Thursday, February 19, 2026
ABUNDANT LIFE
Abundant Life
Intro:
Today we are looking at the two more of Jacob’s sons. They are Gad and Asher. Let us first look at Gad.
Gad will be attacked by a
band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels. Gad is the
seventh son of Jacob through Zilpah. His
name means fortunate or blessing. He
lives to be 125 years old and had 7 sons.
Being the seventh son and the son of a handmaiden was said to have
forced him to assert himself. He had to become confident and make himself a
part of the family. Like his brother Asher, however, he was also characterized
by a very friendly temperament towards his siblings. With his confidence and strength, Gad seemed
to be a natural warrior. In fact, some sources claimed that Jacob hid Gad from
the Pharaoh out of fear that the young boy would be conscripted as a royal
bodyguard.
Gad's tribe became herders of cattle but
also retained a reputation as some of the fiercest warriors amongst the
Israelites. It's worth noting that they were renowned for the strength of body,
as well as the strength of mind. In
Jacob's blessing and through history we know the Tribe of Gad knew that they
would be invaded and tested, but that they would fight and ultimately prevail.
Rather than hiding from this fate, they voluntarily occupied the lands most
likely to be invaded. Like their founder, they asserted themselves, accepted
their role in the Israelite community, and lived with confidence in their
ultimate victory.
Here are some great lessons we can learn
from Gad.
1.
Be a blessing to all who come into contact
with you. Walk in love acceptance and
forgiveness. Be that fortunate person in
people’s lives. A person people are glad
to see not go.
2.
Be confident and make
yourself a valuable part of a family of
God. Always be learning, take on
new challenges, be
creative, faithful, obedient to the Lord, walk in wisdom, honest and integrity.
3.
Gad was known as friendly
temperament and work within his family.
Gad could be trusted and relies upon.
This is so important in times like this.
Talk about Larry Knutson
4.
Be a warrior. As Christians we are warriors for
Christ. Be a person that the enemy is
afraid of. He a person of the word and
prayer. Remember we are more than
conquerors in Christ. Resist the devil
and he will flee. Be strong in the
Lord. You can take your world for
Christ.
5.
Be a person of person of
strength. Remember you will always prevail when you rely
on the strength of the Lord.
6.
The last lesson is that you
will be attacked and tested but in time you will prevail. Testing, trials, temptation comes to all but
how you act and react will determine it you prevail. Never quit or give up. Winner never quit. A test becomes a testimony. A conqueror is someone who has conquered
something. An overcome has overcome
something and a victor chooses not to be a victim.
Asher’s food will be rich, he will provide delicacies
fit for a king. Asher is Gad’s younger brother
his mother was also Zilpah and his name also means happy. Leah said that about him in Gen 30:13. Asher had four sons and one daughter. Moses said of Asher: "May Asher be
blessed above other sons; may he be esteemed by his brothers; may he bathe his
feet in olive oil." (Deuteronomy 33:24).
Asher was the very one whose endeavor it had always been to reconcile
the brothers. Asher's motivation is
described, by classical rabbinical sources, as being entirely innocent of evil
intent, and always in search of harmony between his brothers. Asher's descendants in more than one regard
deserved their name ("Asher" meaning "happiness"). The
tribe of Asher was the one most blessed with male children;[ and its women were
so beautiful that priests and princes sought them in marriage. The abundance of oil in the land possessed by
Asher so enriched the tribe that none of them needed to hire a habitation. The soil was so fertile that in times of
scarcity, and especially in the Sabbatical year, Asher provided all Israel with
olive-oil. This is why Jacob looking
propheticly said they would be rich. In
some translations they are called the royal dainties tribe. The Asherites were also renowned for
wisdom. They had an abundant life.
Lessons we can learn from Asher
1.
Joy and happiness is the root of Abundant
life. It makes you blessed and
esteemed. Jesus promised to give us and
abundant life. You know your source is
God. You are generous with yourself and
others. You are a giver and love to
bless others.
2.
