Weekly Bible Study – October 1, 1018; Study: Dispensation of Promise. Jacob faces his fears!

Dispensation of Promise. Jacob faces his fears!

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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, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, 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 simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive 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. Jacob faces his fears!

Gen 32:7 says, Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.

Gen 32:1-6, Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him. And Jacob said when he saw them [that is the angels], “This is God’s camp or army.” So he named that place Mahanaim. Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob,” I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now; [notice next in verse 4 that Jacob sent servants and instructs them, saying,] “When you get to Esau my brother, say to him, “Thus you shall call him my lord Esau and say I am his servant Jacob,” Jacob tells his servants to make sure that they tell his brother Esau that Jacob has oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and that he has sent them to tell his brother Esau so that he may find favor in his sight.” And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

The messengers returned with terrible news according to Jacob’s human viewpoint thinking.

Gen 32:7, Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed;

This is Jacob’s main problem now which is fear, a mental attitude sin, characterized by him being filled with panic and especially double-mindedness. In fact, as we have noted in the past, fear was a result of Adam’s first sin and guilt in the garden of Eden. We read in Gen 3:6-9, When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”

Notice what was Adam’s or man’s first response to God after he had failed in Gen 3:10, And he said, “I heard the sound of Thee in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”

Notice that fear was the first manifestation of man’s fallen state in the Garden of Eden. Now, where does fear come from? We know that fear is not a part of God’s plan. In Exo 14:13-14, Moses said to believers who were freaking out under pressure, “Fear not, be still and see the deliverance of the Lord, the Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace”

Deut 31:8 also tells us that fear is not a part of God’s plan, “And the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Then in Isa 41:10, the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

So, how do you know if you are living in fear? Fear will manifest itself by worry, anxiety, insecurity, and nervousness. Fear destroys the believer’s ability to think, to reason, to apply doctrine under the pressure, and to advance in the circumstances of life. Fear then, is total disorientation to the plan of God. Fear destroys any personal sense of destiny. And people who are afraid have enslaved themselves! “Lack of fear” is a part of the relaxed mental attitude that believers with doctrine enjoy.

For instance, we are told about Moses in Heb 11:27, “By means of doctrine resident in the soul, Moses left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.” Moses knew the principle of Heb 13:6, “the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man may do to me.” Courage then, or lack of fear, is a sign of spiritual growth.

In Psa 56:3-4, “When I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee “In God, whose word I praise, in God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid, what can mere man do to me?” Promise after promise…Line upon line…Precept upon precept…all designed to give the believer confidence toward God, and therefore freedom from fear! God promised those who were afraid in Jeremiah’s day that He would appoint shepherds over them who would feed them and they would fear no more! Jer 23:4 “I shall also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.

Promise after promise throughout the word of God to deliver us from fear. Isa 35:4, “Say to those with anxious heart, take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; the recompense of God will come, and He will deliver you.” What about situations where the odds are against you and you are outnumbered? Deut 20:1, “When you go out to battle against your enemies and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt, is with you.”

Be not afraid of them for the Lord is with you! What about the daily situations that a man faces concerning his responsibility? Neh 4:14, “When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “do not be afraid; remember the Lord who is great and awesome. Or Jos 1:9, “have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” For the mature believer, in Psa 112:7, “He will not fear evil tidings or bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”

We all need to learn how to handle fear, no matter who we are! In fact, Job was a righteous man and a man with integrity, and he still had to deal with certain fears!
You will never get rid of fear until you become disciplined and precise with regard to your relationship with God. Now, even if you have fear in your life, the principle of cursing turned to blessing holds true. Fear can drive us to the Lord. For example, in Gen 32:9-12, fear of Esau drove Jacob to humble himself and seek for God. In Luk 8:50, fear of his child dying drove a man to seek the Lord.

In Matt 8:26, fear drove the disciples to run to the Lord and wake Him up. The storm made them afraid. Matt 8:23-27, And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves; but He Himself was asleep. And they came to Him, and awoke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” And He said to them, “Why are you timid, you men of little faith?” Then He arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

As Psa 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.”

