FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

Scripture Reference: Genesis 28:10-22

The House of God Helps People Face the Future

Perhaps the most striking thing about the house of God is that it is a place that helps people face the future with great confidence and courage. The Bible tells us that as Jacob went out, he was afraid. As he first began to get this vision of God, he said, “How awesome is this place!” But after God spoke to him, he saw heaven and the angels; he made a vow in his heart to God; he built an altar, and he said, “This is a sacred place.” Jacob realized that this was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to him. You see, in the house of God we get the courage that we need to face the future with total confidence because we know that the Lord is with us.

God said, “I’ll be your God, Jacob.” Jacob responded, “I’ll be your servant, God.” That’s what worship is all about. We come to the house of God, we commit ourselves to the Lord, we realize that God is with us, and we are able to face the future with confidence.

A story is told of a partially crippled young man who had to wear steel braces on his legs. Often, he and his father would talk about his crippled condition. When the young man reached the age of thirteen, he began to ask his dad, “Why am I partially crippled?” The father, a devout believer, tried to explain it but didn’t have much success.

One day the boy asked again, “Why do I have this crippled condition?” The father laid his hand on the shoulder of his son and said: “God’s going to deal with you through this. I’m going to take you to the great cathedral, and God is going to heal you.”

Following that, the boy often would ask his father, “When are we going to the cathedral so I can be healed?” The response was, “It’s not time yet.”

After a year, the father said: “Son, it’s time. We’re going to the cathedral, and you are going to be healed.”

The boy related, “I was so excited I could hardly stand it. My father and I went to the great cathedral. We were the only ones there. We went to the back of the church, got down on our knees, and my father said, ‘Now, Son, pray. God is going to heal you.’ ”

The boy said, “My father laid his arm around me and prayed. I could feel the power of God.” As the father prayed, the boy said, “I knew that I was healed. After a long while in prayer, my father and I got up and walked out of the cathedral together. After we had gone almost two blocks on the way home I realized I still had those braces on my legs. I hadn’t been physically healed.” But the boy said, “All of the sudden I realized that I really had been healed because in that cathedral God had taken the braces off my mind, and that’s where they were doing me damage, not the ones on my legs. From that day forth, I knew that I had been healed and freed, though I still had the braces.”

That’s what the church does for us. Sometimes God does heal us physically, even in this day and age, but often times He takes the braces off our minds with the freedom of the faith that can trust in Him wholly. That is what happened to Jacob. He was never the same after his experience. Jacob caught a view of the future, and he could face it with confidence. He said, “Surely the Lord is in this place.” In verse 13, the Word says that the Lord God stood above the place to watch over Jacob. That’s what happens when we come to the house of God, when we enter into His presence. We get the strength in our hearts to face the future with courage and confidence, in faith, trusting in Him wholly no matter the circumstances around us. What a joy to be able to say “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the LORD’” (Psalm 122:1).

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 28:10-22

The House of God Is a Place Where Vows Are Made

At Bethel, Jacob vowed a vow to God. That is certainly an important part of coming to the house of God. Jacob’s vow is one that each of us should consider making: “Then Jacob made a vow, saying, ‘If God will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am going, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father’s house in peace, then the LORD shall be my God. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be God’s house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to You.’”

In many of our churches, this passage of Scripture reinforces the importance of calling for a response to the gospel. In a sense the most important moment in any service comes when the invitation is extended for people to come and make definite commitments to God. That is the time when every one of us ought to be praying regarding what God would have us to do. During those moments, souls are moved to trust Christ as Savior. People come to unite with the church. Others rededicate their lives in repentance to God. During the invitation, many people who do not come forward publicly do make vows privately in their hearts. That’s what the church is supposed to be, a place where you and I make vows to God.

When you come to church, do you make vows to God? It is important that we tell God what we intend to do. I think it is critical we commit to God that we will seek to do certain things to honor His name. Are you willing to give liberally to God of your time and finances, your life’s resources? Jacob made a vow to do just that.

Actually, when people give liberally and joyfully of their resources, what they are doing is giving a part of themselves to God. Jacob offered to give a tithe which represents one tenth of his increase or resources. It was common practice from the time of Abraham with Melchizedek (see Genesis 14:17-20) through the Old Covenant of the Law to give a tenth. Luke tells us that Jesus stressed giving in this way, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).

