Weekly Bible Study – May 1, 2017

Dispensation of Promise.
A human battle that was much more incredible then David and Goliath.

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try left clicking the link if it’s highlighted which should open a window with all the verses at the Biblia.com website; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens. If you are running PCMatic, the pop-ups may not work; if that’s the case, email PC Matic Support to see if they can fix that problem for you.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

Dispensation of Promise.
A human battle that was much more incredible then David and Goliath.

Before we get ready to conclude the Fourth Dispensation in our study of the Doctrine of Dispensations, which deals with what is known as the Dispensation of Promise, we need to wrap up this dispensation, or period of time, by understanding the life of Jacob as he relates to the title that our Lord claimed to be when He said “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And we have begun to conclude Jacob’s part in the is dispensation by noting the three final failures of Jacob.

1) The first failure was in his manner of meeting Esau, verses 1-11, which we noted Sunday morning.

Gen 33:1-8, Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So, he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. And he put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept. And he [Esau] lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you?” So, he [Jacob] said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maids [concubines] came near with their children, and they bowed down. And Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down. [Notice that the trial and the tribulation turned out to be much less than anticipated] And he [Esau] said, “What do you mean by all this company which I have met?” And he said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”

Esau desired to know the meaning of those flocks of cattle which had been sent on to him earlier as a present. And Jacob’s answer is quite straightforward, but it shows where Jacob was placing his confidence in. He was depending on his gifts and his presents to Esau rather than upon God, to try over his brother Esau.

So, in Gen 33:9, But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.”

Jacob had devoted so much of his time and energy to the problem of how he could satisfy his brother Esau whose anger he lived in fear of and he had gone to much expense and trouble to do so! And if he could speak to us today from headquarters in Heaven, he would tell us that his thoughts and schemes and plans accomplished absolutely nothing. It was all vanity and needless energy as this passage shows. He had wasted his time in unprofitable labor!

Psa 127:1, Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

Solomon said in Ecc 2:11,Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

Gen 33:10, And Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.”

The reason why Jacob is begging Esau to take AND RECEIVE the gift is because of a custom in the ancient world at the time in which they lived! The acceptance of the gift of the person giving it was considered to be the absolute proof that all was well.

So, in Gen 33:11, Jacob says, “Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have plenty.” Thus, he urged him and he took it.

2. The second failure will be in the deceit to which Jacob resorted to, to free himself from Esau’s company, when Esau offered him the protection of his armed men, 12-16.

Gen 33:12-14, Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” But Jacob said to Esau, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. “Please let my lord pass on before his servant; and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

It’s incredible that Jacob practiced a deception on his generous brother in order to get rid of him by promising what he never meant to fulfill which was to visit him at Seir. Jacob, at once, again begins to devise excuses as to why they should journey separately. Jacob really never planned to go to Seir; for as soon as he had seen the rear of Esau’s retiring forces, he journeyed in the contrary direction to Succoth. All such deceitfulness and lying were utterly unworthy of the man who had seen God’s angels face to face and then God Himself.

Gen 33:15, And Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there? Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.”

Esau suggested that some of his own army should stay behind with Jacob to afford protection for Jacob and his herds while passing, through a wild and dangerous country. But Jacob seems to have suspected some unfriendly design which was behind Esau’s offer, and so he declined it! Again, here we see Jacob thinking evil. Jacob politely refuses to travel with Esau, but he does say that he will follow at a slower pace behind him until he meets him in Seir.

So, Esau sets out for his homeland to the south, and we hear of him no more. But Jacob, contrary to his word, moves westward toward the Jordan Valley and stops at Succoth and never goes to Seir.

Gen 33:16, So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir.

Note that Esau kindly accepted the presents of Jacob to make Jacob feel better about his wronging Esau. And I have said before, sometimes the unbeliever has a lot more integrity then the believer.

Secondly, Esau kindly received the wives and children of Jacob.

Thirdly, Esau goes on the way before Jacob to make the way clear.

Fourth, Esau acts as his brother’s guide and vanguard. A vanguard is someone who takes the leading position in an army for the purpose of protecting those who are behind!

Fifth, Esau shows his forgiveness by deeds as well as by words.

Six, Esau is pictured in this chapter as a noble and with a chivalrous character. He forgives and forgets his brother’s past wrongdoings.

Jacob, however, is still mistrustful of the one whom he had betrayed and he gives Esau the slip by going toward Canaan instead of following him to Seir as he had promised. And yet again, for whatever reason, the Lord says “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Here is another passage where an unbeliever has more character and integrity then a believer!

Gen 33:17, And Jacob journeyed to Succoth; and built for himself a house, and made booths for his livestock, therefore the place is named Succoth.

This sequel is indeed a sad one concerning Jacob. Not only was Jacob distrustful of his brother but he lied unto him. Notice what Jacob said in verse 14, Gen 33:14, “Please let my lord pass on before his servant; and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

But after Esau had taken his departure we read in: Gen 33:17, And Jacob journeyed to Succoth; and built for himself a house, and made booths for his livestock, therefore the place is named Succoth.

Succoth was a backward step, spiritually as well as geographically. He had been called to go to Bethel but instead he went and settled in Succoth which involved the building of cattle sheds and a house and settling down in an ungodly atmosphere. And this brings up the third failure of Jacob, settling at Shechem. God did not say to “Go to Shechem; but, “I am the God of Bethel.”