Being abundant is you are a
peacemaker, Jesus says this give you a title of a son of God. You have the nature and character of a son of
God. Your desire to reconcile other gives
you as Paul says the ministry of reconciliation. You are not an enabler but a go between, a
diplomat or ambassador.
3.
This makes you rich. Not just materially but in character and
nature. You are the person be want to be
like and be around. You are fertile and
blessed even in times of scarcity.
4.
You have wisdom and you know
this comes from having a respect, fear and awe for God. You also know then when you lack wisdom you
can ask of God who will give it liberally.
ABOVE AND BEYOND
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As a prisoner for the Lord,
then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be
completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
In Vs 1, Paul sees himself not as a
prisoner of Rome but for the Lord. Paul
had made a decision to appeal to Caesar after he had his audience with Festus
because he knew if he went to Jerusalem that he would be killed. In Acts 27:23, Paul was told by an angel that
he was going to testify before Caesar.
Paul was waiting for an audience with Nero. Nero would not be able to say he did not
know.
a. Circumstances did not put him
where he was it was the will of God. We
need to learn this as well. You are
where you are for a reason. All things
work together for good when you trust the Lord.
That is why you listen to Prov 3:5-6.
You must also remember the example of Joseph when he told his
brothers. What you met for evil God
turned to good. Nothing happens without
a reason. Circumstances are
neutral. How you react determines what
happens next.
1. Time-out. Try to stop yourself from immediately reacting.
2. Ask yourself why this situation occurred to try to identify the root
cause.
3. What was your contribution to what happened?
4. Don’t dwell on negativity. Move-forward with your day with a clear
mind & positive thoughts.
5. Pray and invite God into the situation. Get wisdom from the word.
b. Paul then urges his readers and us to live a life worthy of the
calling you have received. James calls this
faith with works. Remember you are the
Bible many people read. You role model
and example is Jesus. Read the gospel to
get a clear picture of this. Have fruit
that shows you are a Christian. Be the
same person in private and public. Make
sure you walk and talk line up. Talk
about what the young male cashier said about the church people. The beautiful thing Paul then tells you
exactly how to do it. In fact in the
next two verses he gives us seven examples.
In Vs 2, Paul then gives us four
practical things that will help us to live a lie worthy of the calling that we
have been given. Did you ever think you
actually had been called? You have like
Paul, Matthew, Peter James, John we have all been called. Salvation was not your idea. You were dead in your trespasses and sins. God in His mercy called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light.
a. Paul begins with be completely humble. Biblical humility means believing what God
says about you over anyone else's opinion, including your own. It requires
embracing who you are in Christ over who you are in the flesh. To be biblically
humble is to be so free of concern for your own ego that you unreservedly
elevate those around you. It is freedom
from pride and arrogance. It is an
attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving.
b. Being gentle this is an exhibition of love. Being gentle means
taking a step back from a stressful situation or scenario, and readdressing it
later with the correct feelings and intentions.
Gentle comes from love, consistency of character, peace and
empathy. It means no matter what you do
I will not do the same to you. It means
making a choice to forgive when wronged.
Gentleness is real strength.
c. Being patient. It is a quality of self-restraint or of not
giving way to anger, even in the face of provocation; it is mercy and
compassion in action. It means giving
someone the benefit of the doubt. It is
also the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without
getting angry or upset. It is faith,
hope and love in action. It is being
patient with yourself and others. It is
Isaiah 40:31
d. Bearing one another in love.
Being there for others. Giving
with any thought of recompense. It is
lifting others up. It is coming along
side and giving help and support. Jesus
told us to come to Him when we are heavy laden and struggling. James says we are to give when it is our
ability to do so. This is our time,
talents and resources. When people need
help the church should be there. Talk
about when we were in Salmon Arm we moved single moms.
