Awesome

How Awesome Is This Place!

Note Jacob's response when he realized he had been in the presence of the Lord.  Have we become desensitized to the glory of the presence of God?
And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, "I am the Lord , the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring. Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
Genesis 28:12‭-‬13‭, ‬16‭-‬17

Rebellion

Rebellions Downward Spiral

The old saying sin will take you further than you want to go keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay is timeless. 
Remember Esau had already rebelled against his parents and been a huge disappointment to them (Gen. 26:34-35; 27:46) 
His rebellion consumed him and the downward spiral continued.
And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father;  Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.  Genesis 28:8‭-‬9

Pick A Godly Mate

Choice Affect Others

Choose your mate wisely or it can be a family hardship.

When Esau was forty years old, he took Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite to be his wife, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite, and they made life bitter for Isaac and Rebekah.
Genesis 26:34‭-‬35

Then Rebekah said to Isaac, “I’m disgusted with living because of these Hittite women. If Jacob takes a wife from among the women of this land, from Hittite women like these, my life will not be worth living.”
Genesis 27:46

Pick a good, Godly mate!

God's Hand

Can Others See The Hand Of God On US?

Even the ungodly saw God at work in Issacs life.
They said, "We see plainly that the Lord has been with you.
Genesis 26:28a

Oh that others would see God's hand on us in spite of our circumstances. 

For A Bowl Of Soup

FOR A BOWL OF SOUP
What would you give up for 5 minutes of pleasure? Or maybe what have you already given up for that 5 minutes of pleasure.  The cost can be staggering! I am sure a question that Esau would have loved to have thought through a little more extensively.  For a bowl of soup, he gave up his priestly duties over the family, a double portion of the inheritance and all the honor that went along with being the family leader in the future.
And Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!" (Therefore his name was called Edom.) Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?" Jacob said, "Swear to me now." So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
Genesis 25:30‭, ‬32‭-‬34

Persecution or Peace

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/02/christian-persecution-seen-in-more-locations-across-globe-new-report-shows.html

Persecution or Peace

Which should we strive for?  In the wake of not only ramped up Christian persecution but ramped up coverage of Christian persecution in our day something I have observed.  1.  There seems to be a false badge of honor attached to being persecuted by many in American Christianity.  Like somehow if we could just endure persecution then our Christianity would somehow be validated or more effective.           2.  There are those on the other side that want to blow everybody up who is not a Christian and that somehow we will be able to mandate and protect Christianity everywhere, but especially here in America.  As if the Constantine experiment didn't already prove that foolish.
Wait, stop the presses.  Scripture says to pray for those in authority so that we can live out our lives in peace.  But then Jesus said don't be shocked by persecution and being hated.  So before you jump off the deep end on either side.  Keep a balance, live out biblical Christianity in the context of the culture you live in.  Hallelujah if we can live in peace until Jesus returns, but not everyone will or has.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.
1 Timothy 2:1-2

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
John 15:18‭-‬20