Cortisol and Adrenaline, our Biology, bios and prayer, and Jacob wrestling with "the man"

Our biology, bios and prayer, and Jacob wrestling with "the man"

On Sep 17, 2017 2:54 PM, "Stephen Williamson" wrote:

Subject: A lighter moment - Sing :-)

Hi all
On a lighter moment, just felt to put this page together, the songs are by a Scottish band that do pretty cool videos, the "Sing" one is like a cross between "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and the classic pie fight in "The Great Race" with Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis.

https://www.swcs.com.au/sing.asp

Blessings all Steve

On Sep 16, 2017 2:43 PM, "Stephen Williamson" wrote:

Subject: Chatting on Wednesday about cortisol and adrenaline, our biology, bios and prayer, and Jacob wrestling with "the man" :-)

Hi all

Chatting about cortisol and adrenaline on Wednesday, they're the two major stress hormones that generate our flight or fight response. http://www.livestrong.com /article /207432-adrenaline-cortisol/

Cortisol is like a "stopper", stops so much bodily activity (temporarily), narrows the arteries, binds to receptors on your fat cells to break 'em down into glucose reserves for your muscles. Adrenaline of course gives you that "rush", binds to receptors on the heart and heart vessels, increases the heart rate, dilates the blood vessels on your skeletal muscles, focuses on "movement".

Not very healthy, all that intense stopping and moving, over an extended period. Compared with prayer, pressing into God, his unshakeable love for us, not "trying" to fight off fears and lies from the enemy.

Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached and everyone is pressing Grk biazetai Lat facit vim into it.

Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence Grk biazetai Lat vis,vim, and the violent Grk biastai Lat violenti forcefully take hold of it Grk arpazousin Lat rapiunt.

The Latin words vis and vim, and volens are akin to the English words wishing, and wanting and willing with that single-minded focus.

So, ok, regarding our biology growth-pressure, in the Greek New Testament the verb ("biazo") to which the noun ("bios") refers, tells how since the birth of John the Baptist, people were pressing ("biazo-ing") their way through the crowds to get to John, to Christ as at the time when he climbed onto Peter's boat at the shore Luke 5:1-3, even "violently" like soldiers, "vim-ful" ones, "taking a grip to hold on fast" to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Here's a link to these verses, bios and biazo and their derivatives:

www.blueletterbible.org /search /search.cfm? Criteria = G979 OR G980 OR G981 OR G982 OR G970 OR G971 OR G972 OR G973

Click here for the extra verses in the Septuagint

How hard you worked, and to what end, was then up to each person.

The noun "bios" became a person's livelihood, victuals, "vitals" that brought pride, or not, depending on yourself.

The widow's mite that she gave, was all of her bios or "living", so when she gave, she gave far more to God's House than the others. Displays God's Irony, when it comes to his Kingdom.

Our "bios" is called to be in quietness, godliness, honesty, 1 Timothy 2:1-4 principles, praying for the government. "Strive" to enter his rest.

So much unseen.

Talking about wrestling, and faith, and stuff, Just spent a number of hours this week on Jacob, extract below, such an interesting character in Genesis

Blessings all Steve

https://www.swcs.com.au /timeline.asp

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1850 BC Birth of Jacob. Younger twin of Esau. Name means "Heel Catcher" or Supplanter. Pressures his brother after his brother comes in hungry from working all day, to "sell" him his birthright for a bowl of food. Esau did so, "despising" the honour of his birthright.
1773 BC At the age of (about) 77, Jacob tricks his father into blessing him instead of Esau to gain the inheritance. Flees to his uncle Laban's property, having a vision of angels ascending and descending upon the stone where his head lay (on the way at Bethel). Now with Laban, serves seven years for Rachel, but receives Leah as bride instead. Agrees to serve another seven years for Rachel, during which time he has 6 sons and 1 daughter from Leah, 2 sons from Bilhah (Rachel's maid), 2 sons from Zilpah (Leah's maid), and finally 1 son (Joseph) from Rachel. Serves 6 more years with Laban, uses a somewhat supernatural approach to reproduction, faith and visuals to become quite wealthy.

