"Facing the Enemy" | Bill Cloud | Jacob's Tent

hey [Music] [Music] she [Music] he knew [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] is [Music] where did [Music] foreign [Music] is [Music] i will lift my eyes [Music] foreign [Music] from [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] know [Music] [Music] age [Music] and your name's the only one we pray we hallelujah [Music] knees [Music] everything [Music] we will [Music] [Music] so we are thank you jeremiah so we want to welcome everybody on the live stream shabbat shalom to you alrighty did everybody have a good thanksgiving that side of the room okay not so much on this side watch it yes dressing so i'm having to dress to cover up the dressing anyway i hope everyone had a good thanksgiving um glad everyone is here glad to see everyone once again we have several people who are not feeling all that well these days and we want to make sure that we remember them in our prayers and our con our thoughts uh nothing serious as far as i know and everybody's just kind of got the sniffles and this that and the other same stuff that's been going around so but we want to remember everybody it's in prayer um if you will let's go ahead and stand and we're going to go to the father in prayer now and just ask him to be with us today and to bless our our gathering amen amen all right i know you're out of practice yes there we go that's what i like do it to it man [Laughter] i wish i had that energy anyway father we thank you for this day god of abraham isaac and jacob we come to you father grateful and thankful not just one day out of a year but each and every day we want to thank you for all your goodness to your people we want to thank you father for those blessings that you bestow upon us we thank you father for provision and protection we thank you for health we thank you for everything that you've given to us and sometimes we understand that those things that you bestow upon us our flesh doesn't really care for but we know that in the end everything you allow everything you orchestrate is in the best interest of your people according to your purpose so we are grateful to you most of all we are grateful to you for your forgiveness your compassion your long-suffering your mercy your willingness father to continue to work with us and in us and through us in spite of us at times we are grateful for that most of all we are grateful that you sent your son who took upon himself our penalties and our our guilt and pay the ultimate price so that we might be reconciled to you that we might call you abba father and so father we do call upon you today to come into this place to gather with us to be with us if your presence does doesn't go with us we don't want to go everything that is done here today father we pray that it will be welcoming to your presence that it will be pleasing in your sight that it will be favorable in your eyes that every prayer every song every word is is pleasing to you and let it be that each and everything that is done and is an act an expression of worship that it will sanctify your name that it will lift up yeshua our messiah and as this occurs that your presence would give your people shalom would give your people encouragement would give your people healing physically mentally emotionally in every way so that when we leave here today we will know not just in our head but in every facet of our being that we will know that we have been in your presence today if there is anything in our hearts and lives that would impede your spirit working in us today father please forgive us bring those things to our attention that we might turn from them father we pray that you will remove anything that would impede your work in this room today we pray for all of our friends and family members that are in the live stream that are scattered throughout this country and many others that the peace and the shalom and the presence that we feel here today that they will feel in their homes in their living rooms and their bedrooms and wherever they're meeting we pray father that today as one family that we might be scattered abroad that we will be one voice that lifts up the name of the almighty the god of abraham isaac and jacob and these things we pray and ask and we believe you for because we come to you in the name that is above all the name of yeshua our messiah amen and our man just please continue to [Music] stand [Music] is [Music] [Music] can [Music] how lovely how long [Music] [Music] israel [Music] and in my great compassion i will come into your house there i will bow there i will feel [Music] [Music] we could have our shofar shofar choir come on up [Music] so hanukkah is just just around the corner and hanukkah is one of those times it's a season that tells us that in the midst of the worst circumstance in the midst of darkness nevertheless there is light and messiah came into this world as the light of the world teaching that you and i are also the light of the world and so we are the we are to be the light that reflects his authority his will his heart in this world and we are to be those who proclaim his word in this day and time and so the sound of the shofar reminds us that we as vessels are to proclaim his word his goodness his intentions and his plan in spite of those who would want to silence us so when we hear the sound of the shofar let's just kind of recommit within ourselves that we're not going to be silenced we're going to speak his words [Music] amen [Music] cheers [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] alone [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] my [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] is [Music] [Music] community [Music] [Applause] me [Music] [Applause] [Music] and [Music] together you can see [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] like [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] hi [Music] hey man good morning y'all everybody feeling okay am i glad to be back this week [Music] that's pretty good i'll take let it make sure i got the right there we go [Music] is [Music] is [Music] is [Music] bless it be your name [Music] the sun is shining [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] oh [Music] bless it be the name of the lord [Music] take away [Music] lord blessed be [Music] my [Music] bless it be your name [Music] and bless it be the name of the lord blessed be your glory [Music] blessed be the glorious name amen [Music] worship his holy name [Music] sing like never before oh my soul [Music] the sun comes up it's a new it's time to sing your song again whatever may pass lies before me let me be seen [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] my [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] oh [Music] [Applause] [Music] and on that day when my strength is failing the end draws near and my time has come still my soul will your praise [Music] is holy name [Music] lord i worship your holy name [Music] give thanks to the lord our his god endures forever for he's good he is above all things with a mighty hand an outstretched arm for the life that's been reborn sing praise [Music] is [Music] from rising to the setting sun [Music] from the horizon to the settings [Music] [Music] see grace [Music] us forever forever [Music] forever [Music] forever [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] is [Music] forever [Music] so [Music] worthy is the [Music] a new song to him who sits on heaven's mercy see [Music] is with all creation i sing praise to the king of kings you are my everything and i will adore you [Music] clothed in rainbows [Music] strength [Music] is with all [Music] adore creations [Music] the mention of your name [Music] oh [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] holy [Music] is [Music] praise [Music] is before creation i sing praise to the king of kings you are my everything and i will adore you [Music] [Music] we will serve [Music] is [Music] you [Music] and as for me and my house [Music] is [Music] [Applause] [Music] you're [Music] like [Music] whom you will serve [Music] we will [Music] [Music] we will not bounce with [Music] is [Music] no [Music] oh [Music] there's [Music] there is no one else like you for your name is holy [Music] holy for your name is holy holy [Music] for your name [Music] for your name is holy [Music] is [Music] foreign [Music] holy [Music] for your name is holy [Music] holy is no one else like you [Music] you are holding your holy [Music] there is no one else [Music] i think this is the the issue that's taking shape today the question that is put to us is who are we going to serve who is going to be sovereign in our life god or government man or emmanuel [Music] that's what's taking shape and so what do you say [Music] there's a song that's kind of associated with this season i won't sing it it's called who is likened to you o lord among the gods and that as i understand it was a rallying cry or uh maybe even a war cry for those who fought that battle in the in that during that season of hanukkah and it just i don't think anything's an accident you know i don't think that anything's coincidental and we just see the things that are going on around us and all of it boils down to who are we going to serve we need to decide that today for the battle that's coming tomorrow amen [Music] so apparently the weight of his glory is so heavy it's causing the roof to leak so it's raining inside but it's not outside i'm not we'll take that as a sign of blessing amen but in all seriousness we need to choose today who we're going to serve and i think that's he's just allowing things to touch our lives to kind of orchestrate situations where we make those decisions so father we probably do not appreciate the the depths and the extent of what we we say but we collectively as a people we declare today that we choose to serve you and with that declaration we know that there comes a great responsibility that we are those that you have called in this day and time to declare that you and you alone are holy you and you alone are god you and you alone are sovereign you and you alone determine what is right and what is wrong and so as your people we are determined we want to purpose within our hearts today and every day that we will live lives that declare that in our words and our actions and our thoughts and our deeds and i just pray father that is as we go forward in your name that you will strengthen the weak that you'll encourage the discouraged father that you will heal those that are brokenhearted that you will bind up those who are wounded so that we might be those that you use in this day and time to declare your purposes in this earth [Music] when elijah gathered israel on mount carmel remember what the question was basically who are you going to serve are you going to serve the lord are you going to serve baal choose you this day who you're going to serve and when the people declared the