies. I don't have any children. This land is occupied by the Canaanites". It was a pretty impossible promise, but right here, right in the middle of all this impossibility, the promised land is born. God promised it to Abram, yet Abram believed this promise with his life. How do we know that? Because he actually left his comfortable existence in Ur, and followed down the dusty trail of God's promise, over hill and dale, and he gets to this land of God's impossible promise – a land filled with Canaanites, who weren't about to say, "Well, yeah, sure, Abram. Take our land! We don't mind", and the childless Abram ... what does he do? He builds an altar to God. He honours God. He bows down and says, "Well, God, you know, even though this doesn't make a whole bunch of sense, I'm going to believe You", and God knows what's going on in Abram's heart. He takes him up a hill and makes the promise again. You can read it. Flick over to Genesis 13:14: The LORD said to Abram after Lot had separated from him, ‘Raise up your eyes now, and look from the place where you are: North and south and east and west, for all the land that you see I will give you, and to your offspring forever. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. Rise up! Walk the length and the breadth of this land, for I will give it to you.' So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which were at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the LORD. I love how God lays out the land before Abram. Can you see that picture? They're on-top of the hill and God is speaking to Abram, who's thinking about this impossible promise, and little by little God is breathing this promised land into the man's heart. "Go and walk through it, as far as your eyes can see, and let Me make an outrageous promise," says God, "So many descendants you will have that they will be more than the grains of dust on the earth", and Abram built another altar and honoured God. See what's going on here? God is taking him through a process, a huge leap. He's an old man with no kids, and God is promising him a promised land full of his own descendants, and God's leading Abram gently into a place where he can believe. Like you and me, this guy's a man and he's human. He's struggling with it in his heart. We can read about it in Genesis chapter 15. Abram goes to God and says, ‘Look, I still don't have a son. I mean, this other man will have to be my heir. How's this promise ever going to happen?' Look at what God says and does (Genesis 15:4). God says: 'No, that man won't be your heir. No one but your very own son shall be your heir.' God took Abram outside and said, ‘Look towards the heavens and count the stars if you're able.' Then God said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be', and Abram believed the LORD and the LORD reckoned it unto him as righteousness.” What a beautiful picture! Abram is aching! He wants to believe in God's promises. He wants to believe in the land and descendants and mighty nations, but it's so hard. He just can't see how God could possibly deliver on this promise, so God takes him out to the stars – the Milky Weigh; this unbelievable sight, without the city lights and the smog. There are so many stars there, and finally the word of God, the promise of God, God's promised land drops into Abram's heart. Still he makes plenty of mistakes along the way. You can read about it in the next few chapters of Genesis, but the promised land is written on Abram's heart. Ultimately he has a son, Isaac. That's the only part of the promise he ever sees, and Isaac has a son called Jacob and Jacob has twelve sons, who are the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. They ended up in slavery in Egypt and grew into a mighty nation and then Moses led them out through the Red Sea. And they experienced the desert, the exodus for forty years, and all of a sudden one day, this mighty nation of Israel was standing on the banks of the Jordan, ready to cross over into the promised land, but that took centuries to happen. We're going to look at that next week, but there on that night, under the stars alone with God, the promised land was written on Abram's heart, and he believed.   God's Promise to Us I'm always so touched by the story of how God reaches out to Abraham. Sure; it's a story about Abraham, but Abraham's not Mr Perfecto Super-Christian. He's human; he's frail; he has struggles like you and me, and he struggles to believe in this outrageous promise from God. Then gently, and tenderly, the LORD leads him to believe in the promised land – this mighty nation. If you and I put ourselves in Abraham's shoes just for a minute, this old man, wouldn't we struggle too? Next week we're going to be starting in the book of Joshua and looking what it means to cross over into the promised land, and the battles involved in taking that promised land, and why God does it that way. I mean, this promised land was supposed to be flowing with milk and honey. Wouldn't you think you'd just arrive? Wouldn't it be like a summer resort with a swimming-pool and a bellhop to carry your bags up to your suite? Well, that's the next few weeks, but over the next few minutes, it's time for you and me to consider this promised land and whether we'll believe. Faith is the key to the promise. Faith is the gift from God, and the reason you and I are together today (no doubt) is that God wants to unlock the promise in your heart, as He breathes faith into you through His Word. As Israel went from Egypt through the Red Sea, and then forty years in the desert, how many Israelites that crossed through the Red Sea at the beginning of the exodus crossed through the Jordan into the promised land forty years later? Do you know? How many? Out of hundreds of thousands and probably millions, how many? Just two: Joshua and Caleb, and Psalm 106 tells us exactly why: They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So God said He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him to keep His wrath from destroying them. Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Law, so He swore to them with uplifted hand that He would make them fall in the desert. That's why today's message is so important. You and I, like Abraham, we look at the circumstances of our lives and we look around, and it's hard to believe sometimes in God's promises. Maybe we even have a grumble about God and His promises ... That's going to keep us out of His promised land. People sometimes say, "Well, Berni, you talk about this promised land. It's obvious what it meant to the Israelites back then, but what does it mean to you and me here and now?" Well, we need to go from the Old Testament to the New Testament. There's a transition from the physical land to the spiritual one - something that people struggled with when Jesus talked about the kingdom of God. They thought Jesus had come to kick the Roman occupiers out of the promised land, the physical land, but He was talking about something entirely different. There are so many passages we could go through in the New Testament, but a couple that really explain the promised land that God has given to us through Jesus His Son ... Let's have a look at them. Luke 17:20. Flick over to there: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God doesn't come with your careful observation, nor will people say, “Here it is,” or “There it is”, because the kingdom of God is within you.' The promised land isn't something out there. It's not a new house or a new car or all that stuff. The promised land is the kingdom of God; it's God living and dwelling and ruling in our hearts. Again, Jesus explained it this way in Matthew 13:44: The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. The promised land is the treasure of God Himself in our hearts, our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name; Your kingdom come. John 14:23. Jesus said: If anyone loves Me, he will obey My teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to make our home with him. There are plenty of people who believe in Jesus for their eternal life. Jesus died for my sin; therefore I'm forgiven; therefore I have eternal life. Then what they do is, they kind of put it in their filing cabinet and file it under insurance policy, and live a miserable life. Jesus promised a lot of things – a rich, abundant life, as well as trials and persecutions. He didn't promise us it would be easy to follow Him; what He did promise is that our relationship with Him would fill us to overflowing with abundant joy and peace. That's where the promised land is today – in our hearts; in our relationship with Jesus Christ; in that abundance of life that comes through that relationship. Let me take you back to that starry night: Abram, and the LORD led him tenderly to the point where God wrote His promises on Abram's heart – a promise that Abram believed against all odds; a promise that God delivered against all odds. You and I are each under our own patch of starry heaven today, and the LORD is whispering of His promised land in our hearts – a land purchased by Jesus on the cross, a land of blessing that goes on forever. The Spirit of God will write that on our hearts if we let Him. He will give us the faith to believe if we'll ask Him. Is today that day when we open our hearts to God's promised land?

