Journey From Jacob

It’s a nice title, but often times family reunions do not go well. In a growing number of families, they don’t even materialize. The reunion of Jacob, his eleven sons, and their estranged brother Joseph went unexpectedly well. If it wasn’t a part of documented history with archaelogy to back up its validity, we would consider it fiction or even a fairy tale. Young Joseph was tasked by his father t...

Twenty five years ago America was invaded by air. Two massive buildings in NYC were destroyed completely. They were the emblems of our financial empire. Soon after they crumbled to the ground, our enemy flew another passenger plane into the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The impact from the explosion almost destroyed it completely. It was our symbol of military might and superiority. If that wasn’t e...

This special bonus episode was sparked by Mikayla’s questions during a conversation at the Comfort My People office. Paul traces the journey of Jacob becoming Israel and unpacks how that identity shapes faith and practice today. The discussion focuses on theology and Scripture and is offered to encourage thoughtful reflection. Shalom!

Imagine you were taken to the White House for a private meeting with the President. However, ten years ago you were wrongly convicted of raping the wife of a high-ranking government official and still serving time in prison. Before that, your own brothers tossed you into a deep cistern until Ishmaelite slave traders came and pulled you out, then sold you to an Egyptian. How can you--so scarred by...

One of the rules of learning is to build upon our understanding of history. This holds true across all fields of education. We can’t change history, but we should take advantage of learning from it. Otherwise, we will repeat the mistakes by ignoring the built-in lessons that accompany the experiences of others. The Hebrew Bible is filled with opportunities to learn from the lives of the descendant...

Seeking is a major concept in the Bible. It is where the natural and the supernatural intersect. When we seek we will find, but what we find reflects on how we seek. If it’s for personal gratification we will be disappointed. If it is from the heart we will find the Kingdom of God and the King who provides and protects, comforts and encourages, so that we can do likewise for others. That is His bl...

Whom are You Seeking? Most searches begin by seeking a “what?” and not a “whom?” “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Almost every child in America knows that question, and subconsciously, it leads to a quest. As we grow up, we recognize that what we want is to be happy, and money seems to be the way to achieve it. If all roads lead to happiness, money is the bus to jump on. However, if we s...

Into the Nations~ or not Prophetically, the blessing that God gave to Abraham would go into the nations through the descendants of Jacob. Many centuries have passed since the promise was given and the nations are still waiting. Even if they are completely unaware of what they are waiting for, the blessing will arrive, and it will come through the descendants of Jacob, because God cannot lie. For c...

It seems every Bible teacher in the world is either teaching or wondering if these really are the last days and Jesus will soon return. However, there is one “birth pang” not on the prophetic calendar as it should have been all along, that is Brotherly Love. I fear it has been missing for so long in so many places that we will be shocked and embarrassed by our spiritual nakedness. This is not an i...

Brotherly Love is like a passport. It comes with citizen rights and responsibilities. As citizens of the Kingdom, God expects us to utilize it. He can rightfully do so because Jesus paid the price for love to function as it should in His kingdom. In the Hebrew Bible, brotherly love is often difficult to locate. Instead of judging the sons of Jacob for their lack of brotherly love, in this episode,...

Brotherly Love is not a Suggestion As followers of Yeshua, we keep our focus upon Him for instruction and direction. We study, we sing songs and we pray. We say “It’s all about You, Jesus,” but is that an accurate description of what it means to be His disciple? On His last night on Earth following the Passover Meal, His Last Supper, in an intimate moment with His disciples, Yeshua shared these wo...

In this episode, our Journey from Jacob expands into the family of Jacob, who has begun to be identified as Israel. But it is not pretty. One characteristic of the Hebrew Bible, mistakenly known as the Old Testament, is that God doesn’t hide the activities of His chosen, nor does he defend their poor choices. In fact, He holds them accountable, attempts to correct, rebuke, and instruct them, but t...