lord the lord he is god then he answered them he demonstrated that he alone was sovereign in the universe and i know i keep saying this in some way or the other repeatedly but it's because this is what i feel in my heart very strongly that there is coming soon coming a day when the almighty is going to demonstrate himself in a way that the nations will have to concede that this is god but more importantly we as his people will have to acknowledge that this is the hand of the lord [Applause] and when that happens and when that happens i pray and may it be your prayer that the fear of god will fall upon the entire world now i mean that for ourselves too because i think we could use a healthy dose of the fear and the reverence of the almighty amen so again father we acknowledge that you alone are god [Music] and as our god you have called us to assemble on this day to set apart in our hearts and lives because you set it apart in the beginning so if everyone will join with me in the vishamuru and we are just going to profess proclaim that this is a day that the almighty said is sanctified say it with me please and the lord spoken to moses saying speak thou also unto the children of israel saying verily my sabbaths you shall keep for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations that ye may know that i am the lord that doth sanctify you wherefore the children of israel shall keep the sabbath to observe the sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant it is a sign between me and the children of israel forever for in six days the lord made heaven and earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed in mark 12 it said that one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together perceiving that he had answered them well ask him which is the first commandment of all and he replied the first of all the commandments is hear o israel the lord our god the lord is one and you shall love the lord your god with all your heart with all your soul with all your mind with all your strength this is the first commandment and the second like it is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself there is no other commandment greater than this [Music] say that again [Music] is [Music] is [Music] [Music] o israel the lord our god the lord is one blessed be his name and his glorious kingdom forever amen [Music] and you shall love the lord your god with all of your heart with all of your soul with all of your mind with all of [Music] you shall love your neighbor as yourself [Music] and upon these two commandments stands a whole long love your neighbor love your god [Music] and you shall love the lord your god with [Music] amen now be a good time to shake hands say hello say shout out shalom to somebody [Music] and gentlemen when we bring in the hoopa stay down this way [Music] [Music] all right if we could have all of our little bitties first our itty bittys come on up young young boys and girls come on y'all come on and press on into the middle please just everybody come on in with all of our boys and girls their sons and daughters moms dads if you need to bring them bring them back here kind of make way for those coming in behind you down toward the doors y'all make way for those that are coming in behind you [Music] squeeze in as much as you can without getting too uncomfortable so with the hoopa here and water coming down it's like sukkot [Music] apparently marlene when we were working on the ark we forgot to pitch right there if everyone would i want you to stand and i want you to extend your hands toward our sons and our daughters once again we want to remember those who are not here with us there's some who are home not feeling well there are some that are old and have gone on and there's somewhere else in the world but if they're ours they're never far from our heart and if they're in our hearts they're in the heart of our heavenly father and so we believe that when we bless them wherever they are here or afar that his hand will be with them to lead and guide them let's bless our children may the lord protect and defend you may he always shield you from shame [Music] may you come to be in israel a shining name [Music] and may you be like ruth and like david may you be deserving of praise strengthen them o lord and keep them from the stranger's ways and may god bless you long lost may god make you good husbands and wives [Music] may the lord protect and defend you favor them o lord with happiness and peace [Music] heavenly father we just want to thank you for allowing us to be here today we love you and we praise you and we thank you for all the children that are here and those that are online we just thank you for the families that they represent pray that you will uh be with them guide them and protect them as we go forth yeshua's name thank you you may return to your seat [Music] so [Music] thank you gentlemen and i also want to thank tony and ryan from the exodus road band for standing in and helping us out today [Applause] [Music] [Applause] my filipino daughter was not feeling all the way up to par you say fellow pino or filipino filipino a filipino daughter what did it sound like i said it's not like said fellow pinot no i don't know i don't have a fellow penile [Music] my filipino daughter was not feeling up to par just yet she's uh so anyway thank this got way off track thank you tony thank you ryan we appreciate you helping us out today and heather and brandon and um thank you for all of you for being here today is everybody doing well yeah all right i'm going to make a very quick announcement as they're we're bringing some more chairs in here get people situated as as always we've got another congregation out there in the hallway that the cameras can't see um really quick i wanted to make certain that everybody again is aware of our hanukkah gathering which is going to begin on thursday evening december the 17th and it'll be thursday evening pretty much all day on friday and then most of the day on shabbat the 19th and it's going to be held at what are they well brandon stepped out are they calling is still calling it oci or is it okay is that still the oci building okay so the oci building which will seat something like 3 000 4 000 something like that i don't think we're going to hit that mark but we are up around 600 right now that are registered so um if you are wanting to come planning to come make sure that you go to hanukkah2020.org i think is the website get registered it's a free event it doesn't cost to attend the event but i think tomorrow is the deadline for if you want to have a ticket for the uh the shabbat lunch we need to know by tomorrow i think that's the the deadline and so we do need you to if you're going to do that do that quickly but anyway we're hoping that everyone who's registered and then some are going to come room is not going to be an issue for once in our congregational experience space is not going to be an issue um and so we're looking forward to that so again that's december 17th 18th and 19th so we look forward to seeing everybody there i know we've got a lot of folks coming from out of town i saw saw that with some folks are coming from new jersey california oklahoma texas mississippi all over the place of course um melissa elwine and mark mcclendon are going to be our other speakers and i'm looking forward to seeing them alrighty do i need to say anything else bethany is that pretty much not right now okay all right we're going to go to our tour portion called the isla and it means and he sent he sent out and it begins in genesis chapter 32 in verse three and in this portion what we see is that jacob's flight from esau now comes full circle he's headed back into the land of canaan and he is going to have to encounter the one who has uh vowed to kill him so as he's approaching canaan that is jacob esau is approaching him and according to the text he's got a 400 man army so we'll begin reading verse 3 of genesis 32. it said then jacob sent by islam that's where it gets the the name of the torah portion then jacob sent messengers before him to esau his brother in the land of sierra the country of adam and he commanded them saying speak thus to my lord esau thus your servant jacob says i have i have dwelt with lavon and stayed there until now i have oxen donkeys flocks and male and female servants and i have sent to tell my lord that i may find favor in your sight then the messengers returned to jacob saying we came to your brother esau and he also is coming to meet you and 400 men are with him and so jacob was greatly afraid and distressed and i mean it only makes sense that if the person who you know has vowed to kill you is coming to meet you with 400 guys it doesn't sound like he needs that many people to kiss and make up so it sounds like there's something else on his mind and so it's it only makes sense that jacob would be distressed in fact in genesis 27 backtracking to last week's torah portion in verse 41 it said that esau hated jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him and esau said in his heart the days of mourning for my father are at hand then i will slay my brother jacob but the point i want to get into today is this it is or was inevitable that jacob was going to have to confront esau in order to enter and to possess the land prophetically when later on when moses is leading the children of israel and then under joshua's leadership the people coming into the land that generation they had to confront things they had to face certain things including esau in members of his family along with all the giants and the fortified cities and so there is a pattern i believe that's established here that says in order for us to possess the land which i equate to functioning in our purpose and we make a big deal of that around here to function in our purpose it's not so much about the form as it is the function what you do i i kind of make this kind of a joke but but really isn't in my mind if you have to put on your calling card that you are a prophet you probably aren't if you have to what did you say you hear that okay well that was the intention well and i and i'm serious about this if you have to put on your card or advertise what you are maybe it's because you aren't but if you are functioning in that office if you're functioning in that role or that purpose you don't have to tell anybody what you are it will become evident what you are it will become obvious who and what you are you know i'm getting off topic just a little bit but i might as well while i'm here a lot of people come up to me and say what should we refer to you as my answer is bill not this not that title no no i mean i i appreciate the respect and all those kinds of things but i'm bill and so if you can't respect me as bill first why should i require you to respect me as something else right that's how it should be with us as a people we should function in our purpose