Isolating Israel - Spiritual Spring CleaningWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/Network: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%207%3A6&version=CJBDeuteronomy 7:6For you are a people set apart as holy for Adonai your G_d. Adonai your G_d has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his own unique treasure.Genesis 35:1 G_d said to Ya`akov, "Get up, go up to Beit-El and live there, and make there an altar to G_d, who appeared to you when you fled `Esav your brother." 2 Then Ya`akov said to his household and all the others with him, "Get rid of the foreign gods that you have with you, purify yourselves, and put on fresh clothes. 3 We're going to move on and go up to Beit-El. There I will build an altar to G_d, who answered me when I was in such distress and stayed with me wherever I went." Genesis 35:4 They gave Ya`akov all the foreign gods in their possession and the earrings they were wearing, and Ya`akov buried them under the pistachio tree near Sh'khem. 5 While they were traveling, a terror from G_d fell upon the cities around them, so that none of them pursued the sons of Ya`akov.Genesis 35:6 Ya`akov and all the people with him arrived at Luz (that is, Beit-El) in the land of Kena`an. 7 He built there an altar and called the place El-Beit-El [G_d of Beit-El], because it was there that G_d was revealed to him, at the time when he was fleeing from his brother.Genesis 35:8 Then D'vorah, Rivkah's nurse, died. She was buried below Beit-El under the oak, which was given the name Alon-Bakhut [oak of weeping].Genesis 35:9 After Ya`akov arrived from Paddan-Aram, G_d appeared to him again and blessed him. 10 G_d said to him, "Your name is Ya`akov, but you will be called Ya`akov no longer; your name will be Isra'el." Thus he named him Isra'el. 11 G_d further said to him, "I am El Shaddai. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation, indeed a group of nations, will come from you; kings will be descended from you. Genesis 35:12 Moreover, the land which I gave to Avraham and Yitz'chak I will give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you." 13 Then G_d went up from him there where he had spoken with him. Genesis 35:14 Ya`akov set up a standing-stone in the place where he had spoken with him, a stone pillar. Then he poured out a drink offering on it and poured oil on it. 15 Ya`akov called the place where G_d spoke with him Beit-El.Genesis 35:16 Then they traveled on from Beit-El, and while there was still some distance to go before arriving in Efrat, Rachel went into labor, and she had great difficulty with it. 17 While she was undergoing this hard labor, the midwife said to her, "Don't worry, this is also a son for you." 18 But she died in childbirth. As she was dying she named her son Ben-Oni [son of my grief], but his father called him Binyamin [son of the right hand, son of the south]. 19 So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Efrat (that is, Beit-Lechem). 20 Ya`akov set up a standing-stone on her grave; it is the standing-stone of Rachel's grave to this day.Genesis 35:21 Isra'el continued his travels and pitched his tent on the other side of Migdal-`Eder. 22 It was while Isra'el was living in that land that Re'uven went and slept with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Isra'el heard about it. Ya`akov had twelve sons. 23 The sons of Le'ah were Re'uven Ya`akov's firstborn, Shim`on, Levi, Y'hudah, Yissakhar and Z'vulun. 24 The sons of Rachel were Yosef and Binyamin. 25 The sons of Bilhah Rachel's slave-girl were Dan and Naftali. 26 And the sons of Zilpah Le'ah's slave-girl were Gad and Asher. These were Ya`akov's sons, born to him in Paddan-Aram.Genesis 35:27 Ya`akov came home to his father Yitz'chak at Mamre, near Kiryat-Arba (also known as Hevron), where Avraham and Yitz'chak had lived as foreigners. 28 Yitz'chak lived to be 180 years old. 29 Then he breathed his last, died and was gathered to his people, an old man full of years; and his sons `Esav and Ya`akov buried him.DOGE and DOSE?Department of Spiritual Efficacy!https://unsplash.com/@stigson - Jordan Valleyhttps://unsplash.com/@robertina - Anointing oilhttps://unsplash.com/@fadid000 - Heart

Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. Showing hospitality was a very important and expected social practice. The apostle Paul encouraged it in Rom. 12:13; 1 Tim. 5:10, and the apostle Peter wrote, “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling” in 1 Pet. 4:9. In the Middle Eastern setting, if one didn't have a home in which to stay, their only other option was a hostel, which was often an environment of immorality and adultery. So traveling saints were dependent on members of the local church opening their homes. Hospitality also meant fellowship with members of the body of Christ around the meal table.  The example of Abraham welcoming three strangers into his tent and offering them food and fellowship comes to mind when we read about entertaining angels, doesn't it? Abraham didn't know who he was receiving, but we do. It was the Lord with two other messengers. Gen. 18:1-5. And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.”  If we stay in the context of verse 1 of chapter 13, we assume that hospitality is one expression of the love of Jesus for His body. This makes sense if we are showing our love out of gratitude for being placed into God's kingdom of love. Those we host are also partakers of God's kingdom and grace. To love them is to love Him. To serve them is to offer an acceptable sacrifice. Hospitality is a service. One has to expend the energy, time, and finances to have their home in such a state that it is available for His use at any time. That's not easy. There's a cost to hospitality, so we should look at the expenditure as a love gift to Jesus. If we don't keep our homes neat and operational for hospitality, when the opportunity comes, which is usually spontaneous, we won't be ready for it. We can also show hospitality by taking a visitor out to eat if our homes are not available.  Perhaps today, God may put a stranger in your path who is a brother or sister in Christ. The first thing you can do to show hospitality to a stranger is to have your heart open to receive everyone God puts in your path. Then as you love them with Jesus, you'll find out best if and how you can meet practical needs through hospitality. Hospitality is just one aspect of living to love with Jesus and showing gratitude to God for His receiving you as a stranger into His home. When you practice hospitality to strangers who are in Christ, you are inviting Jesus into your home. I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of “giving it forward,” so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.

Pastor John Ryan Cantu brings this week's message, “The Blessing." Key Verse: Genesis 14:1-20 NLT: “About this time war broke out in the region. King Amraphel of Babylonia, King Arioch of Ellasar, King Kedorlaomer of Elam, and King Tidal of Goiim fought against King Bera of Sodom, King Birsha of Gomorrah, King Shinab of Admah, King Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (also called Zoar). This second group of kings joined forces in Siddim Valley (that is, the valley of the Dead Sea). For twelve years they had been subject to King Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled against him. One year later Kedorlaomer and his allies arrived and defeated the Rephaites at Ashteroth-karnaim, the Zuzites at Ham, the Emites at Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites at Mount Seir, as far as El-paran at the edge of the wilderness. Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (now called Kadesh) and conquered all the territory of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites living in Hazazon-tamar. Then the rebel kings of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, and Bela (also called Zoar) prepared for battle in the valley of the Dead Sea. They fought against King Kedorlaomer of Elam, King Tidal of Goiim, King Amraphel of Babylonia, and King Arioch of Ellasar—four kings against five. As it happened, the valley of the Dead Sea was filled with tar pits. And as the army of the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some fell into the tar pits, while the rest escaped into the mountains. The victorious invaders then plundered Sodom and Gomorrah and headed for home, taking with them all the spoils of war and the food supplies. They also captured Lot—Abram's nephew who lived in Sodom—and carried off everything he owned. But one of Lot's men escaped and reported everything to Abram the Hebrew, who was living near the oak grove belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his relatives, Eshcol and Aner, were Abram's allies. When Abram heard that his nephew Lot had been captured, he mobilized the 318 trained men who had been born into his household. Then he pursued Kedorlaomer's army until he caught up with them at Dan. There he divided his men and attacked during the night. Kedorlaomer's army fled, but Abram chased them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Abram recovered all the goods that had been taken, and he brought back his nephew Lot with his possessions and all the women and other captives. After Abram returned from his victory over Kedorlaomer and all his allies, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). And Melchizedek, the king of Salem and a priest of God Most High, brought Abram some bread and wine. Melchizedek blessed Abram with this blessing: “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who has defeated your enemies for you.” Then Abram gave Melchizedek a tenth of all the goods he had recovered.” Sermon Topics: Blessing If you enjoyed the podcast, please subscribe and share it with your friends on social media. For more information about PNEUMA Church, visit our website at mypneumachurch.org.  Connect with Us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/mypneumachurch YouTube: https://youtube.com/mypneumachurch Facebook: https://facebook.com/mypneumachurch Time Stamps 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Welcome 02:34 - Genesis 14:1–20 NLT 06:14 - The Blessing

Passage: 17 After his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley). 18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; 20 and blessed be God Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand!” And Abram gave him a tenth of everything. 21 And the king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the persons, but take the goods for yourself.” 22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, “I have lifted my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth, 23 that I would not take a thread or a sandal strap or anything that is yours, lest you should say, ‘I have made Abram rich.' 24 I will take nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me. Let Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre take their share.” (Genesis 14:17-24 ESV) Song: High Priest (https://open.spotify.com/track/5f36B77R5uSj8A3aTxqQJC?si=26cd661283a24d49) by Jonathan Ogden Lyrics: Oh the humility Of a King inside a manger Our shepherd and our saviour on the cross You gave Your life for me Now how can I repay You? All the riches I could gain are not enough You are the Prince of Peace You're our Great High Priest You have made a way for me You have set me free You got thirsty You got tired You were tempted You were tried And You can fully sympathise Cause You know just what it's like to live this life Fully God and fully man Who can fully comprehend the mystery? You are the Prince of Peace You're our Great High Priest You have made a way for me You have set me free I've found freedom in You Jesus There is nothing in between us You turn mourning into dancing And sorrow into joy oh Lord Prayer: This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen. -The Book of Common Prayer

Sermon preached by Dr. B.J. Hutto at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church on Sunday, December 22, 2024.

