Brian Flood

Brian Flood

Brian is a dynamic student and expositor of the Word of God. Once being lost, he has now dedicated his life to his family, friends, and all those who he encounters, to share the love of Jesus with them and through him.
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Monday, 05 January 2015 01:52

What Does Man Wrestle With and Why?

 

This all takes place, of course, in Genesis 32.

 

Jacob wasn't "good" by any means. If you look at Jacob before this, he has stolen the blessing that was Esau's birthright. (Genesis 27). He had several children with women he didn't love, and was certainly no great father to them. (Genesis 30-31).

 

By the time he wrestled with this angel (or with God depending on the translation) in chapter 32 starting in verse 24, he'd pretty much shown that he was not a "good" man at all.

 

Yet, God chose him to be the father of the nation of Israel.

 

In the wrestling match, Jacob wrestles with God until daybreak (verse 24). Then God touches the hollow of Jacob's thigh and dislocates it, demonstrating that He could have easily defeated Jacob at any time. This was a lesson in humility - showing Jacob that compared to God, he was nothing.

 

Jacob was injured - he was disabled by a mere touch, to show that God is powerful and compared to God, he is nothing. Whether he was "seriously injured" depends on whether or not you consider a dislocated hip "seriously injured".

 

Yet, knowing full well that he was nothing, Jacob did something brave and remarkable. In the midst of his pain and hurting, He refused to give up until God gave him a blessing. He continued to fight, but now it was for God, not against God.

 

I believe that the reason for the encounter was to ensure that Jacob, who became Israel afterward, had the correct motivation, heart, and attitude toward God. It was a lesson in humility, and Jacob responded by a show of faith and longing for God.

 

What are you wrestling with? Is it Yourself, God and for why?

Friday, 28 November 2014 05:28

Is Christ Trying To Come Near You?

The Advent season is approximately four weeks prior to Christmas Day for western Christianity. The word "advent" means coming or arrival.

Saturday, 03 January 2015 05:23

Insight To Our Shepherd

 

The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want.  Psalm 23:1

 

We are all familiar with this scripture and some even quote it most often when we are faced with an impending situation for which we are not sure the direction we should go.  In this we are, at the very least, verbally acknowledging we need Christ to lead and guide us.

 

While studying the Old Testament Shepherd, I discovered many remarkable things about this very common, but often lonely and despised craft.  The Shepard was usually alone, and was left with the sole responsibility of protecting the entire flock from wolves, bears, lions, and a host of pitfalls, traps and situations, all while many different sheep would often stray, as if they knew better the way to go than the Shepherd.

 

What was the Shepherd’s recourse?  How did he maintain His flock and teach them to stay close to Him?  We know about the rod and the staff the Shepherd carried.  One was used to ward of predators, and the other was used to pull back a sheep from and impending dangerous cliff or pitfall, or simply to bring the sheep closer to the Shepherd when the sheep strayed too far.

 

Every so often, the Shepherd would have a sheep, which despite repeated warnings and continued being reined in, the Shepherd would take the sheep and break its leg.  Sound harsh?  No doubt it was painful for the sheep.  But then the Shepherd did something amazing.  He would place the sheep over His shoulder and carry the sheep.  The sheep, which no doubt felt every step and jolt the Shepherd made as He walked the rugged hillside, would learn to sync up with the Shepherd, to minimize his pain.  He would even become so in sync with the Shepherd; his heartbeat would beat in rhythmic cadence with the Shepard.  Once the sheep healed, he was let down to romp and play again, but he never strayed to far from the Shepherd, who demonstrated He how much He truly loved the sheep.

 

Does this reflect events in your life?  Have you strayed a few times?  Has our Shepherd broken your leg and placed you over His shoulder, placing His heart next to yours? 

 

The sooner you sync up with His will, the sooner you will be whole and well.

 

Saturday, 03 January 2015 03:14

A Tough Kind Of Trusting

Scripture References 1 Samuel 17, 19, 24

Did you ever notice how David treated Saul, his father-in-law?  Saul, who loved David for saving him from having to go and fight his Goliath, (never let anyone else kill your giant) and then also made several attempts on David’s life (would you return again and again to someone who shot live ammo at you and serve them as God directed you to do?) and he willingly and obediently did what the one who GOD had placed over him, asked him to do: Trusting FULLY in God, not in man.  My, my, my, sometimes following God can be a challenge to our natural mind.

David was so committed to following God that he would not even touch Saul when he could have killed him a number of times and even had a man killed for saying he touched the LORD’s anointed one.  You see we may not like what our appointed leaders do, or how they treat us, but the fact remains that GOD put them there for a reason and a season.  This is to accomplish HIS will in our lives and not OUR will! (Sorry been stepping on toes all morning long) , IF we are going to trust in the LORD and say He is our Jehovah- Jireh, then when are we going to stop confessing it with our mouths but not believing it and walking it out in our actions?  Now FAITH is the substance of things HOPED FOR, the evidence of things NOT SEEN!

 

 

Saturday, 15 February 2014 00:00

Do We See 450 or 700?

What's your favorite color? Is it more 450? Or do you tend towards 600? Maybe even 700?

Friday, 14 February 2014 00:00

My Love

I use to think Valentine's Day was a hard day to endure. But then Jesus started to show me His love for me.

"David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth." (2 Samuel 12:16)

Saturday, 08 February 2014 00:00

Our "Finally Moment"

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Sutton hadn't won a game in eight weeks. A critical press was suggesting that he be dropped from the starting lineup.

Thursday, 06 February 2014 00:00

A New Look on Crying Out

Scripture Reference Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Thursday, 30 January 2014 00:00

I Found God's Weakness

I know what you are thinking. If God is ALL powerful and has created the heavens and the earth and that there was nothing made that was made without Him, how could He have a weakness?

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