Gen 31:13, the Lord said to Jacob, ‘I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

Bethel, rather than Shechem, was his appointed goal. But unfortunately, like Jacob, we are all too ready to fall short of God’s plan for our elevation and own plans. And so Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem. And he did worse there; he pitched his tent before the city-as Lot did, when he pitched his tent before Sodom.

Are how many Christians are doing the same things today? They live on the edge of the world (cosmic system), just on the borderland; far enough away to justify a religious profession, yet near enough to run into it for pleasure.

And so, we read. Gen 33:18-19, Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan aram, and camped before the city. And he bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money.

Not content with pitching his tent before the city, he even bought land there, “where he had pitched his tent.” Note, Shechem was in the land of Canaan which God promised to Jacob! However, God wanted him to go to Bethel in the promise land not Shechem. However, in verse 19, Jacob bought that which God had promised to give to him and to his seed. The true spirit of faith would have waited quietly, until God had made good His repeated promise.

Then, notice what he did in Gen 33:20, Then he erected there an altar, and called it El Elohe Israel. Jacob sought to relieve his conscience by building the altar, and dedicating it to the God of Israel.

In fact, we know this was a wrong thing to do because the very next word Jacob received from the Lord, concerned the “altar” and insinuated that God was not pleased with the altar he had erected in Succoth.

Gen 35:1, Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

By the way, what happened in Succoth, the wrong geographical location for his life?

In Gen 34:1, his daughter got involved with the world.

In Gen 34:2, she was raped.

For we read in Gen 34:1-2, Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.

In Gen 34:7, his sons found out and vowed revenge.

Gen 34:7, Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

Gen 34:13, his sons use deceit on the people of Shechem.

Gen 34:13, But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor, with deceit, and spoke to them, because he had defiled Dinah their sister.

Gen 34:25-27, his sons killed every male and committed murder. Now it came about on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the city unawares. And they killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah from Shechem’s house, and went forth. Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and looted the city, because they had defiled their sister.

In GEN 34:28, they stole their flocks and their herds and their donkeys, and that which was in the city and that which was in the field;

In GEN 34:29, they captured and looted all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives and all that was in the houses.

Therefore in Gen 34:30-31, Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and attack me and I shall be destroyed, I and my household.” But they said, “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?”

As you can see, Jacob is right back into fear and worry and his sons are turning out just like him!

And that’s why we read in Gen 35:1, Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel, and live there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.”

And notice what else Jacob had to tell his children in Gen 35:2, So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments;

So, as you can see, being in the wrong geographical location was simply not worth it for Jacob.

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service – April 30, 2017

EMBEDDED VIDEO SERMON in HD –NOTES
The Doctrine of Heaven. Part 9. The city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God (Heb 11:10).

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME

from - Romans 8:38-39

Hymn #1

Hymn #2

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin , if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word or participating in a Communion Service, so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately directly to God the Father. This will assure that you are in fellowship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry, also called the convincing ministry will then be able to teach you as the Holy Spirit is the real teacher and the pastor’s message is the vehicle the Holy Spirit uses to convince you what you are learning is true or not.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess [simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins].” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins to God; the issue for you is to believe by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life and you will be saved the very second you believe in Him:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Our Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Terms used by RMBM

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to
teaching the Word of God from the original languages and
making it available at no charge throughout the world.

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

Sermon

NOTES

Unlike the bible study, these notes are not just for reading without watching the video. These notes are more designed to follow along during the sermon and to bring up the “hover pop-up scripture references” (some websites may require to left click the link, if that doesn’t work then look them up in your Bible) when the Pastor asks everyone to turn to that passage in their bibles.

The Doctrine of Heaven. Part 9. The city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God (Heb 11:10).

We will be able to see heaven from a distance.

“The city which has fixed and firm foundations, whose Architect and Builder is God” (Heb 11:10).

Architects have calculated that the enormous size of the New Jerusalem would easily provide a mansion of over a half mile in length and breadth to every believer from Adam to the present.

God doesn’t do things in a small way.

The New Jerusalem is fifteen hundred miles wide and fifteen hundred miles long, but it’s also fifteen hundred miles high.

The size of New Jerusalem is somewhere in the vicinity of seven hundred to eight hundred times as large as the United States.

“The Architect and Builder is God” (Heb 11:10).

As the angels carry us closer to the holy city, our attention might also focus on the wall surrounding the New Jerusalem.

The wall is seventy-two yards high.

In addition to being large and beautiful, it also pays tribute to the twelve original apostles of Jesus Christ. Peter, Andrew, the two James, John, Philip, Bartholomew; Thomas, Matthew, Thaddaeus, Simon, the apostle Paul.

Each foundation stone is approximately five hundred miles long.

Imagine how large the name of each apostle must be if it’s approximately five hundred miles long.

Jasper is a translucent stone of many different colors. Sapphire is blue. Chalcedony is a bluish white. Emeralds are green.

Sardonyx is made up of alternating layers of white and orange-red. Sardius is blood red. Chrysolite is yellow or greenish yellow. Beryl is transparent bluish green.

Topaz is yellowish. Chrysoprase is greenish. Jacinth is red with a mixture of yellow. Amethysts are purple.

1Co 2:9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man,

All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words says the word that’s translated “jasper” in this passage of Scripture is “a translucent stone of various colors, especially that of fire.”