we do what we're called to do and let those good deeds speak for themselves and when they do guess what they're not going to bring attention to you and to me they're going to bring glory unto our father in heaven right so if we're going to do that if we're going to function in our purpose if we're going to possess the land as it were we're going to have to confront the obstacles that are in the land the fortified cities the giants and those who have sworn to destroy us so all that time that jacob was away in syria the creator could have just as easily pinched esau's little head off and that had been the end of it but he didn't which then connects us to the idea when satan rebelled and fell why didn't he just wipe him out then and there he didn't he left those obstacles there in order that god's people would have to confront those obstacles the giants the fortified cities that the one generation shied away from and just were not willing to go and to confront the creator didn't remove those giants and fortified cities they were left intact for another generation because those same giants were there those same fortified cities were there when that other generation came into the land of canaan to possess the land those who refuse to encounter and engage and face those enemies those were the people who were compelled to wander until they died numbers chapter 14 verse 28 this is after the the ten spies have given the evil report the people are going and murmuring in their tents you brought us out here to kill us kill our children etc so in verse 28 he says as i live says the lord just as you have spoken in my hearing so i will do to you the carcasses of you who have complained against me shall fall in this wilderness because that's what they said was going to happen all of you who were numbered according to your entire number from 20 years old and above except for caleb the son of efuna and joshua the son of nun who shall by no but you shall by no means enter the land which i swore i would make you dwell in but here's what i wanted to really emphasize with this verse but your little ones whom you said would be victims i will bring in and they shall know the land which you have despised my point in reading this is if you're going to possess the land you're going to have to face the giants if we're going to function in our purpose we're going to have to overcome the fortified cities if we're going to be the people that god has called us to be in this day and time that we're going to have to confront esau as it were we're going to have to face our enemies we're going to have to face that which causes us to fear god doesn't remove those things from our path he leaves them there and on purpose because you see if we don't face them and if we don't overcome them then those things are going to be magnified even more so in our minds in other words those things that we fear will become as gods in our mind because we'll fear them more than we fear him and so he leaves those things in our lives he leaves those things in our paths not to badger us not to destroy us but that we would be compelled to face them and as he leads and as he gives us strength and as he gives us instruction we encounter and we overcome those things i'm going to go back a little bit in the book of exodus or actually i guess i'm going forward to the book of exodus remember the encounter between moses and aaron they're going to go into pharaoh for the very first time the god of our fathers the god of the hebrews has sent us to you to tell you that you are to let our people go that we can keep a feast unto the lord and what did pharaoh say i don't know who yode vape is i don't know the lord that i should let israel go i'm not going to let him go i'm not going to let you go as a matter of fact here's what we're going to do apparently you've got so much time on your hands that you have time to go out and fetch your own straw and yet make the same number of bricks and of course when the elders of israel found out about this they got all riled up they went into pharaoh you're giving us an impossible task and pharaoh's response to them was what i've said i've said so let it be written so let it be done right so now as the elders of israel are coming just for you diane so as the elders of israel are coming out and moses and aaron are there here's what they say to moses and aaron in chapter 5 verse 21 let the lord look on you and judge because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of pharaoh and in the sight of his servants to put a sword in their hand to kill us in other words it seems to me that they're they're more upset with moses than they are with pharaoh and why are they more upset with moses than they are pharaoh i would argue it's because they fear pharaoh more than they do the word of the lord they put more emphasis on what pharaoh says than what the word of the lord is and so in a sense pharaoh had also become a god little g in the hearts of many of his own people not that they worshipped him and adored him or anything like that but they feared him and they revered him and the things that we fear and the things that we revere are the things that we will gravitate toward and so again it seems to me that god will now not allow those people places and things that cause us to shudder and calls us to stay up at night he will not allow those things to remain because if he were to do that it would permit as i said these things to remain as a god in our lives but by allowing them to remain it is also inferred that there will come a time when his people will have to face those things head on because if we are to serve the one and only god we sang this morning we sing almost every week in some form or fashion we're not going to serve anybody but the one and only god we will not bow to the gods of man we declare right because there is only one who is holy well we're going to have to put that to the test he will make certain that we are put to the test to demonstrate that you know peter three times denied that he even knew yeshua as these events were unfolding he was going to be crucified and if you will recall three times later on yeshua asked him do you love me do you love me do you love me and after asking him those three times in a manner of speaking what yeshua told peter was you said that you would die for me if called upon and in a matter of speaking what yeshua told him in the gospel of john was after the resurrection you're going to get another chance to prove that point if we declare that we will serve only him we are going to have to understand that there will come times and a very climactic time in our life when that will be put to the test and we will have to demonstrate whether we are going to serve him or serve others and by that we are going to have to face those things that we fear they have to go when god judged the gods of egypt it was to demonstrate to the egyptians that their gods were nothing gods but it wasn't just to demonstrate it to the egyptians it was to demonstrate it to the hebrews as well that the egyptian gods were nothing to fear and that included pharaoh that he was nothing to fear the god of israel and he alone is to be feared isaiah 8 verse 12 do not say a conspiracy concerning all that this people call a conspiracy nor be afraid of their threats nor be troubled the lord of hosts him you shall hallow or sanctify or set apart let him be your fear and let him be your dread if i might just kind of comment on that there are a lot of conspiracy theories going around and have been for a long time now the thing is some of them aren't theories some of them are actually conspiracies some are actually happening nevertheless what does the creator say to his people do not fear them don't be troubled don't be afraid of their threats i've been asked several times today bill are you going to take the vaccine no i'm not okay hold on here's what's behind that answer okay i'm not going to let that threat of fear and intimidation provoked me to do something i might regret later now if you want to do it that's your business i'm just saying here's what's behind it we cannot allow fear of this fear of that one fear of this institution fear of this agency we cannot allow those things to become a god in our mind our heart we need to hear from him now so i'll say this if he tells you to do it do it okay but make sure he tells you to do this to do this to do that not to do this not to do that because he is to be the one that we fear he is to be the one that we revere he is the one that we we answer to amen jeremiah chapter 5 verse 22 he says to his people do you not fear me says the lord will you not tremble at my presence who have placed the sand as the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass beyond it and though its waves toss to and fro yet they cannot prevail though they roar they cannot pass over it if you'll allow me to just insert instead of the sea and the waves tossing to and fro and roaring i want you to just insert man and men's agendas and their plans and their purposes they will toss to and fro they will roar they'll make a lot of noise but the creator has set boundaries and they can roar all they want to but they will not pass any boundary that he has established and therefore you and i need to place our trust and our confidence in the one who has set those boundaries and if he allows something someone to touch our lives in a way that our flesh doesn't necessarily care for that i have to conclude that he's allowing it because there's something in my heart and my life that needs to be adjusted and in the end it will be in my best interest and to serve his purposes but we are not to fear these men we are not to fear these agencies we are not to fear these institutions we are not to fear these viruses whatever it is because we can't afford for those things to become a god in our minds in our lives so again the point should be obvious here as his people we are to fear him and to fear him alone we are to revere him above all others and so then it would i think is logical and it certainly consistent for god to cause israel cause his people to face those things that they fear and so here in this torah portion i believe that there is a precedent established when jacob is compelled to confront esau up until this time for 20 years anyway well even before he went to syria jacob has struggled with men starting in the womb he has struggled with men like esau he struggled with people like lavonne and he's overcome through will persistency perseverance even using his wits all of these things and in that regard you know persevering in spite of being accused and threatened and all these things in that regard he had proved himself to be worthy of the title israel yet there was that one other thing that had to be addressed before he could get that name bestowed upon him and so then there are those adversaries that we have in our lives and it