Series:Before Immanuel | Speaker: Richard Hamlin | Genesis 18:1-3

The Sons of Avraham - Designated or DisinheritedWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/Network: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2037%3A29&version=CJBPsalm 37:29The righteous will inherit the land and live in it foreverGenesis 25https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2025&version=CJBGenesis 25:1-4Avraham took another wife, whose name was K'turah. She bore him Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midyan, Yishbak; and Shuach. Yokshan fathered Sh'va and D'dan. The sons of D'dan were Ashurim, L'tushim and L'umim. The sons of Midyan were 'Eifah, 'Efer, Hanokh, Avida and Elda'ah. All these were descendants of K'turah.Genesis 25:5-6Avraham gave everything he owned to Yitz'chak. But to the sons of the concubines he made grants while he was still living and sent them off to the east, to the land of Kedem, away from Yitz'chak his son.Genesis 25:7-11This is how long Avraham lived: 175 years. Then Avraham breathed his last, dying at a ripe old age, an old man full of years; and he was gathered to his people. Yitz'chak and Yishma'el his sons buried him in the cave of Makhpelah, in the field of 'Efron the son of Tzochar the Hitti, by Mamre, the field which Avraham purchased from the sons of Het. Avraham was buried there with Sarah his wife. After Avraham died, G_d blessed Yitz'chak his son, and Yitz'chak lived near Be'er-Lachai-Ro'i.Genesis 25:12-18Here is the genealogy of Yishma'el, Avraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian woman bore to Avraham. These are the names of the sons of Yishma'el, listed in the order of their birth. The firstborn of Yishma'el was N'vayot; followed by Kedar, Adbe'el, Mivsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadad, Teima, Y'tur, Nafish and Kedmah. (Maftir) These are the sons of Yishma'el, and these are their names, according to their settlements and camps, twelve tribal rulers. This is how long Yishma'el lived: 137 years. Then he breathed his last, died and was gathered to his people. Yishma'el's sons lived between Havilah and Shur, near Egypt as you go toward Ashur; he settled near all his kinsmen.Why do we treat Ishmael like Cain?Genesis 25:19-23Here is the history of Yitz'chak, Avraham's son. Avraham fathered Yitz'chak. Yitz'chak was forty years old when he took Rivkah, the daughter of B'tu'el the Arami from Paddan-Aram and sister of Lavan the Arami, to be his wife. Yitz'chak prayed to Adonai on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. Adonai heeded his prayer, and Rivkah became pregnant. The children fought with each other inside her so much that she said, "If it's going to be like this, why go on living?" So she went to inquire of Adonai, who answered her, "There are two nations in your womb. From birth they will be two rival peoples. One of these peoples will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger."Genesis 25:24-26When the time for her delivery came, there were twins in her womb. The first to come out was reddish and covered all over with hair, like a coat; so they named him 'Esav [completely formed, that is, having hair already]. Then his brother emerged, with his hand holding 'Esav's heel, so he was called Ya'akov [he catches by the heel, he supplants]. Yitz'chak was sixty years old when she bore them.Genesis 25:27-28The boys grew; and 'Esav became a skillful hunter, an outdoorsman; while Ya'akov was a quiet man who stayed in the tents. Yitz'chak favored 'Esav, because he had a taste for game; Rivkah favored Ya'akov.Genesis 25:29-34One day when Ya'akov had cooked some stew, 'Esav came in from the open country, exhausted, and said to Ya'akov, "Please! Let me gulp down some of that red stuff — that red stuff! I'm exhausted!" (This is why he was called Edom [red].) Ya'akov answered, "First sell me your rights as the firstborn." "Look, I'm about to die!" said 'Esav. "What use to me are my rights as the firstborn?" Ya'akov said, "First, swear to me!" So he swore to him, thus selling his birthright to Ya'akov. Then Ya'akov gave him bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, got up and went on his way. Thus 'Esav showed how little he valued his birthright.

Big Idea: Jesus turns a funeral into a birthday.  In the Beginning: Joseph Genesis 50:1-14 I. The distance of death hurts. 1-6 Then Joseph, leaning over his father's face, wept and kissed him. He commanded his servants who were physicians to embalm his father. So they embalmed Israel. They took forty days to complete this, for embalming takes that long, and the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days. When the days of mourning were over, Joseph said to Pharaoh's household, “If I have found favor with you, please tell Pharaoh that my father made me take an oath, saying, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me there in the tomb that I made for myself in the land of Canaan.' Now let me go and bury my father. Then I will return.” So Pharaoh said, “Go and bury your father in keeping with your oath.” II. We grieve differently. 7-11 Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all Pharaoh's servants, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt went with him, along with all Joseph's family, his brothers, and his father's family. Only their dependents, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. Horses and chariots went up with him; it was a very impressive procession. When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wept loudly, and Joseph mourned seven days for his father. When the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” Therefore the place is named Abel-mizraim. It is across the Jordan.   III. Go any distance to honor a dying wish. 12-14 So Jacob's sons did for him what he had commanded them. They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased as burial property from Ephron the Hethite. After Joseph buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father. Next Steps:  Believe: I want to be adopted into God's family today.  Become: I will live for eternity this week.  Be Sent: I will show others that Jesus lives this week. Group Discussion Questions:  What makes funerals so painful? Have you ever spoken during a funeral?  If so, what did you say? Has death changed your family's dynamics?  Why? Read John 11:33.  What touched Jesus so profoundly? Are you attempting to live out someone's last words to you?  If so, explain.  What would your last words be to your family and friends? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you focus more on eternity tomorrow. 

Featuring Special Guest, Rabbi Zev Reichman Thank you to our generous sponsors this week, Dasi and Jeremy Schwalbe and family who are sponsoring this episode of the One Pasuk Podcast in celebration of Rabbi Daniel and Dina Goldberg's new daughter, Sarit Leora. May the Goldbergs and our community see her raised, together with her siblings Moshe, Shaya, and Esther – to Torah, Chuppah and Maasim Tovim. Thank you so much Dasi and Jeremy Schwalbe for your generous support of the One Pasuk Pasuk Podcast. וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח־הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם׃  Hashem appeared to him by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot.