In Vs 3, Paul gives the last three examples
of how we should live a life worthy of the calling that we have received. These three are absolutely essential to get
along with everyone at any time. These
are also decision of choice.
a. Make every effort to keep
unity. Unity means the quality or state
of being one. 2 : the state of those who are in full agreement. 3. Harmony. It means going the extra mile. Agreeing on the things you can. A conscious effort to overlook the fault,
failures, foibles of others. The secret
is the next point.
b. It is unity in the Spirit. It
is our faith and love for Christ that is the center of our unity. As the church we have more to unite us than
divide us. In Canada alone there are
hundreds of denominations. Here are the
essentials of the faith. Deity of
Christ, salvation by faith, salvation through Jesus Christ alone, resurrection
of Jesus Christ, monotheism, virgin birth and Trinity. We also believe that Jesus is Savior, healer,
baptizer in the Holy Spirit and soon coming king. The main ordinances of the church are
communion and baptism in water. It is
the Spirit who will help us but we have to make a decision to do this. Remember there is more right with the church
than is wrong. Please do not become a
critic instead be an encourager. The
secret is listening to the Spirit as He reveals the word.
c. Lastly, through the bond of peace.
Peace is absence of conflict and warfare. There is a bond of peace between us. Our love for Jesus Christ is our bond. That is what makes us brothers and
sisters. Our mutual salvation makes us
family. The Prince of Peace has given us
peace and we in turn must do the same in our world. Especially within the family of God. It is having a peace loving spirit that puts
the stress of what we have and not on what we do not have together. It is an agreement a fellowship, friendship
among family and friends. I like this
last thought. In our spirit and in our day
to day walk donning the garments of gentleness, humility, and patience as we
seek God’s healing in our relationships.
A MOMENT WITH JOSEPH
oseph threw himself on his
father and wept over him and kissed him. 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians
in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him, 3
taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the
Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
So here we get a view of how this operated in the ancient world. Joseph after his father had breathed his last
throws himself on his father and wept and kisses him. When someone we care and love passes unto
eternity for the Christian it is a celebration.
Someone who has served the Lord has been promoted. It is a time of sorrow and grief. Yet it is also a time of rejoicing, victory
and freedom. So Joseph then directed the
physicians in his service. There was
always attending medical help in the Egyptian nobility. Their responsibility was to care for the
living. In fact Egypt was the first
society that actually had universal medicare.
Then when their patients died they became responsible to embalm and
prepare a body for burial. During this
time the physicians would wear the mask of Anubus but since Jacob was a
worshipper of God this would not have been done. In many ancient societies, remembrance of
the dead ensured their continued existence in the afterlife and a great showing
of grief at a funeral was thought to have echoes in the Hall of Truth where the
soul of the departed was heading. The
grander the funeral, the greater position in eternity. The Bible puts it this way, “you have one
life to live and then judgment.” What we
do does matter especially concerning Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can secure us a place in heaven.
4 When the days of mourning
had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your
eyes, speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5 ‘My father made me swear an oath and
said, “I am about to die; bury me in the tomb I dug for myself in the land of
Canaan.” Now let me go up and bury my father; then I will return.’”6 Pharaoh
said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”
.
When the days of mourning had passed Joseph had an audience with the
court of Pharaoh. The king would have a
group of advisers who worked on his behalf.
Joseph was Prime Minister what he was requesting was beyond normal
protocol. He told them his father had
asked to be buried in Canaan. So he was
asking permission of Pharaoh. The group
of leaders would be his representatives in this matter to Pharaoh. Remember Joseph had broken many sacred
traditions and he was from a non Egyptian.
Jacob’s families were non Egyptian they were in the land because of a
special a royal decree. To leave they
needed a royal approval. Joseph had
followed Egyptian customs concerning mummification but not any of the normal
burial procedures. Joseph also had to
give the king assurance he was going to return.
Here we get a view of how the ancient court of Egypt operated. We see that everything still ran through the
King because of Joseph’s position in the government. There were also safety issues based on
Joseph’s position. They would need an
army escort for Joseph’s protection.
Joseph would also have to give a time limit for how long he was
gone. The king gave permission to Joseph
because in ancient Egypt and oath given by a Father to a son was binding. To not do a last request was to dishonor the
person who had died.