doesn't necessarily have to be a person but there are those adversaries in our lives that we have to overcome if we are going to function in our purpose there are some of those adversaries that cannot be overcome with just perseverance alone and just wit alone and those kinds of things sometimes it takes an encounter with the almighty we have to sometimes struggle with god to get to that place i think i've shared this thought with you before there are there have been times in my life when i've struggled with god not this situation or that person but i've struggled with god and basically the struggle boiled down to this i know you're god i know you can do whatever you want i know you did it for him i know you did it for them but will you do it for me that's what i'm not certain of will you do it for me now the answer that i have been given in those occasions is he will do it for me he will do it for you he will do it for his people it may not look like what we thought it was going to look like it may not happen when we wanted it to happen but he will do these things for his people because his word says that he will do these things for his people the point being though it's during those times that i've struggled not with men but with god that i feel like that i have overcome certain things even certain fears but it's that struggle it's during that time that he says you're not going to be called jacob anymore you're going to be called israel so jacob has sent the messengers out to tell esau i'm coming back home then he finds out esau has already found out apparently he's coming to meet you and he's got 400 guys with him and of course that was what caused jacob to be greatly afraid he was very distressed because again it doesn't say specifically but it seems to me that esau's purpose in bringing 400 guys with him it doesn't sound like a getting together for thanksgiving you know kind of an event it's i don't know anyway but though he was distressed nevertheless jacob took action he did not allow his fear and his distress to immobilize him i just want to expound on that just a little bit sometimes we can get so overcome with fear doubt uncertainty even just exhaustion that we can allow ourselves to become immobilized have you ever had so many things to do that you didn't know where to start and so you just didn't do anything see a lot of people bowing their heads in shame right now all right well imagine being so overwhelmed overwhelmed with fear and distress and uncertainty that you just allow that to immobilize you that is not what we we can't afford to do that we cannot allow those kind of things to immobilize it so jacob took action first thing he does is he prays for protection good first move i would say the second thing he does is he tries to turn esau's anger to goodwill by sending gifts that's in verses 13 through 21 now here's what the bible says proverbs 15 1 a soft answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger so here's why i wanted to bring this out real quick when it comes to our adversaries and you can just think for just a moment who that might be but when it comes to our adversaries there are those occasions when i think and i believe the bible backs this up it would be wise to try if possible to live peaceably in other words it might not be wise to provoke your adversary unnecessarily it probably wouldn't be the best thing to walk up to your adversary whose mind in his own business and stick your finger in his eye it might provoke him to anger here's what paul has to say repay no repay no one evil for evil have regard for good things in the sight of all men if it is possible did you hear that part if it is possible as much as depends on you here's your stake in this live peaceably with all men beloved do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to wrath for it is written vengeance is mine i will repay says the lord so paul was a pretty smart guy don't you think he was not a new testament scholar by the way but he was a biblical scholar he knew the torah he knew the prophets he knew the writings and he is saying if it's possible as much as it depends on you and what you do and the actions you take and those that you don't try to live peaceably with all men right but he also leaves the door open to this sometimes it's not possible sometimes people force you into a situation sometimes they come up and poke their finger in your eye but you know i'm we have to defer to the messiah first of all i mean he has a mission he has a focus on a purpose to function in that purpose and he wasn't going to allow nyanya over here in nyanya over there and that threat from over here and this conspiracy over there to deter him and derail him from doing what he was placed here to do that's the standard and as he's going about that we do not see him provoking his enemies or taunting his enemies not typically anyway he just continued to go about his father's business and then there are those times when the adversary would confront him and you know what he did basically this shut up get out and he kept on trucking he kept on doing what the father had given him to do now there are those times when he had to speak very authoritatively he was even a little i don't know aggressive you bunch of snakes you're a bunch of white-washed sepulchers full of dead men's bones that's pretty aggressive in my mind there are those times when oh i don't know he went up to a guy had a table all the stuff on it and he turned it over and then he got a whip and chase people out of his father's house and there's the difference those times that he was aggressive you might say he wasn't defending himself necessarily he was being zealous for his father's house it says and so there are those times that he while he didn't taunt his enemies he didn't provoke them he continued to do his business when they confronted him when they provoked him there are some times that he responded and each time we believe he responded appropriately my point is this if we are shown here in our torah portion an example of an attempt anyway to try to live peaceably with those who are maybe more powerful than us rather than provoking them into a fight might be a good course of action to try and then we'll see what happens but then there are those times that we must be prepared to fight there are occasions that we must take proper action so not only did jacob pray for guidance for protection not only did he make an attempt to alleviate any animosity or aggression on esau's part but he also prepared if necessary to take a stand and to fight and i i say that especially in concern especially in consideration the fact that we're coming into that season of hanukkah which is about what there came a time when people said i've had all i can stands and i can't stands no more you're right moms and dads explain that to your children later please there are times when we are got to quit with the voices there are those times when we find a crisis that we can't figure out what to do just just yet the first thing we should do is always turn to our father and ask him for direction ask him for protection but even when we do that we still have the responsibility to make wise and practical decisions we have things that we're supposed to do i mean the story of hanukkah i want to get too involved with that because we'll talk about that in more detail in the next couple of weeks god gave them the victory but he still expected them to do their part right the children of israel were assured of victory when they went into the land i'm going to go before you i've already turned it over to you but they still had to do what they had to pick up a sword and they had to march into the land they had to do their part and so there are those times that we are going to be faced with these kinds of decisions that we have to make and so if you knew the coming crisis and you know that there's something looming out there on the horizon of course we're just speaking hypothetically all is well right but if you know there is a crisis that they're looming on the horizon now is the time to determine who you're going to serve now is the time to decide who you're going to place your trust and your confidence in now is the time to decide who you are going to listen to and to whose voice are you going to heed so if it comes down to someone forcing me to replace my fear of god with fear of them i may have to stand and fight if i can't live peaceably with them if they're going to force me to make the decision to replace my fear of god with a fear of them then we're going to have to fight and here's why because i can't allow fear of this and that to become a god in my mind in my heart i don't want to have to i don't want to have to do those things none of us do but it seems to me that things are taking shape where the father is going to require that we face our fears those things those people places and things that we that we fear so how do i know the difference how will i know when it's time to try to live peaceably between the time when we have to take a stand and by fighting you do understand that i'm speaking of a metaphorical sword here right our fight is spiritual we're not warring against flesh and blood here we're warring against we're we're involved in all this stuff that's going on up here in the spiritual world that's what we're that's where what our fight is and that's what i mean i don't want anybody to get any ideas you know i i know you all have your don't tread on me flags and come and take it flags and all those kinds of things you know but in the end if we're in a spiritual battle we're not going to win it through conventional means yes sometimes we have to do things in the natural and the physical don't misunderstand me but i want to emphasize the spiritual part of this more than anything else so again if someone is going to try to coerce me manipulate me force me even through legislation through mandates to replace my fear of the almighty with a fear of them and what they can do i'm going to fight i'm going to take a stand because what are we what are we admonished what are we encouraged to do not to fear those who can destroy this body but to fear that one who he not only can destroy this body but he can toss me into sheol he's the one we need to fear so we're presented with a pattern for those things how we should respond to certain things what we should try those things that we need to be prepared to do and we're also presented with a pattern for those things that have happened in times past and for things that i believe will happen in the future first of all jacob's tactics were basically this he prayed he sent gifts ahead and then he started dividing everybody up into two companies with the idea that if esau attacks one he won't get the other somebody will survive there'll be a remnant and so that's the idea he he kind of scattered israel that's the way i'm going to put it he scattered israel so