The story of Jacob is the story of us all. When we see the struggles of this great Patriarch we really see our own struggles as well! The Lord STOOD beside him during Jacob's darkest hour. The Lord would have done this for Esau yet Esau wanted riches and money instead of God; he wanted his fornication and sin and fell into total depravity despite having great riches on this earth. Esau is in hell today; Jacob is in heaven. The church world today would gravitate to the Esau's of today while most would reject Jacob who found himself in great peril in this story. Esau had everything in the natural going for him,  yet was hated by God; Jacob had nothing going for him in the natural, was a total mess and was a thief, deceiver and thug; despite the failure all of heaven stood beside him. Jacob's vow was the start of his path to having his name changed to Israel and as a result becoming the father head of the greatest nation on Earth - the Nation of Israel.

TEXT:Genesis 28:20
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

The cross is the only thing that stands between man and eternal hell. It is also the only thing that stands between the church and apostasy. When the Holy Spirit gave Paul the foundational message of the New Covenant, the CROSS was the foundation of ALL doctrine, not just part of other doctrines with the message of the Cross being a "part." To state it another way ALL doctrine, no matter what it is, must be laid with the foundation of the Cross of Christ!

1 Peter 1:17-21
And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: [18] Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: [20] Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, [21] Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Eph. 1:18-21
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, [19] And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, [20] Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, [21] Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

Rev. 13:1-18
 [7] And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. [8] And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

According to the Word of God, the God-head determined before the foundation of the earth that man would be redeemed by God becoming man in the person of Jesus Christ whose sole purpose in coming to earth was the Cross! I feel the Holy Ghost as I write that statement. That is why the Holy Ghost through the writer of Hebrews calls it a "GREAT" salvation - because the great plan of redemption drawn up by God IS the greatest message and hope fallen man has! Through foreknowledge before man and the world was ever created, man was determined to be God's choice creation. This same foreknowledge recognized the fact that man would have a choice and with that choice would do exactly what Adam did - fall into sin through disobedience.

Psalm 8:2-8
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. [3] When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; [4] What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? [5] For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. [6] Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: [7] All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; [8] The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

The term "angels," here in Psalms means "Godhead" in the original Hebrew meaning man was made a little lower than the Godhead, originally higher than angels. God never gave angels the ability to create. but He gave man the ability to create. God created man out of "nothing," which is in His power to do; man on the other hand cannot create anything except he create it out of something already there. It is from this foundational understanding of creation and man's current state we are told by the Word of God that the cross of Christ, the first and foundational doctrine of EVERY doctrine or else those doctrines are FALSE! Man cannot change or create a new nature out of his old nature! He may change his behavior, his surroundings, his way of life, but man's heart can only be dealt with within the confines and parameters of the work of the Holy Spirit who works exclusively within the parameters of the Cross.

I have always identified with the story of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the grandson of the great Patriarch of Faith Abraham, which shows us just how God can change a man's nature and turn a thief into a prince with God! The Bible is the truest book one can read and it doesn't hold back sometimes in revealing the ugliness of the struggle between he divine nature and the carnal nature of man, which is in reality what scripture refers to as "the sin," or "sin" nature.

Romans 6:1-5
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in (the) sin (Meaning shall we continue to be controlled by the sin nature after we are saved), that grace may abound? [2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? [3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? [4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

Jacob's story is such the case as the Bible portrays this man's life through the eyes of heaven "warts and all," as I heard one Bible commentator state. Every Christian would be wise to read the story of Jacob for in his journeys, his failures, his fears, his struggles to find God, we find ourselves! We also see in Jacob who tried to obtain the things of God by means of carnality a type and picture of millions of Christians who have abandoned faith in Christ and the Cross to obtain righteousness and live holy before the Lord. We can't save ourselves and we can't change ourselves! Deliverance from sin will NEVER be found through humanistic efforts, humanistic psychology (no matter whether it's wrapped up in Christian wrappers or not)  or Christians trying to keep rules and regulations hoping to find some mystical formula for godly living. That's what many want - a formula - instead of FAITH! God's prescribed order of victory for overcoming sin is not found in a formula but FAITH in Christ and Him Crucified! Without FAITH in the Cross, it's impossible to please God! Many think they have faith but their faith is "faith in faith," or "faith in an experience," or "faith in their denominational affiliation," or "faith in a priest, pastor or pope," instead of faith in the Cross.

