It's Jacob!

Canadian Law states is that proof of Authorship is all that is required for a work to be copyrighted. Contact Us At: [email protected]

All original working copies, hard copies, computer disks, desk copies of books ( including many formats of cover design) are on file on location of Jacob Bergen: This 12th. Day of July 1999.

I would like to dedicate this book to my wife for all the encouragement I received from her during the process. I have bounced ideas off her many times. Sometimes I pushed her ideas aside at first; then after some reflection I often took her advice.

I also want to thank a friend of mine; Danny Chau, who also challenged my ideas on cover design, and other things. Without his input I would have made some wrong turns in these areas. Thanks Dan.

I also want to dedicate this book to my sister Helen who just went to be with Jesus, November 25/ 1998, 10:30 A.M.. and Fred her husband. One day Helen saw Chapter Four: Presenting The Ladies, and made a remark about how I presented it. It was one of those jokingly snide remarks.

Helen and Fred, and my wife and I were very close friends, as well as being family. We shared little quirks, that we loaded up on each other from time to time; especially, things to do with men versus women; in the light of the Bible.

Fred and I usually referred to ourselves as men who were no whimps. Every so often we did something that might put us in the category of being a whimp. One such time was when the ladies made us a T- Shirt with our children’s picture on it. After we were conned into wearing it we were jokingly thought of as: You guessed it, Whimps.

Just because The Lord is now being mentioned as the last one to whom I dedicate this book, does not make him least in importance; It does in fact make him first. The Bible says that the last shall be first. The Bible also says of him: He is the Alfa and Omega; The First and The Last.

Jacob, the patriarch, is a subject which can lead to the writing of a volume of books. The interest in this character of the Bible is probably not as great on the level of the average person, as it is with scholars, Bible teachers, ministers, etc. The usual matter of interest that Jacob generates is, how he fits in with the nation of Israel. When the aforementioned people think about writing about Jacob, for the most part their considerations are historical. Jacob is probably covered in detail in the Bible schools around the world, in the historical sense. The next most prominent feature of this man is that he was a deceiver.

Jacob was much more than just historical, and a deceiver. I firmly believe that Jacob was a man that was a very deep thinker. I believe that he was a man who had a heart for people. This seems to be a contradiction in terms when one considers how selfish he was in the early part of his life. I believe that Jacob loved very deeply. I know that Jacob loved deeply on the physical plain, and I have become convinced that he loved in depth on the spiritual level as well.

Jacob is a man of many faces. He is intricate and confusing. Jacob is also so predictable that you could almost predict his every mood, and move. When you begin to know the man, he becomes a personality with whom we can relate. Jacob’s life is an open book, for all who have the time to read the pages of his life. Jacob is a man who presents me with a volume as colorful as the color scale itself. If I were an artist, I could paint a canvas that would take a mass of space to fill in the details.

I have come to the conclusion that Jacob is: Jacob Bergen, Billy Graham, Abraham Lincoln, Florence Nightingale, Sarah, Abraham, and Adam, etc. I am sure that within the walls of every human being there is a swatch of Jacob. Beating within the heart of every person there is a heart like that of Jacob. I believe that everyone has at one time or another been tempted to one degree or another, to be deceptive.

The deception that some folks portray is almost considered cute, because it is so minuscule. In others the deception they exhibit, is on such a grand scale that it is impossible to miss seeing it as being The Big Scam of all time.

When I look in the thesaurus, I am confronted with a list of definitions that includes words like: concealment, fakery, illusion, ploy, joke, pretense, bluff or trick. ...Some of these words are not very intimidating when I put them on a scale of 1-10. Some of them are humorous, but they are still related to the root word,

When I think of Jacob, this flaw of deception has always been the first thing that I have thought of about the man. I wonder, what is the first thing that you think about when you see me, or hear someone talk about me. Then when I see you, or hear someone talk about you, What is the first thing that I think about you?

Even though Jacob was a cheat, I wonder if it was the trait which caused the greatest impact on other people. I believe that some of the other intense character traits that he displayed are far more important than his attributes of deceit. Jacob was a man who loved, with a passion so great, that he played favoritism. Who among us has not been guilty?

Three of the people that Jacob loved most were: Rachel, Joseph, and Benjamin. He showed favoritism in every case. I love my wife, and I will favor her above all others. There can be right, and there can be wrong in favoring one person over another.

Favoritism is so real in society, that it could be defined to make it look as though it should be a rite. Does this change the meaning of it? Two of the words related to favoritism are: Injustice, and one-sidedness. How does that sound to you, in the light of your treatment of others?

There are extremes, and there are moderate infractions in this arena. Have all of us not suffered from these ills at one time or another? I think that all it takes for us to analyze this, is that we take a serious look at the life that we live, and in all honesty, admit to the areas that the glove fits our hand.

Everything, that I have reflected on is real life. Everything, that is past, is unchangeable. Nevertheless, if we are bold enough to realize that we have participated in matters of adversity, which have caused hurts in the past; can we not try to do something about those matters in the future?

