Through Jesus' Eyes [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan writing I think Nathaniel must've been one of those straight shooters he was the opposite of old Jacob Smith. I know if it came to his mind he just say a place that we found the Messiah is from Nazareth leader said anything good government. Other message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light.

I'm Dino.

Excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series you'll see as presented in an older church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer.

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Let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan writing. God had already foreordained that Jacob would be blessed as if he was the firstborn son, but he was the second of twin boys and the first ones got all the attention and that culture and so it's interesting Jacob is born. Grabbing onto his twin brothers feel as if Jacob wants to get in first place when there be a more but he's going second and so his name Jacob, which means probably one who grasp of the audit and means supplant or but I get of Jacob's name is.

It means some by this struggling with people and Jacob becomes a manipulator of people.

He becomes a deceitful person he becomes, in many ways this despicable can I ever because he so desperately wants to be blessed in the height of this is a special moment in which I Hebrew father would impart a blessing to his firstborn near the end of the patriarchs life and in so doing spoken released a positive destiny, not firstborn son that firstborn son would get a double portion of the inheritance and run the family estate. And so, in this special moment where Esau is going to get the blessing of the firstborn, Jacob pretends to be Esau and because Isaac has grown blinded as old age. Jacob was in the tricks him into believing that Jacob and Esau. When we read in Genesis 27 verse 18. So he went into his father and said my father and he said here I am who you my son and Jacob said to the father. I am Esau your firstborn who lied directly to his father. I've done as you told me not set up in my game that your soul may bless me in verse 24 Isaac said are you really my son Esau and he answered, I am so Jacob was a liar, a man of deceit, desperate to be blessed struggling all the time jockeying for first place because he so wanted to be blessed. Welch started a journey for Jacob. The first thing I was.

Esau hated and was going to murder. So Jacob fled for his life and soon in his journey God in his grace began revealing himself to Jacob. God is so patient with Jacob and one of the first things that happens for Jacob is a supernatural revelation in Genesis 28, 2028 in verse 12 we see Jacob having slept outdoors as a on the Ron on the way to Beersheba got a stone for a pillow.

That night God visits him with a dream, and he dreamed verse 12, and behold, there was a ladder set up on earth, and the top of it reached to heaven and behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

I'll just get this vision your mind a ladder firmly planted on earth, but it is if the heavens have opened and the ladders top extends into heaven, so there's a connection between earth and heaven, and what he sees are angels which are messengers of God coming down from heaven towards earth, and the going back from earth to heaven ascending and descending. There is enormous majestic supernatural traffic on a ladder between heaven and earth, and Jacob, who has lived his life as if there is no real connection point between the stuff of earth, and the stuff of heaven who always acts like it's up to me to manage the stuff of earth so I can get my place of blessedness. He suddenly realizes that heaven and earth are connected and what he says at first 16 of powerful Jacob awoke from his sleep and said surely the Lord is in this place and I did not know it.

Jacob gets married to his beloved Rachel, but he has to agree to work for seven years. He gets trick the trickster is tricked by Rachel's father and he ends up marrying Lee off first and have to work another seven years so you got 14 years of labor is got two wives life is a mess at home with all kinds of maidservants and wives trying to have babies and all of this trickery and deceit. It seems like it's caught up with him.

Years pass and Jacob's going to meet Esau again and he is terrified of meeting Esau because he is afraid that as Esau was back. He first stole the blessing from Esau that Esau is going to try to murder Jacob and so Jacob prays before the reunion at Genesis 32 verse 11 and he asked the Lord 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 the children saying I'm afraid to come and slaughter all of us, but there's a wonderful thing Jacob does, he reminds God of the promise. Jacob said I will you said, Lord, I will surely do you good and make you your offspring as the sand of the sea which cannot be numbered for multitude. He said God protect me. And remember, you promised that my descendents would be blessed. So then in verse 23 Jacob sends his people across the river took them sent them across the stream and everything else he had, and Jacob was left alone in the text says simply a man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. The struggle or always wrestling with people wrestles a supernatural being and in Jelinek figure maybe a pre-manifestation of Christ. We don't know exactly who this man is who appears from nowhere, but they wrestle all night long and he grows weary and verse 26 of Genesis 32 we read then he said let me go for the day has broken Jacob is got such a firm grasp on the angel. The angel said let me go, but Jacob said I will not let you go unless you bless me whole life is dedicated to find a way to be blessed and he said to him. Angel said to him, what is your name and he said Jake struggle with people the supplanted one a grass field, I'm Jacob, and then he said the angel said to him, God spoke to this messenger and said your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel for you striven with God and with men and have prevailed. Interestingly, scholars think that Israel an unusual word means something like struggles with God is that you've struggled now with God all through the night and you prevailed, meaning you were slain by your close encounter with God and his name was changed from Jacob to Israel from supplanted or one who grasp it to heal one who struggles with people to one who struggles with God's name was changed essentially from struggles with people to struggles with God. That may not sound like that great a blessing, but if you can identify it all with Jacob. You know it's a blessing as if you've ever been even a little bit. The kind of person that can't feel blessed unless you got everyone else's approval. If you've ever tasted of that sort of approval addiction. If you've ever been that person who feels worried all the time about your place in this world.