Faith in Christ and Him Crucified is the ONLY  thing the Holy Spirit recognizes friend to be changed by the power of God we NEED the HOLY GHOST. Jacob tried to obtain the things of God by means of carnality, which should be a warning to all who try and do the same; it. cannot be done, for to be "carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is peace," according to the Holy Ghost writing through the Apostle:

Romans 8:3-8
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: [4] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. [5] For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. [6] For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. [8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

For those who read their Bibles, we know that in Old Testament times the birthright was one of the most important issues concerning the passing of blessing from one generation to the next. In most cases the birthright was given to the firstborn by decree of the Torah. In the case of Isaac, the birthright was supposed to have gone to Esau, who was Jacob's twin brother, and came out seconds before his younger brother. Even in the womb of Rebekkah, Jacob tried to gain the birthright by reaching up and attempting to grab the heel of his brother to come out first thus part of his name Jacob, would come to mean "heel catcher," "deceiver," and "liar."

It was through these very means of fraud and subterfuge that Jacob would later on in his life attempt to get the birthright by deceiving his father. Yet this same deceiver had his name changed to Israel and became the father head of the mighty nation we know of today.

This "changing," is not easy friend and that is the problem of the Church! God the HOLY GHOST did not conceive that which Jacob tried to do in the beginning just as He is not conceiving MOST of what is being conceived in the minds of men today who seek and run after fad after fad to get people "right." This writer wants to state it again in a different way. I don't care how saved we are, how baptized in the Holy Ghost we are, we as carnal human beings cannot conceive anything spiritual. Only the HOLY GHOST can conceive that which is spiritual..

John 3:5-8 - Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. [8] The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Romans 8:6-8 - For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. [7] Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. [8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

This is in reality the foundational issue of the modern church which is rapidly sinking into apostasy as it departs from the true faith that is rooted in the Cross. The modern church growth movement and all this other stuff that seeks to push itself off as from God does nothing to address the need for change in the heart of man! We are carnally minded and as a result the directions of many so-called spiritual leaders, many in the laity, and others, are trying to do the work of God out of their own MINDS and WILLS instead of allowing the HOLY GHOST to do it. Jacob is the perfect example of this struggle and the results of what happens when we try to please God in the flesh. Every single believer starts out like Jacob (Romans 7) it's so easy to function in the flesh. That's what we are, and we reason wrongly by saying "well this seems good and that is what we should do." It's the struggle that existed in the heart of the Apostle Paul who with the help of the Holy Ghost who tried to perform that which was good and could not then tried to stop performing evil and could not stop it!

Romans 7:18-21
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. [19] For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. [20] Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. [21] I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

You can't make yourself "work," friend! You cannot wave a magic wand or have someone else wave a magic wand over you and your inward problems just go away. You can change churches, you can change jobs, you can change locations, some even think if they change spouses that will change them! We find out through failure and the reality of life that changing atmospheres and surroundings do not change us! We have such a divorce epidemic in this nation and we don't know what to do about it to be frank. The root cause of most divorces is the discontent of one spouse or both with the other and this idea that if I can be with someone else I'll somehow find that mystical pot of gold of happiness in marriage at the end of the rainbow. We then chase after someone else and pursue happiness in others without realizing that TRUE PEACE only comes from being SPIRITUALLY minded, or in other words, allowing the HOLY GHOST to change our hearts, minds and as a result our LIVES. We find out most times the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow has just as many problems as the one we left!

I heard this many years ago and I state it again here - God does not work from things that "might" have been - He works from what IS. Many Christians live with this idea that if you only "had" this or had "that," you'd be happy and content. NO YOU will not! If I had "done that," or "done this," then maybe things would be different in my life and perhaps I wouldn't be in the mess I'm in right now.