Now, why is fear such a serious sin? Because fear is lack of trust and respect toward God. Therefore, once you are secure in the love that God has for you, you’re not afraid of anything whereby you need promises, for now you know the One who makes the promises. This is why fear is a sin. It is lack of faith toward God! Rom 14:23, and whatever is not from faith is sin.

Once you understand God’s integrity, you are dependent on Him. And if you are dependent upon God and His integrity, then having fear is not only an insult to God, but it is blasphemous and sinful. God gave Jacob a vision of the angels! Why? So that he could receive the doctrinal comfort that God was with him. But what does he do? He goes right out and tries to solve his problems with human viewpoint! He says, “Go tell my lord Esau that his servant Jacob is here.”

But doctrine says, Jacob is to be the lord of Esau and Esau is to serve his brother. Gen 25:23, And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples shall be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger.”

Now back in Gen 32:7-21, Then Jacob was extremely frightened and filled with mental anguish; [and then notice what he does in this state of mind] and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies; for he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape.” And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who didst say to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,’ I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which Thou hast shown to Thy servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me, the mothers with the children. For Thou didst say, ‘I will surely prosper you, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’” So, he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on before me, and put a space between droves.” And he commanded the one in front, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?’ then you shall say, ‘These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.’” Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who followed the droves, saying, “After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; and you shall say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.’ “For he said,” I will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.” So, the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

So, he prays that God would help and then he goes right out to try and help himself with human power. It was a good prayer, a noble prayer, but he didn’t really believe that God would answer! And the issue is, do you? Do you believe Heb 4:16 “Let us be approaching the throne of grace with confidence that we may receive mercy and acquire grace with reference to seasonable help.”

Or Jer 33:3, “Call upon Me and I will show you great and might things which you have not discovered.” Do you believe Psa 50:15, And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.” Do you believe Luk 11:9, “And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Luk 11:10, “For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened. Or Matt 21:22, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.” Do you believe John 14:13-14, “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. Or John 15:7 “Ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you.” Or Phil 4:6 7, “Stop worrying about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall garrison your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

You see, with the prayer said, instead of trusting God, Jacob again tried to manipulate the situation himself. He sets aside hundreds of cattle as an opening present designed to soften up his brother Esau. And he figures that will give him time so that if the present doesn’t soften Esau up then Esau will be so busy robbing his things that Jacob will be able to escape.

Gen 32:22-23, So he arose that same night and took his two wives and his two concubines and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok [jer-beck]. And he took them and sent them across the stream. And he sent across whatever he had.

He couldn’t rest that night so he decided to take his family across the river. He is extremely frightened as he thinks that Esau is coming to kill him! By the way, there’s nowhere in scripture that says that Esau was coming to kill him. Now, after all these plans of fear, beginning with verse 24, we have a subtle and a sneak attack by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Gen 32:24, Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.

The first part of this sentence is the first key to the change which is about to take place in Jacob’s life! It’s not until Jacob is left alone with the Lord that his named is changed to Israel, a prince with God. In fact, we all need to have that experience of going through struggles in life alone with God. As David said in Psa 23:4, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Being alone with God is the beginning of becoming spiritually self-sustained.

For example, In 2Ch 32:31, God left Hezekiah “alone to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.”

In John 8:9, it wasn’t until the woman caught in adultery was left alone with the Lord that she was set free. John 8:9, And when they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the midst. The Lord even had to go through this in Joh 16:32 when He said, “Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.” Principle – To be left alone with God is the only true way of arriving at an accurate knowledge of ourselves and our ways. And no matter what we may think about ourselves, or what others may think about us, the real question is what does God think about us? And the answer to this question can only be learned when we are left alone with Him. And by that, I mean examining our own lives in light of Bible doctrine!

This is one of the things that David said in Psa 26:2, Examine me, O Lord, and try me; Test my mind and my heart.

Jer 12:3, But Thou knowest me, O Lord; Thou seest me; And Thou dost examine my heart’s attitude toward Thee.

2Co 13:5, Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves!

So, when a believer objectively examines his own life according to doctrine, he is alone with God. Now, Jacob had arranged everything for meeting and appeasing his brother Esau, however, the Lord is going to intervene and reveal some very serious problems that Jacob has! And to learn these lesson, Jacob must be humbled! He must be stripped from his own strength, lamed and made to limp.