1753 BC Genesis 32:24 At the age of 97 he returns to face Esau, and very fearful of him. After sending Esau gifts and honour, Jacob now wrestles with a man, an angel all night. As the day dawned the angel touches his hip, causing a permanent limp, and as Jacob now "clings" to him, the angel says Jacob will no longer be called Jacob, a "heel catcher", but instead Israel, a prince or "warrior" with God. The place is called Peniel in the land of Gilead on the north bank of the Zarqa River (River Jabbok) that flows west into the Jordan. And his brother Esau, previously his enemy, welcomes him on the south side of the river with strong affection. Jacob knows this is God. Shortly after he travels west, crossing the Jordan River into the land of Canaan and settles at Shechem.
But God's hand is heavy upon Jacob (Israel), dishonour, times of weakness, humiliation (a "stink" to fellow-residents), fearfulness follow. First Shechem himself, a prince in the land sleeps with Dinah as she reaches the age of puberty, it's now some years later, she is perhaps 12, and he seeks her hand in marriage. In horrific contempt, deception and fury, her brothers, Simeon and Levi, well, they are young, they insist on circumcision "initiation rites" for the tribe's city. Then they boldly murder all the males while they were still sore, their excuse, "should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" In fear, Jacob separates his family, changing their clothes and removing all the idols, burying them under an oak tree at Shechem. He travels to Bethel and builds an altar, calling upon the Lord.
Next Deborah, the lady who had suckled Jacob's mother Rebekah, died. According to many commentaries, Rebekah herself must have died during the 20 years Jacob was away with Laban, and been buried at Hebron, never seeing her son again. Her old nurse Deborah who had joined Jacob's family was now buried at the "Oak of Weeping" at Bethel. God meets with Jacob again, calling him Israel, telling him "nations, a multitude of nations, kings will come forth from him". Jacob anoints the place as Bethel ("The House of God").
Next Rachel died giving birth to Benoni ("son of my sorrow") though Jacob renamed him Benjamin ("son of my right hand"). Jacob settles his family beyond the "tower of Edar", near Bethlehem.
Next Reuben shows major disrespect to his father when he sleeps with Jacob's concubine Bilhah. Jacob travels on to Hebron to live near his father Isaac. The years go by and Isaac dies. Jacob is now 120.
Flashback 12 years, in Hebron, to when Jacob was 108. He had made a beautifully coloured coat for his favourite son Joseph. But Joseph offends all his family, telling them of his dreams, of them "bowing to", even worshipping him. In anger, and jealousy of Joseph being the favourite, his brothers set out to kill him, at 17. But one of the brothers, young Judah, perhaps at the age of 21 declared "What gain, plunder (with our covetous desire) do we get from his death, let's sell him instead as a boy slave to these Ishmaelite slave traders". Yes, Judah, envious, is in a pretty bad way.
And he's a foretaste of his tribe, the Jews, crying out to Pilate "his blood (Jesus) be on us and our children", with Judah, in the next chapter in Genesis 38, losing both of his young adult sons to death, due to their own sins, incidentally.
1720 BC So, 22 years after Joseph's capture go by, there is famine in the land, and a strange king of Egypt insists Jacob despatch to him his youngest, Jacob's only reminder now of Rachel, his son Benjamin. The strange king is Joseph, and through trickery he then insists on keeping Benjamin to be his slave. And we see Judah's redemption, as he cries out to Joseph, all these years later, "take my life, yes I will become your slave, don't take our father's favourite, Benjamin". Possibly he was remembering the huge devastation he'd felt losing his two sons, and as he mentions his father's potential early death due to grieving, Joseph bursts into tears, forgetting all his anger and vengeance, yep, major redemption on all sides.
Jacob now receives permission from God to take his family (66 in total + wives) to Egypt where Joseph (with his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh) is in charge — under Pharaoh. Jacob is now 130 years old. Genesis 47:9
Joseph is now 39 years old. Genesis 41:46-47, Genesis 45:6
1703 BC Jacob blesses his sons before dying. Genesis 47:28
1649 BC Joseph dies. Genesis 50:26. Israel is now multiplying (increasing at a major rate of knots) and it says the land was filled with them. A new king now comes on the throne of Egypt who has not known Joseph. Tells his people that these people are not loyal to us, they could join with our enemies in the event of war. The only option is to hurt them with hard work and slavemasters so they stop multiplying. But this plan doesn't work, the young ladies (and men) are strong, the children of Israel multiply all the more rapidly.
1585 BC Moses born. 40 years in Pharaoh's house, 40 years in the wilderness. Acts 7:23, Acts 7:30
1505 BC The Exodus. Moses now leads the Israelites out of Egypt.