Picture for a moment as the angels bring us closer to the holy city, we’ll see an immense, transparent, multi-colored wall glowing with many different colors.

There are also twelve gates in the large walls around the holy city.

East side = Judah, Issachar, Zebulun;

South side = Reuben, Simeon, Gad;

West side = Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin;

North side = Dan, Asher, Naphtali.

Some of these things are merely speculation from comparing some scriptures with others because ultimately Heaven is beyond human comprehension and human vocabulary.

When a foreign particle such as sand gets inside of an oyster, it irritates the oyster.

The pearls in the gates of heaven are as large as they are because they were formed to represent the tremendous wounds of Jesus Christ.

These gates will serve as a constant reminder of the price He paid.

Hymn #3

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Weekly Bible Study – April 24, 2017

Dispensation of Promise.
Meet an unbeliever with more integrity than a believer.

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try left clicking the link if it’s highlighted which should open a window with all the verses at the Biblia.com website; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens. If you are running PCMatic, the pop-ups may not work; if that’s the case, email PC Matic Support to see if they can fix that problem for you.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

Dispensation of Promise.
Meet an unbeliever with more integrity than a believer.

Before we get ready to conclude the Fourth Dispensation in our study of the Doctrine of Dispensations, which deals with what is known as the Dispensation of Promise, we need to wrap up this dispensation, or period of time, by understanding the life of Jacob as he relates to the title that our Lord claimed to be when He said “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

For example, in Matt 22:23-33, one day when the Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to our Lord and questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up an offspring to his brother. Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother; so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. “And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection therefore whose wife of the seven shall she be For they all had her.’” But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God. “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ He is not the God of the dead but of the living.’” And when the multitudes heard this they were astonished at His teaching.

Now, slowly but surely our Lord identifies Himself with Jacob as a reminder of what type of individuals He uses in spite of the deceitfulness of others. I truly believe He identified with Jacob to shock those religious Sadducees of what kind of individuals the Lord desires. John 4:23-24, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

As the writer of the book of Hebrews states, that no matter how much we do not meet the self-righteous standards of the legalistic believers, He is not ashamed of us at all. As stated in Heb 2:11, For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren…However, notice what God the Holy Spirit chooses to reveal to us, in Matt 22:34, But when the Pharisees heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they gathered themselves together.

Mark 12:26, our Lord also identifies with the fact that all of His people including those who lived like Jacob, if they are truly saved, will be raised from the dead and have resurrection life. “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. This is what the apostle Paul said to us in 1Co 3:11-15, For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

It’s interesting that when it comes to the doctrine of Resurrection that Jacob is used many times in the Bible as an illustration of the kind of people that God raises from the dead, Luk 20:37; Exo 3. In Acts 7:32, the Lord identified Himself as the Deliverer of the people of God as He used Jacob as an illustrator of the deliverance.

Acts 7:20-32, “And it was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God; and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home. And after he had been exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away, and nurtured him as her own son. And Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian. And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him; but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another’ But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us. ‘You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you’ “And at this remark Moses fled, and became an alien in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons. And after forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning thorn bush. And when Moses saw it, he began to marvel at the sight; and as he approached to look more closely, there came the voice of the Lord:

So, notice what our Lord says in Acts 7:32-34. “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.’ And Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look. But the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. I have certainly seen the oppression of My people in Egypt, and have heard their groans, and I have come down to deliver them; come now, and I will send you to Egypt.’

Again, we see our Lord identifying Jacob with Himself as an illustration of how God can take a weak man or woman and make them great spiritually, not because of their ability but because of their availability.

Exo 3:1-6. Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, “I must turn aside now, and see this marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush, and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Notice next, even though we are reading a lot of the Word….next is the astonishment of what we are noting:

Exo 3:7-16, And the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So, I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. And now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them. Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt” And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I shall say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name’ What shall I say to them” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” And God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial name to all generations. Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying,” I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.

Notice that over and over again, this man Jacob, who appeared to be filled with so many shortcomings is being used by the mighty hand of God. If he were with us today, I would say to him, though it is not profound to most believers today, I would say something like: “You go Guy, you are THE MAN!”

One day when Moses had to reveal that the power of Jehovah Elohim, the Lord God was with him and For they may say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’” Then we read in Exo 4:2-5, And the Lord the children of Israel, Moses asked the Lord “What if they will not believe me, or listen to what I say said to him, “What is that in your hand” And he said, “A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So, he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail” so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” Notice here that identification with a person like Jacob was given to Moses by the Lord as proof that Jehovah Elohim, or the Lord God, was with him. Just like He is with us and those who have believed and trusted in His name or His person. Now, before we conclude this dispensation of promise we need to make sure that we complete the place of Jacob in this dispensation and to do so we need the consider the three major failures of Jacob in this chapter.

Let me give them to you as we conclude this point of doctrine in the dispensation we are ready to finish with the final failures of Jacob.

1. The first failure was in his manner of meeting Esau, verses 1-11, which we noted the past week or so.

2. The second failure will be in the deceit to which Jacob resorted to, to free himself from Esau’s company, when Esau offered him the protection of his armed men, 12-16.

3. The third failure was in settling at Shechem, a place which he will totally regret which represents going only half way with the Lord. The first failure which was in his manner of meeting Esau, verses 1-11.

Gen 33:1-3, Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. And he put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.