Big Idea: Only the Gospel creates flourishing from failure!  In the Beginning: Joseph Genesis 43:13-33 I. The conditions of flourishing. 13-21 Zebulun will live by the seashore and will be a harbor for ships, and his territory will be next to Sidon. Issachar is a strong donkey lying down between the saddlebags. He saw that his resting place was good and that the land was pleasant, so he leaned his shoulder to bear a load and became a forced laborer. Dan will judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a snake by the road, a viper beside the path, that bites the horse's heels so that its rider falls backward. I wait for your salvation, Lord. Gad will be attacked by raiders, but he will attack their heels. Asher's food will be rich, and he will produce royal delicacies. Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.   II. The fruit of flourishing. 22-27 Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine beside a spring; its branches climb over the wall. The archers attacked him, shot at him, and were hostile toward him. Yet his bow remained steady, and his strong arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, by the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel, by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you with blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the deep that lies below, and blessings of the breasts and the womb. The blessings of your father excel the blessings of my ancestors and the bounty of the ancient hills. May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers. Benjamin is a wolf; he tears his prey. In the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the plunder.”   III. The length of flourishing. 28-33 These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this is what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.Then he commanded them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my ancestors in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hethite. The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hethite as burial property. Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried there, Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried there, and I buried Leah there. The field and the cave in it were purchased from the Hethites.” When Jacob had finished giving charges to his sons, he drew his feet into the bed, took his last breath, and was gathered to his people. Next Steps:  Believe: I need Jesus to forgive my failures this week.  Become: I will enjoy God's goodness, no matter my circumstances. Be Sent: I will help someone flourish this week. Group Discussion Questions:  Describe the basic elements of human flourishing in your own words. Who is the greatest example of flourishing that you know? Does God define flourishing in the same way as the human definition?  Explain your answer.  Are you flourishing if you're not emotionally or spiritually healthy? What impact do relationships have on a person's flourishing? Can you flourish without contributing to someone else's life? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you flourish in the Gospel this week. 

Death and burial of Sarah - The Good WifeWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/Network: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ecclesiastes%209%3A9&version=TLVEcclesiastes 9:9Live joyously with the wife whom you love all the days of your fleeting life that He has given you under the sun during all your fleeting days—for this is your portion in life and in your toil that you labor under the sun.Genesis 23:1-2Now Sarah's life was 127 years—the years of Sarah's life. Sarah died in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her.Genesis 23:3-4Then Abraham rose from before his dead one and spoke to the sons of Heth saying, "I am an outsider and a sojourner among you. Give me a gravesite among you so that I may bury my dead from before my presence."Genesis 23:5-6The sons of Heth answered Abraham, saying to him, "Listen to us, my lord. You are a prince of G_d among us. Bury your dead in the best of our graves. None among us will withhold his grave from you, to bury your dead one."Genesis 23:7-9Then Abraham got up and bowed down to the people of the land, to the sons of Heth, and spoke with them saying, "If you are of a mind to let me bury my dead from before my presence, listen to me. Plead with Ephron son of Zophar on my behalf, that he may give me the cave of Machpelah that belongs to him, that is at the end of his field. At the full price let him give it to me in your midst for a gravesite."Genesis 23:10-11Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the sons of Heth. And Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ears of the sons of Heth, all those who enter the gate of his city, saying, "No, my lord, listen to me. The field—I hereby give it to you. Also the cave that is in it—I hereby give it to you. In the eyes of the sons of my people, I hereby give it to you. Bury your dead one."Genesis 23:12-13Then Abraham bowed down before the people of the land, and spoke to Ephron in the ears of the people of the land saying, "But if only you would please listen to me. I hereby give the price of the field. Accept it from me that I may bury my dead one there."Genesis 23:14-15So Ephron answered Abraham, saying to him, "My lord, listen to me. A land worth 400 shekels of silver—what is that between me and you? Bury your dead one."Genesis 23:16-18Abraham heard Ephron. So Abraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had spoken of in the ears of the sons of Heth—400 shekels of silver at the merchant's rate. Now Ephron's field that is in Machpelah next to Mamre—the field and the cave that is in it, and all the trees that are in the field in all its surrounding territory—was handed over to Abraham as a purchased possession in the eyes of the sons of Heth, before all those who enter the gate of his city.Genesis 23:19-20Afterward, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah next to Mamre (that is, Hebron), in the land of Canaan. So the field and the cave that was in it were handed over to Abraham as a gravesite from the sons of Heth.https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2018%3A12-15&version=TLVGenesis 18:12-1512 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I've grown decrepit, can I have desire—and my lord so old?"13 Then Adonai said to Abraham, "Why is it that Sarah laughed, saying, 'Can I really give birth when I am so old?' 14 Is anything too difficult for Adonai? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son."15 Sarah denied it saying, "I didn't laugh!" For she was afraid.But He said, "No—for you did laugh."https://unsplash.com/@sadswim