that the enemy couldn't destroy everyone he said in verse 28 if esau attacks one then the other which is left shall escape so israel is divided in part to survive the attacks from edom and i'm not just saying then because later on because you know edom has always been israel's primary antagonist and so for many many years now israel has been divided hasn't it and it has been scattered and on one hand we understand that that was the consequence of spiritual idolatry excuse me spiritual adultery idolatry those kinds of things but also it served the purpose of making certain that in spite of the adversary and his will to destroy god's people if they were scattered about he couldn't he couldn't get them all so that was part of it as well and of course in first kings chapter 12 when the nations divided into north and the south and the 10 tribes went uh went on their own in first kings chapter 12 verse 24 god said through an unnamed prophet this thing is from me in other words the dividing of the nation then factored into god's plan so the pattern was established when jacob divided his company into two so in first kings 12 and this is the point i wanted to make when god said this thing is of me fighting was not the answer civil war is what it would have come to but god said this thing is of me and so civil war was not endorsed at that time because he said it would be basically for people to go to war in spite of what he had said it would be working against his plan and his purposes and how many of you know we need to hear his voice and know what his plan is and to fulfill his purpose but also in this torah portion in what jacob did we also see a hint of what is to come in the future by that i mean our day and time there is going to be a time when israel will have to engage and once and for all overcome esau and all of his allies psalm 83 verse 1 do not keep silent o god do not hold your peace and do not be still o god for behold your enemies are making a tumult they're making a bunch of noise how many of you would agree with me that that is exactly what's happening right now those who hate you have lifted up their head and see here is the reality it's it's not so much that they hate you and me but the spirit that guides and influences them hates him and his word and his purpose but they come against you and me this is what's happened they have taken crafty counsel against your people and consulted together against your sheltered ones or hidden ones some translations say your treasured ones and so there are those that get behind closed doors and they conspire so not everything is just a conspiracy theory there are conspiracies out there and they are consulting together against your people he says here they have said come and let us cut them off from being a nation that the name of israel may be remembered no more i don't want to get too far off in this but we understand that name is also synonymous with reputation and authority right okay so these who are conspiring do not want the name shall we say the reputation and authority that israel has in the world they want that to be eradicated now what would provoke someone to take that position every time the world begins to recognize that there are more of them than there are of us then they begin to conspire they begin to plot and to scheme how to destroy them in other words what's motivating them fear so why should we be fearful of those who are fearful of the one who dwells inside of us why should we dread those who dread the one who dwells inside of us because greater is he right greater is he than anyone who is in this world i mean we've all heard that all of our lives but now things are being orchestrated we're going to get to walk this out we're going to be able to put this into action they have said come and let us cut them off from being a nation that the name of israel may be remembered no more for they have consulted together with one consent they form a confederacy against you and then he goes on to talk about who they are the tents of edom and the ishmaelites which are the primary two the first two he mentions edom esau all right so their idea is they want to they want to wipe them out right because when israel is walking upright when israel is functioning and their purpose when god's people are doing what they're supposed to be doing the adversary is very intimidated by that not of me he's not afraid of me he's not afraid of you but i guarantee you he's afraid of the one who dwells in you the one who lives in us [Applause] israel is a threat to the adversary plain and simple and so again when the people of the world begin to conspire and plot and scheme how to steal how to kill how destroy i guarantee you it's because maybe not the person or persons but the spirit that influences them understands that there are more of us than there are of them when elijah was by himself and he thought he was alone left he was the only prophet left the almighty told him get off of that man i have seven thousand more who have not yet bowed the knee to baal we're not the only ones who are feeling and sensing these things and and saying these things the father has an army of people throughout this world who have not and will not bow the knee to baal and so we need to be encouraged by the fact that the god who moves here is moving there and there and all over this planet amen all right so jacob's preparing to meet esau and if need be fight so in the middle of that what's going on there in verse 30 excuse me verse 10 of chapter 32 as he's praying in the midst of that prayer he makes this acknowledgement i am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you've shown to your servant i'm not worthy of all your benefits and your blessings for with only my staff i cross this jordan and now i have become two camps please deliver me from the hand of my brother from the hand of esau for i fear him that he may come and attack me the mothers with their children and so he recognizes god's goodness he recognizes god's blessing that has been bestowed upon him and he recognizes that i'm unworthy to receive these things i can identify with that but in the midst of that he still acknowledges but i'm afraid of esau i fear him and maybe not so much of what esau can do to me but what he can do to my wife and what he can do to my children and what he can do to my grandchildren and i don't think there's a man or woman in this room who couldn't identify with that it's one thing for all these things in the world be going on and how it might affect me but it's my little one's i think it's my children and my sons and my daughter and my granddaughter and what what's what's going to happen to them what kind of a world are they going to live in and that's when i'm reminded that those people who thought god brought them out into that wilderness just to drop them off to let them all die to them he said your little ones that you're so worried about they'll be the ones to possess the land if you're not willing to do it i'll raise them up and they'll do it and so that then should encourage us all and provoke us all not to be okay with wandering and dying in the wilderness but be the people who are willing to go forward believing that our god goes before us in spite of the numbers the enemy has in spite of the fortified cities in spite of the plots and the schemes and the plans there are more of us than there are of them and even if that doesn't mean necessarily there are more of us in the flesh it's like the prophet told when he prayed and said god open the heavens open this guy's eye so that he can see that there are more who are with us than those who are with them we are not to fear and to dread anyone other than the almighty he acknowledges that he is afraid of esau maybe that's why he sent so many servants with so many presents to make it seem that was very large very impressive perhaps it was to give the impression that those with jacob were more numerous nevertheless it was at the very least born out of the fact that he said i fear esau now rabbinical commentary and i only state this because i'm going to compare something to this commentary rabbinical commentary suggests that this is the preferred method when dealing with esau in the end of days that is you know to send gifts and to bow and those kinds of things and to try to turn his wrath before resorting to war however in the end the bible makes it very clear that it will come to a war with edom that's according to scripture and here's why because after jacob and esau parted company and by the way we won't read it but there's this exchange when esau says who the leagues all belong to well they're mine the lord our god has blessed me and then he says well why don't you follow me jacob and we'll go back to mount sierra and we'll just get together and get re-reacquainted and stuff and jacob says well you know we've been traveling a lot the kids are tired you know the pets are all you know they're slowing us down you know how that can be so really we really don't need to go to your house just now let me go get settled first and once we get settled then i'll come over to your house and mounts the air and we'll get reacquainted however the bible makes it very clear it seems to me anyway that it's clear he never did that he never went to his house and then that's when he saw him say well if you're not going to come with me then let some of my guys stay with you and jacob said well the point being that and that question by the way is never answered it's just kind of left dangling out there my point is that when esau and jacob parted company then even though they embraced even though there were tears and maybe a kiss the bible makes it clear that he saws wrath and hatred and antagonism toward jacob it never changed in fact in amos chapter 1 verse 11 thus says the lord for three transgressions of edom and for four i will not turn away its punishment because he pursued his brother with the sword and cast off all pity his anger tore perpetually and he kept his wrath forever all of that is to say that esau not just the man but those who were his descendants and even beyond that and most importantly for our day and time those who adopt the mindset of esau those who adopt the lifestyle of esau those who adopt the same spirit is esau these people hate jacob they're never going to be content to live alongside of jacob i hope you understand what i mean by that by jacob israel they're never going to be content they're always going to be aggressive sometimes you know they may be a little quieter than normal but according to psalm 83 there comes a point in time they start to raise their heads and make a bunch of racket and the reason they're making the bunch of racket is because they're meeting behind closed doors to conspire and plot against god's people because the one who influences them hates him at war with him and so we're going to be at war with them you and i apparently got