The Apostle Paul was very adamant in the way that in this Age of Grace, we should be giving:

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

This means that God is a vital part of everything we do, whether it be with our finances or time. Serving God, being surrendered to Jesus is a lifestyle change from the way the world does things. Our lives belong to Him, thus all we are and have is His by right from the onset. We are no longer in a legal contract with God Almighty, but through Christ Jesus, our contract is one of surrender through grace and mercy.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 28:10-22

The House of God Is a Place Where the Promises of God Are Repeated – Continued

Jacob experienced the Lord’s assurances at Bethel as he heard the promises of God repeated. There are many rich promises in the Word of God. Jesus promises His presence, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). God promises to meet our need, “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). God promised to forgive our sins, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God promises us strength, saying, “As your days, so shall your strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25). God promises to answer our prayer, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15). God also promises to take everything and work it together for our good (see Romans 8:28).

When we come to the house of God, the promises of God are reaffirmed in our lives. We are given courage to face whatever tomorrow brings.

The House of God Is a Place Where God’s Presence Is Felt

God said to Jacob, “Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.” Hearing that, Jacob built an altar and poured oil on the rock, for Jacob had experienced the presence of the living God. In the Bible, oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. Just as Jacob poured oil on the rock, so the living God had come to be present with Jacob. When we come to the house of God, one of the great things that happens to us is that we experience the presence of God.

Have you ever been in church and as a song was being sung felt the presence of the Holy Spirit? Have you ever been in church and the minister quoted a Scripture or gave some illustration out of the Bible that lifted your heart and soul toward the Father? Have you ever been in a prayer meeting where you knew Jesus was there, and He was speaking to your heart? That’s what happens when we come to the house of God, we feel God’s presence all around us and within us.

A young man one day asked Christ what is the greatest commandment. Jesus responded that we are to love God with all of our hearts, souls, minds, and strength (Mark 12:30). Jesus said that we are to love God first emotionally “with all” of our heart. Then we are to love Him spiritually with our souls. Then we are to love Him intellectually with our minds. Then we are to love God practically with our strength. But loving God begins in our hearts, emotionally, as we feel His presence.

You and I need to get excited about our faith. We need to get enthused about the matter of serving Jesus Christ. Church is a place where we feel the presence of the Lord.

Some men in Ireland were watching a parade. The Christian flag passed in front of them and one said, “Let’s give three cheers for God and the church.” As the Christian flag passed by, they said, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

An infidel standing by them laughed and said, “Why don’t you give three cheers for hell?” The Christian Irishman looked at him and responded, “Every man ought to be for his own country.” We are excited about Christ and the church. We exclaim, “Praise the Lord! The house of God is a place where God’s presence is felt.”

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 28:10-22

The House of God Is a Place Where People Are Pointed to Heaven

When Jacob had his vision at Bethel, he found himself pointed to heaven. “Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” That is what Jacob saw. He saw heaven: “And he was afraid and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!’”

That is what the church is about. The church is the house of God that points men and women to heaven. The church is like a ladder that leads people from earth to heaven. The church is the finger of God pointing men and women to eternity. That is the main task of the church, to point people to heaven and to Jesus Christ standing at the right-hand of the Father.

Michelangelo, the great artist and sculptor, lingered before a rough rock of marble. As he stared at the stone block, one of his students asked, “What are you doing?”

Michelangelo responded, “I’m looking at this block of marble. There is an angel in it, and I’m going to liberate him!” That is what the church is doing. We see a man or woman who is down and out and say: “There is an angel in you. You realize you are a sinner. God wants you to be a saint. Inside of you there is a part of God Himself.” The church is in the business of pointing men and women to heaven to bring out the best.

The House of God Is a Place Where the Promises of God Are Repeated

One of the wonderful things about coming to church is that in church we hear the promises of God repeated. That was Jacob’s experience at Bethel: “And behold, the LORD stood above it and said: ‘I am the LORD God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.’”

Studying this passage carefully we notice that in verse 12 there is evangelism, and in verse 13 there is discipleship. In the church through evangelism we are taught how to become a Christian. Then the church disciples us, teaching us how to be a growing Christian. That was Jacob’s experience.

The church must always major in evangelism. The church indeed is to be used of God, showing people the ladder that leads them to heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Peter preached, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

But when a person becomes a Christian, that is not the end of the pilgrimage. The Bible tells us that we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That was Jacob’s experience as found in verse 13. Here we find teaching, as God instructed Jacob on what took place in the past and what would take place in the future. He also was promising He would be with Jacob.

Evangelism tells us how to become a Christian. Then we are taught how to be a good Christian. When Paul wrote to the young preacher Titus, he stated, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11). That is evangelism through the grace of God. Paul went on instructing Titus, “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12).

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 28:10-22

The House of God Is a Place Where Our Vision Is Enlarged

When we come to the house of God to worship, we ought to have our vision enlarged. The church is the place where we are to dream without falling asleep. As we assemble to worship God, we ought to dream of what God would have us to accomplish in this world.