No not even one - The End of InnocenceWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/Network: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4FreedomRomans 3:12All have turned aside; together they have become worthless. There is no one who does good—no, not even one!Genesis 181 Then Adonai appeared to him at Mamre's large trees while he was sitting in the entrance of his tent during the heat of the day. 2 When he lifted up his eyes to see, suddenly, three men were standing right by him. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed down to the ground. 3 Then he said, "My Lord, if now I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by your servant. 4 Please let a little water be brought so you can wash your feet, and make yourselves comfortable under the tree. 5 And let me bring a bit of bread so that you can refresh yourselves—then you can pass on—since you have passed by your servant.They said, "Do just as you have said." 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah and said, "Quick! Knead three measures of fine flour and prepare bread loaves!" 7 Then to the herd Abraham ran and took a young ox, tender and good, and he gave it to the servant, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then he took butter and milk and the young ox that he had prepared and set it before them. While he was standing by them under the tree, they ate.9 Then they said to him, "Where is Sarah your wife?""There, in the tent," he said.10 Then He said, "I will most surely return to you in about a year's time, surprisingly, Sarah your wife will have a son."Sarah was listening at the entrance of the tent, which was behind Him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years—Sarah had stopped having the way of women. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I've grown decrepit, can I have desire—and my lord so old?"13 Then Adonai said to Abraham, "Why is it that Sarah laughed, saying, 'Can I really give birth when I am so old?' 14 Is anything too difficult for Adonai? At the appointed time I will return to you—in about a year—and Sarah will have a son."15 Sarah denied it saying, "I didn't laugh!" For she was afraid.But He said, "No—for you did laugh."https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2015%3A6&version=TLVGenesis 15:6Then he believed in Adonai and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.16 Then the men got up from there and looked down over Sodom. Abraham was walking with them to send them off, 17 when Adonai said, "Should I keep secret from Abraham what I am about to do, 18 seeing that Abraham will most certainly become a great and mighty nation and in him all the nations of the earth will be blessed? 19 For I have made myself known to him so that he will command his sons and his household after him to keep the way of Adonai by doing righteousness and justice, so that Adonai may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him." 20 Then Adonai said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great indeed, and their sin is very grievous indeed. 21 I want to go down now, and see if they deserve destruction, as its outcry has come to Me. And if not, I will know."22 Then the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before Adonai. 23 Abraham drew near and said, "Will you really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you really sweep away and not spare the place for the sake of fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from You to do such a thing—to cause the righteous to die with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked share the same fate! Far be it from You! Shall the Judge of the whole world not exercise justice?"26 Then Adonai said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous people within the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake."27 Then Abraham answered and said, "Look, pray, I have decided to speak to my Lord, though I am dust and ashes. 28 Suppose the fifty righteous people are lacking five. Will You destroy the whole city for lack of five?"And He said, "I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there."29 So he spoke to Him yet again and said, "Perhaps forty will be found there?"And He said, "I will not do it for the sake of the forty."30 Then he said, "Please, let my Lord not be angry, so I may speak. Perhaps thirty will be found there?"And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."31 Then he said, "Look, pray, I have decided to speak to my Lord: Perhaps twenty will be found there?"And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the twenty."32 Then he said, "Please, let not my Lord be angry, so I may speak once more. Perhaps ten will be found there?"And He said, "I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten."33 Now when He had finished speaking to Abraham, Adonai left, and Abraham returned to his place.

John 19:29–30 (ESV) A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Jesus WAS before He was BORNHe Existed Before He Was Born - John 8:53–59 (ESV) Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.' But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.He Died Before He Was Born - Revelation 13:8 (KJV) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.Christophanies/Theophanies In The Old Testament - The Angel of The Lord // The Angel, The Lord, allows himself to be worshiped.He Is Credited For Creation - Colossians 1:15–17 (ESV) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.He Walked With Adam - Genesis 3:8 (ESV) And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.He Appeared To Abraham (several times) - Genesis 18:1–3 (ESV) And the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing in front of him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth and said, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant.He Wrestled Jacob - Genesis 32:30 (ESV) So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”He Spoke Out Of The Burning Bush To Moses - Exodus 3:4 (ESV) When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”He Appeared to Joshua - Joshua 5:13-15 as the commander of the army of the Lord before the battle of Jericho.He Appeared to Gideon in Judges 6:11-24 as an angel, speaking on behalf of God.He Appeared to King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 3:25 as one like a son of God, walking with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.He Appeared To Isaiah in Isaiah 6:1-8 when he saw a vision of God on his throne.He Appeared To Ezekiel - el throughout his book through various visions and encounters with God's glory.JESUS Was Born Fully MAN*Philippians 2:5–8 (ESV) Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.Set divinity asideHe had access but refrained.Limitations of all menBaby, vulnerableGrew in status with menTired, weary, hungry, frustrated, angryJesus' Power Came From The Holy SpiritIf Jesus was just a man, where did his power come from?Luke 3:21–22 (ESV) Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”When Jesus Did Miracles, He Wasn't “Proving Who He Was” Or “Showing Off.” He Simply Recognized Things Out Of Alignment With Heaven And Demonstrated “How To!”Your Power Comes From The Same Spirit - Romans 8:11 (ESV) If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.Was Tempted, Suffered And Crucified In Every Way By/For Sin.We are tempted/sin in every way - Body, Soul SpiritWe SIN on all Levels Jesus Suffered On All Levels, For Our SinBody - John 19:16–18 (ESV) So he delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus, and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. There they crucified him, and with him two others, one on either side, and Jesus between them.Soul - Luke 22:41–44 (ESV) And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.Spirit - Matthew 27:46 (ESV) And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”He Suffered During Temptation - Hebrews 2:18 (ESV) For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.He Did Not Sin - Hebrews 4:15 (NIV) For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.He Became Sin - 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV) For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.He Died* John 19:29–30 (ESV) A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.John 3:14–15 (NLT) And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

Genesis 18:1-6, 8New Living Translation18 The Lord appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground.3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet. 5 And since you've honoured your servant with this visit, let me prepare some food to refresh you before you continue on your journey.”“All right,” they said. “Do as you have said.”6 So Abraham ran back to the tent and said to Sarah, “Hurry! Get three large measures of your best flour, knead it into dough, and bake some bread.” ...8 When the food was ready, Abraham took some yogurt and milk and the roasted meat, and he served it to the men. As they ate, Abraham waited on them in the shade of the trees.Music: "Rest in the Shadow" by Julian & Melissa Wiggins,Used with permission.

Sermon on Genesis 18:1-15 titled Laughing By The Oaks of Mamre. It was preached by Pastor Brian Hough on September 15th 2024 at Manhattan Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Manhattan, Kansas. You can learn more at ManhattanPres.com

