Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Jesus makes this statement yet today to us because God’s great love is actually behind it.
For as we surrender to God’s perfect will, we needn’t have any apprehensions still…
since the Lord of all creation wants to guide us to that which is best–His Spirit lives inside of us.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’” Matthew 16:24-25
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulnrss.” Lamentations 3:21-23 RSV
“…For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” Romans 5:5 NLT
His love blesses us, and we seek to love and bless others…
“‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20
“And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
God works in many ways–you may be interested in and blessed through some of the insights at http://www.chrisbeatcancer.com by Chris Wark, a cancer survivor, first diagnosed in 2003.
And regarding the concerns of today’s world:
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint…” Luke 18:1 KJV
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart…” NASB
Thoughts from a guest contributor:
Pray always without being weary. Do not stop or give up. Do pray, even when you feel tired from or distressed about a problem. Do pray when you wake up or before you fall asleep.
Keep praying, always looking for the Holy Spirit in action all day. Keep God on your heart and thank Him throughout your day.
“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NKJV
“Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Him by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?’ Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’” John 3:1-9 (from John 3:1-21)
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Refrain: This is my story; this is my song: praising my Savior all the day long; this is my story; this is my song: praising my Savior all the day long.
“After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury.” John 19:38-40
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:11
They Thought for Themselves by Sid Roth is an inspirational book available at http://www.christianbook.com and from other book sources.
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and overallthepoweroftheenemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19
When the devil comes, with various fears, with which he wants to pound us…
that’s the time to remember that God and His angels are present to surround us.
Always remember your position of authority in the Lord, Jesus Christ….
whose victory over the enemy of our souls has far more than sufficed.
The name of Jesus and His blood and the spoken Word do tower…
over all of the enemy’s principalities of darkness and evil power.
Christ’s life, death, and, as Conqueror, His triumphant resurrection
have given to all of God’s children His grace and “Victory” connection.
We declare no wicked scheme or plot of the devil’s can ultimately prevail…
when we take our seat of authority “in Christ,” knowing “Love (our God) doesn’t fail!”
God has never given to the believer any spirits of fear…
We know we’re to resist them with the Word and boldly persevere.
It could be said that those in Christ are in a kind of protective bubble…
God is their very present help, on which to depend in time of trouble.
And let the words of Psalm 91 give you a sense of calm,
as it tells of dwelling with God in His secret place–a very assuring Psalm!
P. A. Oltrogge
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” …from Psalm 91
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand, in the heavenly places, FAR ABOVE all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:18-23 NASB
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, in order that in the ages to come, He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:4-10 NASB
“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:10-12
“You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.” Colossians 2:13-15 NLT
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 KJV
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:17
“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:3-5
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:7-11
“Love never fails.” …from 1 Corinthians 13:8
“Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” 2 Corinthians 2:14
Scriptures NKJV or as noted.
For the believer in Christ Jesus,
You would be blessed by a small booklet, “The Authority of the Believer and How to Use It” by Billye Brim. Available in the “Store” at http://www.BillyeBrim.org
As an example of taking authority, you can view Billye’s son, Chip, relating that he did just that during a sudden tornado….view on You Tube, Chip Brim Tornado
I’ve gotten to know some of you a little by your having sent an occasional “Like,” which I’ve appreciated and was encouraged by as I’ve traveled down the blogging pike.
So, especially, during these difficult times, when I don’t hear from you in a while, my heart is touched; and I pray to the Lord that He’s surely watching over you, His dear child.
I pray the same for all of the “Porch” readers…. and I’m thankful for you who’ve signed up for its posts. I know that you want to meditate on God’s Word and that you pray to and honor the Lord of Hosts!
P. A. Oltrogge
“And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and loveoneanother, just as he commanded us.” 1 John 3:23 NLT
“With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:18 NASB
“Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah” Psalm 24:9-10 NKJV
“How blessed is the man…(whose) delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night.” (from Psalm 1:1-3 NASB)
Perhaps you’re believing for an answer to prayer or even a miracle. Perhaps you’re being urged to do something that goes against your deepest feelings or beliefs. Consider this before you bow….
I don’t know when, I don’t know how; but to “defeat,” I will not bow….
Daniel wouldn’t bow for King Darius’s decree– God kept him from the lions, and then He set him free!
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are famous names– they resisted Nebuchadnezzar and the fear of his flames.
And Jesus resisted the devil’s attempted, foul persuasion to gain all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, on one occasion.
If Jesus would just bow down and worship him, the evil one… why, He could skip the way of the cross; but he couldn’t fool God’s Son!