In the manuscript you have before you, I will have endeavored to explain the life of Jacob, in ways that are colorful. At times my descriptive terms fall into the path of a hypothesis. Hypothetical references are those which are not factual. As you read this book: My Name Is Jacob! What’s Yours?

Read it, and fall in love with Him: who is able to keep you from falling, and is able to preserve you until that day when you meet Him face to face.

Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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.

Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:10-18

The title I have chosen should say a great deal about the book you are contemplating reading. At first glance, you might think that it is a story about me: The author. Actually, this is far from the truth of the matter.

Although I relate to some segments of my life throughout the book, I am engrossed in something that is more far reaching than what people know about me, Jacob Bergen. When you look at the title, I hope that the first thing that you will wonder about is: “Whom is he talking about?”

The next thing that I hope for is that something on the cover will tell you the answer to that question. I hope that you will be prompted to realize that there are at least three persons, and a presence, represented on the cover display.

Thirdly, I hope that you will recognize that one of the persons who are more present than anyone else, either in pictorial form, or in the unseen portion of the cover, is more important than all the rest.

I could go name by name and give you a list of answers, but I won't. Your homework, should you accept the challenge, is this: Look for the answers. If you find the answers on your own, I believe that you will end up the better person for it by the time you reach the end of this book.

There are places throughout the book where you can make some notations. These pages are titled: Jot A Thought! This is a Biblical concept, taken from the Book of Psalms. There, these pauses are called Selah. You can use these pages for a time of reflection and summary.


