STRUGGLES

The first mention of Bethlehem in Scripture is in connection with the death of Jacob's wife, Rachel (Gen. 35:16-20). Rachel died giving birth to a son whom she named Benoni, "son of my sorrow." Jacob renamed his son Benjamin, "son of my right hand." HOWEVER, Both of these names relate to Jesus, for He was a "man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief, and He is now the Son of God's right hand.

Jacob put up a pillar to mark Rachel's grave which is near Bethlehem.

Jacob saw Bethlehem as a place of death, but the birth of Jesus made it a place of life!

Very few people today think of Bethlehem as a burial place; they think of it as the birthplace of Jesus Christ. And because He died for us and rose again, we have a bright future before us.

Essau does not want Jacob to be born;  Cain does not want Abel to receive God's acceptance;  Ishmamuel does not want Issac to get the blessing;  Lott does not want Abraham to receive the inheritance ; Saul does not want David to be King. Pharaoh does not want Moses to lead God's people to freedom;  Sandbalot does not want Nehemiah to rebuild the walls.

Genesis 28:10-19 (NKJV) 10  Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11  So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12  Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13  And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: "I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14  Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15  Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." 16  Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it." 17  And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" 18  Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. 19  And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously.

Beersheba means the well of the oath.     HARAN means parched ground, dry place.

Hard Places will come.  Dark times.    Adversity = greatest university, AD-versity, times like this will add a verse to you.  I was first saved, then got sick, HE added a verse to me--By His stripes I was healed.  Had a finincial need --But mY God shall supply all my need

"LIGHTED UPON"   to impinge, by accident or violence, or by importunity , fall (upon)

BECAUSE THE SUN WAS SET = I can't control the sun setting.

Made stones pillows, = things are not normal, desperate times

LAY DOWN TO SLEEP,... just want to sleep, but He DREAMED, must still dream

Jacob's life had been a struggle, for 25 years. It had begun in the womb, yet before he was born God had promised him the blessing, yet he did not trust God to bring it to pass, he tried to use his own wisdom, to use manipulation and trickery to obtain the blessing.    He had deceived his father to get his blessing, stole his brothers birthright, He fled from his brother's death threat,.... made a rock his pillow. Got decived himself into marring Leah whom he did not love.  Returns home, still trys to handle his problem, send presents to his brother & his 400 soldiers

Genesis 32:22-28 (NKJV) 22 And he arose that night and took his two wives, his two female servants, and his eleven sons, and crossed over the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. 24 Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" 27 So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." 28 And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed."

THE PROBLEM MANY OF US HAVE IS WE BELIEVE IN GOD, BUT WE DOUBT WHAT GOD HAS SAID, WE JUST HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING IN HIS PROMISES FOR US.

We say, "I can't see it, can't see how it will work, can't see how we can afford it.  We can't see God's Promise Because we get so  focused on our Problem.

Everyday day you have a choice -- do I wake up with the problem or do I wake up with the promise.   If you are like me, sometimes when I'm lying in bed awake, I begin to think on my problems, I think about could go wrong and what if, I think about what I would have done differently if I had  known back then what I know now.  And I feel myself slipping into the pit.  I have to start quoting scriptures to myself,.... like  I Know all things work together for good to those who love God.  I have to quote HIS promises.

If you come to JESUS with a Promise instead of a problem then a miracle is getting ready to happen.

Every miracle God, HE HAS TO HAVE SOMETHING TO WORK WITH, it doesn't have to be much, it doesn't have to be big, just a little,..... 5 loaves & 2 small fish,.... a little oil in a jar,..... a handful of flour in a bin,......a little money, a tithe is a little 10%,.... it doesn't always have to be tangiable,..... when JESUS got ready to fill their boats with fish, HE asked Peter to put out a little from the land.

Taxes due,... JESUS tells Peter,   CAST A HOOK INTO SEA,  HE NEEDS SOMETHING TO WORK WITH.

When you focus on the problem- it's about you in control.

When you focus on the Promise - it's about God is control & trusting HIM.