Such it feels like you're constantly struggling with other people always try to get ahead of somebody else, never afraid to just be joyful and just be at peace with everybody. If you could taste that you're like you know it's painful and it's a blessing.

If instead of worrying about what everybody thinks of you.

You can bring your pain and your problems and your dilemmas to God is saying here's who you are and this is who I want my people to be. I want you to care most of all about bring into me whatever it is that's on your heart.

Come to me you are heavily burdens and I'll give you rest.

Come into the freedom of loving God with all your heart and soul and mind, and strength, so she sees what matters most to you and other things seem small in comparison. His name was changed to Israel, the deceiver who was always struggling through his craftiness to get ahead of other people is now named the one who has no such guile and instead authentically comes to God when Alan Wright will have more teaching in a moment from today's important series want to give someone a present this Christmas that they'll never forget. Let us help you give a gift, that money can't buy this Christmas.

Give someone your blessing a positive biblically-based faith filled vision for their life in the beginning God blessed Adam and Eve and then told them to be fruitful and multiply, because in God's design blessing isn't the reward for productivity. It's the fuel for it. Now more than ever, someone you love needs your blessing and we are here to help you craft this month.

Special offer from Alan Wright is a beautiful booklet that will teach you how to craft an full blessing for easy step-by-step instructions are biblically based, and even include a worksheet that helps you write your blessing.

So this Christmas. Give someone you love a present, not found in stores, a gift from your own heart that will encourage and empower write down the blessing and put it in the package under the tree or put it in your Christmas card.

They'll never forget it when you make your gift Alan Wright Ministries this month will send you this booklet as our thinking so you can discover the power to bless call us at 877-544-4860 or visit pastor and.org.

Today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan Wright that's the story of Jacob and in less you know that story. You wouldn't understand the beauty and power of what's happening in the call of nothing so go back to the Nathaniel story and John chapter 1 verse 47.

Again we read Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him and said of him, behold an Israelite indeed in whom there is no deceit. He saw Nathaniel and he said here is a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit and everyone would've known especially Nathaniel Jesus was talking about Jacob. He was saying essentially here is a man who was all Israel, and no check. He is saying to him. Here is a man in the Greek word really is more like the word who has no guile, no deceit through human craftiness, no pretension. I think Nathaniel must've been one of those straight shooters he was the opposite of old Jacob Nathaniel if it came to his mind he just say it like that. We found the Messiah is from Nazareth leader said match with anything good government matter.

It was just I bet you Nathaniel is one of those people that I open mouth insert foot.

But one thing you can count on about Nathaniel was he was an honest man in my been honest to a fault. I don't know, but he is no guile about he was Jesus said all Israel.

One who struggles with God and no Jacob, one who wrestles with people all the time and he must've absolutely nailed Nathaniel's character because it absolutely makes Nathaniel stand at attention and that they know verse 19, MME 49 Nathaniel answered and Rabbi, you're the son of God, I'm sorry jump ahead of the things and how do you know me, so Nathaniel say you just have said something essential about my nature.

You get me and Jesus answered him with a further more powerful revelation before Philip called you when you are under the fig tree, I saw you so veins and some other spot. Jesus in the spirit sees Nathaniel under the fig tree, probably. Here's the whole conversation in the spirit. Nathaniel think anything good come out of Nazareth, and Nathaniel is like and how do you even know me. You're describing my character you know is that I saw you while you're on the fig tree demise was so you know that when you think anything good to matter. Nazareth and Nathaniel is just blown away by this is now Ross's whole world and he said that verse 49 Rabbi you are the son of God, you're the king of Israel. In other words, because Jesus saw Nathaniel Nathaniel analyses Jesus and he has a paradigm shift and Jesus must have smiled here. I just imagine Jesus job I don't I'm just guessing, but the way he says this a must've smiled and thought maybe this mission it will be so hard after all. They got a convert right here of this because I did was they had a simple little profit. Jesus is like this is prophecy 101 and I've already got a convert out of this semi-will raise the dead and stop.

