To see the previous post from Genesis, go to Can God Use a Sinner Like You, or Like Me?
Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.
With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel
Genesis 49:22-24
Joseph
Joseph endured a difficult life. Described as “archers” in this passage, Joseph faced arrows of persecution from his own siblings–they plotted to murder him, then they settled for selling him into slavery. So he was separated from his family, while he served as a slave in Egypt. Then he was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife, after which, he was tossed into a dungeon–for years.
Jesus
Jesus was another who was committed to living his life God’s way, no matter what arrows flew in his direction. He loved people, all people, including promiscuous women, prostitutes, and thieves–even when it brought brutal criticism. Although on the surface he looked as ordinary as anyone else, he healed, and helped so many, it was impossible to write it all down. (John 21:25) And though he did all these things, things no one else could do, he never bragged. The religious leadership of his day hated him. Over and over they tried to catch him in a verbal ambush, but Christ answered so cleverly and completely they eventually stopped trying. Several times they tried to kill him, but they couldn’t until his time came. His dream was to make a way for us to go to heaven, but it meant he had to die. He did it anyway.
You might be asking yourself, “How? How did Joseph and Jesus live this way?” The source of power for both Joseph and Jesus is revealed by Jacob in our text. They were both able to live the way they did “because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel…”
Your Choices
You have access to that same source of power you know.
Those decisions you’ve made the last few years that haven’t worked out for you? The ones that made you say, “Yea but…”
“Yea but she seemed like such a nice girl.”
“I know but he was so good to my five year old daughter.”
“Yes but she was so much fun to party with.” Read More
Categories
My Favorite Links
The Redemptive Power of Connection: Genesis 50:7, 9, 11
What’s All The Fuss?
I was involved in a huge funeral once. Two friends died in the prime of life, in an ATV accident. They were firefighters and we had this huge procession through town with fire department vehicles. The streets were lined with well wishers. There were even helicopters flying overhead above the procession. One helicopter flew a giant American flag underneath. Another filmed the whole event in high def. Had my two friends been insurance salesmen none of that would have happened. It was their relationship with the fire department that resulted in such an ambitious funeral.
Jacob’s funeral was a much bigger deal than my friends’. Every single one of Pharaoh’s officials were there. Every dignitary from the nation of Egypt was there. All of Joseph’s family was there. Chariots and horsemen were even there. The funeral lasted a whole week. This thing was huge. When the people of Canaan saw it, it was easy to recognize someone very important had passed away. But why? Why was Jacob honored in such spectacular fashion? Read More
Share now:
Like this:
2 Comments
Posted on March 2, 2013 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young, Marriage
Connection to Jesus Christ, Genesis 50, Jacob's funeral, Jesus and Joseph, Redemptive Power of Connection, Salvation
Love Like Jesus–Hope for those of us who can’t raise people from the dead: Matthew 8:5-13
[Image via betsyweber – Creative Commons] [To see the previous Love Like Jesus post, go to Trading Recognition for God’s Glory]
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?”
The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”
Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” –Matthew 8:5-8, 13
How Jesus Loved People
Jesus loved people by doing for them, what they couldn’t do for themselves.
Love Like Jesus
So you want to live and love like Jesus did. So you can please God, and you can be someone who attracts people to Jesus, and hopefully glorify God’s name. But when you study the life of Christ, you think to yourself, “Ha, what chance do I have? Jesus, without coming anywhere near the centurion’s servant, healed him of his paralysis. Even a great doctor couldn’t do that, and I’m not a doctor–I’ve never even played one on TV. Jesus made the blind see and the deaf hear. Jesus cast out demons. Jesus even raised people from the dead! What chance do I have to live and love like Jesus?”
Hope For Those Of Us Who Can’t Raise People From The Dead Read More
Share now:
Like this:
4 Comments
Posted on February 23, 2013 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too
centurion's servant, help like Jesus, help like Jesus helped, hope for those of us who can't raise people from the dead, Love like Jesus, Matthew 25, raise from the dead, unto one of the least
The Consequences of Calling Your Own Shots–Genesis 49:29
Jacob was about to die. He found himself in the same position every single one of us will find ourselves. Jacob was about to be gathered to his people.
And of course, so will you. The question is: Where are your people gathered?