No, if you had those those other things or done those other things or went another route things might be worse! The problem is not the path we take it's with the ONE doing the walking but more importantly with WHO we are walking with! Stop a minute and look at Jacob; he is a perfect picture of you and me from whom God supremely loves and works not from what might have been but from what IS at this moment. ALL things work together for the GOOD of them who love God and are called according to His purposes. Rick Warren wants to preach about "purpose," and that if man has the right purpose everything will somehow be alright - it won't. Man is fallen and needs more than purpose - he needs TRANSFORMATION! Man needs an encounter with the Holy Spirit through the work of the Cross of Christ! Man doesn't need a counseling session he needs a power session! He don't need more self-esteem, he needs to repent and declare himself a sinner and sinful thus declaring ourselves utterly hopeless before God as it pertains to our salvation and deliverance.

Humpty Dumpty is broken and can't be put back together again by man- but God CAN and you better be glad He can put things back together. Some of us have failed so many times it's not funny but somehow, someway, through some means we have gotten back up time and time again because of the grace of God. It's not how many times we fail that matters as much as it matters how many times have we gotten up and kept the faith in the process of the storm or trial!

I get amused when people and even many preachers coyly state that God is the God of the "second" chance. Neighbor, God is the God of the 157th, the 199th, the 300th, and the 10,000th chance!!!! He does not put limits on his mercy, grace and compassion for those willing to trust Him and keep their faith anchored in HIM through the work of the Cross of Christ!

Jesus said we are to "COME" ALL that are heavy laden and He will give YOU REST! That is what some reading this message deeply need right now -REST for your soul. Mister, that sniff of cocaine will never give you rest. That alcohol sir may feel good going down but the result will not be rest but death! Lady, you may think sleeping with all those strange lovers will bring some type of relief and make you feel accepted in someone else's arms other than your husband - it won't. THE ONLY PLACE MAN FINDS REST FOR HIS SOUL IS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS through the power of the Holy Ghost!

Jacob Flees From Esau

Genesis 27:41
And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.

We know the story well. Esau because of a darkened heart of unbelief gave up his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of pottage and as a result missed out on the blessing. There is no evidence in scripture Esau mourned over the loss of the birthright, but he mourned over the loss of the blessing attached to the birthright. That is the state of so many today!!!! They do not cherish their salvation but want the benefits that salvation is supposed to bring. What the Esaus of this life fail to recognize is that without wanting to be in covenant relationship with God, which means a life of humility, repentance, faith and love - the blessings of salvation will never be attained no matter how much we seek after those things. The issue is the BIRTHRIGHT!

Many times it's when the blessings leave that many grow bitter at God and turn back into sin instead of maintaining faith despite setbacks, failures and even financial loss. No matter the state we find ourselves in the bottom line is at the end of the day where does our faith rest? Do we have faith in God only when things are going well? Do we trust the Lord and have faith in His covenant when the bank account is full then when the money is gone our hearts are gone as well? Do we enjoy our birthright only in the times of plenty or do we love it just as much when we are suffering loss for the Kingdom of God and our lives are not one of comfort and ease as promised by this modern gospel that is false!

Many failures in ministry come as a result of this same spirit of Esau, who the Bible calls a "fornicator." We fornicate with the world system while trying to maintain a hold on God too and it won't work friend. Esau mourned over the loss of the blessing but he did not mourn for the right reason- he had lost out with God because of his lust and thirst for fleshly things instead of seeing those things which were eternal in nature!

There is no mourning in the church today over the loss of the gospel message and the fact men are dying and lost without God. Our mourning in the church world today is because we don't have a Mercedes or Cadillac, million dollar mansions and $500 suits to walk around in bragging how much faith we have! The blessings of God follow the righteous and obedient, don't get this writer wrong. But many times we are blessed without knowing it and should be thankful for ANYTHING we receive from the Lord - no matter how small or trivial it may seem to our carnal minds. God knows if He gave half of us a $1 million today, we'd be backslid tomorrow.