Stephen Williamson Computing Services Pty Ltd
www.swcs.com.au/aboutus.asp

** End of article

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1850 BC	Birth of Jacob. Younger twin of Esau. Name means "Heel Catcher" or Supplanter. Pressures his brother after his brother comes in hungry from working all day, to "sell" him his birthright for a bowl of food. Esau did so, "despising" the honour of his birthright.
1773 BC	At the age of (about) 77, Jacob tricks his father into blessing him instead of Esau to gain the inheritance. Flees to his uncle Laban's property, having a vision of angels ascending and descending upon the stone where his head lay (on the way at Bethel). Now with Laban, serves seven years for Rachel, but receives Leah as bride instead. Agrees to serve another seven years for Rachel, during which time he has 6 sons and 1 daughter from Leah, 2 sons from Bilhah (Rachel's maid), 2 sons from Zilpah (Leah's maid), and finally 1 son (Joseph) from Rachel. Serves 6 more years with Laban, uses a somewhat supernatural approach to reproduction, faith and visuals to become quite wealthy.
1753 BC	Genesis 32:24 At the age of 97 he returns to face Esau, and very fearful of him. After sending Esau gifts and honour, Jacob now wrestles with a man, an angel all night. As the day dawned the angel touches his hip, causing a permanent limp, and as Jacob now "clings" to him, the angel says Jacob will no longer be called Jacob, a "heel catcher", but instead Israel, a prince or "warrior" with God. The place is called Peniel in the land of Gilead on the north bank of the Zarqa River (River Jabbok) that flows west into the Jordan. And his brother Esau, previously his enemy, welcomes him on the south side of the river with strong affection. Jacob knows this is God. Shortly after he travels west, crossing the Jordan River into the land of Canaan and settles at Shechem. But God's hand is heavy upon Jacob (Israel), dishonour, times of weakness, humiliation (a "stink" to fellow-residents), fearfulness follow. First Shechem himself, a prince in the land sleeps with Dinah as she reaches the age of puberty, it's now some years later, she is perhaps 12, and he seeks her hand in marriage. In horrific contempt, deception and fury, her brothers, Simeon and Levi, well, they are young, they insist on circumcision "initiation rites" for the tribe's city. Then they boldly murder all the males while they were still sore, their excuse, "should he treat our sister like a prostitute?" In fear, Jacob separates his family, changing their clothes and removing all the idols, burying them under an oak tree at Shechem. He travels to Bethel and builds an altar, calling upon the Lord. Next Deborah, the lady who had suckled Jacob's mother Rebekah, died. According to many commentaries, Rebekah herself must have died during the 20 years Jacob was away with Laban, and been buried at Hebron, never seeing her son again. Her old nurse Deborah who had joined Jacob's family was now buried at the "Oak of Weeping" at Bethel. God meets with Jacob again, calling him Israel, telling him "nations, a multitude of nations, kings will come forth from him". Jacob anoints the place as Bethel ("The House of God"). Next Rachel died giving birth to Benoni ("son of my sorrow") though Jacob renamed him Benjamin ("son of my right hand"). Jacob settles his family beyond the "tower of Edar", near Bethlehem. Next Reuben shows major disrespect to his father when he sleeps with Jacob's concubine Bilhah. Jacob travels on to Hebron to live near his father Isaac. The years go by and Isaac dies. Jacob is now 120. Flashback 12 years, in Hebron, to when Jacob was 108. He had made a beautifully coloured coat for his favourite son Joseph. But Joseph offends all his family, telling them of his dreams, of them "bowing to", even worshipping him. In anger, and jealousy of Joseph being the favourite, his brothers set out to kill him, at 17. But one of the brothers, young Judah, perhaps at the age of 21 declared "What gain, plunder (with our covetous desire) do we get from his death, let's sell him instead as a boy slave to these Ishmaelite slave traders". Yes, Judah, envious, is in a pretty bad way. And he's a foretaste of his tribe, the Jews, crying out to Pilate "his blood (Jesus) be on us and our children", with Judah, in the next chapter in Genesis 38, losing both of his young adult sons to death, due to their own sins, incidentally.
1720 BC	So, 22 years after Joseph's capture go by, there is famine in the land, and a strange king of Egypt insists Jacob despatch to him his youngest, Jacob's only reminder now of Rachel, his son Benjamin. The strange king is Joseph, and through trickery he then insists on keeping Benjamin to be his slave. And we see Judah's redemption, as he cries out to Joseph, all these years later, "take my life, yes I will become your slave, don't take our father's favourite, Benjamin". Possibly he was remembering the huge devastation he'd felt losing his two sons, and as he mentions his father's potential early death due to grieving, Joseph bursts into tears, forgetting all his anger and vengeance, yep, major redemption on all sides. Jacob now receives permission from God to take his family (66 in total + wives) to Egypt where Joseph (with his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh) is in charge — under Pharaoh. Jacob is now 130 years old. Genesis 47:9 Joseph is now 39 years old. Genesis 41:46-47, Genesis 45:6
1703 BC	Jacob blesses his sons before dying. Genesis 47:28
1649 BC	Joseph dies. Genesis 50:26. Israel is now multiplying (increasing at a major rate of knots) and it says the land was filled with them. A new king now comes on the throne of Egypt who has not known Joseph. Tells his people that these people are not loyal to us, they could join with our enemies in the event of war. The only option is to hurt them with hard work and slavemasters so they stop multiplying. But this plan doesn't work, the young ladies (and men) are strong, the children of Israel multiply all the more rapidly.
1585 BC	Moses born. 40 years in Pharaoh's house, 40 years in the wilderness. Acts 7:23, Acts 7:30
1505 BC	The Exodus. Moses now leads the Israelites out of Egypt.