These are excellent examples that inspire us on our way…. to keep trusting God–who is faithful to answer when we pray.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, ‘All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.’
“Then Jesus said to him, ‘Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’
“Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.”
I believe in miracles… I believe they can happen overnight.
I believe in miracles… I believe in faith over fright.
I believe in miracles… even when my faith has taken a hit.
I believe in miracles… because my God doesn’t want me to quit.
I believe in miracles… in God’s forgiveness and covering of mistakes.
I believe in miracles… and in God’s ability to heal heartbreaks.
I believe in miracles… agreeing with what’s written in scripture.
I believe in doing so, that’s the vehicle for “changing the picture.”
I believe in miracles… even if their coming seems slow as molasses.
I believe in miracles… for problems are what God’s power surpasses.
I believe in miracles… Jesus works them, and He is the Master.
I believe in miracles… Of things hoped for, faith is the confident forecaster.
I believe in miracles… They’ve been documented in so many cases.
I believe in miracles… because I believe in God’s divine daily graces.
P. A. Oltrogge
“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” said by Jesus in John 10:10
“And Jesus answering saith unto them, ‘Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.’” Mark 11:22-24 KJV
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” said by Jesus in Matthew 7:7-8
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6
“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart….” from Luke 18
“What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.” 1 Corinthians 14:15
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” Psalm 103:2-4
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19 (read by and fulfilled by Jesus)
“Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, ‘Who is on the Lord’s side?'” …from Exodus 32:26 KJV
The one true God is on OUR side, for JESUS’ BLOOD has been applied.
No good thing will be denied… for we are standing on the GOOD LORD’S side.
The devil’s power has been defied through JESUS’ BLOOD-BOUGHT OVERRIDE.
Heaven’s windows have been opened wide… In our giving, every blessing will be supplied.
Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is our faithful guide and Prince of Peace–in His perfect peace, we abide.
Sins and sicknesses have been cast aside. By His stripes, Christ healed His church–His bride.
If the trustworthiness of God’s Word is being denied, we know and say, instead, that God has never lied.
God’s angels support us, traveling far and wide, hearkening to His Word, which is their constant guide.
For the persecuted, we pray that God will turn the tide, bringing daring help and angels to come alongside.
The world hated Jesus, and He Himself warned that believers, by the world, would also be scorned.
For the enemies of the Gospel, who’ve been deceived, we pray they’ll find the King, on whom they must believe.
From the Lord’s hand, the born-again believer can’t be snatched… Eternal life is ours by Jesus’ name and blood, which are unmatched!
P. A. Oltrogge
“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” …spoken by Jesus in John 10:28-30 NKJV
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11 KJV or Psalm 34:10
“‘Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,’ Says the Lord of hosts, ‘If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.'” Malachi 3:10 NKJV
“…it is impossible for God to lie….” (from Hebrews 6:18)
“Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:1-5
“The Lord executes righteousness and judgment and justice for all who are oppressed.” Psalm 103:6
“Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.” Psalm 103:20 NKJV
“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 NKJV
“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” …spoken by Jesus in John 15:18-19 NKJV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” …spoken by Jesus in Matthew 3:43-45 NKJV
“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and are in him that is true, even in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” 1 John 5:20 KJV
“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV
“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 NKJV
The poem above was inspired by poetic words written by Trina Hankins in Mark Hankins’ book, “The Spirit of Faith” available at www.markhankins.org
For encouragement on healing: www.rhema.org offers the book, “Bodily Healing and the Atonement,” by Dr. T. J. McCrossan, reedited and reprinted by Rev. Kenneth E. Hagin and Dr. Roy Hicks.
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised….”) Hebrews 10:23 KJV
“Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths, reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, ‘This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.’ And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas.” Acts 17:1-4
This Jesus… Who suffered and died and rose again from the dead– This Jesus is the Christ, the Chief Cornerstone and Head of His Church.
Through this Jesus… our lives can take on a whole new scope… The Father has provided us new birth into a living hope.
P. A. Oltrogge
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ…” 1 Peter 1:3 NIV
“Therefore, it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.’” 1 Peter 2:6 NKJV
Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Peter 2:4-10
The above image of Jesus used by permission of Bob Berran at http://www.bobberran.com See his Online Store to purchase reprints of various sizes.
“As he (Jacob) slept, he dreamed of a stairway that reached from the earth up to heaven. And he saw the angels of God going up and down the stairway. At the top of the stairway stood the Lord, and he said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of your grandfather, Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants. Your descendants will be as numerous as the dust of the earth! They will spread out in all directions—to the west and the east, to the north and the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your descendants. What’s more, I am with you, and I will protect you wherever you go. One day I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have finished giving you everything I have promised you.’”
“Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I wasn’t even aware of it! But he was also afraid and said, ‘What an awesome place this is! It is none other than the house of God, The very gateway to heaven!’”
Genesis 28:12-17 NLT
verse 19: “He named that place Bethel (which means ‘house of God’)….”
“Then he (Jesus) said, ‘I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of Man, the one who is the stairway between heaven and earth!’”
John 1:51 NLT
…and from Genesis 31-33:
After twenty years of service to Laban, the Lord told Jacob to take his family and livestock and return to his father, Isaac’s, land.
At a place, which he called Mahanaim, the angels of God met Jacob while he was journeying as God had planned.
“This is God’s camp,” he declared. Despite having seen angelic support, he was worried and sent messengers before him to meet Esau, his brother.
Due to cheating Esau of the patriarchal blessing years before, he had great fears about Esau and himself getting along with one another.
He prayed to God about his fears, seeking His mercy, and decided to offer, for the sake of peace, some herds of his livestock to Esau, each one as a gift.
But God would cause Esau to greet his brother with a heart of love—not bringing up or even thinking of their earlier rift.
Having sent his animals, servants, and family before him, Jacob was alone for the night.
At that point, Jacob had an unusual encounter with a Man with whom he wrestled until the morning light.
Not prevailing, the Man touched the socket of Jacob’s hip, putting it out of joint—then urged him to let Him go, for it was break of day.
Jacob, however, would not let Him go, he said, unless He would bestow a blessing that he could take away.
The heavenly visitor asked his name. And “Jacob,” (one who supplants) was his name that he related.
Because he had “wrestled with God and men and prevailed,” his name would no longer be Jacob, but would be Israel, (to have power, as a prince) the visitor stated.
Jacob, too, asked the Man His name, which He didn’t offer—only asking him why he would inquire about it; but He blessed him there.
Jacob called the place, Peniel, for he knew that he had seen God face to face, yet his life had been spared.
In our own lives, we may “wrestle” with God, our own self-will resisting submission to Him, though at any time, He could conquer us.
If we fully understood His love and goodness, we would never resist submission to His will, for He only desires to “conquer” us to bless us…
Trust in the Lord, follow His leading…and be blessed!
P. A. Oltrogge
Laban pursued Jacob after he left but God intercepted any friction by speaking to Laban in a nighttime dream. So Laban wound up making a covenant with him, and Jacob’s reunion with Esau was not disastrous as he had feared—things turned out well for him.
We should remember that the angels are with us, too, as they were with Jacob, and that we can turn to the Lord with any problem, reminding Him of His promises, just as Jacob ultimately did in this account.
Many believe that “the Man” Jacob wrestled with could well have been Jesus Himself, temporarily in a human form, rather than an angel, for Jacob said he had seen God face to face.
In Genesis 32:9, Jacob prayed to the God of his grandfather, Abraham, and the God of his father, Isaac. But after wrestling with God, he addressed Him as God, the God of Israel (Genesis 33:20).
”Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah”. Psalm 62:8 NKJV
“He took his brother by the heel in the womb, And in his strength he struggled with God. Yes, he struggled with the Angel, and prevailed; He wept, and sought favor from Him. He found Him in Bethel, And there He spoke to us— That is, the Lord God of hosts. The Lord is His memorable name. So you, by the help of your God, return; Observe mercy and justice, And wait on your God continually.”
Hosea 12:3-6 NKJV
“…As he (Jacob) approached his brother, he bowed to the ground seven times before him. Then Esau ran to meet him and embraced him, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. And they both wept. Then Esau looked at the women and children and asked, ‘Who are these people with you?’ ‘These are the children God has graciously given to me, your servant,’ Jacob replied.” (Jacob then introduces his entire family.)
“‘And what were all the flocks and herds I met as I came?’ Esau asked. Jacob replied, ‘They are a gift, my lord, to ensure your friendship.’ ‘My brother, I have plenty,’ Esau answered. ‘Keep what you have for yourself.’ But Jacob insisted, ‘No, if I have found favor with you, please accept this gift from me. And what a relief to see your friendly smile. It is like seeing the face of God! Please take this gift I have brought you, for God has been very gracious to me. I have more than enough. And because Jacob insisted, Esau finally accepted the gift.” (From Genesis 33 NLT)
The Porch of the Lord 