Be With Me: 7 Minutes of Biblical Wonder

Our hero Jacob is getting trouble from 3 Generations of his family.  ahead of him, his father Isaac dies at 180 years old at his own generation, his beloved wife Rachel died , his previously murderously inclined brother comes to visit , and Bilhah , his concubine wife has a sexual encounter with someone behind him, it is his oldest son Reuben who has laid with his wife Bilhah . In so doing, Reuben...

As Rachel dies in childbirth, her SOUL departs--from here at least. Her soul is the essential element of her person that is NOT made of dust. It is her spirit.  It is the seat of decisions, emotions, will, memory and thought. You are reading this blurb smack dab from the center of your soul.  The soul never dies. Watch and subscribe as you keep watch over your soul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Our spiritual predecessors would regularly make  memories out of stone . They'd set up an altar or pillar to act as a monument that was purposefully long-lasting. It served to help their memories, and to make those around them CURIOUS. Be curious here. Listen or watch 7 minutes  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

God re-appears to Jacob and tells him a bunch of stuff that He already told him .  Why? Is it because God FORGOT His promises? Or, is it because Jacob is made of dust and he is the one that forgets? The weak link of memory is with Jacob, and us , of course.  So, when your podcaster says, " come back tomorrow ", it's not because he needs more listeners, but because we are a forgetful...

Cam Jansen is a delightful early reader book character.  She has a photographic memory that she * CLICK * uses early in the book to make sense or solve a mystery later in the book.  We should be like her spiritually to: Remember * CLICK * something God has SAID Remember * CLICK * something God has DONE Remember * CLICK * to remember what He has said or done and bring it to bear in my present situa...

Ironically, in the tragic rape of Dinah, she is the only one who comes out of the story unscathed by sin. Others are stricken with anger, murder, passivity, dismissal of value, and sexual crimes. The Bible faces this unpalatable topic head on. Listen 7 minutes with me as we learn from it.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

The truth is,  everybody knows rape is wrong. Even before "the Law" is given to mankind, God equipped every human with a  conscience   and a  heart that is  pre-loaded with moral truth. Regarding the rape in our passage today,  everybody knows it is wrong , even before there are laws on the books. It is amazing that the Bible addresses this right from the start. Please listen or watch: ...

Genesis describes a horrible sexual assault, a rape, of Jacob's daughter Dinah.  It treats this story as a horrible event with dire consequences for individuals and nations. We have lessons to learn here about morality and moral absolutes. Personally, I grieve with you if you have been involved in anything like this assault. Thank you for joining me here for 7 minutes as we start this story....

Today we’ll see where Jacob Israel goes with his new limp. Israel (person aka Jacob) brings Israel the new nation (16 people) to Israel (place). All three of the promises to his grandfather Abraham are starting to come together.  There, he builds an altar.  It's a ME altar.  It is the altar OF ME, but it is not the altar FOR ME.  It is the altar FOR GOD, who has been so gracious TO ME.  https...

We've all got "limps" from previous life injuries.  The question is, what do we do with them? Join me for 7 minutes to hear the charge from Jacob's life: Walk with your limp. Don't move on FROM the limp, but move on WITH the limp. As we go, we best try to give GRACE to those around us who are limping too.  here is the video:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2K...

The desire to lead is a beautiful thing. Few are willing to truly lead because of the cost. It involves wrestling, dislocation, limping, personal peril and humility.  Jacob leads by bowing down.  It makes all the difference Watch 7 minutes:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

Internal spiritual change has EXTERNAL markers.  Jacob claims internal change. Let's see how he does with his behavior. Change is the hardest thing in the world. Watch 7 minutes as we see Jacob be brave, and bow down.  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

Struggling with God is NORMATIVE CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOR. Jacob gets a new name, ISRAEL when he does it.  Guess what, it means STRUGGLING WITH GOD. It is not an insult, but a CHARACTERISTIC. And, it is not just for him. Struggle, often in bad circumstances, IS THE DEFINING CHARACTERISTIC of Christianity. If you are struggling a bit, listen or watch for 7 minutes to hear you are normal: https://www.yout...

It is no surprise that Jacob has to "wrestle" and strive when he interacts with the infinite Being.  We are mere mortals.  What IS a surprise is that GOD ALLOWS IT; that He "wrestles back" Listen or watch 7 minutes as we learn about a God who "wrestles back" kindly with Jacob. watch and subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

Wrestling with God is an activity to know Him; to pursue Him; to not let Him go. Jacob does so to give us encouragement to do so as well. He gives us the green light to fight and engage a bit with God Himself. It effects everything from that day forward. Watch 7 minutes and subscribe on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

We can leave God out of any and all of our circumstances.  We can leave God out of the scary and difficult.  We can leave God out of the beautiful. Jacob choses NOT to leave God out of his danger. He serves us by his example. Watch 7 minutes:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

Jacob will yield to the Lord after a long history of self-scheming. He'll pray by stating WHO HE IS.  Then, WHO GOD IS. Then finally, he'll ask for something. We might learn a thing or two from him. He'll be desperate.  This sets up the best kind of prayer. Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

Who watches over your children when you cannot watch? Who watches over your friends when they are out of sight? today, we will ask the Lord. May the Lord watch when I cannot watch          May the Lord see when I cannot see          May the Lord watch me when you can’t. Who watches when I cannot watch? THE LORD https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

Laban is in hot pursuit of Jacob but the real story is that God is in hot pursuit of Laban.  God reveals Himself in a dream to Laban.  You'd think this would change every moment of every day for the rest of His life.  Sadly, it does not.  Laban still sets his face toward the false god idols that have gone missing.  Watch 7 minutes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

Oh that the dear Lord would give us the right EYES. We have eyes, but sometimes they are just not tuned in to what He is doing. God is active and real and at work.  Can you see it? Lift up your eyes! To Watch with your new eyes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA

I pray for your light bulb  that you are distant from God; that you are experiencing the lack of His fulness in your life.  It is the first step to a decision for Him.  Watch with me as we watch the maturing process of the knuckleheads in the Old Testament.  It provides encouragement to the knuckleheads in the 21st century.  

If you read the Old Testament, you'll fast realize you are not the strangest sinner ever to approach the throne of grace.  In that way, it is of some comfort that God welcomes knuckleheads of every generation. Today, a wife trades the sexual access to her husband for some viagra herbs. You just can't make this stuff up. Listen. Subscribe. Like. Be comforted. Be convicted. https://www.you...

Welcome to an essential question of Scripture: " Am I in the place of God ?" Every person, in every land, and in every era must ask this question of themselves. If you are positioning yourself in God's rightful place, take heed. Please consider this wonderful question for 7 minutes. I'm so glad you are here. Subscribe to this Youtube channel for more tomorrow:  https://www.yout...

God is in the business of seeing the unseen.  He's done it before with Adam, Eve, Hagar, etc. etc. etc.  This is the beauty of having a God who really sees all.  So, let's get our heads around it, and appreciate that He is here, and He can be near if we relate to Him rightly.   Join me for 6 windy minutes (Stykkisholmur,Iceland) to hear about one of the matriarchs of Jesus. Your effort t...

Sometimes watching the knuckleheads in the Bible can be of encouragement to us.  If God can work with such imperfect people, perhaps He can work with me.  If you are feeling a bit knuckleheaded, or if you are acting perfectly, there is something in today's story of Jacob. Watch 7 minutes:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNijvDWAn2Wv2KFun2AnvCA