picked to be in this war the confrontation with esau is inevitable cannot be avoided if god's people are going to possess the land if we are going to function in our purpose and therefore we cannot afford to fear him in such a way that we would abandon our purpose bear with me just a minute here we are encouraged to be good citizens wherever we live we are encouraged to try to live peaceably in whatever situation we find ourselves in and to respect those that god has raised up who lead us but we are also encouraged by the almighty when pressed to make a choice whom shall you serve to take a stand that says we will serve him alone it is going to take courage it is going to take purpose of heart in the days and months and years before or before us if we are going to do that we cannot allow anything anyone to be those that we fear more than him regardless of the cost we got picked to be in this battle and that's the war that's the battle and it seems to me then that the ultimate battle is this to be able to suppress the carnal inclination the fleshly desires my wants my want my desires what i would be happier with to suppress to overcome and eradicate those things that it is no longer i who lives but it's messiah who lives in me isaiah 62 a very important scripture in my life the beginning of it says this i will not keep silent until he makes jerusalem a praise in this earth i will not keep silent until his will has been performed and so we will we must not allow anything anyone any threat any ploy any scheme and and tactic of the enemy to silence god's people not when it comes to speaking and declaring his words would you agree with that one last thing here i want to get into when i idea or concept that comes from this tour portion again it seems that this confrontation with esau and i want to re-emphasize this the sword i'm referring to is the sword of the spirit the weapons that i'm referring to aren't carnal those aren't the weapons of our warfare right but we're in a spiritual war we're in a spiritual battle yes there it will be manifest in our lives in this physical realm and we will do we will not do we will say we will not say based on what's going on inside this heart but i don't want anybody to think that i'm saying that you should get a bunch of staves and clubs and torches and you know do things like that but i am saying that this this con this confrontation is inevitable and so more specifically according to the pattern that we see here it would seem that joseph is going to be the last of the tribes to encounter esau let's go to chapter 33 verse 1. now jacob lifted his eyes and looked and there esau was coming and with him were 400 men and so he divided the children among leia rachel and the two maidservants and he put the maid servants and their children in front laying her children behind and rachel and joseph last so as this procession it moves toward esau it's going to be the handmaiden and their children that confront esau initially then it's going to be leia and her children that confront esau and then finally at the last it's going to be rachel and joseph and if she had conceived by then benjamin who knows but joseph for certain here's the point that word in hebrew is if you can show that for me jonathan for those who like to look at the hebrew name it means the hindu most very last so he was at the end of the column so to speak as they're approaching esau to confront him and to to engage him and acharon this this word here is the plural form of it simply means the last the latter or something that comes afterward in this particular case on the surface it's just saying that joseph was at the end of the column but i'm going to suggest to you that it's hinting at something prophetically psalm 102 when the lord builds up zion then he will appear in his glory and then it goes on to talk about how this shall be written for the generation to come and the generation to come that is translated from the word acharon which is to say psalm 102 was being written for the generation that was going to be at the end of days the people who are at the last so my point again if joseph is at the end then it was seen prophetically speaking joseph is going to be the last of the tribes to have to confront esau and why is that important to you and to me well because joseph the pattern first you know at least is while he ultimately and first of all speaks of the messiah the suffering servant mashiach yosef if it applies to the messiah then i will suggest you it applies to the body of messiah and so joseph is a picture a pattern as it were of the body messiah specifically those who lived outside of the land and who did not look like their brother judah okay look around the room most of us here do not look like our brother judah by the way the word acharon can also mean the west so the idea here the pattern is is that god's people in the west are some of the last to have to encounter esau but they will indeed have to encounter esau my point is that there is a climactic battle that is taking shape right now it may not be the battle that we think the not the one that we envision necessarily but nevertheless current events indicate that lines are being drawn the things are taking shape the father is orchestrating things and so it's imperative that we seek him as never before i want to tell myself here life has really gotten in the way of late life has just really gotten in the way and preoccupation with what's going over here and how that's going to affect life has really gotten in the way and so as i was coming in this morning you know i said father i please forgive me that i have not really been praying as earnestly as i should have in these last few weeks i've allowed life to get in the way and wouldn't that just be like the adversary to kind of exploit that and to manipulate that in the time that we need to be seeking him as never before that he would use things and sometimes we just let it happen ourselves but we can't let that happen we can't let life get in the way to the point that we cease doing the things that are most important and especially in the times in which we live we also need to be reminded that is israel the prophecy is that we will prevail over our enemies again ultimately we understand that the prophecy in genesis 3 15 the seat of the woman and the seat of the serpent is referring ultimately to the messiah that he would bruise the head of the serpent and in the process have his heel bruised that literally happened but we need to also understand that if it pertains to him then it pertains to us and that we too have been given the authority messiah said this in the gospel luke to trample on scorpions and serpents what was he alluding to that in him if we're walking upright the way we're supposed to that we have the authority in him to trample on the head of the serpent we may get our heel bruised in the process but nonetheless we have been given the authority in the messiah to trample on the serpents the septuagint and the vulgate translations of genesis chapter 32 verse 28 in the meaning behind or the purpose behind the name of israel render it this way you did prevail with god and you shall prevail future tense you shall prevail against men my point is that as israel the prophecy is that we are to prevail over our enemies but that is subsequent to that encounter where we struggle with god and say i'm not going to let go our enemy is the adversary and all those who are of the wicked one esau edom and what that is represented by in this world because that's what started back in genesis chapter 3 verse 15 when the creator put enmity between the woman and the serpent and their two respective seeds that word enmity basically equates to a state of war we are at war with the serpent we are at war with the adversary we are at war through those that he works through albeit our warfare is not carnal and so this speaks to his people for all time until the messiah returns and he puts an end to all of this so then if we are going to prevail if we are going to walk as israel it is understood that we will have to encounter and face esau because he is and how always has been israel's greatest antagonist and apparently one of israel's greatest fears personally if we're going to possess the land if we're going to overcome we're going to have to face our greatest fear to overcome requires it willing to have to walk upright in a way that pleases our father and so then that is why and i want to say this to all of my friends out there in the body who have not yet seen yourself as being part of this family called israel israel has been given the authority to prevail over her enemies because israel is a people of covenant who have come to the god of abraham isaac and jacob who are in covenant with him and it is to them that he has given these covenants of hope and promise and it is to them and we're not just talking genealogies and bloodlines here it is to those people of faith who identify as israel that he is given the authority to trample over and prevail over their enemies and so in the end it is going to be crucial i believe to regard yourself to see yourself as part of this people called israel and not disconnected from them in the end i'm going to close with this we're going to have to walk in that way that israel was given to walk so that all will see and not to bring honor and fame to ourselves but to bring glory unto our father in heaven and if we do that if we're faithful to do that we will prevail over our enemies we may get our heel bruised in the process it's probably going to hurt particularly our flesh but in the end we have been made the promise that we will prevail because he has prevailed amen the last scripture i want to read to you is in isaiah 14 and isaiah 14 this is the one that begins how you have fallen o lucifer son of the morning you thought you were all that but you weren't you wanted your throne to be like the most high well it didn't happen that way and in isaiah 14 he is cast down and in verse excuse me chapter 14 verse 16 it says this those who see you will gaze at you and consider you saying is this the man who made the earth tremble who shook kingdoms who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities who did not open the house of his prisoners in other words it seems to me that the creator through the prophet isaiah is saying there will come a day that god's people will look upon their adversary that's what i was afraid of that's who i feared and so if we're going to fear anyone if we're going to tremble at anyone's presence if we're going to dread anyone the creator says it should be him because if we have a healthy fear of heaven then we will be provoked to walk upright here on this earth and if we're doing that there's nothing on this earth that we need to be afraid of amen a father in heaven god of abraham isaac and jacob father i feel your presence here and may it be that as we fill your