“Bowing down to the ground” was an honor and a tribute that you would do in the ancient world toward a king or someone you would highly respect. Now, Jacob is not doing this because he highly respects his brother Esau, he is doing this because he is living in fear of what he “BELIEVES” or is “PRESUMING” that his brother Esau is about to do to him. In fact, later on, one of his very own favorite sons, a man called Joseph will say to all of his brothers, who are Jacob’s sons who thought that Joseph was going to do evil against them…he will say to them in that very popular passage that most of you are familiar with:

Look at it Gen 50:20, “And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.

So Esau was not coming to beat Jacob but to greet him. Jacob is just in bondage to transference arrogance. Jacob is thinking that Esau is coming to destroy him rather than to enjoy him! Some of you may be dreading a meeting with your Esau tomorrow; Some creditor! Some demand for payment! Some awkward problem! Some difficulty! Some bad financial news or bad news from the doctor or the hospital!

Prov 25:25, Like cold water to a weary soul, So is good news from a distant land.

Jer 49:23, For they have heard bad news; They are disheartened. There is anxiety by the sea, It cannot be calmed.

Now, today you may be like a Jacob, worrying, planning, scheming, and contriving, as Jacob did, in arranging his wives and children, and servants, and then tomorrow you will go cringing and creeping trying to solve your problems. Listen to a more excellent way. Do not lift up your eyes and look for the Esau’s, the bad news of life. Those who look for troubles will find it! The Lord said in Matt 6:34, Therefore do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

If you’re going to look for something in life, do what Heb 12:2 says, Heb 12:2, looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Look at the solution and not the problem! Those who have seen the face of God, as believers in the church-age do through the intake of doctrine, they do not need not fear the face of man. And as with Jacob so with us, To have power with God is to have power over all the evils that threaten us. So back in Gen 33:4, Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

Isn’t this interesting! As I mentioned on Friday evening, t our Lord might have even had this passage in mind when He told the parable of the prodigal son where we see the father’s forgiveness toward his son, Luk 15:20, “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him.

And so in Gen 33:5-7, And he [Esau] lifted his eyes and saw the women and the children, and said, “Who are these with you” So he [Jacob] said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maids [concubines] came near with their children, and they bowed down. And Leah likewise came near with her children, and they bowed down; and afterward Joseph came near with Rachel, and they bowed down.

Notice that the trial and the tribulation turned out to be much less than anticipated.

Gen 33:8, And he [Esau] said, “What do you mean by all this company which I have met” And he said, “To find favor in the sight of my lord.”

Esau desired to know the meaning of those flocks of cattle which had been sent on to him earlier as a present. And Jacob’s answer is quite straightforward, but it shows where Jacob was placing his confidence in. He was depending on his gifts and his presents to Esau rather than upon God, to try over his brother Esau.

So, in Gen 33:9, But Esau said, “I have plenty, my brother; let what you have be your own.”

Notice the plain implication of Esau’s words, and in them we are shown the futility and needlessness of Jacob’s conniving and his scheming. Jacob had devoted so much of his time and energy to the problem of how he could satisfy his brother Esau whose anger he lived in fear of and he had gone to much expense and trouble to do so! And if he could speak to us today from headquarters in Heaven, he would tell us that his thoughts and schemes and plans accomplished absolutely nothing.

It was all vanity and needless energy as this passage shows. He had wasted his time in unprofitable labor!

Ps 127:1, Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

Solomon said in, Ecc 2:11,Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun.

The point being is that not only are all of our fleshly planning and efforts dishonoring to God, but they are uncalled for and unnecessary.

Gen 33:10, And Jacob said, “No, please, if now I have found favor in your sight, then take my present from my hand, for I see your face as one sees the face of God, and you have received me favorably.

Now, the reason why Jacob is begging Esau to take the gift is because of a custom in the ancient world at the time in which they lived! The acceptance of the gift of the person giving it was considered to be the absolute proof that all was well.

So in Gen 33:11-14, Jacob says, “Please take my gift which has been brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have plenty.” Thus he urged him and he took it. Then Esau said, “Let us take our journey and go, and I will go before you.” But Jacob said to Esau, “My lord knows that the children are frail and that the flocks and herds which are nursing are a care to me. And if they are driven hard one day, all the flocks will die. “Please let my lord pass on before his servant; and I will proceed at my leisure, according to the pace of the cattle that are before me and according to the pace of the children, until I come to my lord at Seir.”

It’s incredible that Jacob practiced a deception on his generous brother in order to get rid of him by promising what he never meant to fulfill which was to visit him at Seir. Jacob, at once, begins to devise excuses as to why they should journey separately. And this brings out that second failure of Esau in this passage.

1. The first failure was in his manner of meeting Esau, verses 1-11.

2. The second failure was in the deceit to which Jacob resorted, to free himself from Esau’s company, when Esau offered him the protection of his armed men, 12-16.

Do not think for a single moment that Jacob really meant to go to Seir; for as soon as he had seen the rear of Esau’s retiring forces, he journeyed in the contrary direction to Succoth. All such deceitfulness and lying were utterly unworthy of the man who had seen God’s angels face to face and then God Himself. Gen 33:15, And Esau said, “Please let me leave with you some of the people who are with me.” But he said, “What need is there Let me find favor in the sight of my lord.” Esau suggested that some of his own army should stay behind with Jacob to afford protection for Jacob and his herds while passing, through a wild and dangerous country. But Jacob seems to have suspected some un¬friendly design which was behind Esau’s offer, and so he declined it!