We do NOT want to erase history, good or bad. However there are a few holes to patch to bring clarity to an historic event. The purpose of this episode is to clear up the confusion about why Jews celebrate Passover every spring while Christians celebrate Easter. Is this how God planned the calendar? Or was God's intention to unite Jews and Gentiles instead of further dividing them as history has s...

We all have missing pieces. Much of our lives are spent looking for them. Without knowing what they look like, our search can seem futile. It may sound strange, but we are created that way. God put eternity in our hearts, yet it cannot be grasped in this life without Him. We look for it in a thousand different ways as well as in people who seem to have found it. Jesus came to fill that gap. He is...

The Fragile Nature of the Blessing Jacob is yet to be known by his new name, Israel. It will be centuries before Israel will be known as the Land God promised to Jacob and his descendants. It seems like God is in no rush to introduce him and his son’s as we begin to read of their episodes. Sometimes it will make us cringe that these guys are supposed be the emissaries of the blessing, when they ca...

For those who have followed our podcast, this episode is partially a recap. Our focus moving forward will be centered on the promise that God made with Abraham. He adds something into Abraham’s life into that was previously missing from his identity. Unlike Jacob, there was no wrestling match. God made Abraham a “blessing” and told him His intention was for the benefit of the world. He believed Go...

Purim, Parallels and Purpose The Feast of Purim begins at sundown tonight. It is not a well known feast outside of the Jewish world, even though the Bible devotes one book to what was intended to take place on that day but didnt. Haman, who was second to the KIng wrote an edict to kill all the Jews and plunder their goods in one day all over the world. If not for the courage of one man and his ado...

Today we are finishing our first season emphasizing the importance of our identity. As followers of Jesus we have a shared identity. When Jacob crossed the Jabbok River, he was no longer to see himself as Jacob, but by the name God gave him, Israel. From that point on his journey was away from Jacob and into the Land God promised his father and grandfather, the Land of Israel. His journey will ref...

In this last Q and A session with Paul and Mikayla, the discussion leads to the outcome of our faith. Is it an endless struggle, or is it determined by how much we believe God has invested in us by means of His New Covenant? Is it just a name change, or is our entire being transformed into His likeness? Is salvation and discipleship all about making a better "me" ? Or am I here to radiate what God...

Unlike many new Christians, Mikayla continues to unpack what it means to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Are questions permissible? Is it ok to struggle? Is struggle all that we do? Is faith just a confession? Is an experience a requirement? I fear that her questions are far too common, but rarely asked, The effect is many people are left wondering if their sins are actually forgiven. Maybe you find...

The conversation between Paul and Mikayla continues. Mikayla poses the struggle she and other Gen Z’s have faced when it comes to growing up in an experience centered theology. Paul responds with describing the story of struggle that is often overlooked in the mentality of once saved, “you’re good to go now”. Discover a deeper look into the significance of God starting a wrestling match with Jacob...

In this episode Paul and Mikayla address Jacob’s dilemma of realizing he has gained more than he could have dreamed of, but still lacking what he needs the most.

If you love well developed mystery books that tell a redemptive story with unlikely heroes and a surprise climax, you're going to love the Bible and fall in love with the Author. It's the only book in the series and its playing out in real time. The One New Man of Ephesians 2 and 3 is on the horizon. Keep your eyes on Israel and Iran to see how God will respond to what the enemy has clearly intend...

We postponed our broadcast yesterday because of the catastrophic genocide that is taking place under our eyes in Iran. We are especially affected because of our personal relationship with Iranian believers who were born under Islamic rule and taught to hate the Jews from 1st grade. Now as born-again followers of Yeshua, they are our brothers and sisters who love Israel and the Jewish people. Today...

Is it possible that God really wants us to laugh ? Doesn't He know how troubling life is? Doesn't He see how anxious I get? How lonely I feel? Of course He does. But He knows that laughter is good for the soul and a cheerful heart is like medicine. He has given us the ability to laugh. It is His gift to those who believe. In fact it is the first indication of His covenant. We can laugh in the face...