prince's presence that we tremble at your presence that in our hearts and minds and our our bodies we humble ourselves before you it says that when your presence came down into the temple on the day that it was dedicated that not even the priest could stand to minister because the weight of your glory was so strong and father i pray that your presence your spirit would cause us all to be humbled to humble ourselves to to prostrate ourselves before you and i pray father that as we humble ourselves before you we submit our will to yours that you will continue to work in our hearts and to shape and mold us into the people that you've called us to be i pray father that we will leave off with the bravado and the idol words and that we would live in a way that says we don't fear man that we fear you i pray father that you will help us today as a people to be the army that you've called us to be you are the lord of hosts you are the lord of armies and we we acknowledge that there are angelic hosts that you are lord over but we also acknowledge that in this earth you are lord over your armies here on this earth and may it be that we are faithful servants to that call i pray that you will remove all fear and doubt and uncertainty from your people that there will be clarity of mind we acknowledge that in this life in this fallen state and in this corrupt flesh we will struggle until the day that we see you as you are but we pray that you will father in the you as you said you will give us the words to say you will give us the strength that we need you will encourage help us father to hold within our hearts and never let go the fact that you who have called us to a holy purpose will not leave us and abandon us to our own devices and our own plans but that you will give us the words that you will give us to plan that you will give us the comfort and reassurance that we need that when we go against the adversary that you go before us that you are our rear guard yeshua said that wherever we go he was going to be with us until the end of the age let us be reminded of that in these days in which we live father if there's anything in our hearts and lives that are contrary to your will not pleasing to you we pray you'll forgive us wipe us clean of all guilt and all transgression because of the blood of your son yeshua that we may stand before you guiltless there is a recorded in the book of revelation there is a span of time for about 30 minutes where just a hush fell over heaven as john described it and that thought came racing through my mind and i remember from my childhood how there was there was a couple of times that something happened in the congregation and it just just got silent i pray that each of us will have that encounter where all the voices and all the noises will just be hushed so that we can hear his voice very clearly speak in that small still voice so that we'll recognize it we're going to need to father we're grateful to you thank you beth wow [Music] [Music] wow [Music] let him speak to you right now [Music] there is no doubt that we are living in crazy times i don't think it's a stretch to say for every person here starting with the very oldest that we've never lived in times like this before but generations before us have and the fact that we're here now to walk through this is a testimony to the father that our ancestors walked through it and they lived and they survived and their seed went forth and we are that seed and it's only because of him so i want to bring up some of what we talked about wednesday night it is more important than ever with all that's coming up that we get our eyes off of the world society is wicked and godless and we cannot look like them we cannot go to them we cannot listen to them they don't have the plan they don't have the answer and they lose we have to be set apart we have to be separated from that no matter the cost we have to and in saying that is not to bring doom and gloom and despair and depres depression but it excites my soul we are coming into that time that we celebrate the rededication but we do not need to wait until the first night of hanukkah to start with that rededication it needs to start now it should have already been started it needs to be a daily process but he gives us that time set aside the way he does because he loves us so and he knows us so and he knows we won't do it unless he says i wrote it down for you so you'll always remember it so we're coming into that season we need to be in that time of repentance now this is a temple we are his temple our body is his temple are we honoring him with it physically spiritually emotionally mentally we have to clean it and let it be filled with his presence or we can't march with the maccabees if we don't do it if we have the filth in there we're going to be weighed down there's so many analogies i can think of but the simplest one is you know you guys who work on cars if that filter is clogged and the air can't get through what's going to happen to the engine nothing it has no strength it won't go okay so that's the analogy i'm going to use we got to get the junk out that's clogging up the filter to hear from him to give us the strength to go so we can march with the maccabees so like bill said wednesday night hanukkah is the time where we in the states or outside of the land of israel say nesca the ohio a great miracle happened there it be for us personally and also for our country in the perilous time we are facing right now nescado hayapo a great miracle happen here let that be what we can say and it has to start with us the world doesn't care the average guy out there doesn't have a clue and they don't care it doesn't mean anything to them this is our country our god ordained it for a purpose and we cannot give up until he says now is the time to stop and he hasn't said that so we have to stand for what's right we have to stand for it in our homes and our families in our congregations in our workplace in schools we have to stand we have to stand for him no matter what and if he doesn't do what we want him to do what is the very desire of our heart for our country are you still going to serve him are you going to give up and say well i guess i had the wrong guy i was on the wrong team we can't be like the politicians and jump ship to the one that looks like they won because what if they didn't he's the winner and only him and we can't be fickle amen i have some prayer requests and guys i wish there are so many emails that come in so many messages that come to facebook laura reads them regularly and i want to pray for our streamers and this morning the father just put something on my heart and i went back and i read some um messages and specifically i want us to pray for this one particular couple i'll give you their name and situation in a minute but when i do it's not just for them they represent a whole community the rest of our family they are our brothers and sisters out there who cannot be physically here they will never be able to be physically here some of them nevertheless they're our family we'll never meet some of these people but they are our family so lynn and vernon hall in south africa they have been part of our streamer family for a while now and if you could just read some of the things i've had the honor to read from them and the desperation that they have if you think what we're living in is dry and wicked you need to know their story and i won't go into all these details now and they didn't give it to me to share publicly because i sent it in a private message so i won't give all the details but they represent what they're going through represents what so many others are going through in their countries it's not easy for them to gather like this and even if it were there's not anybody there are in this particular case there aren't believers from miles around they are basically an island to themselves except that the father meets with them and through what he has allowed us to do here at jacob's tent they get to be with us for shabbats so let's pray for these people what we have here they just they write and they beg please pray please pray just for one person one family for us to have community with we see what you have and we love it and we would we'll never have that but just if we had one person or one family and they tell us all the time cherish what you have and i add to that protect what we have so let's pray for them that in some way the father will encourage them that they will have someone to meet with someone to have a community with someone to celebrate the appointed times with there are a lot of them out there and they are very lonely they are very cut off and in a dry place so lynn and vernon hall in south africa we are praying for you and we're asking you to in your prayer life be the point people for the rest of the world who are out there experiencing what you are there are a lot of you out there we know that and here at this local jacobs tent we're gonna keep praying for all of you and praying that the father will cause what's happening that the ledbetters are doing and what the breedens are doing in knoxville that little groups can pop up to where you can get together and as you watch the live stream be together as a community and a family we're going to keep praying for that so family here let's pray for the family there for what they don't have what we do have here that in some way the father will give that to them i also want to pray for those who are out sick today um we have several um candace has been under the weather for a while you all know candace she's greets i think every single person singly online during the live stream and and that's a lot of people so we want to pray for her she's been under the weather i'm going to pray for nayla she's experienced some some physical challenges right now so we we miss her she's not here today um sung wan has been out for a while she want to pray for sungwan and tom um ingrid and her family ingrid's not feeling well so out of consideration for the rest of the family here they kept their tribe at home today just to make sure that it's nothing contagious and everybody will be well so we pray for all of you and others who have been under the weather and then those who are moving some are just moving house to house around town locally and some of you are moving from other states here to tennessee so we pray for all of you moving in the challenges that you could face there but that [Music] being the father's will he would make everything happen without stress if that's possible while you're moving we know we just recently went through it ourselves but um the father would just make it a a positive experience in every way and so if you know someone who's moving pray for them and you know family offer help where we can i know there are a lot of streamers who have um just a whole host of prayer requests other than some that i've mentioned here