7 So Joseph went up to bury
his father. All Pharaoh’s officials accompanied him—the dignitaries of his
court and all the dignitaries of Egypt— 8 besides all the members of Joseph’s
household and his brothers and those belonging to his household. Only their
children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen. 9 Chariots and
horsemen also went up with him. It was a very large company.
Joseph goes to bury his father.
All of the king’s official and dignitaries of Egypt go with him. They held Joseph in such high regard all the
elite of Egypt went with him. You see
the reason for the king’s permission.
What a honor for Jacob and Joseph.
The man who left Canaan with nothing when he went to Mesopotamia to find
a wife now has the royal funeral with all the top people of Egypt there. Only God could pull this off. Chariots and horseman went with them. The entire Egyptian court and leadership was
with them. Moses who wrote Genesis shows
his knowledge of Egyptian society here.
He says they were a large company.
Most likely tens of thousands.
The people of Canaan probably thought they were being invaded. This is also another reason for Pharaoh’s
permission. Certain alliances needed to
be observed as well. They had to assure
the residents that this was a funeral and not an invasion.
10 When they reached the
threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;
and there Joseph observed a seven-day period of mourning for his father. 11
When the Canaanites who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of
Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”
That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.
It would have taken most likely about
three weeks to get such a large group of people there. Also they also stop at the Jordan. They were observing alliances and negotiated
trade routes. They did not want to risk
war or battles. They get to Atad . This
actually Hebron. There Joseph and the
officials lamented loudly and bitterly.
Remember the Egyptian custom of the bigger the ceremony the more honor
and position in eternity. Joseph did
this for the Egyptians. Joseph holds a
seven day period of mourning. This would
have been the Hebrew tradition. So you
see Joseph’s diplomacy at work. On one
hand he is honoring the Egyptian traditions but also introducing them to
his. The work of the godly is to help
the ungodly to understand the righteous way of life. The best way is to live it. Remember we are the only bible many people
read. The Canaanites saw what was
happening and name the place Abel Mizraim which means the place of Egyptian
mourning.
12 So Jacob’s sons did as
he had commanded them: 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him
in the cave in the field of Machpelah, near Mamre, which Abraham had bought
along with the field as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 14 After
burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and
all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.
Now Joseph and his brothers then head into Canaan and they buried him in
the place that was the family burial site.
This was their private family ceremony.
They would have done all the traditions associated with Hebrew
traditions. The Egyptians stayed at
Hebron or Atad to show it was not an invasion.
They honored their father and what he wished. Joseph then returns to Egypt with his family
and all who travelled with him. Now what
can we take away from this message.
1.
God will honor us in a pagan world if we just love, serve and honor him
2.
Know the world in which you live.
Remember you are in this world but not of it. It is our
responsibility to explain the Christian world to a ungodly world.
3.
Like Joseph be aware of the traditions and beliefs of others and know
how to navigate them. Often
they are stepping stones to salvation.
Jesus said we are to be wise as serpents and harmless as
doves.
4.
Be a person of honor, integrity, truth, love mercy grace, transparency
and accountability.
5.
Lastly remember we are pilgrims passing through. Remember you are looking for better, a city
foursquare whose maker and builder is God.
Are you ready?
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
A GODLY MOTHER
A godly mother is a woman who allows God to
sanctify, purify, love, redeem, and shape her in life's circumstances. The
journey of moth
1. A Mother Prays for Her Children.
2. A
Mother Trains and Teaches her Children.
3. A
Mother disciplines her children in love.
4. God
good mothers remember she is not perfect.
5. A
good mother apologizes when wrong.
6. A
good mother forgives and does not hold grudges.
7. A
good mother balances her children, spouse, and self time.
8. A
good mother practices self discipline.
9. A
good mother has devotions and takes her children to church.
“Once you're a mom, you're always a mom. It's like
riding a bike, you never forget."
"My mother was my role model before I even
knew what that word was."
“When you are a mother, you are never alone in your
thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her
child.”