Jacob politely refuses to travel with Esau, but he does say that he will follow at a slower pace behind him until he meets him in Seir. So Esau sets out for his homeland to the south, and we hear of him no more. But Jacob, contrary to his word, moves westward toward the Jordan Valley and stops at Succoth and never goes to Seir. Gen 33:16, So Esau returned that day on his way to Seir. Note that Esau kindly accepted the presents of Jacob to make Jacob feel better about his wronging Esau. And I have said before, sometimes the unbeliever has a lot more integrity then the believer. Esau kindly received the wives and children of Jacob. Thirdly, Esau goes on the way before Jacob to make the way clear. Fourth, Esau acts as his brother’s guide and vanguard. A vanguard is someone who takes the leading position in an army for the purpose of protecting those who are behind! Fifthly, Esau shows his forgiveness by deeds as well as by words. Six, the point is that Esau is pictured in this chapter as a noble and with a chivalrous character.

He forgives and forgets his brother’s past wrongdoings. Jacob, however, is still mistrustful of the one whom he had betrayed and he gives Esau the slip by going toward Canaan instead of following him to Seir as he had promised. And yet again, for whatever reason, the Lord says “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Here is another passage where an unbeliever has more character and integrity then a believer!

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Internet Church Service –– April 23, 2017

EMBEDDED VIDEO SERMON in HD –NOTES
The Doctrine of Heaven. Part 8. The New Jerusalem. Cont’d

Please join us as we fellowship in the Word of God, listen to
Christian Music, Pray in Christ’s Name and Praise the Lord
in our Hearts and Minds.

ALL ARE WELCOME

from - Romans 8:38-39

Hymn #1

Hymn #2

Preparing yourself for the study of God’s Word

Before we begin , if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is— you have trusted in Him for eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to take-in God’s Word or participating in a Communion Service, so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge your sins privately directly to God the Father. This will assure that you are in fellowship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit’s convicting ministry, also called the convincing ministry will then be able to teach you as the Holy Spirit is the real teacher and the pastor’s message is the vehicle the Holy Spirit uses to convince you what you are learning is true or not.

1 John 1:9 says—“If we confess [simply name, cite or acknowledge to God the Father] our sins [known sins], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins [known sins] and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [all unknown and forgotten sins].” NKJV (New King James Version)

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins to God; the issue for you is to believe by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life and you will be saved the very second you believe in Him:

John 6:47 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” NKJV

Notice again what John 6:47 says, “he who believes in Me [Jesus Christ] has everlasting life.” It doesn’t say, “will have”; it says, “has.” Therefore, the very moment you believe Jesus Christ’s promise of everlasting life, you have it (it’s really just that simple), and it can never be lost or taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-18 says: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for learning God’s Word, if there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Our Pastor-Teacher is:

Robert McLaughlin - Grace Bible Church
and Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Terms used by RMBM

Doctrinal Statement

This ministry is non-denominational and is dedicated to
teaching the Word of God from the original languages and
making it available at no charge throughout the world.

OPTIONAL: On-line Bible – NASB95

Sermon

NOTES

Unlike the bible study, these notes are not just for reading without watching the video. These notes are more designed to follow along during the sermon and to bring up the “hover pop-up scripture references” (some websites may require to left click the link, if that doesn’t work then look them up in your Bible) when the Pastor asks everyone to turn to that passage in their bibles.

The Doctrine of Heaven. Part 8. The New Jerusalem. Cont’d

The New Jerusalem
The great surrounding the city
The names of the twelve apostles of Jesus
The twelve foundation stones

The twelve magnificent stones
The beautiful jewels.
The twelve gates
The four great walls

Rev 21:12 we see that at the gates there were twelve angels;

Rev 22:14 “Blessed are they [winners] who have washed their robes [rebound], that they may have the right to the Tree of Life, and may enter by the gates into the city [that would be the New Jerusalem].”

The nominative plural subject of makarioi which perhaps a much better translation in modern English is the word “happy.” “Happy are they who wash their robes” refers to rebound.

The washing of robes is the function of the believer using the rebound technique by which he escapes the cosmic system of Satan and simultaneously recovers life inside the PPOG.

As a result of the consistent use of the rebound technique, therefore the believers comes under the ministry of the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

Living in the cosmic system means you are going nowhere in a hurry.

Rev 22:14 “Blessed are they [winners] who have washed their robes [rebound], that [hina]

We begin with the conjunction hina which introduces a final purpose clause, = “that,”

Then next is the future middle indicative of the verb eimi, the verb to keep on having and then a present nominative of exousia, “which means in order that they may keep on having authority.”

There are certain things a mature believer will be able to do that others cannot do the extent that a mature believer will be rewarded in heaven or in the eternal state.

There is no equality in heaven.

Rev 22:12, where our Lord said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to render to every man according to what he has done.

2Co 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

1Co 3:13-15, “Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.

Performance, not salvation, is the issue.

Because of the judgment seat of Christ, there is no equality in heaven among believers.

Since God is perfect, the inequality is a perfect inequality.

This inequality is not discrimination or unfairness, which we associate with inequality.
Inequality exists in heaven because of lost opportunity under the principle of equal privilege and equal opportunity every believer has under the PPOG.

PRIN-Inequality in the eternal state means the neglect of “freedom” in time for God in His grace has provided enough …….no matter what state we are in.

