Greg Middlebrook

I love Jesus. Donna. Our kids. Our Grandkids. FBC. 2L Town.

[Greg Middlebrook @GregMiddlebroo4]

@0laratrumpRv2 63

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

Rape, Kidnapping, and Genesis 34: Where is God in this Horror?

Sometimes when we read a Bible story, the theological takeaway from it is relatively obvious. At other times, we might be left saying to ourselves, “Lord have mercy. This is such a horrific episode, I don’t know what to make of it.”

That is my overarching reaction to Genesis 34. Dinah is raped. Her father, Jacob, is mute and passive. Two brothers exact revenge upon the perpetrator and his father, yes, but also murder countless other men in cold blood. Their other brothers, like drunk Vikings, plunder the village and enslave the inhabitants.

It’s like we’re reading a chapter from a dystopic novel like Clockwork Orange or one of Cormac McCarthy’s apocalyptic stories that describes the ugly underside of humanity.

And maybe, just maybe, that is one of the takeaways from this account. Often in our lives, we find ourselves caught in the middle of a modern Genesis 34 nightmare. We look around and see plenty of confusion, guilt, destruction, family turmoil, brutalized victims, vigilante justice, and bloodshed, and very little of God. Indeed, it seems as if the Lord has left the building. He’s nowhere to be found. In fact, notice that, in Genesis 34, God is never mentioned.

Will the Lord bring some light out of this midnight story? Yes, he will, a brilliant light. In time, Jacob will curse the anger and wrath of Simeon and Levi and not speak over them any farewell blessing (Gen. 49:5-7). But he will bestow upon Judah a lavish benediction in which his tribe will be the one from whom the Messiah will come (Gen. 49:8-12). Had Genesis 34 not happened, the Old Testament would have been a very different narrative, with no mention of a lion from the tribe of Judah, no King David from Bethlehem, and no focus upon “a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David” (Luke 1:27).

Ages after this story in which everyone except Dinah was implicated in wrongdoing, a right-doing Lord would raise up a young woman to bear the Savior of the world.

But, at the time, Dinah did not know this. Neither did Jacob. Neither did the brothers. And in our own Genesis 34s, most of the time, we too don’t know how the Lord will cause “all things [to] work together for good” (Rom. 8:28). Instead, as those who live by faith—faith in a good and gracious Father, a loving Savior, and a comforting Spirit—we trust that he is good. And rather than seeking answers to all our questions, we seek instead to live in the light of Christ’s cross, where good reigns eternal amidst the dark and evil chaos of the world he came to save.

-From my book, Limping with God: Jacob and the Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship.

[Susie Larson @SusieLarson]

As you lie down to sleep, may the Lord Himself rise up and fight for you! May He draw by His Spirit your loved ones who do not love Him. May He bring the breakthrough where there's only been a roadblock. May you remember this day and everyday that the battle is the Lord's!

[Susie Larson @SusieLarson]

May you speak life over your life, starting today. Speak to your mountains and tell them to move in Jesus' Name! Speak to your fears and tell them that Jesus' perfect love is greater still. Speak to your soul and remind yourself that God is always good.

[Brian Simmons @BrianWSimmons]

To be called His Bride means that all the privileges of the relationship become ours. To be called His cherished one even when we can still remember all the times we fought Him and His perfect will for our lives. Our poverty is drowned out in the riches of His redeeming love.

[Church Curmudgeon @ChrchCurmudgeon]

Nothing in my hand I bring;
Simply to thy cross I cling.
Naked, come to thee for dress;
Helpless, look to thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.

#ThirdVerse

[Adalis Shuttlesworth @BonaFideAdalis]

“It is the height of arrogance to think that we can use words only to persuade people when Jesus had to have signs and miracles to confirm His Word.” @andrewwommack

If Jesus did these things, how can we possibly do less?

[Dr. Malachi - (Dr. Run) @malachiobrien]

#asburyrevival UPDATE

Earlier TODAY

The move of God cannot be contained by walls. The church has left the building!!!

This is truly exhilarating 🔥🔥

❤️ if you agree. Let’s pray for MORE

(📸 - Cred - Worship Today- TikTok

[Steve Martin (shaking the ladder) @pudicat11]

.
Dear Preacher,

Do you have any words for those of us who finally realize that we just can't cut it in the pursuit of godliness?
Do you have anything to say to us besides
"Try harder" ??
Anything at all?
Like maybe,
"All your sin is forgiven. You are free now, in Christ."

[Dr. Malachi - (Dr. Run) @malachiobrien]

#asburyrevival

Think about this…there is a room full of hungry next generation students in chapels at Asbury adoring Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

This is GLORIOUS

Night & Day Prayer & Worship

💧May you receive a greater touch of the Spirit through this historic move of God.

[Carlos Whittaker @loswhit]

“Let’s hug for 60 seconds” my 16 year old son said to me yesterday morning…
“What? Is this a school assignment or something?” I joked back…
“Nope. I just want to hug you…” he responded.
And so we just hugged…
Swayed a little…
Felt each other breathing…
No bro pats 😂 to make things feel more “manly”
Didn’t say anything…
Just hugged…
For. 60. Seconds.

I haven’t been hugged nor have I hugged someone else for that long in a long time.
So thank you son…
Thank you for giving me breath today that I didn’t know I would need.
A long hug is more valuable than anything else you could give someone today.
Happy Valentine’s Day twitter fam…

[Thomas Watson @ThosWatson]

*My sheep*, there is election; *hear my voice*, there is vocation; *and I know them*, there is justification; *and they follow me*, there is sanctification; *and I give unto them eternal life*, there is glorification.

[Dustin Benge @DustinBenge]

5 characteristics of God's love:

1. God's love is unconditional
(Rom. 5:8).

2. God's love is sacrificial
(John 15:13).

3. God's love is everlasting
(Jer. 31:3).

4. God's love is compassionate
(Psalm 103:8).

5. God's love is transformative
(1 John 3:1).

[Shane Pruitt @shane_pruitt78]

Stop looking for the perfect church. Instead, go worship the perfect God with a congregation of flawed people who need grace just as much as you do.

[Jeff Schultz 🆓 @JeffreyPSchultz]

@DPCassidyTKC Powerful and convicting. Reminds me of a quote from an older book that has stuck with me:

[David Cassidy @DPCassidyTKC]

@aSimpleHobbit As a recovering self-righteous hypocrite who needs mercy every day, I've had a lot of practice.

[David Cassidy @DPCassidyTKC]

Dear Lord, please send revival only to us and those of whom we approve, and by means we can affirm. Lord, please don't send rain on the liberals or the woke, nor Lord, on the Methodists or Pentecostals. Lord, we do need reviving but it needs to be for us, look like us...

[Leonard Ravenhill @ravenhillquotes]

You can’t say, 'Christ is all I need,' until Christ is all you have. You’ve got to lose everything — every interest. Maybe break up good friendships, maybe backoff, and the Lord says, “Go, hide yourself.” I tell every young man that comes to see me, “Hide yourself.”

[Chad Bird @birdchadlouis]

I could more easily contain Niagara Falls in a tea cup than I can comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God.

–Brennan Manning