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 – September 30, 2018; Sermon: Job Rejects the Authority of the LORD

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Job Rejects the Authority of the LORD

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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); 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 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

Weekly Bible Study – September 24, 2018; Study: Dispensation of Promise. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.

Dispensation of promise. Jacob.

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, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, 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 simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive 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.
Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.

Gen 32:7 says, Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed.

The phrase “greatly afraid” is the adverb meodh plus the Qal imperfect of the verb jare which means that he kept on being extremely frightened and filled with stress. His mind is going wild as he thinks about all the things that Esau might to do to him! And remember, he has just witnessed a miraculous event! And then the verb for distressed is the Qal imperfect of the Hebrew verb jatsar which means to be tortured mentally, to be anxious and in mental pain.

Fear actually causes two categories of punishment. First, you punish yourself through self-induced misery. Then when fear gets into arrogance, divine punishment follows. So, you can be punished three ways by fear: by yourself, by your peers, and by God.

Pro 29:25, The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.

Spiritual maturity is characterized by courage or lack of fear.

Psa 3:6, I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me round about.

Psa 56:3 When I am afraid, I will put my trust in Thee.

Psa 56:11 In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

This is true even when surrounded in battle.

So in Gen 32:7, Then Jacob was extremely frightened and filled with mental anguish; [and then notice what he does in this state of mind] and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;


Prin – Jacob naturally jumped to the conclusion that Esau still intended to make good his threat to kill him, and he has for¬gotten the encouragement he had received by the sight of the angels at Mahanaim. He knew his own small body of servants could not cope with four hundred armed men led by Esau. And he had so much fear in his heart as he remembered Esau’s threats of years before and im¬agined that his brother was making plans to get his revenge. And there are two key words right there, remembering and imagining!

Prin – The courage and the confidence generated by the vision of angels is dissipated. It has depleted and wasted away! The exaltation of faith gives way to the agony of despair as soon as the stern reality of Esau’s coming with 400 men is encountered. Gen 32:7, Then Jacob was extremely frightened and filled with mental anguish; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;

And then notice what he said with his human viewpoint rationalization.

Gen 32:8, for he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape.”

The news so terrified Jacob and overwhelmed him with anguish that he is now driven to human solutions and human plans. Some commentators try to say that he is using his wisdom here. However, you don’t operate in wisdom when you are extremely frightened and filled with fear! Furthermore, Esau has no intentions whatsoever of seeking revenge, it is merely the imagination of Jacob’s evil heart!

So again, in Gen 32:7, Then Jacob was extremely frightened and filled with mental anguish; [and then notice what he does in this state of mind] and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and the herds and the camels, into two companies;

And then notice what he said with his human viewpoint rationalization.

Gen 32:8, for he said, “If Esau comes to the one company and attacks it, then the company which is left will escape.”

The news so terrified Jacob and overwhelmed him with anguish that he is now driven to human solutions and human plans! And Esau has no intentions whatsoever of seeking revenge, it is merely the imagination of Jacob’s evil heart. He was sure Esau intended to destroy him. So he divided the people and his flocks into two “camps.” And why is that significant? Because He forgot that Mahanaim was God’s camp and his. Now he was trusting in two camps of his own hoping that one of them would escape Esau’s wrath.

Now, here’s an interesting thing and it describes the instability of the reversionistic believer. Having made his plans with his own wisdom, he now asks God to bless him and save him from his brother Esau.

Look at Gen 32:9-13, And Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord, who didst say to me, ‘Return to your country and to your relatives, and I will prosper you,’ I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which Thou hast shown to Thy servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me, the mothers with the children. For Thou didst say, ‘I will surely prosper you, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’” So, he spent the night there. Then he selected from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau:

First he says Lord deliver me then he gets right back up from his prayer and falls back on human solutions! Here it is again; double-mindedness – the double minded believer who is unstable in all his ways. Look at Jam 1:5-8, But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Double-minded people cannot be trusted, as the saying goes they speak with double-tongue!

Jam 4:8, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.

Psa 12:2, They speak falsehood to one another; With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.