The very fact we're saved and born again should be reason enough to NEVER murmur or complain about anything, yet many in this modern world-soaked hellish atmosphere we call church mourn, not for the loss of eternal things, but because there is not gold running out of our spiritual slot machines. Neighbor, hear this writer - that is not why we should be mourning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Esau could have cared less of the birthright he willingly gave up but when Jacob touched his MONEY and got the blessing from Isaac, Esau got angry and said "I am going to KILL YOU!" (There was your first "church" of the Old Covenant by the way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Hebrews 12:13-18
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. [14] Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: [15] Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; [16] Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. [17] For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. [18] For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

Esau was rejected and became so callous in his heart he found no place of repentance even though he sought it carefully with tears. Neighbor many cry over the loss of blessing but they don't cry over the state of their hearts! Esau kept on fornicating and never allowed the Lord to change his heart. Jacob, though not much better character wise, would allow God to change him - thus the difference in the two boys. How dangerous it is for the church world to reject the Holy Ghost! How dangerous sir is it when He deals with your heart to turn off God! Esau's heart became profane and bitterness sprung up as a result! How many does that describe today in these modern times?

When Rebekkah hears of Esau's threat, Rebekkah, sends Jacob to Laban and warns him Esau was seeking his life to kill him; Jacob had defrauded Esau, Esau didn't defraud Jacob. Yet, God didn't choose Esau, He chose Jacob.

Gen. 27:42-44 And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah: and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. [43] Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; [44] And tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away; [45] Until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him: then I will send, and fetch thee from thence: why should I be deprived also of you both in one day? [46] And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me

Isaac calls Jacob, blesses him and charges him to not take a wife of Canaan and go to Padan-aram, to the house of BETHEL, where Laban, Rebecca's brother lived. Isaac sends Jacob away with the blessing that should have been Esau's but as we see from Scripture was in fact in the mind of God destined to be Jacob's.

Genesis 28:1-22
And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. [2] Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. [3] And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; [4] And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham. [5] And Isaac sent away Jacob: and he went to Padan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

Esau hears Isaac's charge to Jacob and through rebellion goes to Ishmael and takes a wife which Isaac forbid Jacob to take! On a side note, this was the beginning of the ancient hatred that exists today between Islam and Israel. The descendants of Esau and Ishmael are who form the current religion that seeks the destruction of the Jewish people as well as Christians today. This hatred goes way beyond political issues but a spiritual one rooted in this event this writer is trying to detail.

Gen. 28:6 -9 - When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan; [7] And that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother, and was gone to Padan-aram; [8] And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; [9] Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

Jacob leaves for BETHEL in a heap of trouble and probably feeling so much condemnation it beggars description. He's made a mess of things and HE knows he is to blame. Sin is never to be taken lightly. That's what Satan does - he twists people up to the point they don't know what they are doing which causes them as a result to mess up all humanity. The world's condition now is one big portrait of Jacob's state when he arrived at Bethel. There are certainly some in this world like Esau who don't care and have lost all feeling of concern and care of what the state of their soul is. But most DO care and feel the tug of God in their hearts that were put in when we were infants and children. Sir, it's not easy to flee and run from God! We may have tons of issues that cause us to flee from the problems that seek to chase us but in the reality of things we can be sure that what we are running from as Jacob was is going to meet us when we arrive at our supposedly safe location. The Jacob IN us will always attract the JACOB in someone else! That would be the case with Laban!

SIN is awful. ONLY GOD CAN get you out of the mess Sin causes. Jacob, heartbroken, lays down in a place called BETHEL, the HOUSE of God. No town there now, strangely enough, it's an Israeli army base. Jacob laid his head on a stone, heartbroken, not knowing whether or not he'd live to see his mother or dad again. It is at these times in our lives that Satan does all he can to push men to destruction. It's why people commit suicide - even in the church - when the condemnation and guilt become so evident people just lose faith all together and give up. Satan cries and pushes but GOD, but God, but GOD, but GOD, through CHRIST says "ILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU!" THROUGH CHRIST He calls for "ALL who labor and are heavy laden" to come to HIM, not to a formula, not to a self-help group, not to a church, not to a clinic, not to a rehab center - but to CHRIST, the FIRST and the LAST, the Rose of Sharon, the bright and the morning star. Glory To God.