I Have A Confession
I have a confession to make. I have this tendency–I tend to change my worldview to accommodate my own selfishness. Reflecting back I realize I had a desire for personal glory in a variety of arenas. At various times those areas in which I sought my own honor included work, running, hang gliding, and basketball–to name a few. At my core, Read More
Share now:
Like this:
1 Comment
Posted on February 16, 2013 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
Eternity, gathered to his people, Genesis 4:9, God and selfishness, Heaven, Jacob's death
Love Like Jesus–Trading Recognition for God’s Glory: Matthew 8:3-4
Image via: dichohecho — Creative Commons
How Jesus Loved People:
Jesus healed the man with leprosy, then he told him in no uncertain terms, “See that you don’t tell anyone.”
How To Love Like Jesus:
Wow, is this the opposite of me or what! My human tendency is to want credit for what I do. One afternoon during a family gathering, Kathy was sharing with the female contingent of the Bennett clan, how I had done something nice for her on a recent Saturday morning:
“He brought me coffee in bed,” she said.
I, sitting nearby with the male contingent of the Bennett clan, happened to overhear. “Boy,” I thought to myself, Read More
Share now:
Like this:
7 Comments
Posted on February 9, 2013 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too
glorify God, glory hound, God's glory, Humility, Matthew 8, recognition
Slavery, Love, and the Garden of Eden–Genesis 2:8-9
The Garden
A little trivia to start: The Bible tells us that the land in which God’s garden is located is called Eden, however we are never actually given the name of the garden itself, only the name of the land in which it is located. But one thing’s for sure, the word Eden means delightful, and we do know from the Bible that without a doubt, whatever the name of the garden, God’s garden was a delightful place to live.
Notice that in the middle of His garden God puts both the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “Why?” You may be asking. “Why include the forbidden tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, in the middle of the delightful garden? Why ruin a perfect place with a forbidden tree?” The answer is that God desired a meaningful relationship with Adam and Eve, and a meaningful relationship requires a choice.
Marriage and Slavery
Hadijatou Mani is a 24 year old woman from the Sahel region of Nigeria, on the Southern fringe of the Sahara. Hadijatou’s story is the story of someone who wasn’t given a choice. When she was just 12 years old she was sold to a man named Souleymane Naroua. When she was just 13 she was raped by her master and forced to bear his children. Read More
Share now:
Like this:
7 Comments
Posted on February 2, 2013 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis, Marriage
choice, Genesis 2, Hadijatou Mani, love, nigeria, slavery
Joseph, Jesus, and the Key to Your Choices: Genesis 49:22-26
Joseph is a fruitful vine,
a fruitful vine near a spring,
whose branches climb over a wall.
With bitterness archers attacked him;
they shot at him with hostility.
But his bow remained steady,
his strong arms stayed limber,
because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,
because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel
Genesis 49:22-24
Joseph
Joseph endured a difficult life. Described as “archers” in this passage, Joseph faced arrows of persecution from his own siblings–they plotted to murder him, then they settled for selling him into slavery. So he was separated from his family, while he served as a slave in Egypt. Then he was falsely accused of rape by Potiphar’s wife, after which, he was tossed into a dungeon–for years.
Jesus
Jesus was another who was committed to living his life God’s way, no matter what arrows flew in his direction. He loved people, all people, including promiscuous women, prostitutes, and thieves–even when it brought brutal criticism. Although on the surface he looked as ordinary as anyone else, he healed, and helped so many, it was impossible to write it all down. (John 21:25) And though he did all these things, things no one else could do, he never bragged. The religious leadership of his day hated him. Over and over they tried to catch him in a verbal ambush, but Christ answered so cleverly and completely they eventually stopped trying. Several times they tried to kill him, but they couldn’t until his time came. His dream was to make a way for us to go to heaven, but it meant he had to die. He did it anyway.
You might be asking yourself, “How? How did Joseph and Jesus live this way?” The source of power for both Joseph and Jesus is revealed by Jacob in our text. They were both able to live the way they did “because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel…”
Your Choices
You have access to that same source of power you know.
Those decisions you’ve made the last few years that haven’t worked out for you? The ones that made you say, “Yea but…”
“Yea but she seemed like such a nice girl.”