This is why the individual who was in the Jewish chain gang, chained up with other slaves said in Psa 119:113I hate those who are double minded, But I love Thy law. Also when it comes to spiritual authority deacons are warned in 1Ti 3:8, Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double tongued,

So back in Gen 32, our double-minded spiritual champion is now seeking God in prayer! Gen 32:10, I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and of all the faithfulness which Thou hast shown to Thy servant; for with my staff only I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two companies. This is the beginning however of a little change in Jacob’s life. This is the first time we have ever heard him say, “I am unworthy of all the lovingkindness and faithfulness” that the Lord has shown him. Therefore, in Gen 32:11-12, “Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me, the mothers with the children. For Thou didst say, ‘I will surely prosper you, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

Now, these verses record Jacob’s prayer under what he had full reason to believe were desperate and, humanly speaking, almost hopeless circum¬stances. In many respects, it is a fine pattern of prayer for believers under similar circumstances when, after following the Lord’s guidance, they are still confronted with what seem to be insurmountable problems.

Gen 32:13-20, So he spent the night there. [Now notice what he does next] Then he selected from what he had with him a present for his brother Esau: two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, thirty milking camels and their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said to his servants, “Pass on before me, and put a space between droves.” And he commanded the one in front, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?’ then you shall say, ‘These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.’” Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who followed the droves, saying, “After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; and you shall say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.’ “For he said,” I will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”

Now this message which Jacob sent to Esau was utterly beneath the dignity of a child of God; Such sycophantic flattering phrases as “my lord Esau” and “thy servant Jacob” reveal his cowardice! He is operating as a coward! He is afraid of what man can do to him!

Remember Heb 13:5-6, Let your character be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What shall man do to me?”

Instead these phrases and his plans reveal what a coward he is! Courage is the ability to think under pressure. Cowardice is the dominance of emotion under pressure. The coward cannot think under pressure, while the man of courage can. And so he goes to the Lord in prayer asking for help and guidance then he gets right back into human viewpoint solutions. And I’m afraid that we too are often in the same position. Many of us take our problems and needs to the Lord in prayer. We ask Him for help and then we sit back and come up with human viewpoint solutions! We get through praying and we get right back up and put the burden right back on our back and try to solve the problem ourselves! And the real problem is that we don’t really believe Him! We don’t really trust Him as we should!

Gen 32:17, And he commanded the one in front, saying, “When my brother Esau meets you and asks you, saying, ‘To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and to whom do these animals in front of you belong?’

It was the very nature of him to drive bargains, make deals, try to get ahead. Remember what his name Jacob means, heel-catcher, supplanter, one who overthrows by force or treachery or deception, or layer of snares.

So in Gen 32:18 then you shall say, ‘These belong to your servant Jacob; it is a present sent to my lord Esau. And behold, he also is behind us.’” Then he commanded also the second and the third, and all those who followed the droves, saying, “After this manner you shall speak to Esau when you find him; and you shall say, ‘Behold, your servant Jacob also is behind us.’ “For he said,” I will appease him with the present that goes before me. Then afterward I will see his face; perhaps he will accept me.”

Instead of trusting in the Lord to work in him a spirit of reconciliation, he undertook himself to propitiate or satisfy Esau. And in doing so he ended up compromising! And also notice in verse 20, that after all his scheming and devising he could only say “perhaps he will accept me.” -And this is true when we put forward all of our fleshly efforts, maybe they might work! Now, notice the inconsistency of Jacob.

In verses 3-8, he devised a plan to try and appease Esau. He sent lavish presents to Esau to try and secure his good will. In verse 9-12, he goes to God and prayer and asks for the Lord to help him. Then in verses 13-20, he develops another plan and totally ignores his prayer toward God. He arranged his families, his pos-sessions, and his fighting men to the best possible advantage, and prepared to put up a good fight if it became necessary!

Gen 32:21, So the present passed on before him, while he himself spent that night in the camp.

So he prays that God would help and then he goes right out to try and help himself with human power. It was a good prayer, a noble prayer, but he didn’t really believe that God would answer! And the issue is, do you? Do you believe Heb 4:16, “Let us be approaching the throne of grace with confidence that we may receive mercy and acquire grace with reference to seasonable help.”

Jer 33:3, “Call upon Me and I will show you great and might things which you have not discovered.”