Matthew 11:28-30
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light

That is why we preach CHRIST CRUCIFIED! That is why this ministry preaches the CROSS and the CROSS alone. This is why we may sound like a broken record in every journal we write but friend if  you're not trusting in the Cross you're trusting in LIES. CHRISTIAN, if you have abandoned faith in Christ and the Cross you are headed for what happened to Jacob! You are headed for a mess! I don't care how "strong" you think you are or how high in leadership you may be - the powers of darkness are more powerful than your human strength and the sin nature will eventually control you again. Ask a well-known evangelist who pastored a 22,000 member church but admitted this past week to meeting male prostitutes and other sin. He stood before 22,000 people weekly and no one ever discerned the issue! That is the power of sin and the sin nature if not dealt with through the power of the Holy Ghost.

[10] And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. [11] And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. [12] And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. [13] And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; [14] And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. [15] And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.

When Jacob gets to Haran (Bethel) he tarries there all night, and lays his head on a stone, hurting, alone, depressed, lonely, scared I'm sure of what lay ahead, and I'm sure doubting the words of his father Isaac that the blessings of God were on him as they were on his grandfather Abraham. Let me tell you this friend - salvation is not by osmosis! Jacob's salvation was not based on Abraham's salvation! Jacob's deliverance and change did not come because of the events in the life of his grandfather. We're not saved because our dad or granddad or great-granddad are saved! We cannot be born again because our mom was born again. Everyone must come to Faith in Christ on their own will and choice - man to man, woman to woman, child to child, youth to youth. ALL must come to Christ the same way

Backslider, I don't care how ugly the sin has gotten and become in your life; I don't care how much you've turned away from God; If you will but turn your heart back to His loving embrace and wooing He will cleanse you and set you free today. He will give you a new heart like He gave Jacob!  Neighbor, you can go to hell if you want to but you'll have to knock down the cross and Jesus Christ to do so! He can set you free today. He can change you today. He can take away the darkness that is destroying you sir. He can bring back the joy of your salvation.

The Lord Stands Beside Jacob And Promises Him the Land

Gen. 28:10-13 -And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba, and went toward Haran. [11] And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. [12] And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. [13] And,

While in Bethel, Jacob dreams and sees a ladder with angels descending and ascending upon it. According to the KJV, the Lord stood above the ladder but in the original Hebrew it says that "God came down the ladder and stood beside Jacob." Think of that friend. God came down from heaven and stood beside this poor, frail, deceiving individual who deserved nothing that was good yet God gave Him everything. The Lord STOOD beside Jacob during his darkest hour. The Lord would have done this for Esau had Esau wanted it but Esau wanted riches and money instead of God; he wanted his fornication and sin and fell into total depravity despite having great riches on this earth. Esau is in hell today; Jacob is in heaven. The church world today would gravitate to the Esau's however instead of the Jacobs! Esau had everything in the natural going for him yet was hated by God; Jacob had nothing going for him and was a total mess - a thief, deceiver and thug - yet all of heaven stood beside him.

While standing beside Jacob, the Lord tells him "I'm going to give this land to you and your seed." About a year ago now in the summer of 2005, our government pressured Israel greatly to give up the Gaza Strip back to the Muslims, which is what the now deathly sick Ariel Sharon did. What Mr. Sharon nor our government realized then nor do they realize it today is that the only thing the Muslim world will accept is Israel's destruction. The root cause of this hatred goes back to this very narrative this writer is trying to discuss with you in this journal.

Esau wanted Jacob dead then and Esau's seed and descendants want Israel dead today! The bombings will not stop, the war will not stop, the conflict will not stop. We saw this past summer of 2006 that the Arab world does not intend to live peacefully beside Israel no matter how many "states" America tries to prop up by political pressure. I respect our President but his views that Israel's future depends on a two-state solution are just flat WRONG and dangerous to boot Israel's future does not depend on the Arabs - Israel's future restoration depends on GOD! Our president as well as the entire Arab World need to read "I'll GIVE YOU and YOUR SEED" this land!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

He didn't say Mohammed's seed, He said "Jacob, Israel's SEED!!!!" That little spit of land named to Israel belongs to the JEWS - NOT THE MOSLEMS!! Israel has already given up part of the West Bank, the Gaza; they gave up the Sinai several years ago, yet Israel still does not have peace with her neighbors and she never will. The land of Israel is 1/10th of 1 percent with the Arab world occupying the rest of it - Egypt, Iraq, Iran (Persian), Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the border states, occupies all of it yet they say "that tiny piece of ground belongs to us too and every Jew needs to be dead."

