My three-year-old cousin, Mark, accidentally spilled his fruit punch on
the floor one day. He decided to clean up the mess himself and dashed to the
back porch to get the mop. Suddenly realizing it was dark outside, he became
apprehensive about reaching out the door for the mop. His mother reminded him
Jesus is everywhere--even in the dark. Mark thought for a minute. Then,
putting his face to the door, he said, "Jesus, if you're out there, will
you hand me the mop?" --
Kathy Gunter Martin, Dandridge, TN. "Small Talk," Today's Christian
Woman.
Jacob the con man has a
personal encounter with the one true living God.
Jacob was running for his life from his brother Esau.
He stopped for the night. God
has personal message for Jacob. Does
he have a personal message for you?
Scripture
Text:
Genesis 28:10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. 11 When he
reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set.
Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to
sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway {[12] Or ladder} resting
on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were
ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it {[13] Or There beside
him}stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father
Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on
which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth,
and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the
south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. 15
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you
back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised
you." 16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the
LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." 17 He was afraid and
said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of
God; this is the gate of heaven." 18 Early the next morning Jacob took
the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured
oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel, {[19] Bethel means house of
God.}though the city used to be called Luz. 20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying,
"If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am
taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return
safely to my father's house, then the LORD will be my God 22 and this stone
that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give
me I will give you a tenth."
1.
There’s A Place Where God Wants You to Be.
a.
God has a place for you. When your life on the rocks.
He’ll be your rest. It’s
a place of Higher Ground. In your
spiritual and physical life.
2.
There’s A Place of Peaceful Rest For Your Soul.
a.
The Place of communion with God. It’s
a place of sweet fellowship with Him. You were made for a relationship with Him
God made you for Him. He
died for you.
3.
There’s a Place where God Has come down.
a.
He has come to speak to your heart and to visit you.
Don’t give up your quiet time with God.
This is when you move up closer to the God.
God has come down in the form of a man.
When Jesus came to visit us he came down so that we could go up.
Will we move up with the Lord?
4.
There’s a Place where you will receive God’s Blessing
a.
There is a land of milk and honey.
This is where God wants you to be.
Will you rebel against God’s desire for you?
You can receive God’s Blessing on Earth.
Have you seen God’s vision of a place for you?
5.
What Place are you in today?
a.
Are you in the place where God wants you?
b.
He wants you to be with Him? Are you?
c.
He wants you to move up the ladder.
He has already come down to you.
d.
Have you seen God’s vision for you?
e.
Would you move on up?
f.
Have you seen the awesome God?
6.
What place do you want to be in?
a.
Each decision is a step on the ladder.
b.
Each time you say yes you will move up closer to the Lord.
c.
Recognize what God has already done for you.
d.
Give Him the worship and the sacrifice that is worthy of all that the
Lord has done for you.
e.
Give Him yourself and your worship.
7.
Will you give the Lord a chance to bless you?
a.
Move up the ladder.
b.
Come to the Lord.
c.
See God’s vision for you.
d.
Hear God’s Word for you.
e.
Turn aside from your ways to go with the Lord.
f.
Recognize how awesome is the Lord.
Move
up closer to the Lord who has moved down to see you.
Come to the Lord.