Psa 50:15, And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”

Luk 11:9-10, “And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.”

Mat 21:22, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.”

Joh 14:13-14, “And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”

Joh 15:7 “Ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you.”

Phi 4:6 7, “Stop worrying about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be known to God. And the peace of God which passes all understanding shall garrison your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

You see, with the prayer said, instead of trusting God, Jacob again tried to manipulate the situation himself. He sets aside hundreds of cattle as an opening present designed to soften up his brother Esau. And he figures that will give him time so that if the present doesn’t soften Esau up then Esau will be so busy robbing his things that Jacob will be able to escape. What I’m saying is that Jacob is still a smart operator. The point is that while Jacob is a believer and back in the will of God, he is still reversionistic in his thinking. Any solution you have to your problems apart from doctrine is a manifestation of both arrogance and irrationality.

Divine solutions are the only solutions and human solutions are no solutions. Human solutions may work temporarily but they will not solve the problem permanently! Fear sees the problem; a personal sense of destiny sees the solution.

Since problem solving is a major function of the spiritual life of the Church, all divine solutions are related to the problem solving devices in your soul. You were designed to be spiritually independent of human solutions in life.

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 – September 23, 2018; Sermon: The perfect environment that Adam lost is now given in the spiritual realm to the believer.

EMBEDDED VIDEO SERMON in HD – NOTES
The perfect environment that Adam lost is
now given in the spiritual realm to the believer.

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); 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 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

Weekly Bible Study – September 17, 2018; Study: Dispensation of promise. Jacob.

Dispensation of promise. Jacob.

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, that He is the Son of God, the promised Messiah, 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 simply exercise faith alone in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life; when you do, you will instantly receive 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. Jacob.

As we have seen ¬Jacob is now on the way back home to his promise land of Canaan and immediately he will bump into Esau who has an army of 400 men and has been very successful in cheating people and robbing people, etc. We will begin with the main passage in Gen 32:1, Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him. These angels were sent by God to Jacob to make him conscious of the heavenly presence and to assure him of divine protection.

Gen 32:2, And Jacob said when he saw them [that is the angels], “This is God’s camp or army.” So, he named that place Mahanaim. Mahanaim means that Jacob recognizes that the angels had been there with him all the time even though he could not see them. Remember that according to the word of God, we have certain angels who have been assigned to us as Heb 1:14 says, Are they not all ministering spirits [angels], sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation? Although they are invisible under normal conditions, God’s angels are none the less real and powerful.

Gen 32:3-4, Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob,” I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now;

Make sure you understand something, when Jacob comes back, he brings a lot of wounds and scars with him including four wives and eleven children. Now, by sight, the odds seem to be overwhelming and it will look like Jacob is going to be destroyed by the 400 man army of Esau. Jacob is still relying on human viewpoint and human solutions which are no solutions or really a waste of our time. Notice in verse 4, that Jacob sent servants and instructs them, saying, “When you get to Esau my brother, say to him, “Thus you shall call him my lord Esau and say I am his servant Jacob,”

Notice Jacob says for his servants to call Esau ‘My lord Esau.’ And then he has them refer to himself as “his ser¬vant Jacob.” That’s not the way Jacob had spoken before. He had manipulated Esau for the birthright and had stolen the blessing. He had been a deceiver and a liar but now he is trying to come across as if he has changed. The point is, he’s still relying on human power and human gimmicks…he’s still operating like a phony!

Then in Gen 32:5, Jacob tells his servants to make sure that they tell his brother Esau that Jacob has oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and that he has sent them to tell his brother Esau so that he may find favor in his sight.” Jacob’s mind did not dwell on God, instead he remembers Esau’s threat to kill him and therefore he decided to use some human viewpoint solutions to try and solve his problems. The mention of his wealth was intended to imply that he no longer wanted anything from Esau! All he wanted was to find favor in Esau’s eyes.

Jacob is like so many people today, they hurt and lie to others and then when those same individuals are no longer of any use to them, then they want to be at peace with them. In other words, “I got what I wanted from you, let’s just have peace now!” However, in Gen 32:6, And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

The messengers returned with terrible news according to Jacob’s human viewpoint thinking. Now, Jacob had just escaped from one company of his enemies, Laban and his family, now another was advancing to meet him, namely, Esau with his four hundred men. Esau, on his part, had apparently heard that Jacob was migrating back to Canaan. And though his anger against Jacob had long since cooled off, he didn’t know what Jacob’s intentions might be. For all he knew, Jacob might be coming with a large body of fighting men to claim his promised boundaries and possessions and to overcome or defeat Esau.

