Bethel – the House of God

Dear Brethren,

Do you realize how precarious these times are in which we live?  Most people are oblivious to what is taking place, but we—the people of God—we can know what is happening.  To the world, God says in 1Thessalonians 5:2  For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

But to the brethren of God’s Church there is much more:  1Thessalonians 5:4-5  But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.  Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.

God has enlightened our eyes to see what He is working out.  What were the big things that struck you as magnificent when God first called you to His truth?  Having been raised to believe that heaven was the reward of the righteous, the first thing that I learned that was absolutely overwhelming to me, was that we will be God – in the Family of God.

1John 3:1-2  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Children of God: therefore the world does not know us, because it knew him not.  Beloved, now are we the Children of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

Jesus Christ came in the flesh as the Son of God.  We were created to be God’s Children as well – making us brothers and sisters to Jesus:

Romans 8:29  For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that He [Jesus Christ] might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

That was a great revelation to me when first called.  But what surprised me the most was finding out that God was “hands-on-involved” in sustaining the ascendancy and dominance of America and Great Britain.  God was still instrumental – all these thousands of years after creation – in the affairs of our nations – establishing the supremacy that is given us through the blessings and birthright.

God has always been in control, and we see that involvement clearly in the lives of the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  There is something very special about the Patriarch Jacob and his life that God would devote so much space in the Bible to his story – and even choose his name for the people of God ever more.  Jesus changed Jacob’s name to Israel – and the Church of God has acquired that name – the Israel of God.

Galatians 6:10  As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:16  And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.

We have seen that Jacob began by trying to bless himself, and obtain the birthright  and the blessing by devious means.  Finally, after many sore trials Jacob sought God’s direct blessing and wrestled with Jesus all night long for it.  (Genesis 32:24-31)

It says in Romans 9:4 that it was God intention all along that His promises, and His covenants, and the sonship, and the glory and the service of God, be passed down from Abraham, and Isaac through Jacob, but not through Esau, Ishmael or Keturah’s line.  When the Bible speaks of the children of Abraham – it is speaking of the covenant lineage and not Esau’s, Ishmael’s or Keturah’s children.

Romans 9:7  Neither, because they are the children of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

The politically correct, media advanced, position with regard to our national greatness has become to dilute our birthright blessings with the Muslims.

Deuteronomy 28:43  The foreigner that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shall come down very low.

At a time when Christians cannot post the Ten Commandments, quote the Bible publically, or pray publically, without incurring the wrath of government officials, we find the Muslims rising up.

On Sunday, this week, thousands of Detroit Muslims, and thousands of Dallas/Fort Worth Muslims assembled at their respective airport terminal baggage pick-up areas, as did protesters from dozens of locations from Boise, Idaho to Miami, Florida around the country to “pray.”  Many of the Muslim activists gathered in Seattle, Newark, Houston and Boston and said, “Let’s pray right here.”  One of the prayerful Muslims said, “It was kind of spontaneous.”

That was not spontaneity.  That is how Muslims show their dominance in a country that they are seeking to takeover.  Would any Islamic country allow Christians or Jews to gather in an airport and demonstrate like that?

Most honest people instinctively and inherently sense that this is wrong.  How did we come to be in such deplorable circumstances?  More importantly, what can we do to extricate ourselves from this horrid predicament?

Yes, salvation will come to all men on earth through the blessing that passed through Jacob and through Judah to Christ – but it was never God’s intent that America and Great Britain squander their birthright.  That is taking place because of the curses of Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28.

Genesis 25:22-23  And the [unborn] children [Esau and Jacob] struggled together within [Rebekah]; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the LORD.  And the LORD said unto her, Two nations [ethnically different] are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy womb; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Jacob would receive the birthright and Esau would be subservient to him.  God declared before Jacob was born that he would eventually inherit Abraham’s, and Isaac’s estate.  In fact, Jacob would become the “head of state” of the new nation, Israel, that was being raised up beginning with Abraham.  God told Abraham:

Genesis 12:2  I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shall be a blessing: [Like Isaac said when he realized that he had been duped by Jacob, “He shall be blessed (Genesis 27:33)].

The birthright was an authority and responsibility bestowed on the firstborn.  Jacob and Esau were not identical twins – they were ethnically diverse fraternal twins – developing from separate fertilized ova – genetically distinct and not similar in appearance.  God clearly knew their personalities and potentials before birth!  God saw something in Jacob.

The blessing pointed to Jesus Christ – the “one seed” of Abraham, but salvation is meant for all humanity as we see in Galatians 3:16  Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made.  He did not say, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.  Paul makes it clear that the Gospel is for all men Gentile and Jew alike.

Matthew 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations [all ethnic groups], baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit:

For all this to fall into place it was necessary that Jacob become a converted believer.  God worked with Jacob, until finally toward the end of his life, God brought Jacob to conversion.  In today’s sermon:  Let’s notice the change taking place in Jacob over many years as God brings him to conversion.

Genesis 28:1-2  Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shall not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.  Arise, go to Padan-Aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's [Rebekah’s] father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

Genesis 28:10  And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

Genesis 28:19-21  [Jacob] he called the name of that place Bethel [the House of God]: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on, So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God.

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Sermon:  "Bethel – the House of God"  


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