Remember the Goal - Obedience over SacrificeWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.comNetwork: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedom1 Samuel 15:22"Does Adonai delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of Adonai Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay heed than the fat of rams."https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1Sam.15.22&version=TLVhttps://www.imdb.com/title/tt5066818/Remember the Goal movie.https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2014&version=TLVGenesis 14Tree of Life Version14 Now it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (this is Zoar). 3 All of these kings joined forces in the Valley of the Siddim (this is the Salt Sea). 4 For 12 years they had served Chedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer came with the kings who were with him, and they defeated the Rephaim in Ashterot-karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiryataim, 6 and the Horites in the hill country of Seir as far as El-Paran, which is beside the wilderness. 7 Then they came again to En-mishpat (this is Kadesh), and they subdued all the territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who live in Hazazon-tamar.8 Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (this is Zoar) went out and lined themselves up for battle with them in the Valley of the Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar: four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of the Siddim was full of tar pits, and as the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, they fell into them, and those who remained fled to the hills. 11 So they took all of Sodom and Gomorrah's possessions and their food and left. 12 They also took Lot, Abram's nephew, and his possessions, and they left (as he was living in Sodom).13 Then a survivor came and told Abram the Hebrew, who was dwelling by the large trees belonging to Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eschol and the brother of Aner—they were Abram's allies. 14 When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he rallied his trained men, those born in his household, 318 of them, and went in pursuit as far as Dan. 15 Then he divided his servants against them at night, and he defeated them and pursued them as far as Hovah, which is north of Damascus. 16 He brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his kinsman Lot and his possessions, as well as the women and the other people.17 Now after he returned from defeating Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (this is the King's Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine—he was a priest of El Elyon. 19 He blessed him and said,"Blessed be Abram by El Elyon,Creator of heaven and earth,20 and blessed be El Elyon,Who gave over your enemies into your hand."Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.21 Then the king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people—the possessions take for yourself."22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I raise my hand in oath to Adonai, El Elyon, Creator of heaven and earth. 23 Not a thread or even a sandal strap of all that is yours will I take, so you will not say, 'I've made Abram rich!' 24 I claim nothing but what the young men have eaten, and the share of the men who went with me—Aner, Eschol, and Mamre—let them take their share."

The great turn about - Grace after RepentanceWebsite: http://www.battle4freedom.com/studio/?the-great-turn-aboutNetwork: https://www.mojo50.comStreaming: https://www.rumble.com/Battle4Freedomhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20chronicles%207%3A14&version=CJBRepentance Rewarded2 Chronicles 7:14then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2013%3A1-4&version=CJBProdigal Son ReturnsGenesis 13:1-4Avram went up from Egypt — he, his wife and everything he had, and Lot with him — into the Negev. Avram became wealthy, with much cattle, silver and gold. As he went on his travels from the Negev, he came to Beit-El, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Beit-El and 'Ai, where he had first built the altar; and there Avram called on the name of Adonai.https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2013%3A5-7&version=CJBAnchors of DisobedienceGenesis 13:5-7Lot, who was traveling with Avram, also had flocks, herds and tents. But the land could not support their living together, because their possessions were too great for them to remain together. Moreover, quarreling arose between Avram's and Lot's herdsmen. The Kena'ani and the P'rizi were then living in the land.https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis%2012%3A1-3&version=CJBG_d's first command to Avram.Genesis 12:1-3Now Adonai said to Avram, "Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed."https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2013%3A8-9&version=CJBObedience Requires ActionGenesis 13:8-9Avram said to Lot, "Please, let's not have quarreling between me and you, or between my herdsmen and yours, since we're kinsmen. Isn't the whole land there in front of you? Please separate yourself from me — if you go to the left, I will go to the right; if you go to the right, I will go to the left." https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2013%3A10-13&version=CJBParasites Seeking Greener GrassGenesis 13:10-13Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Yarden was well watered everywhere, before Adonai destroyed S'dom and 'Amora, like the garden of Adonai, like the land of Egypt in the direction of Tzo'ar. So Lot chose all the plain of the Yarden for himself, and Lot traveled eastward; thus they separated themselves from each other. Avram lived in the land of Kena'an; and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, setting up his tent near S'dom. Now the men of S'dom were evil, committing great sins against Adonai.https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2024%3A1&version=CJBIt all belongs to Adonai!Psalm 24:1The earth is Adonai's, with all that is in it, the world and those who live there;https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2013%3A14-17&version=CJBRecognized for ObedienceGenesis 13:14-17Adonai said to Avram, after Lot had moved away from him, "Look all around you from where you are, to the north, the south, the east and the west. All the land you see I will give to you and your descendants forever, and I will make your descendants as numerous as the specks of dust on the earth — so that if a person can count the specks of dust on the earth, then your descendants can be counted. Get up and walk through the length and breadth of the land, because I will give it to you."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMjKcCfBtfIExamples of Grassland Restoration - Excerpt from Talk by Allan Savory at Tufts Universityhttps://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%2013%3A18&version=CJBA posture of worship!Genesis 13:18Avram moved his tent and came to live by the oaks of Mamre, which are in Hevron. There he built an altar to Adonai.

Study Passage: Genesis 49:29-50:1429 Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 31 There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— 32 the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” 33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people. Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days. 4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.'” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

Preacher: Kathy Maskell Scripture: Genesis 23:1-6 Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. 2 She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her. 3 Then Abraham rose from beside his dead wife and spoke to the Hittites. He said, 4 “I am a foreigner and stranger among you. Sell me some property for a burial site here so I can bury my dead.” 5 The Hittites replied to Abraham, 6 “Sir, listen to us. You are a mighty prince among us. Bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs. None of us will refuse you his tomb for burying your dead.” Genesis 25:5-11 5 Abraham left everything he owned to Isaac. 6 But while he was still living, he gave gifts to the sons of his concubines and sent them away from his son Isaac to the land of the east. 7 Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. 9 His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, 10 the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah. 11 After Abraham's death, God blessed his son Isaac, who then lived near Beer Lahai Roi.