This freedom to exercise your options and make decisions for God’s logistical grace provision is your responsibility as a believer.

Freedom can always be measured by the amount of “inequality” that results.
aving winners and losers in the eternal state does not imply that there will be any unhappiness.

But there are degrees of happiness based on the great inequalities among believers.

The distinctions and inequalities in eternity are so great that you should seriously reconsider your motivations and goals in life.

If you are advancing in the PPOG, you will be doing your job right and living your life right, which in itself will cause some direct and indirect establishment and heavenly blessings.

Regardless of the historical circumstances in which you live, whether under establishment freedom or tyranny, you have full spiritual freedom inside your very own plan designed by God the Father in eternity past!

John 8:32 “You shall know the doctrine, and the doctrine will make you free.”

Gal 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Therefore keep on standing firm, and do not become entangled again in the yoke of slavery [cosmic system].”

Jam 1:25 “But the one who looks intently into the perfect law [Word of God] that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard [from doctrine] but executing it, this believer will be happy in what he is doing.”

Jam 2:12 “Keep communicating and so keep doing as those who are going to be judged by the Law of freedom.”

This law of freedom says that God has provided a system for you to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

At the judgment seat of Christ, the first issue you will face in your new resurrection body is how you used your freedom in time.

Gal 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another

Hymn #3

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life:
Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.

Weekly Bible Study – April 17, 2017

Dispensation of Promise. What is the socket of your thigh?

Scripture References, Word & Phrase descriptions: the “Logos Reftagger” scripture links are hover pop-up active, meaning the scripture reference will just pop-up if you hover your cursor over it (don’t click on the link, just hover your cursor over it), when finished reading, hover your cursor off the scripture reference link. If the Reftagger pop-up doesn’t show all the verses, left click on the “More” button in the Reftagger pop-up window and it will take you to the online bible. If RefTagger pop-ups don’t work on your computer, that’s OK, try left clicking the link if it’s highlighted which should open a window with all the verses at the Biblia.com website; or if that doesn’t work, you can always use your Bible to look up the verses. Word or Phrase definition links may not have a website that opens. If you are running PCMatic, the pop-ups may not work; if that’s the case, email PC Matic Support to see if they can fix that problem for you.

Prepare yourself for learning the Word of God!

Before we begin, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (that is; you have believed [trusted] in Him for His promised gift of eternal life), it is important to prepare yourself to learn God's Word so take a moment to name, cite or acknowledge (confess) your sins privately to God (i.e.; with your thoughts directed only to God the Father).

1 John 1:9 says: "If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (known sins) and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness [unknown or forgotten sins]." NKJV (New King James Version) [italics added]; we call this REBOUND, read the full doctrine as to “why” we need to use 1 John 1:9 to grow spiritually. REBOUND

If you have never personally believed in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior (that is, believed in Him for eternal life), the issue for you is not to name your sins; the issue for you is to have faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life: John 3:16, 5:24, 6:47, 20:30, 31.

John 6:47 says: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." NKJV [italics added]

Notice again what Jesus said in John 6:47: "…he who believes in Me (Jesus Christ) has everlasting life." It doesn't say, "will have"; it says, "has." Therefore, the very moment you believe in Jesus Christ for His promise of everlasting life, you have it (it's really just that simple; nothing more and nothing less), and it can never be taken away from you (John 10:28-29). Furthermore, the gift (Ephesians 2:8c) of everlasting life (also called eternal life in scripture) is available to every human being; there are absolutely no exceptions.

John 3:14-15, 16, 17, 18, says: "¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ¹⁸ He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." NKJV

Let us now bow our hearts and take a moment to prepare for worship and learning God's Word. If there is any known sin in your life, this is the time to just cite it privately to God the Father with your thoughts directed towards Him. With your head bowed and your eyes closed, you have total privacy in your mind and soul:

Study to show yourself approved to God!

Grace Bible Church
Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries

Doctrinal Statement

The Tree of Life is a weekly teaching summary:
God’s Word is taught Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday

Alphabetical Listing of Terms & Abbreviations used:

STUDY TITLE:

Dispensation of Promise. What is the socket of your thigh?

We continue our study with Gen 32. Now, this passage is often quoted as an illustration of Jacob’s earnestness in prayer and it is nothing of the sort. Actually, this passage is an illustration God’s devotion and dedication to take from us all that hinders our relationship with Him while we resist Him with our human power, human plans, and human schemes. It was not that Jacob wished to obtain something from God but that the Lord had some strife and struggle with this double-dealing crafty child of His.

The Lord was desirous to break up and destroy Jacob’s self-sufficiency forever and to begin the development of the people of Israel. For this is the next dispensation which we are getting ready to note, the dispensation of Israel or the Jews. There was much in Jacob that needed to be broken and laid aside. There was much self-sufficiency in him requiring for him to be broken down! So, the faithfulness and the love of God drew near to him on this overburdened and anxious night, to wrestle these things from him at whatever cost.

Jacob was not wrestling with this Man to obtain a blessing, instead, the Man was wrestling with Jacob to gain some objective from him. And the objective was to reduce Jacob to a sense of his nothingness and to cause him to see what a poor, helpless and worthless creature he was. It was to teach us through him that all important lesson that in recognizing our weakness lies our strength.