James Russell Lowell has described the effect that Emerson had on young people in his day. He said that after hearing Emerson they went out not entirely sure what he had said, but with their heads “hitting the stars.”

Jacob had this experience. The Bible states: “Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Jacob’s vision at Bethel was a life-transforming experience. He would never be the same.

What happened to the great men and women in the Bible when they went to church? They went out with a new vision. Young Isaiah, the student, went to the temple, and in the temple he saw the Lord high and lifted up. The magnificence of God was so great that his life was never the same. He cried out, “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).

When Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured, the Bible states their vision was lifted, and they said, “Let us make here three tabernacles” (Matthew 17:4). When John, the beloved disciple, was banished to the isle of Patmos, on the Lord’s Day he received a vision as he worshiped. He saw into eternity. God gave him a view of a new heaven and a new earth where the kingdoms of this world became the kingdom of our Lord and where Jesus reigns forever and ever.

The house of God ought to teach us to be positive, dynamic, and believing. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). How important that is! When we come to the house of God, our visions ought to be lifted, our spirits ought to be enlarged, and the horizons of our faith lengthened.

A noted artist was working on great mural. He intended for it to be a masterpiece. A friend came into the studio and stood quietly in the rear of the room, looking at the work as the artist slapped on the deep blue and gray tones across the canvas for the background. Wishing to view the work from a better perspective, he descended the ladder and backed right into his friend without seeing him. Enthusiastically the artist said: “This is going to be the masterpiece of my life! What do you think of it?”

His friend replied, “All that I see is a great, dull glob.”

The artist responded: “Oh, I forgot. When you look at the painting, you see only what it is. When I look at it, I see what it is going to be!”

That’s the difference in people in the world today. The great thing about going to church is that the church lifts our vision from earth to heaven. The church lifts our vision from the here to the hereafter. The church lifts our vision from now to the future. When we come to the house of God, we see beyond conflict and war to permanent peace. When we come to the house of God in the midst of our struggles, we see that victory is ours. The house of God lifts our sight from time into eternity. In the house of God our vision is lifted.

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture Reference: Genesis 28:10-22

Jacob’s dream at Bethel is one of the loveliest events in the Bible. Poets, painters, hymn writers, and preachers all have paused at Bethel, trying to interpret exactly what happened to Jacob. He was a young man who needed the presence of God. Just when he needed God the most, lonely, frightened, homesick, smitten of conscience, and facing an uncertain future, God appeared to him and was right by his side.

Jacob’s meeting God in his hour of greatest need has become an experience that we have shared with him. Jacob realized that God is merciful and forgiving. He discovered through faith and obedience to God that God would bless and care for him wherever he went. When Jacob met God, he called the name of the place Bethel, which means this is “the house of God.”

Probably all of us have had or shall have one experience in life when God seems nearer to us than He has been at any other time. It may be some hour of sorrow or joy. It may be at a church or on a lake. It may be when some marvelous thing happened to you, or it may be when you are in the hospital facing surgery. The experience of God’s nearness may be in a moment of supreme joy like a marriage, or in a moment of deep sorrow by a graveside at a funeral. Whatever the time, place, or hour, we can always say of it, “This is the gate of heaven; this is the house of God.”

What is the house of God? In the United States and Canada there are estimated over 300,000 Protestant churches, thousands of Catholic churches, and hundreds of other worship centers. Every one is called “the house of God.” What does this passage from Genesis teach about the house of God?

Isaac, the father of Jacob, sent Jacob away from home so that he could find a wife. It was the desire of Jacob’s father that his son marry a young lady who believed in God as deeply as Abraham, Jacob’s grandfather. Marriages are stronger when both the husband and wife have a belief in the living God and a commitment to God’s presence.

Jacob went down toward Haran. Perhaps this was the first night he had ever spent away from home. He was very lonely. Jacob found a place that seemed to be comfortable and camped out with the stars as his roof. While he was asleep, he had a marvelous dream. Heaven opened, and he saw a ladder set up on the earth reaching into heaven. He was conscious of movement between earth and heaven. He saw the angels of God ascending into heaven and descending back to earth. When Jacob awakened, he said, “This is the house of God. I’ve seen God here.” As he said that, God spoke to him, saying: “Jacob, I’m here by your side; and if you will be faithful to me, I will go with you wherever you go and I will multiply your descendants. You will become a wealthy man, and through your children many people will ‘be blessed.’ ”

Jacob became so excited about this dream and God speaking to him that he took the stones that he had used for a pillow and put them in a great heap. He poured oil on them and said, “This is none other than the house of God!” But it raises a question in this modern age, what is the house of God?

To Be Continued

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.