and so we'll just pray corporately for everyone so if you will everybody stand with me [Music] okay bill's just telling me that if you have a physical need and you're here in the building come down front and let us just have a gentle physical contact with you you're laying on of the hands that we can pray for you and just give the father the opportunity to do what we can't do because it's his power and the glory goes to him so if you have a physical need in your body do you want them come down now yes if they can if they want to come down [Music] just come down across the front robert i might get you to join me okay beth is beth is praying for you know all of the needs of representative anyone who wants to come down robert and i will be with you to pray with you okay [Music] [Music] okay give just another minute for everyone who needs to make their way to the front to come on down we're not going to ask you what your ailment is we're just going to let the father do what he does best [Music] jerry bailey [Music] [Music] okay you may feel someone anoint you with oil as we're praying those of you out there still let's go ahead and pray as you know if you don't mind just reach your hand towards them it's not our power but it's the authority of the father remember we have that authority through him so let's pray together abba our father our king our redeemer our savior our everything our healer we come to you now you see your children here you know their needs you knew it before they ever came down you know your children so well i thank you for that so abba as your children we come before you now and we just ask you please reach down have mercy on us allah heal our diseases we know we do things that don't help our bodies we defile your temple first please forgive us for that please forgive us for defiling your temple and all the ways that we do help us be cleansed of all of that father and purpose in our heart to walk in that perpetually and abba where our ability ends in this fallen world we ask you to please extend your hand let your healing flow into these bodies whatever the need is now abba please go to the source of the dilemma heal them father lord those in my family myself those who may not have come down you know you know we can't keep anything from you father not one thing so please please abba as your children as your people as your chosen ones please let us feel that healing in our bodies and be able to give a testimony to your greatness because of the healing because of what you have done that man could not do you can those with cancer those with lung disease those with heart disease ashley who needs her voice healed those with structural problems in their spine or in their muscles father you created every molecule of who we are so i ask you now please go and correct what has been set awry because of conditions in this world that we may be healed that we may leap with joy and give you all of the praise and all of the glory yes we will [Music] father beyond the physical healings the emotional healings the mental healings and more importantly the spiritual healings father the spiritual cleansings the brokenness that is there those who have walked away because they see hypocrisy or because they have been hurt or a victim of something father let them just cast it all down we don't have time to be considering those things and walking around licking our wounds now you are the healer let us offer that wound up to you to be healed so that we can be about the business for which you created us healing father that only you can bring in every way let it happen father so that your warriors may be strengthened for the battle for whenever you call us for whatever you call us to do our physical bodies will not be a hindrance for your purpose we'll be spiritually ready we thank you father for this and so much more in yeshua's precious name [Music] amen [Music] amen [Applause] [Music] if you've been with me this long then you know that sometimes we just step outside of what is routine and i just want to do beth and i want to do all of us here want to do what the father leads us to do and we believe that when we do that that he will bring about his purpose and we'll understand and we won't be disappointed and i want all of us regardless of what background we come from on all of us to be sensitive to his voice to feel and to to respond to that little nudge that he will sometimes give us and cause us to do or say or step outside of our comfort zone [Music] if you are comfortable then you're doing it wrong if your flesh is comfortable we're doing it wrong we want to be sensitive to his voice to hear that voice to recognize it and then be willing to respond to it regardless what we think everyone else will think what's going to matter in the days ahead is that we hear him we respond to him because you never know i know some people don't think this is crazy to even say but you never know you might be walking down the road one day and the next thing you know you're in front of a ethiopian eunuch and you're wondering how you got here that is not a fable that isn't a fairy tale that happened and one day these things are going to happen again and i want to not not the signs and wonders mind you but i just want to be in on what he's doing amen i want to be in the middle of whatever it is he's wanting to do whatever his heart is i want that to be my heart whatever his hand is doing that's what i want to set my hand to follow wherever he leans that's where i want to go and it's going to cost us it's going to cost us it already has and it will continue but i hope you will receive this in the spirit that is intended that we just need to each and every day be sensitive to that voice amen all right now is the time if you have prepared and you have a willing heart for those who are here and those who are online to present an offering unto the lord and so we want to give you just a moment for those who wish to participate in that to do so [Music] give us clean hands and give us pure hearts let us not lift our souls to another and give us clean hands and give us pure hearts [Music] let us not lift our souls to another no god let us be a generation that seeks seeks your face oh god [Music] and god let us be a generation that sees that seeks your face oh god oh jacob we seek your face oh god of jacob [Music] amen just hang on [Music] does anybody have something really really pressing on your heart right now you do okay come here [Music] and adrian the fact that i am here in adrian and any other actual blood of jacobs that are here is because god supernaturally fed and watered our ancestors in the desert for 40 years he kept our sandals from wearing out my ancestors it's interesting that's the generation that took the land because they were raised well of course he's going to take care of us he feeds us every day water from the rock what he's not going to go on for of course he's going to you know so of course they were raised completely utterly trusting in the lord god almighty the god of jacob to take care of him no matter what it's like we wouldn't be existing in this desert if it wasn't for him every day so yeah let's go into the land kick some butt absolutely let's go no problem so oh there it is i saw the drip hallelujah um so i just got this piece a shalom piece about it like he's gonna go before us as before don't worry about it just um whoever makes the the lord his refuge what does it say the if the lord is your refuge he will keep him in perfect peace his mind has stayed on thee he'll take care of us and the fact that a few of us that are here are just evidence that's why by the way satan really you may have noticed how anti-semitism goes up as the world in general starts drifting away from god anti-semitism arises you ever wondered why that is because satan hates that we exist because we're evidence that god keeps his promises and satan really doesn't like us being around that and writing down at the bible part anyway just thought i'd share that thank you jay appreciate it amen just remain standing [Music] may the lord may the lord [Music] may his grace and his face shine upon you may the lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace and give you peace [Music] [Music] this is the way [Music] you shall be the [Music] so last the lord may the lord bless and keep you may his grace and his face shine [Music] upon you and give you peace and give you peace and give you peace [Music] okay before we have kids just a couple of really quick announcements here laura had sent me some things that we need to make sure we get this out there okay for the hanukkah conference bill already told you that the shabbat lunch ordering cutoff date is tomorrow december the 6th and we also need volunteers for the conference so you can email laura at jacob's info jacobstent.org if you would like to volunteer we also need a couple of people to help build some large menorahs possibly out of pvc for the dance for the hanukkah conference and then today when we break we're going to need our dancers for the hanukkah conference to go out with the visitors so they can get kind of towards the front of the line so because they have a rehearsal or meeting or something after that so dancers if you will go ahead and get your lunch and then get with heather or laura and they'll tell you what you're going to be doing so that was it all righty join with me [Music] hello [Music] blessed are you o lord our god king of the universe who creates the fruit of the vine and for giving us yeshua the messiah who said i am the vine and you are the branches [Music] oh that looks good amen blessed are you o lord our god king of the universe who brings forth bread from the earth and forgiving us yeshua the messiah who said i am the bread of life [Music] yummy okay i'm gonna let beth kind of tell everybody the drill most of you know but i'll let beth tell you what to do here okay first things first we cannot leave until we have said hello to the rest of the family so right over here above robert there's a camera if you will turn and say hi to the rest of the family we love you we're glad you joined us today shabbat shalom we will break for oneag and come back at about 3 30 ish and at this time we'll say bye to our live streamers

Channel: Bill Cloud

Views: 7,233

Rating: 4.9404764 out of 5

Keywords: vayishlach, bill cloud, shoreshim, torah, bible, shabbat, shabbat night live, hebraic roots network, brad scott, michael rood, messianic, prophecy, rapture, sabbath, daily devotional, perry stone, a rood awakening, jewish history, judaism, christianity, joel richardson, mount sinai, israel, jerusalem, conservative, hebrew roots movement, unlearn, bible truth, hebrew, yeshua, messiah, politics news, donald trump, jesus, yhwh, 119 ministries, jonathan cahn, end times, last days, revelation, esau

Id: h3NcxoWAtGk

Length: 166min 0sec (9960 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 05 2020