So, Esau learned of Jacob’s approach toward Canaan, he assembled an army of his own and marched forward to meet Jacob, prepared for whatever eventuality might come. In other words, we have two men thinking evil about each ones motivation and plans. The real problem here is not that Esau is coming with 400 men, the real problem is that Jacob’s mind is racing in many different directions and he is filled with fear! How do we know that?

Gen 32:7, Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed;

This is the main problem which is fear, a mental attitude sin, characterized by panic especially when you are in a dangerous situation. Every time fear comes into your life, you know you are not living the Christian way of life. If you have personal love for God the Father and you understand His integrity, you don’t need to claim specific promises for every situation, you simply just need to rest on the divine essence that He possesses and His integrity as God. If you love God, you therefore know God.

Therefore, once you have become matured in virtue-love, and by that I mean once you are confident how much God truly does love you, you’re not afraid of anything whereby you need promises, for now you know the One who makes the promises. You understand God’s integrity, and therefore, you are dependent on Him. We never start by loving God. God starts by loving us! We didn’t find God! God found us!

Joh 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you!”

Our relationship with God begins by truly understanding the impersonal unconditional love that God had toward us! God’s love for us is based upon who God is not who we are. Never forget that God loved us before the foundation of the world. And that’s why in Acts 2:23, the Trinity held a council,

Act 2:22-25, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know this Man, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”

This was the plan of God from eternity past that delivered up TLJC on the cross for us. Do you remember the “for us” passages I gave years ago?

Rom 5:8, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 8:26, the Spirit Himself intercedes for us. Rom 8:31-2, If God is for us, who is against us? He delivered Him up for us.

All of these “for us” passages and many others (1Co 10:6, Gal 3:13, Eph 5:2, 1Th 5:10, Heb 9:24, 1Jo 3:16) are based upon His love for us, All of these, and many others. Therefore, His love for us was not based upon something we did or didn’t do, Eph 1:3-4, tells us that! And what does Eph 1:3-4, say?

Eph 1:3-4, Worthy of praise and glorification be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He elected us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him.

God loved us billions and billions and billions of years ago and not only elected us to be His children but also blessed us with the most fantastic blessings even imaginable. As the apostle Paul said in Eph 3:20…He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.

God loves all believers! Winners and losers! This is why even though God knew in eternity past who would be a winner and who would be a loser He still blessed losers. Which is why losers have rewards that God ordained for them to have and “willed” for them to have but in 1Co 3:15, they suffer loss of those rewards. Why? Plain old NVTD! Losers have an escrow or an eternal savings account! Losers have equal privilege and equal opportunity!

Just like Winners have an escrow or eternal savings account! Winners have equal privilege and equal opportunity! Now, how can God love losers? How can God love Jacob? How can God love the carnal believer? The same way He loves winners and the same way He loves the immature believer……with an impersonal unconditional love! Why? And How?

Well Psa 11:7 says, For the Lord is righteous; He loves righteousness; Psa 33:5, He loves righteousness and justice;

All losers and winners have the perfect righteousness of God given to them at the moment of salvation and God’s loves His righteousness. And God blesses us; He keeps us alive; He gives us some measure of prosperity; All from His love which loves His righteousness in us! This is very vital for you to understand! You must understand WHY God loves you! And why does God love you? Because you possess His righteousness and therefore His justice is free to love you with an impersonal unconditional love.

So in Gen 32:7 which says, Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; And as we noted many times before, if you have personal love for God the Father you will understand His character and His integrity. And if you love God, that means that you “know” God.

Now, this is why the apostle John wrote 1Jo 4:16 which says, And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Notice the phrase “we have come to know” is the per-act-ind of ginosko which means to know, to perceive, to become aware of or to comprehend intellectually, to see things as they truly are. The perfect tense describes a completed action of knowing God. It doesn’t mean that you know everything that you need to know, it simply means that you have been faithful in taking in doctrine. The active voice says that you produce the action of the verb which means that you have made daily decisions to take in doctrine. The indicative mood points to the fact that this is a reality in your life, in fact, the most important thing to you. This means that you are a fanatic when it comes to your daily relationship with God…fanatic is where we get the word fan from. And what is the verb that is in view?