	It's Jacob! \| The Way, The Truth, The Life \| The Empty Chair My Name Is Jacob! What’s Yours? by Jacob Bergen (©Copyright 1999) Canadian Law states is that proof of Authorship is all that is required for a work to be copyrighted. Contact Us At: [email protected] It’s Jacob! - My Name Is Jacob! What’s Yours?: Was written from spring of 1992 to the summer of 1993. All original working copies, hard copies, computer disks, desk copies of books ( including many formats of cover design) are on file on location of Jacob Bergen: This 12th. Day of July 1999. I would like to dedicate this book to my wife for all the encouragement I received from her during the process. I have bounced ideas off her many times. Sometimes I pushed her ideas aside at first; then after some reflection I often took her advice. I also want to thank a friend of mine; Danny Chau, who also challenged my ideas on cover design, and other things. Without his input I would have made some wrong turns in these areas. Thanks Dan. I also want to dedicate this book to my sister Helen who just went to be with Jesus, November 25/ 1998, 10:30 A.M.. and Fred her husband. One day Helen saw Chapter Four: Presenting The Ladies, and made a remark about how I presented it. It was one of those jokingly snide remarks. Helen and Fred, and my wife and I were very close friends, as well as being family. We shared little quirks, that we loaded up on each other from time to time; especially, things to do with men versus women; in the light of the Bible. Fred and I usually referred to ourselves as men who were no whimps. Every so often we did something that might put us in the category of being a whimp. One such time was when the ladies made us a T- Shirt with our children’s picture on it. After we were conned into wearing it we were jokingly thought of as: You guessed it, Whimps. Just because The Lord is now being mentioned as the last one to whom I dedicate this book, does not make him least in importance; It does in fact make him first. The Bible says that the last shall be first. The Bible also says of him: He is the Alfa and Omega; The First and The Last. It is because of him and through my Lord that I was in all ways capable of writing this book. Thanks be to God! Jacob Bergen Preface Jacob, the patriarch, is a subject which can lead to the writing of a volume of books. The interest in this character of the Bible is probably not as great on the level of the average person, as it is with scholars, Bible teachers, ministers, etc. The usual matter of interest that Jacob generates is, how he fits in with the nation of Israel. When the aforementioned people think about writing about Jacob, for the most part their considerations are historical. Jacob is probably covered in detail in the Bible schools around the world, in the historical sense. The next most prominent feature of this man is that he was a deceiver. Jacob was much more than just historical, and a deceiver. I firmly believe that Jacob was a man that was a very deep thinker. I believe that he was a man who had a heart for people. This seems to be a contradiction in terms when one considers how selfish he was in the early part of his life. I believe that Jacob loved very deeply. I know that Jacob loved deeply on the physical plain, and I have become convinced that he loved in depth on the spiritual level as well. Jacob is a man of many faces. He is intricate and confusing. Jacob is also so predictable that you could almost predict his every mood, and move. When you begin to know the man, he becomes a personality with whom we can relate. Jacob’s life is an open book, for all who have the time to read the pages of his life. Jacob is a man who presents me with a volume as colorful as the color scale itself. If I were an artist, I could paint a canvas that would take a mass of space to fill in the details. I have come to the conclusion that Jacob is: Jacob Bergen, Billy Graham, Abraham Lincoln, Florence Nightingale, Sarah, Abraham, and Adam, etc. I am sure that within the walls of every human being there is a swatch of Jacob. Beating within the heart of every person there is a heart like that of Jacob. I believe that everyone has at one time or another been tempted to one degree or another, to be deceptive. The deception that some folks portray is almost considered cute, because it is so minuscule. In others the deception they exhibit, is on such a grand scale that it is impossible to miss seeing it as being The Big Scam of all time. It does not matter to what degree deception is used, it remains under the same heading, Falsehood. When I look in the thesaurus, I am confronted with a list of definitions that includes words like: concealment, fakery, illusion, ploy, joke, pretense, bluff or trick. ...Some of these words are not very intimidating when I put them on a scale of 1-10. Some of them are humorous, but they are still related to the root word, Deception. When I think of Jacob, this flaw of deception has always been the first thing that I have thought of about the man. I wonder, what is the first thing that you think about when you see me, or hear someone talk about me. Then when I see you, or hear someone talk about you, What is the first thing that I think about you? Even though Jacob was a cheat, I wonder if it was the trait which caused the greatest impact on other people. I believe that some of the other intense character traits that he displayed are far more important than his attributes of deceit. Jacob was a man who loved, with a passion so great, that he played favoritism. Who among us has not been guilty? Three of the people that Jacob loved most were: Rachel, Joseph, and Benjamin. He showed favoritism in every case. I love my wife, and I will favor her above all others. There can be right, and there can be wrong in favoring one person over another. Favoritism is so real in society, that it could be defined to make it look as though it should be a rite. Does this change the meaning of it? Two of the words related to favoritism are: Injustice, and one-sidedness. How does that sound to you, in the light of your treatment of others? There are extremes, and there are moderate infractions in this arena. Have all of us not suffered from these ills at one time or another? I think that all it takes for us to analyze this, is that we take a serious look at the life that we live, and in all honesty, admit to the areas that the glove fits our hand. Everything, that I have reflected on is real life. Everything, that is past, is unchangeable. Nevertheless, if we are bold enough to realize that we have participated in matters of adversity, which have caused hurts in the past; can we not try to do something about those matters in the future? In the manuscript you have before you, I will have endeavored to explain the life of Jacob, in ways that are colorful. At times my descriptive terms fall into the path of a hypothesis. Hypothetical references are those which are not factual. As you read this book: My Name Is Jacob! What’s Yours? Read it and weep. Read it and laugh. Read it and learn. Read it and love. Read it, and fall in love with Him: who is able to keep you from falling, and is able to preserve you until that day when you meet Him face to face. Read it to love Jesus more. Jacob Bergen Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 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. Wherefore, take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; Ephesians 6:10-18 My help comes from my Lord, Who made everything. Contents Part I People From My Past Chapter 1 - Roots Chapter 2 - Preparing For Jacob Chapter 3 - Are The Wells All Dug? Chapter 4 - Presenting The Ladies - Act I Presenting The Ladies - Act II Part II Who Gets The Family Farm? Chapter 5 - Two For The Promise Chapter 6 - The Big Scam Chapter 7 - The Big Prize Fight Chapter 8 - The Winner’s Crown Part III Jacob The Puzzle Chapter 9 - Jacob The Man And More Chapter 10 - Jacob The Boyfriend, And Family Man Chapter 11 - Jacob And His Coat Of Many Colors Chapter 12 - A Clean Slate Part IV Till Death Do Us Part Chapter 13 - The Battle Of I’m A Gettin! Chapter 14 - Look Both Ways Before You Cross Chapter 15 - Working On The Promise Chapter 16 - More of The Same Chapter 17-The Chariot Of Israel, And The Horseman Thereof- Part A- The Double Portion- Part B- Part V A Couple Of Short Stories Chapter 18 - Well: My Name Is Jacob! Chapter 19 - The Final Pages Introduction: The title I have chosen should say a great deal about the book you are contemplating reading. At first glance, you might think that it is a story about me: The author. Actually, this is far from the truth of the matter. Although I relate to some segments of my life throughout the book, I am engrossed in something that is more far reaching than what people know about me, Jacob Bergen. When you look at the title, I hope that the first thing that you will wonder about is: “Whom is he talking about?” The next thing that I hope for is that something on the cover will tell you the answer to that question. I hope that you will be prompted to realize that there are at least three persons, and a presence, represented on the cover display. Thirdly, I hope that you will recognize that one of the persons who are more present than anyone else, either in pictorial form, or in the unseen portion of the cover, is more important than all the rest. I could go name by name and give you a list of answers, but I won't. Your homework, should you accept the challenge, is this: Look for the answers. If you find the answers on your own, I believe that you will end up the better person for it by the time you reach the end of this book. There are places throughout the book where you can make some notations. These pages are titled: Jot A Thought! This is a Biblical concept, taken from the Book of Psalms. There, these pauses are called Selah. You can use these pages for a time of reflection and summary. Thanks for taking the time to read this manuscript.