This is not only that, but I'm just guessing, but Jesus answered and said because I said to you I saw you under the fig tree. Do you believe what you will see greater things than these, and he said to them, said to him, truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man if there's any question that we are talking about Jacob. Answered right. He's saying you are all Israel, and no Jacob, and he said you believe because I saw you under the fig tree, and at this verse, he changes his language from you in the singular to you in the plural is as you all will see greater things in us now is speaking to everyone there is speaking to you and me is in you all y'all are going to see greater things in this you're going to see the heavens open and angels of God ascending and descending not on Jacob's ladder but on the Son of Man, he is saying I am Jacob's ladder. I am the connecting point of earth and heaven. I am the one who is opened up heaven to you and you're going to see miracle after miracle and grace upon grace to see it all, not on some figurative ladder in a dream, would you go to see it with your own. I you going to see the heavens open and the grace of God poured out because there is one mediator between God and man is the Lord Jesus Christ and he came to connect this to happen again.

Seeing with Jesus changes everything. I want us to learn to see ourselves as the seasons hidden it in Satan.

Nathaniel I saw you under the tree and you're a doubter and a scoffer I heard what you said is that your all Israel. No Jacob, I think sometimes we look at our lives in reflection is like looking at one of those crazy mirrors of the carnival. You know those wavy mirrors and you look and also make you look like you're next to the long are you got really big ears or something like you hear in life.

Somebody says what your you're always losing you're always sloppier your never this you and you listen to these things that people say and that's just the carnival mirror and Jesus came to tell you who you really are.

You can see yourself through his eyes, learn to see others were going explore many stories of Jesus's encounter with people I love the way he saw people because he made the people get the chance to see through the creator's eyes. Everything within you will start honoring people no way to tell the worth of a life scepter. Jesus is eyes so the Pharisees in Luke seven they'll see a woman the call sinful woman. But Jesus is a worshiper.

We can learn how to let go of judgments and get the logs out of our own eyes less. We spent all our time trying to get the speck out of someone else's I think is an invitation to see the world differently. I want us to have times to stand with Jesus on the hillside and look out over Jerusalem and weep with him and so Jerusalem will Jerusalem how I have long together you under my wing's I think you'll find compassion where you didn't have compassion you'll find insights where used to have confusion, you'll have clarity about how God called you to interact in a world of so much trouble. All of this and so much more in Genesis 28 verse 17, after Jacob had his vision of the ladder.

He said how awesome is this place, this is none other than the house of God and this is the gate of heaven. In verse 19 he called the name of that place Bethel means house of God is in this is the house of God. This is the meeting place of God and humanity of the temple was in John chapter 2 chapter after our text today, the Jews said to Jesus, what side you show us for doing these things after he cleaned out the temple and Jesus answered them, destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up in the Jews said to him was taken 46 years to build this temple you will raise it up in three days of the text as he was speaking about the temple of his body. Jesus was saying, I am Bethel. I am the house of God on the meeting place of God and humanity and God give you guys of Jesus ago see everything as he sees through Christ's eyes just like he promised Nathaniel you'll see greater things this year under a cloudless open heaven. God give you the Savior's own clear vision. So that you will see yourself more beloved and broken. See others potential more than their problems.

You'll see the world hope more than its heartaches.

I believe God's grace is all around you'll see the and that the gospel Helen Ryan is our good news message today looking at life through Jesus on it's in the series you'll see in past row in his back with us in the studio with today's parting good news thought just a moment want to give someone a present this Christmas that they'll never forget. Let us help you give a gift, that money can't buy this Christmas. Give someone your blessing a positive biblically-based faith filled vision for their life in the beginning God blessed Adam and Eve and then told them to be fruitful and multiply, because in God's design blessing isn't the reward for productivity. It's the fuel for it. Now more than ever, someone you love needs your blessing and we're here to help you craft this month. Special offer from Alan Wright is a beautiful booklet that will teach you how to craft an full blessing for easy step-by-step instructions are biblically based, and even include a worksheet that helps you write your blessing.

So this Christmas. Give someone you love a present, not found in stores, a gift from your own heart that will encourage and empower write down the blessing and put it in the package under the tree or put it in your Christmas card. They'll never forget it when you make your gift. Alan Wake ministries this month will send you this booklet as our thinking so you can discover the power to bless call us at 877-544-4860 or visit pastor and.org Esther Allen I like what you said that even on the last program instead of what would Jesus do this is really asking the question, how would Jesus get me praying the prayer Lord, help me see as you think think it's just very simple spiritual discipline but it's I found it to be life transforming.

To simply in every situation. So Jesus had you seen this to get into a difficult spot. Just stop to just how do you see this because in O'Daniel. Once you see something clearly then your thoughts and fillings will line up with and I think that is a precious promise Jesus gives manual and Nathaniel and is one to us as well. In a very important season for Jesus so you will see greater things so ask and I think you'll find that the spirit of Jesus, you will be led in. When you see it differently is is he does all your behaviors and thoughts will today's good news message is a listener supported production.

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