Summary: Often our words, attitudes and thinking patterns sabotage God's plan. We must wrestle not in the flesh and blood. We must wrestle until our change comes. Jacob's life seemed sabotaged until he had an encounter with God. Come let us seek God's presence.

SABOTAGE SELF VS UNTIL YOU BLESS ME

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

SABOTAGE: the act of destroying or damaging something deliberately so it will not work correctly, destruction, obstruction, hinder, hamper or hurt.

THIS IS WAR… WE ARE IN A HOT AND HEAVY BATTLE… OUR ATTITUDES AND CHOICES WILL DETERMINE OUR ALTITUDE…

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians 6:12 (MSG) This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

WHEN MY OWN THINKING AND MY OWN WORDS SABOTAGE MY LIFE AND MY FAMILY.

There was this woman that went to the Old Wise Man in the community to seek advice about her future. She approached the wise man to seek answers about her life... She asked him: SIR, WHAT WILL MY FUTURE HOLD?

The wise man said let me ask you a question then I will tell you the information you seek. WHAT DOES YOUR PAST LOOK LIKE? The lady said listen to me. My first husband was a jerk and very mean. My second husband got drunk every day before he came home. My third husband was such a wonderful man until we were married, then instantly overnight he changed. He was verbally abusive and we would argue over the money. I refused to marry again after all that. I learned how bad men were, so now we just shacked up? Men just use you for your body.

The wise man asked about her family. The fire arose in her eyes. My Mom always played favorites and she loved my brother and sisters more than me. It wasn’t my fault! The teachers always picked on me and I made bad grades, so I showed them. I just dropped out of school. All the other students made fun of me. Now I have 5 kids by 4 different men. Landlords refuse to rent to me, I have 5 dogs and 2 cats with my 5 kids. My kids are idiots and on drugs. 2 of my daughters got pregnant at 15. Now I have their kids.

The wise man asked another question, WHAT ABOUT LIFE IN GENERAL? She answered him in anger. I have had some good jobs, but the people I work with tell lies and stories on me. I can’t help it that I was late all the time. Then the boss would believe the lies and fire me. I can’t find a good job. I am trying to get a lawyer to sue somebody and get me some money.

She was in a rage by now and she said I have so much more to tell you. The wise man said I have enough information to see your future. Let me be honest with you. Ahead of lies many dark days. Doom and gloom shall be the norm for you. You will cry many tears. You will be a star on THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW. Your children will end up in jail many times. You will get old and wrinkled and lose your beauty. No one will want you. You will be a lonely old person and end up living at Salvation Army homes and then on the streets.

THE LADY JUMPED UP AND STOMPED and pitched a fit! I KNEW IT SHE SAID. I KNEW IT. THIS WORLD IS A COLD HARD PLACE AND I CAN’T CATCH A BREAK. THE HEAVENS ARE BRASS AND THE EARTH IS IRON. ALL PEOPLE ARE HYPOCRITES AND LIARS. I CAN’T HELP IT!

SABOTAGE? LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO A MAN THAT SEEMED DETERMINED TO DELIBERATELY BE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE. THIS MAN WAS THE SECOND SON OF A SET OF TWINS… THIS MAN WAS HAD A GENTLE AND A QUIET SPIRIT. HE BECAME A MOMMA’S BOY, A SHEPHERD HANGING ON TO HIS MOM’S APRON STRINGS … HIS NAME WAS JACOB. HE WAS KNOWN AS THE SUPPLANTTER, THE CHEATER…. HE SEEMED TO SABOTAGE HIS OWN LIFE.

HE WAS KNOWN AS ONE FOLLOWING ON ANOTHER’S HEEL. (Esau) Esau sold his blessings for a bowl of soup. Remember, Jacob deceived his father to secure a birthright. Esau was so angry at his little brother he promised to kill him. Jacob flees from home to his Uncle Laban. He is deceived and works 7 years for Rachel, another 7 years for Rachel…

JACOB WAS KNOWN FOR A LIFE LONG SORROW, DISGRACE AND HEAVY TRIALS. SEEMED LIKE EACH STEP OF HIS LIFE, JACOB SEEMED TO SABOTAGE HIMSELF. HE WILL BE FACING A PAINFUL REUNION WITH HIS BROTHER, ESAU. JACOB’S LIFE LESSON… DEPEND ON GOD… HE LEARNS THE POWER OF PRAYER.

IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE… WHILE JACOB’S LIFE SEEMED TO BE SO SABOTAGED. SABOTAGED BY OTHERS? SABOTAGED BY SELF ACTIONS… GOD HAS A PLAN.

SABOTAGED? I recently heard the story of a man that decided to commit suicide. His cousin was there and was trying to talk him out of committing suicide. There was a loud bang. The man fell to the floor. Behind him his cousin fell to the floor. The bullet went through the one man into his cousin. There lay two dead men from one bullet? So sad? Sabotaged?