“I know but he was so good to my five year old daughter.”
“Yes but she was so much fun to party with.” Read More
Share now:
Like this:
2 Comments
Posted on January 12, 2013 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
Genesis 4:9, Good choices, Jesus, joseph, make good choices, make good decisions, why do I make bad decisions
Eating Crow, Prayer, and God’s Holy Spirit
At the end of that prayer time there in the prayer room, a small group of men asked God to pour out His Holy Spirit upon our congregation in abundant measure. They asked Him, if that offer were to be made again, would He move people to respond with such enthusiasm and in such great numbers we would have logistical problems handling so many. They asked that people would respond in such numbers they would be lined up, with not enough room for them to fit in the prayer room or wherever they were called to assemble. Read More
Share now:
Like this:
11 Comments
Posted on January 4, 2013 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study
Acts, anointing, Applegate Christian Fellowship, Applegate Fellowship, fresh outpouring, Holy Spirit, Luke 11, pray for Holy Spirit
Love Like Jesus–How to Respond to the Emotionally Needy: Matthew 5:3-5
How Jesus Loved People
If you were sitting in the crowd during Jesus’ sermon, and it happened to be a time in your life when you were poor in spirit, or mourning, or feeling particularly meek, these words of Jesus would have resonated powerfully. He offered words of comfort and encouragement to those who were (and are) emotionally needy.
Love Like Jesus
You know that person in your life? That guy or girl that makes you think, “Oh, here she comes again,” or, “Here he comes again. It’s that needy guy. Man, he has the personality of a tree stump,” you say to yourself. Read More
Share now:
Like this:
2 Comments
Posted on December 29, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too
clingy, emotionally needy, Matthew 5, meek, mourning, needy, poor in spirit, Sermon on the mount
Top 10 Posts of 2012
You can check out the top Love Like Jesus post by clicking on Love Like Jesus–Love the Unlovable. Or check out the whole series by clicking on Love Like Jesus.
2) Senna Part 2–Teach Us to Number Our Days: One of the most compelling stories I’ve ever heard is that of Formula 1 race car driver Ayrton Senna. I was surprised to find I’m not alone. Senna Part 2–Teach Us to Number Our Days is one of the most popular posts I’ve ever written. We can learn some valuable lessons from his life. If you’re interested in Ayrton Senna, you might also like Senna Part 1–Senna vs. Prost–Esau Ran to Jacob.
3) Sex and Your Future–Trading 45 Minutes for 1,000 Years: Read More
Share now:
Like this:
Leave a Comment
Posted on December 27, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too, I Wish Someone Had Told Me This When I Was Young
bennett's blog, God and money, Holy Spirit, Love like Jesus, marriage, Most Popular Posts, Negative Media, Senna, sex, Surrender Yourself to God
Why on Earth Did Jesus Come to Earth? The Big, the Small, and Your Predicament
The Big
God is Big.
God is Bigger than I am. He’s Bigger than you are.
Much Bigger.
He’s the One who Read More
Share now:
Like this:
Leave a Comment
Posted on December 22, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, How Jesus Loved People - How You Can Too
atheism, Christmas, God, God universe, Why Jesus came
Can God Use a Sinner Like You, or Like Me? Genesis 49:8-12
A Sinner and Strays
I know a single mother who’s made mistakes–big mistakes. She battled drug and alcohol addiction for decades. She’s had multiple men in and out of her life. She struggled mightily at times as a single mother.
But there is this one thing about her– Read More
Share now:
Like this:
4 Comments
Posted on December 19, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
Genesis 4:9, Jesus Judah, Judah, Judah and Tamar, sinner used by God
In God’s Image: Genesis 1:26-27
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:26-27
God said, “Let us…” and “…in our image…” and “…in our likeness…” Obviously us and our mean more than One. It would seem God was referring to Read More
Share now:
Like this:
2 Comments
Posted on December 15, 2012 by Kurt Bennett
Bible Commentary, Bible Study, Genesis
bear fruit, Bob Buford, creation, creation of man, Genesis 1:26-27, Jesus Christ, Matthew 13:8-9, Sixth Day of Creation
Signup for the inside scoop and the latest blog posts
TRENDING
Categories