We witnessed a drastic shift in power this past week or so during America's mid-term elections and the prospects for a dark time in American politics looms large in 2007 and beyond. This nation's blessings want to continue depend more on anything else - not on Wall Street, not on Nafta, Congress, government as we treat ISRAEL! AMEN AMEN. God told Abraham and Gen. 12:3 - I gill give you this land your seed after you.!'

Genesis 12:1-3
Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: [2] And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: [3] And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Our government's stance on Israel should not even be just about LAND as much as it should be about the ALMIGHTY WORD OF GOD. America needs to tell the Arab world the land belongs to Israel and we're going to stand behind  them. If we will do that God will stand with US! If we don't God will CURSE us.

God stood beside Jacob saying in essence, "If your heart will turn toward Me and stay with Me, I'll be with YOU. I will not leave you until I have done all the things I have said it to you. That's a powerful promise that God gave Jacob so long ago and He gives us today to those who will but believe!

The Stone, The Oil And The Vow

Gen. 28: 18-19 - And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it. [19] And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

Jacob lays his head on the stone he had put for his pillows. That stone was a type of Christ, who is the CHIEF cornerstone and the only sure foundation we ALL must lay our heads and hearts on! Those who lay on HIM will be changed for the better but if that same STONE falls on us as a result of rebellion we will be destroyed.

Ps 118:22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
23 This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous in our eyes.

Isa 8:14- And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

1 Pet 2:8 - And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

The oil on top of the stone a type of the Holy Ghost anointing upon Christ, which is in type the Holy Ghost anointing upon the believer. The HOLY GHOST is the POWER through which God works on this earth today to change the hearts of men and the course of nations!

The church so desperately needs to come back to the power of the Holy Ghost. The church needs the message of the baptism in the HOLY GHOST with the evidence of speaking with other tongues. We cannot divorce Christ from the Cross and we cannot divorce the Holy Ghost from the ministry of Christ. We also cannot divorce the gifts and ministries of the Holy Ghost from the Holy Ghost Himself. It just won't work and will leave the church in the state we see it in today - lost, helpless and void of power despite having a form of godliness. When we deny the power of God we become like Esau not Jacob!

Jacob vows to pay tenth or tithe of all blessings he received.

Genesis 28:20
And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,

Jacob knew where His blessings came from. Brother they don't come to you from CITY HALL. They don't come to you from the welfare program. Christians don't need to be on welfare. If Christians will walk in humility, obedience and faith to God we will receive blessings from His hand! The vow Jacob gave was still tinged with self-preservation and SELF in mind. The word "if" is a word that screams to us of selfishness in our walk with God at times. Many pray like Jacob, Lord, "if," you do this I'll do that and "if" you will bless me I will serve you. Neighbor there is NO "if," in serving God - we will either serve Him or we won't - no matter whether He blesses us or not. Jacob's vow was not the end of his struggle or troubles but it was the start of his path back to God that would eventually lead him to the struggle that made him Israel! That we will take up in a future journal very soon.

The Lord wants to come down from His ladder today and stand beside you neighbor in your time of trouble. You say "I'm a mess and have so many things wrong with me I don't think God would want to deal with this." Neighbor, YOU are a PRIME candidate for His help if you need the HELP. He can't help those who don't want His help. We tell people God helps those who help themselves. THAT IS NOT TRUE. THAT IS A LIE FROM HELL. God helps those who declare themselves HELPLESS! Those who seek to help themselves do more to keep God away than bring Him on the scene- never forget that! God cannot help the "good," He helps those who recognize they are wicked, evil and in need of His working in their hearts and lives.

Backslider, as Jacob of old found God and God found Jacob, so too He wants to come down and stand and find you today! We seek after God but the ONE doing the REAL seeking is HIM!  If we will but stand still and allow Him to work in our lives, He will change us as He changed Jacob. Allow the Holy Spirit to touch your heart and bring you back to His loving embrace before it's too late today. God bless.