As the apostle Paul said in 2Co 12:10, Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

Now, notice that it says in Gen 32:24, Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

There are those who have taken exception to the view that this was the Lord Jesus Christ and who argue that if it was God who was wrestling with Jacob for the purpose of bringing him to a sense of his impotency and helplessness then He wouldn’t have had to wrestle with him all night. Now, this is an important point, why? Because this wrestling match was not designed to hurt Jacob but to teach him. And such objections as this lose sight of the tremendous patience that the Lord has toward us and that He exercises toward His own and how He is longsuffering.

In fact, it is because the Lord is filled with lovingkindness and truth that He can be so patient with each and every one of us. Think of how patient the Lord has been with you over the years! As Psa 86:15 says, But Thou, O Lord, art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger [patient and longsuffering] and abundant in lovingkindness and doctrine.

Patience and longsuffering is also related to the compassion of the Lord, in Psa 103:8. Because He is compassionate He operates in patience and longsuffering. Psa 103:8, The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger [patient and longsuffering] and abounding in lovingkindness.

Patience and longsuffering is related to the power or omnipotence of God, Nahum 1:3. When you have perfect power and omnipotence, you are not so concerned with how things turn out. You know that at any moment you have the power to do what has to be done. Nah 1:3, The Lord is slow to anger [patient And longsuffering] and great in power. The patience and longsuffering of God is related to the principle of repentance, Rom 2:4, Psa 18:35. Many believers throughout the ages can testify with David in Psa 18:35, that the gentleness of the Lord has made them great or matured.

Psa 18:35, Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy right hand upholds me; And Thy gentleness makes me great.

Rom 2:4, Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

The Lord is very sensitive and compassionate to those who are guilty and need to repent! The patience and longsuffering of God is related to the Lord’s tolerance and endurance with us, 1Ti 1:16, And yet for this reason I found mercy, in order that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience, as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

So, in this passage, we have a picture of our Lord’s perfect patience toward the wicked sinner! And this is one of the reasons why our Lord let the struggle go on! His patience and longsuffering allows Him to bear with us but, in the end, He accomplishes His purpose and grace always triumphs. The delay only serves to provide opportunity for Him to display His infinite forbearance.

So Gen 32:24-25, Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 32:25 And when He [the Lord Jesus Christ] saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

Jacob is now brought to the point where human devices and human ingenuity can no longer serve him purpose. His own schemes and cleverness that he always relied on now prove to be inadequate. Jacob has only the Lord left in this extremity and he learns that even though it costs him something, namely a physical disability for life, that this hard struggle paid off and he learns to cast himself upon the mercy of God. And this will leave its’ mark upon him for the rest of his life.

Now, what does this mean in verse 25, “when he saw that he had not prevailed against him”? The Lord saw that He could not prevail against Jacob! Now, this statement does not challenge God’s omnipotence but it does effectively portray the power of prayer. And here’s another one of those important principles, God does allow the prayers of men to be mighty and meaningful in His sight. This is why I’ve taught you that prayers are a part of the divine decrees! Remember that according to Hosea’s commentary, Hos 12:4, this “wrestling” on Jacob’s part involved weeping and supplication, as well as physical tenacity and contact.

Hos 12:4, Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel, And there He spoke with us,

In fact, Hosea compared Jacob’s holding to the Angel with his determination in holding onto his brother’s heel as he was born, both testifying of his great desire to be the recipient of God’s greatest blessings and responsibilities.

Hos 12:3-4, In the womb he took his brother by the heel, And in his maturity he contended with God. Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel, And there He spoke with us,

So, when God saw that He could not prevail against Jacob, He finally gave him the blessing that he sought. This, of course, does not suggest that God was weaker than Jacob, but does show that God desires men to persist in prayer and that He delights to yield to such prayers.

So, as we continue our passage in Gen 32 let’s make sure that we understand what happened. Again Gen 32:24 says, Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. It’s not until Jacob is left alone with the Lord that his named is changed to Israel, a prince with God. Remember that “to be left alone with God” is the only true way of arriving at an accurate knowledge of ourselves and our ways through objective evaluation from residual doctrine. Jacob needed to have his “human-strength” battered out of him. Remember that Jacob has been relying on human strength, human power, human viewpoint, human gimmicks, to try and get blessings in life as well as to try and solve his problems! Jacob also needed to be made conscious of his standing with God so that he would stop conniving, plotting, scheming, and using human solutions to try and solve his problems. Therefore, God initiates this wrestling match which ends in the defeat of the “old” Jacob.

It is God who will “touch the socket of his hip” and Jacob’s hip will be dislocated while he wrestled with him. And it is God who breaks the stubborn, willful, self-reliant Jacob and brings him to his senses. This means that TLJC is dealing directly and personally with Jacob to change his life and to give him a new name signifying a change in his character. It is God who is wrestling with Jacob not Jacob with God. The reason why this wrestling match took place was not because Jacob wished to obtain something from God but that the Lord had some strife and struggle with this double-dealing crafty child of His. Jacob was not wrestling with this Man to obtain a blessing, instead, the Man was wrestling with Jacob to gain some objective from him.

The objective was to reduce Jacob to a sense of his nothingness and to cause him to see what a poor, helpless and worthless creature he was. The objective was also to teach us through him that all important lesson that in recognized weakness lies our strength. Gen 32:25, And when he [TLJC] saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. Notice that the Lord touched the hollow of his thigh.