It is “have believed” which is the per-act-ind of pisteuo meaning to believe, to be convinced, to have confidence about something, or to metabolize doctrine. You must come to know and come to believe how much God truly loves you! And that’s Jacob’s problem! He hasn’t been learning doctrine on a consistent basis!

1Jo 4:16, And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Our relationship with God begins by truly understanding the impersonal unconditional love that God had toward us!

So, when Psa 33:5 says, He loves righteousness and justice; it simply means that all losers and winners have the perfect righteousness of God given to them at the moment of salvation and God’s loves His righteousness.

And God blesses us, He keeps us alive, He gives us some measure of prosperity. All from His love which loves His righteousness in us! This is very vital for you to understand! You must understand why God loves you! And why does God love you? Because you possess His righteousness and therefore His justice is free to love you with an impersonal unconditional love. And when you understand Why God loves you, you will be free! Free from guilt! Free from worry! Free from condemnation! Free from self-introspection!

You will realize Rom 8:38-39, neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So, we must come to know and believe the love which God has for us! And that’s why all those things about Jacob are pointed out to us by God the Holy Spirit so that we will be encouraged to keep going. If a man like Jacob can make it so can you!

1Jo 4:16 And we have come to know and have believed the love which God not has but keeps on having for us.

And I say “keeps on having” because in verse 16 when it says, the love that God has for us…the word “has” is the pres-act-ind of echo which means “He keeps on having love for us.” The present tense means this is habitual…when is it present? Right now!

By what verse 16 says when it says, “the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” By that, something happens!

1Jo 4:17, By this, love [impersonal unconditional virtue love] is perfected or matured with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment;
Now there is a purpose in all of this and the purpose is given next. This is what separates the winner from the loser! The subjunctive mood of the word confidence says maybe you will have confidence, maybe you will not.

1Jo 4:17, By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment or evaluation, because as He is, so also are we in this world.

He has made available to us everything He is, in this lifetime. Now, in verse 18, we see the antithesis of impersonal unconditional love which is fear. What is the antithesis or the opposite of God’s love? It is fear! Which is why 1Jo 4:18 says, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

The nominative singular noun phobos can refer to many types of fears. This of course we get the various phobias from. For example, claustrophobia is a fear of being confined in a room or a small space. Acrophobia is a dread of high places. Zoophobia is a fear of animals. Agoraphobia is fear of open places. Social phobia is the experience of intense anxiety when an individual is presented with a social situation.

Many people live in fear because they subject themselves to idiotic periodicals or idiotic television programs that are always anticipating the worst. Like nuclear warfare and everyone going to die! Or the markets going to crash. Bible doctrine will keep you straight on all of this! Certainly, there are always going to be future disasters just as there have been past historical disasters but the amazing thing is that a believer with doctrine is a survivor! If you have no confidence in God you will constantly have certain fears which verse 18 says “involves punishment” which means that it torments you!
And that’s what it does to Jacob in Gen 32. Fear constantly manufactures the most awful torture in the world! Awful because most of the things people fear never happen but they go through these things as though they did happen. Fear is nothing more or less than a system of self torture and frightened people are constantly torturing themselves! So you need to ask yourself a question that only you can answer! “Do you entertain a lot of fear in your life?” “Do you entertain a little fear?” “Are you frightened by what the future holds?”

Everywhere we turn today fear is prevalent! And it is a marvelous device by that creature genius Satan to confuse and distract the human race from reality. As far as the Christian way of life is concerned there is really no excuse for being frightened about anything!

So, when Jacob starts to come back into the land and bumps into Esau’s army, he falls back on human viewpoint and tries to use his smarts again. However, I think if he had learned to wait upon the Lord a divine solution would have become manifested again and he would not have had to use human viewpoint and carnal thinking as the solution to solve his problems,

For as Isa 40:31 says, Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.

The issue is do we believe this principle or not!

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.