“My mother’s love has always been a sustaining
force for our family, and one of my greatest joys is seeing her integrity, her
compassion, her intelligence reflected in my daughters.” Michelle Obama
“Having children just puts the whole world into
perspective. Everything else just disappears.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes
“Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship
fall; a mother’s secret hope outlives them all.”
Maya Angelou
“To describe my mother would be to write about a
hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow.”
GLORIOS END
27 “Benjamin is a ravenous
wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the
plunder.” 28 All these are the twelve
tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them,
giving each the blessing appropriate to him.
Jacob is now finishing his prophetic thoughts on his son by Rachel. We get a little insight on the personality
and future of the tribe of Benjamin.
Benjamin's name arose when Jacob deliberately changed the name
"Benoni", the original name of Benjamin, which means the Son of my
right hand, since Benoni was an allusion to Rachel's dying just after she had
given birth, as it means "son of my pain.
We glean that Benjamin is ambitious, rugged, and an A type
personality. He likes to win and he was
deadly in battle. Benjamin had ten sons
and the tribe came from them and they were fierce in battle. Saul the first king of Israel was from
Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin beat the
others tribes in the book of Judges and were nearly wipe out because of their
stubbornness. Later they were the only
tribe that stayed with the line of David when Israel rebelled.
So Jacob finishes his prophetic blessing over each of the boys. He gave each one a blessing appropriate to
them. These are powerful prophetic
blessings. In ancient times a blessing
was given for legacy, encouragement, a place of favor, inheritance and station
in the family.
29 Then he gave them these
instructions: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers
in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30 the cave in the field of
Machpelah, near Mamre in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the field as a
burial place from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abraham and his wife Sarah were
buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.
32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.
Jacob now gives his final instructions.
He knows he is about to die. Here
we get a glimpse of the ancient world and how it operated.. Like today final instructions are binding in
law. Families then like today are to
honor the last requests of a loved one.
To not do so brings dishonor. He
tells them to bury him in the cave of Machpelah in Canaan. He tells them this is where Abraham, Sarah,
Isaac and Rebekah and where Leah is buried.
Leah is buried here because she became the love of Jacob’s life after
Rachel died. What a story of restoration
and healing. Even though Rachel was his
first love, Leah was his final love. It
shows that true love wins in the end.
Faithfulness, loyalty, integrity, inner beauty, grace, and consistency
wins out. Leah won Jacob’s heart and the
honor of being buried beside him.
Jacob looked at himself as a pilgrim passing through life. He never had a home and even though he was in
Egypt it was not his home. The only
place he considered his own was this piece of ground in Canaan.
33 When Jacob had finished
giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his
last and was gathered to his people.
Jacob finishes giving his
instruction. We see he has been sitting
on the side of the bed. Each boy had
kneeled before their father received their blessing. He then lay’s back on the bed. The blessings and the final burial
instructions have been given. He has
finished his course and he has kept the faith.
The suplanter, the cheat, the schemer and the manipulator. The man who became Israel and prince with
God. The man who Fathered ,12 sons and
one daughter. The man who stayed true to
God in a pagan world. The man of legacy,
truth, righteousness, and worshipped God on his walking stick. A man who had
a people, land and nation named after.
The last of the patriarch’s. He
had a glorious end. So my question is
what do you want your legacy to be.
Paul’s was this. 2 Tim 4:6 For I
am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my
departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I
have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only
to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Here is reality as I close today.
We are all only a moment away from death. It could happen through natural means or
supernatural means. We must live
ready. My question is what shall you be
known as, and what is your legacy? What
will people say about you? I have to
dispel a Christian myth. Many churches
expound that if you get baptized as a child that secures you a place in
heaven. It does not. Only a personal relationship with Jesus does
that. Just, because a family member is a
Christian that does not make you one.
Also going to church does not. We
are only a moment away from the return of Christ. Every moment we live we are one moment
closer. Are you ready? Will you have a glorious end? Jacob lived well and died well. Let us pray we will as well.
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