Whatever it is that prohibits a person from receiving God’s highest and best and stands in his way, God will touch it. It may be money! It may be a business! It may be a job! It may even be a relationship or friendship! However, if it is hindering your spiritual growth, it will not be spared, God will touch it! As Heb 12:27 says there will be the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, in order that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.

It may be something as minute as the socket of your hip or thigh but if it robs a man of spiritual blessing, God will touch it. For Jacob, it was the socket of his thigh, a small thing but its influence in making Jacob strong in his resistance of blessing was the reason that God condemned it. This is why you should ask God to show you what the socket of your thigh is or that which hinders your relationship with God. And by that, I mean the strong things in your life for strength can be a hindrance just like weakness can! And you should ask Him to touch or to reveal it to you so that you shall not be able to hold out anymore against His will for your life! And this passage brings out another important lesson!

Notice that Gen 32:25 says, so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. It seemed to be a defeat for Jacob but it was not! And the principle is that there are times that we are apparently unsuccessful but in reality we are really most successful. It’s just that according to the world, it looks like we have been defeated when in reality we have been promoted. The point is that we may not obtain the very thing we seek after at the time, but the spiritual strength we acquire in the effort may be infinitely more important than the thing itself. All during Jacob’s life had been the struggle of a clever and strong and self-confi¬dent and self-sufficient person, who would always use his strength and wit to overcome others! However, in this wrestling match, God desired to break his strength and wisdom in order to bestow upon him divine strength and divine wisdom.

For many believers, there are times when God intervenes between us and a greatly desired goal which we have been seeking to attain and counting upon as we place all of our human efforts into it. In fact, the expectation of accomplishing these goals or possessions have determined our decisions and even shaped our life in a dramatic way! And in some cases, it even seems as if God has been encouraging us to achieve these goals! And then, like Jacob, when it is nearly within reach, and when we are ready to seize the opportunity, we are seized by a strong an irresistible hand, the hand of God. Why?

Many times, the reason is that God wishes us to be in such a state of mind that we shall receive it as His gift so that it becomes ours totally by the power and the grace of God.

1Co 1:29, that no man should boast before God.

Jer 9:23-24, Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, “declares the Lord.

Many believers, for example, desire to attain their escrow blessings for time and eternity, and they are dedicated and devoted to do so¬. However, there’s a tendency to fall into the trap of thinking that this accomplishment depends solely on their own endurance, therefore God intervenes. And they end up with obstacles in their path that they did not expect…obstacles that even seem to come from God. And so then the questioning comes in….does God really want me to do this or accomplish this? And I in the right place for my life? And in many cases, it is simply because of the fact that he does not want any help from us whatsoever and that He desires it to be performed but by His might and power! We need to learn that very vital lesson of Zec 4:6, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

Now, what I’m saying to you is that many believers forget that the possibility of them receiving God’s highest and best which they long for is not decided by their readiness to pass through any ordeal, spiritual or physical, which may be required of them, but by God’s power and willingness to give it.

Now, don’t misunderstand me! I’m not saying that they do this willingly and knowingly, I am saying that it is a very subtle thing that the believer can fall into without even recognizing it! In the life of such believers there must therefore come a time when their own energy seems to collapse and they are now in a hopeless helpless situation forced to rely totally upon the intervention and power of God! And in reality, they have experienced a spiritual dislocation.

In that hour the believer learns the most valuable truth he can learn concerning this which is Rom 9:16, So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

Gen 32:25, And when he [the Lord Jesus Christ] saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him.

All right we’re ready for a summary of this verse:

In choosing and arranging the present for his brother Esau, we see the character and activities of the “flesh” deceiving and scheming. 2. In Jacob’s experience with this Wrestler we are shown the worthlessness and helplessness of the “flesh.” 3. We also learn from this passage that our nothingness can be discovered only we get “alone” with God. 4. The fact that the wrestling match lasted all night is a picture of the patience that God exercises toward us and the slowness of His process in dealing with our human nature experientially. 5. In the touching of “the socket of Jacob’s thigh” we see the method God pursues with us which is to bring us to a vivid realization of our utter helplessness. 6. Many times that which hinders us in our spiritual growth is not so much our weakness but our natural strength. 7. The laming of Jacob’s thigh represents the weakening of the strong part of the old sin nature which can hinder our relationship with God. 8. The failure of his natural power is the turning-point in this wrestling match and it symbolizes the transition in Jacob’s life and character from reliance upon self to reliance upon God, his divine Antagonist. 9. If we are ever to become like Jacob, a prince with God, dependence on self must be broken and lamed in order that we may grasp the hand that smites us and find divine power for our weakness. 10. At first Jacob held his own, the “Lord saw that He prevailed not against him”, therefore, the Lord must take some severe measures which will give us no alternative but to give in.

The strength that years before had rolled the stone from the well for Rachel’s sheep, was still vigorous. And we do the same in our own way. We resist the love of God at times! We carry out our own plans! We follow our own will! We do things our way! We are strong in our own self-sufficiency!

As the Lord said to Peter in John 21:18,“ Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished3; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”

Each one of us have had many experiences where we have held on to human power and resisted divine guidance and the Lord knows that He cannot prevail against us, without taking some severe measures which will give us no alternative but to give in!

The following link is to a good news message describing how one can receive eternal life: Ticket to Heaven, it was written for anyone not absolutely certain about their eternal future.