Life Capsule for Today Date:13th October, 2023
Theme: Life Lessons from Jacob (6)
Memory Verse Mark 8:36-37
36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? KJV
Topic: Jacob learning the true meaning of blessing
Text- John 6:35
And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. KJV
Words of the Ministry
Jacob’s encounter at Peniel did not only change his name, it also gave him a new view of life as his trust in his physical strength changed. Jacob could now face his brother but God still had not finished his work in Jacob’s life. We would remember that 20 years earlier when Jacob cheated his brother, he did that hoping he would get the blessings due to his brother, after 20 years when they met again in chapter 33, Jacob came home with his wives, children and cattle, to him that was the blessing, in fact before his encounter at Peniel he felt he could probably bribe his brother with the cattle and asses. When Jacob eventually met his brother Esau, he attempted giving him the cattle but he was surprised Esau wasn’t interested, as Esau had much more, then Jacob began to realize that he only cheated himself because the real blessing isn’t cattle but the promised blessing of Abraham and Isaac his father which we know today as the Holy Spirit (Gal 3.13-14,16 ) and which we partake of through the new covenant death of Christ on the cross. Many believers today need to learn the same lesson, the real blessing is not cars, houses or children, rather it is the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. Many individuals have houses, cars and lots of money but they are not born again. What do you call blessing, what are you bragging about, is it what unbelievers have more than you or the rich indwelling Spirit of God?
Immediately after Jacobs’ encounter with Esau, we see him building altars, he built one in Shalem which he called Elelohe-Isreal which meant God is the God of Israel, we see Jacob not only referring to God as the God of his fathers but his own God, now he personalizes his encounter. In Chapter 35, God commanded Jacob to return to Bethel, the place of his initial encounter, this time he was to go with his family and they were to do away with their strange gods. At Bethel, God again appeared to him, reemphasized on his new name Israel, and Jacob built an alter unto the Lord just like his father’s Abraham and Isaac. We see a newness in him as the encounter at Peniel left an indelible mark on him. God wasn’t done with him yet as there was yet a major lesson to learn, that was to sacrifice his will, his love and his idol. Many of us today seems repentant, yes we have given our lives to Christ or rededicated it but there is still a secret love that we have, we need to deal with it at Bethel, bethel is the place Jacob met the Lord, it is the place of the cross, it is where we must come to drop our natural love and will.
Racheal, Jacob’s secret love and will was again pregnant but she labored sorrowfully eventually she died, that was the eventual death of Jacobs will, it was a sorrowful experience for Jacob, his love of 20 years died in pain suddenly, on dying she brought forth her son which she called Benoni meaning son of my sorrows but Jacob named him Benjamin which meant son of the right hand. We notice the two names are the titles of Jesus Christ, he is the man of sorrows (Isi 53.3) and son at the right hand (Heb 1.3, 12.2, Act 7.55-56). When the Lord deals with us according to his will, we enjoy the real blessing and our lives bring forth Christ. That is the meaning of the blessing, to bring forth Christ through the working of the Holy Spirit within us. Immediately after that experience, we see the author referring to Jacob as Israel (Gen 35.21), the implication is that for us to enter the reality of the new covenant blessings, our Racheal must be replaced by Christ, amen.
Bible in One Year: Mathew 27-28
For further fellowship send us an email on godmanvideos@gmail.com or visit our youtube channel: @godmanmedia. You can also interact with us by dropping your comments on our facebook page. Our physical meeting, Word feast comes up every Wednesday by 5pm and Prayer Gym every Saturday by 7am while PENIEL comes up once a month, every last Sunday of the month from 4pm to 6.30pm at Suite A10, Ahser Office Complex, beside Living Faith Church, Opposite Hassan Stores, Arab Road, Kubwa Abuja.