WELL IT APPEARED JACOB’S LIFE WAS SABOTAGED. UNTIL ONE NIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE.

Genesis 32:26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. 27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. 28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

UNTIL? SABOTAGED? IN ONE NIGHT, AT ONE PRAYER MEETING UNDER THE STARS… I WILL NOT LET GO UNTIL YOU BLESS ME… Jacob was tired of a life of sabotage.

SABOTAGED? 20 YEARS AFTER BETHEL, A LONELY, WORN AND WEARY TRAVELER RETURNS HOME… GOD RE-ASSURES JACOB… THE SABOTAGE IS OVER, JACOB GOD HAS CHANGED YOU… YOU ARE A PRINCE WITH GOD… ISRAEL… ISRAEL NO LONGER THE CHEATED CHEATER… THE SABOTAGE IS OVER…

LATER ISRAEL GETS ALONE AND SPENDS THE NIGHT IN COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY GOD… GOD GREATLY ASSURES ISRAEL… YOU ARE A CHANGED PERSON…

YOU HAVE POWER WITH GOD AND MAN… YOU PREVAILED…

Genesis 32:1 And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Genesis 32:1 (MSG) 1 And Jacob went his way. Angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them he said, "Oh! God's Camp!" And he named the place Mahanaim (Campground).

UNTIL… I AM PERSUADED…. I KNOW… GOD IS ABLE… THE SABOTAGE OF MY OWN ACTIONS AND WORDS WILL BE REVERSED… REVERSE THE CURSE. BE HONEST: THE ODDS ARE AGAINST US… THIS IS A LIFE OR DEATH, FIGHT UNTIL WE FINISH RACE…

WE BELIEVE THIS BATTLE WE FACE CAN BE LONG AND HEAVY AND IT MAY APPEAR WE ARE LOSERS… WE MAY HAVE BEEN SABOTAGED BY OTHERS? MAYBE WE HAVE MADE THE WRONG CHOICES AND DECISIONS, WE MAY HAVE SABOTAGED OUR SELVES… BUT WE MUST WRESTLE ON…

THE SABOTAGED MAN JACOB IS NOW ISRAEL THE PRINCE OF GOD AND ISRAEL RETURNS TO BETHEL THE HOUSE OF GOD AND SAYS THANK YOU GOD FOR CHANGING THE SABOTAGED DOOMED MAN TO A POWER HOUSE FOR GOD.

Genesis 35:6 So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 7 And he built there an altar, and called the place Elbethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.

IT IS HIGH TIME TO STOP THE NEGATIVE, DOOMSAYER ATTITUDES AND TRUST GOD… QUIT THE SABOTAGING THINKING PATTERNS…YOUR TRAP OF ANGER AND FRUSTRATION MUST GO… GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. SET YOURSELF FREE…

Psalm 68:1 Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.

You can ---IF YOU WANT TO…

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Philippians 4:13 (MSG) Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.

DO YOU KNOW? WHAT DO YOU KNOW… ? Do we know God can! God can turn the bad stuff to good stuff? We do not have to sabotage our health or spiritual being.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

DO I KNOW GOD CAN KEEP ME? Preserve me?

2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

2 Timothy 1:12 (MSG) It's also the cause of all this trouble I'm in. But I have no regrets. I couldn't be more sure of my ground—the One I've trusted in can take care of what he's trusted me to do right to the end.

I CAN IMAGINE THAT GOD CAN TAKE THE SABOTAGED FUTURE AND TURN IT AROUND… IT IS BEYOND OUR POWER… I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT GOD DID FOR JACOB, HE CAN DO FOR US…

Not only did God change Jacob but God changed ESAU…The two enemies were now friends and brothers… ABOVE WHAT WE ASK? SURE! ABOVE WHAT WE THINK! We are not sabotaged… we have power… speak life…

WE MUST CLAIM GOD’S PROMISES…

Ephesians 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Ephesians 3:20 (MSG) God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

CONCLUSION: Today we make the choice… SPLINTERED FAMILIES? DIVORCE? BROKEN? MEAN WORDS? ANGER? BITTERNESS? FRUSTRATION? We can be set free! FREE INDEED! Free from sabotage. Free from the sabotage of others.

John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

Ask Balaam, one can never curse what God blesses. Our enemy has no power to overturn God’s blesses.

Numbers 23:8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied?

ARISE O, GOD! SHOW YOUR STRENGTH AND SET US FREE FROM THE SABOTAGE OF OTHERS AND THE SELF SABOTAGE THAT WE HAVE CREATED. In one night you changed Jacob to Israel. God we trust today you can bring us into the valley of miracles.

His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com