“The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give back my people who were captured. But you may keep for yourself all the goods you have recovered.” Abram replied to the king of Sodom, “I solemnly swear to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, that I will not take so much as a single thread or sandal thong from what belongs to you. Otherwise you might say, ‘I am the one who made Abram rich.' I will accept only what my young warriors have already eaten, and I request that you give a fair share of the goods to my allies—Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre.” - ‭‭Genesis‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Big Idea: The Rebirth of a Nation. In the Beginning: Jacob Genesis 35:16-29 CSB I. What's in a name?   16-20 They set out from Bethel. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth, and her labor was difficult. During her difficult labor, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for you have another son." With her last breath-for she was dying-she named him Ben-oni (son of my sorrow), but his father called him Benjamin (son of my right hand). So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). Jacob set up a marker on her grave; it is the marker at Rachel's grave still today. II. A blessed and dysfunctional family.   21-26 Israel set out again and pitched his tent beyond the Tower of Eder. While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, and Israel heard about it. Jacob had twelve sons: Leah's sons were Reuben (Jacob's firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Rachel's sons were Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Rachel's slave Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Leah's slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Paddan-aram. III. Celebration of life.   27-29 Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre in Kiriath-arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had stayed. Isaac lived 180 years. He took his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people, old and full of days. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him. Next Steps:  Believe: I need a rebirth of the Holy Spirit to change my heart. Become: Today I will not let strife and contention separate me from the things of Christ. Be Sent: I want a renewed interest in experiencing God this week. Group Discussion Questions:  Do you think a rebirth is needed in our world today? If so, how do you think it should be done? How does God's affirmation of renaming Jacob to Israel reflect God's faithfulness to Abraham's descendants? How does Jacob's situation challenge us to balance obedience to God with managing complex family relationships and personal challenges? How does God's command to Jacob to build altars inspire us to create space for worship in our lives? How do you handle the emotions of joy and sorrow, as Jacob did upon the birth of Benjamin and the death of Rachel? How can we lean on God's faithfulness in times of personal and family trials? Pray for a spiritual regeneration of the body of Christ in a chaotic world.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________LentJesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”Mark 8:34 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. LentThe Lord is full of compassion and mery: Come let us adore him.Venite Psalm 95:1-7Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord is full of compassion and mery: Come let us adore him. Psalm 104Benedic, anima mea1Bless the Lord, O my soul; *O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!you are clothed with majesty and splendor.2You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak *and spread out the heavens like a curtain.3You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; *you make the clouds your chariot;you ride on the wings of the wind.4You make the winds your messengers *and flames of fire your servants.5You have set the earth upon its foundations, *so that it never shall move at any time.6You covered it with the Deep as with a mantle; *the waters stood higher than the mountains.7At your rebuke they fled; *at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.8They went up into the hills and down to the valleys beneath, *to the places you had appointed for them.9You set the limits that they should not pass; *they shall not again cover the earth.10You send the springs into the valleys; *they flow between the mountains.11All the beasts of the field drink their fill from them, *and the wild asses quench their thirst.12Beside them the birds of the air make their nests *and sing among the branches.13You water the mountains from your dwelling on high; *the earth is fully satisfied by the fruit of your works.14You make grass grow for flocks and herds *and plants to serve mankind;15That they may bring forth food from the earth, *and wine to gladden our hearts,16Oil to make a cheerful countenance, *and bread to strengthen the heart.17The trees of the Lord are full of sap, *the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,18In which the birds build their nests, *and in whose tops the stork makes his dwelling.19The high hills are a refuge for the mountain goats, *and the stony cliffs for the rock badgers.20You appointed the moon to mark the seasons, *and the sun knows the time of its setting.21You make darkness that it may be night, *in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.22The lions roar after their prey *and seek their food from God.23The sun rises, and they slip away *and lay themselves down in their dens.24Man goes forth to his work *and to his labor until the evening.25O Lord, how manifold are your works! *in wisdom you have made them all;the earth is full of your creatures.26Yonder is the great and wide seawith its living things too many to number, *creatures both small and great.27There move the ships,and there is that Leviathan, *which you have made for the sport of it.28All of them look to you *to give them their food in due season.29You give it to them; they gather it; *you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.30You hide your face, and they are terrified; *you take away their breath,and they die and return to their dust.31You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *and so you renew the face of the earth.32May the glory of the Lord endure for ever; *may the Lord rejoice in all his works.33He looks at the earth and it trembles; *he touches the mountains and they smoke.34I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; *I will praise my God while I have my being.35May these words of mine please him; *I will rejoice in the Lord.36Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, *and the wicked be no more.37Bless the Lord, O my soul. *Hallelujah! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsGenesis 49:33-50:26English Standard Version33 When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.50 Then Joseph fell on his father's face and wept over him and kissed him. 2 And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. 3 Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke to the household of Pharaoh, saying, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, please speak in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, 5 ‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die: in my tomb that I hewed out for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” Now therefore, let me please go up and bury my father. Then I will return.'” 6 And Pharaoh answered, “Go up, and bury your father, as he made you swear.” 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. With him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the household of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's household. Only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen. It was a very great company. 10 When they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, they lamented there with a very great and grievous lamentation, and he made a mourning for his father seven days. 11 When the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning on the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning by the Egyptians.” Therefore the place was named Abel-mizraim; it is beyond the Jordan. 12 Thus his sons did for him as he had commanded them, 13 for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. 14 After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”' And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Penitence(Kyrie Pantokrator)O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, * God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,and of all their righteous offspring:You made the heavens and the earth, * with all their vast array.All things quake with fear at your presence; * they tremble because of your power.But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; * it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.O Lord, you are full of compassion, * long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.You hold back your hand; *you do not punish as we deserve.In your great goodness, Lord,you have promised forgiveness to sinners, * that they may repent of their sin and be saved.And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, * and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, * and I know my wickedness only too well.Therefore I make this prayer to you: * Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.Do not let me perish in my sin, * nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, * and in me you will show forth your goodness.Unworthy as I am, you will save me, in accordance with your great mercy, * and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, * and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen. 1 Corinthians 14:13-25English Standard Version13 Therefore, one who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful. 15 What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also. 16 Otherwise, if you give thanks with your spirit, how can anyone in the position of an outsider say “Amen” to your thanksgiving when he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you may be giving thanks well enough, but the other person is not being built up. 18 I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.20 Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.” 22 Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? 24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Praise(Benedictus es, Domine Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34)Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. Fourth Sunday in LentGracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14