PRAYER - "Father's Prayer"



Blessed Union
 With God

As Isaac sent Jacob away, he blessed him with a prayer over him. Jacob was headed to Haran to find his mother's brother, Laban. His first encounter was while he was yet afar off. He met Rachel in a field, as she was tending sheep. It was love at first sight. God had everything arranged for Jacob before he ever left home. Even so, our prayers of faith are preparing the way for those we love. Have faith in God.

Genesis 28:3 - "And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee." 

Wells Dug and Redug

Let's read the story. Bible

PRINCIPALS - "Beersheba"
Beersheba is a significant town in south-central Israel - in the Negev desert. It was an important landmark for Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. Abraham and Isaac dug water wells there, and made peace treaties with Abimelech of nearby Gerar. Hagar and Ishmael lived in the wilderness near Beersheba. Jacob left there to go to Joseph in Egypt. Today it is a great city of 185,000 people, mostly Jews. "From Dan to Beersheba" meant "all Israel, from north to south."

Genesis 21:33 - "...Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD."

Let's read the story. Bible

The Church is
Spiritual Israel

PRINCIPLES - "God's People"

King David recognized that Israel was a divinely chosen nation. God could easily have spoken to all men everywhere simultaneously when He called Abraham to follow Him. But He didn't. Why didn't He? Abraham found grace in God's eyes like Noah had. God may only select one in a million. He just wants a right heart. Is yours right?

2 Samuel 7:23 - "...what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name?" Let's read the story. Bible
   
  PROPHECIES - "God Visits Jacob"

Praises fo the Great Covenant

The Lord appeared to Jacob in a dream. The covenant with Abraham suddenly became the covenant with Jacob. Even if Abraham had never lived, Jacob now has a promise from God. In his lifetime, Jacob will see his descendants migrate to Egypt, but there is a promise they will be back to the land of the covenant.
Genesis 28:13 - "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." Let's read the story. Bible





WHEN CHRISTIANS DIE

Where are the dead?

1 Thessalonians 4:14-16

A few take the words “fallen asleep” literally and believe that the dead remain unconscious until the Lord returns. But most see this as a euphemism: that the body “sleeps” while the spirit remains conscious. When Christians die, their bodies go into the grave while their spirits go to be with Jesus (see 2Co 5:6–8; Php 1:23). When unbelievers die, their bodies go into the grave while their spirits go to a place of torment.

The Old Testament speaks in a limited way about the grave, where all go at death. The New Testament uses the Greek word Hades for the Old Testament concept (seeRev 20:13), but expands on it considerably. Jesus hinted that Hades is divided into two parts—one for the wicked and one for the righteous. For the wicked it is described as torment, agony and fire; for the righteous it is comfort and rest (see Lk 16:22–26).

Gehenna is another word for hell, the final place of judgment upon the wicked. It was borrowed from the phrase meaning “the Valley of Hinnom,” a place where human sacrifices and pagan worship had occurred (see 2Ki 23:10). During New Testament times the place was the Jerusalem city dump where fires burned continually—a graphic image of perpetual torment and judgment.

When Christ returns, those who have died and are with Jesus will be given new bodies—resurrected, glorified bodies. At the final judgment unbelievers will be thrown into the “lake of fire” (Rev 20:11–15). Many say God doesn't see or care at all about evil sin. Injustices and sufferings in history never escape God’s eye. Those who persecute and practice injustice cannot ultimately win. God will judge every deed, all wrongs will be righted, and all attempts to dethrone God and enthrone anything or anyone else will be turned around to frustrate God’s enemies completely. The prospect of final judgment ought to be a terror to God’s enemies but a foundation of assurance to the saints.