Posts Tagged ‘Motivation’


Part 4 Conclusion : Sin has a way of catching up with you. 

Genesis 30:22-25:  So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.  But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob and Jacob lay with her, and Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.  When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?

 Jacob was enraged when he learned that Laban had tricked him.  The deceiver of Esau was now deceived himself.  How natural it is for us to become upset at an injustice done to us while closing our eyes to the injustices we do to others.  Sin has a way of coming back to haunt us.


Under Gods Command

Genesis 27:13 His mother said to him, “My son, let the curse fall on me.  Just do what I say, go and get them for me.

Jacob hesitated when he heard Rebekah’s deceitful plan, although he questioned it for the wrong reason (fear of getting caught), he protested and thus gave her one last chance to reconsider.  But Rebekah had become so wrapped up in her plan that she no longer saw clearly what she was doing.  Sin had trapped her and was degrading her character.  Correcting yourself in the middle of doing wrong may bring hurt and disappointment, but it also will bring freedom from sin’s control. 


Under Gods Command

Sin has a way of coming back to haunt us  

Part 2 

Genesis 27:11-12: Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “But my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I’m a man with smooth skin.  What if my father touches me? I would appear to be tricking him and would bring down a curse on myself rather than a blessing.”   

How we react to a moral dilemma often exposes our real motives.  Frequently we are more worried about getting caught than about doing what is right.  Jacob did not seem concerned about the deceitfulness of his mother’s plan; instead he was afraid of getting in trouble while carrying it out.  If you are worried about getting caught, you are probably in a position that is less than honest.  Let your fear of getting caught be a warning to do right.  Jacob paid a huge price for carrying out this dishonest plan. 


Under Gods Command

Sin has a way of coming back to haunt us

Part 1

Genesis 27:5 –10:  Now Rebekah was listening as Isaac spoke to his son Esau.  When Esau left for the open country to hunt game and bring it back, Rebekah said to her son Jacob, Look, I overheard your father say to your brother Esau, Bring me some game and prepare me some tasty food to eat, so that I may give you my blessing in the presence of the Lord before I die.  Now My son, listen carefully and do what I tell you. Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes it.  Then take it to your father to eat, so that he may give you his blessing before he dies.   

When Rebekah learned that Isaac was preparing to bless Esau, she quickly devised a plan to trick him into blessing Jacob instead.  Although God had already told her that Jacob would become the family leader, Rebekah took matters into her own hands.  She resorted to doing something wrong to try to bring about what God had already said would happen (25:23-26).  For Rebekah, the end justified the means.  No matter how good we think our goals are, we should not attempt to achieve them by doing what is wrong.  Would God approve of the methods you are using to accomplish your goals?


Under Gods Command

Isaiah 48:1 – List o this, O house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel and come from the line of Judah, you who take oaths in the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel, but not in truth or righteousness. 

The people of Judah felt confident because they lived in Jerusalem, the city with God’s temple.  They depended on their heritage, their city, and their temple, but this was false security because they did not depend on God.  Do you feel secure because you go to church or live in a Christian County? Heritage, buildings, or nations cannot give us a relationship with God; we must truly depend on him personally, with all our hearts and minds.


Under Gods Command

 Isaiah 43:2 – When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 

 Going through rivers of difficulty will either cause you to drown or force you to grow stronger, if you go in your own strength; you are more likely to drown.  If you invite the Lord to go with you, he will protect your.


Under Gods Command

Luke 17:1-5 “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.  It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.  So watch yourselves.  “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent, ‘forgive him.”The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it will obey you. 

 Jesus warned about God’s wrath for those who offend and abuse.  How appropriate such a warning is in this day when corruption enters our homes every day in many television programs or on the internet.  While Christians must guard against physical abuse, they also must be aware of and work against the mental and spiritual corruption that unfiltered television and internet surfing can bring. 

To rebuke does not mean to point out every sin we see, it means to bring sin to a person’s attention with the purpose of restoring him or her to God and to fellow humans.  When you feel you must rebuke another Christian for a sin, check your attitude before you speak.  Do you love the person?  Are you willing to forgive?  Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness’, it will not help the sinning person. 

This was a hard one for the disciples; they wanted the faith necessary for such radical forgiveness.   The amount of faith is not as important as its genuineness.  Faith is not something we use to put on a show for others; it is complete and humble obedience to God’s will, readiness to do whatever he calls us to do.   The amount of faith isn’t as important as the right kind of faith-faith in our all-powerful God.


Under Gods Command

Zephaniah 3:1-2 Woe to the city of oppressors, rebellious and defiled! She obeys no one, she accepts no correction

Do you know people who refuse to listen when someone disagrees with their opinions?  Their root problem is pride inflated self-esteem.  God’s people had become so proud that they would not hear or accept God’s corrections.  Do you find it difficult to listen to the spiritual counsel of others or God’s words from the Bible?  Don’t let pride make you unable or unwilling to let God work in your life.  You will be more willing to listen when you consider how weak and sinful you really are compared to God.


Isaiah 40:29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, and they will walk and not be faint.

 Even the strongest people get tired at times, but God’s power and strength never diminish. He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen. His strength is our source of strength. When you feel all of life crushing you and cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength.


James 2:19-20, My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 

 19: When we talk too much and listen to little, we communicate to others that we think our ideas are much more important than theirs.  James wisely advises us to re reverse this process.  Put  a mental stopwatch on your conversations and keep track of how much you talk and how much you listen.  When people talk with you, do they feel that their viewpoints and ideas have value? 

 19-20: These verses speak of anger that erupts when our egos are bruised “I am hurt”; “My opinions are not being heard.”When injustice and sin occur, we should become angry because others are being hurt.  But we should not become angry when we fail to win an argument or when we feel offended or neglected.  Selfish anger never helps anybody.