"DIAL - THE "DEVIL IS A LIAR - DON'T LET HIM STEAL YOUR BLESSINGS"

Good Evening to All!

Now believe me, I know how rivalries can be within the siblings. I admit, I am the Baby of the family so I was pretty spoiled. At least as spoiled as a single mother could spoil me. We didn't have a lot, but I never went without. My 2 older sisters of course probably didn't get as much as I did (I really don't remember that well) but I remember both sisters got married at a young age. Since they left home, that enabled my mom to do more for me and spend more on me.

Now let's look back in Biblical times. It was the opposite. The OLDEST was suppose to get the blessing. So goes the rivalry of Esau and Jacob. There's was really bad.

I'm sure you know the story, Esau was the oldest, who was technically supposed to get everything. He was supposed to get his father's land, livestock and everything AS WELL AS God's blessing from His dying dad. When Esau came in from the field, and saw Jacob cooking stew, he told Jacob he would give him his birthright for a bowl, because he felt like he was starving. Then, while he was out hunting venison to make stew for his dad, Jacob, under his mom's direction, tricked his blind father by making himself hairy like Esau, so his dad laid the blessing on him rather than the rightful eldest son. Needless to say, this left Esau with nothing.

I kind of wonder if God's hand wasn't in that last problem. The reason I say this is because Esau squandered away his birthright. I can't see how he would really think he would starve to death. I would think that His mom would be cooking something at home. (Just my thoughts). Anyway, I know there are times when I get really hungry, but I know I'm not going to starve to death. I sure wouldn't give away my inheritance for a bowl of stew, that's for sure. This was an insult to God. Then on top of all that he loses out on God's blessing.

I kind of wonder if we don't go through that in our walk with God at times. We squander God's blessing of His presence because we are thinking on things such as bills, what we have to do later, and even if we just don't feel like worshiping to get into His presence. After all, that is a mandate of His. He says we are to "come into His presence with singing and into His courts with praise". This is the quickest way to get God's attention, especially in a church service. I've have been on both sides. I have been in services where I just didn't feel anything, and I've been in services where I was so focused on God, it felt like it was just Him and me. We were in our own little world our own little conversation. That is truly a blessing to be had!

Take for example King Solomon. He had anything and everything a person could want or need, yet because he turned away from God, and no longer was in His presence, He was miserable and everything started falling apart.

To be honest during those services where I didn't feel anything, it was my own fault. God was there, I just wouldn't allow myself to get into His presence. I was too busy worrying what people thought, being prideful not wanting to call attention to myself or make myself look silly. Thank God that He chastised me and showed me that services are supposed to be ALL ABOUT HIM, not whether I look silly or not. I'm not worshiping for anyone else but God, so why should I care what people think? I have definitely learned not to squander my blessings.

I know I have taken the "long way around this subject" but, WE MUST NOT let anything get in between us and God.

We must hang on to our faith and our hunger for God with all our might. Satan will come at us with every bit of cunning and deception possible. We must just remember the Acronym DIAL. It stands for the Devil Is A Liar. Don't let him con you out of what is rightfully your's as God's Child.

In every instance in the Bible, an angel represents manifestation of God. Just like when Jacob wrestled the angel. The angel kept telling Jacob to let Him go, but Jacob told Him he wouldn't let go until He blessed Him. That is the kind of resolve we all need. Once Jacob got that first taste of God's blessing that he tricked from Esau, he hungered for more of God. I didn't think about it until last night when Brother McCoy was preaching about it (he is visiting us for a couple of weeks), but if you have read the story, you know that Esau ended up going against his dad's wishes and marrying into Ismael's people, and living by the sword, while Jacob ended up marrying two wives and becoming quite wealthy.

Jacob proved himself to God when they "wrestled". He told him back then He would no longer be called Jacob (liar and deceiver) but Israel.

God found that He could do nothing with Esau because he didn't care enough about God's blessing to hang on to it.

Don't end up like Esau. Don't let ANYTHING come between You and the Presence of God.

The answers to last night's Bible Challenge "Sleep" are as follows:

1. stones (Genesis 28:11)
2. d) by requiring lenders to return to them each night cloaks that were offered as collateral for loans. (Deuteronomy 24:10-13)
3. d) Moses' (Deuteronomy 31:16)
4. Samson (Judges 16:19)
5. c) His beloved people (Psalm 127:2)
6. b) their riches consume their thoughts (Ecclesiastes 5:12)
7. d) that no one be told, and that she be given something to eat (mark 5:42-43)
8. c) praying (e.g.. Matthew 26:36-46)
9. d) "The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:41)
10. c) Jonah (Jonah 1:4-5)

I hope you did well on the Bible Challenge.

Good Night To All and May God Bless!