GN 101 Bethel - The House of God

It had been years since Jacob had rested overnight at Bethel encountered God in a powerfully-impacting dream of a stairway to heaven. That night Jacob had entered into a personal covenant relationship with the God of Abraham and Isaac. During those years Jacob had matured, married (possibly far too many wives!) and prospered. He was wealthy in livestock, in silver and gold, and his household had grown to many children and servants.

A Monthly Article of Encouragement To Men and Women in Christian Service
From Jim Stephens - Resource Ministries
Issue 101 – January 2007
Copyright©2007 - Jim Stephens

God said to Jacob, “Now move on to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there to worship me – the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother, Esau.” So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Destroy your idols, wash yourselves, and put on clean clothing. We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has stayed with me wherever I have gone.” (Genesis 35:1-3 NLT)

Now God sent Jacob back to the first place he had ever had an encounter with God and told him to settle there and build an altar there and worship God there.

Here’s Jacob’s testimony of the years since he fled from his brother Esau – Jacob’s God story:

· He’s the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress.

· He has stayed with me wherever I have gone.

Here’s Jacob’s response to God’s instructions:

· We are going to Bethel.

· I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress.

· We as a household need to make some adjustments.

Here’s Jacob’s influence and instructions to his household:

· Destroy the idols that you have accumulated.

· Wash yourselves.

· Put on clean clothing.

Bethel (Hebrew word for “the house of God”) is the first place Abraham built an altar and the first place God met with him when he arrived in the land to which God led him two generations earlier. It’s also the place Abraham returned to in order to get back on track with God after his trip “down to Egypt.”

Bethel is the place of Jacob’s first recorded encounter with God as he was fleeing from his brother Esau and retracing Abraham’s journey back to Paddan-Aram. Here at Bethel Jacob, rather than his older brother Esau, became the covenant representative for his generation.

Now God has sent Jacob back to Bethel. God has told Jacob to bring his wives, his adult sons, his wealth – to come and bring everything he has to the house of God.

Jacob’s response is to simply obey. In doing so he remembers his encounter with God. He leads his family in preparation for meeting with God – destroying their idols, cleaning up their lives.

Jacob’s first time at Bethel he was in distress – homeless and alone. God met him there in that distressed condition and began to bless him. This began a relationship that developed Jacob’s testimony – his God-story over the years. “He answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has been with me wherever I have gone.”

Now Jacob is looking at the opportunity and responsibility he has to lead his family in an encounter with God.

Going to the house of God – regularly encountering God – is important because:

· Sometimes we are in distress.

· Sometimes we have accumulated idols as we travel.

· Sometimes we need to wash ourselves.

· Sometimes we need to put on clean clothing.

Going to Bethel

· We need to have encounters with God.

· We need to influence others to regular encounters with God.

· We need to pray and work and serve in my part of the family of God to create an atmosphere in which every visit to Bethel is an encounter with God.

We can encounter God in:

· Celebration Services with the church family.

I encourage you to use the influence God gives you to create in your local church the attitude and expectancy that every time the church family meets together we will expect to have corporate and personal encounters with THE GOD who answers the prayers of those who are in distress.

I’m saying that we should expect church gatherings to have an experiential element. This takes thought and preparation of heart and a willingness to structure our activities to make room for people who need an encounter with God and for a God who will meet with the people.

What new thoughts and changes and challenges will it take for your Bethel to become a place where people in distress regularly encounter THE GOD?

· Small Groups where we meet in caring community.

Does your life have a component that consistently brings you into close contact with a few people with whom you are “doing life together?” Each Christian and each church needs to have some caring, committed, community component. The method you use, the way you organize, the format you follow is not nearly so important as the need to get the people who make up your Christian community into the experience of authentic Biblical community.

Call it Small Groups, Cell Groups, Care Groups, call it what you will. Please make sure that it’s more than a weekly boring Bible study (Yes, Bible studies can be Boring with a capital B!!!). Please allow, encourage, and develop ways for believers to relate intimately with each other and care deeply for each other.

· Personal devotions and quiet times.

Please, if you have not done so already, begin today some form of personal devotions and quiet time with God. Choose a time and a place and prepare for it with the tools you will need – comfortable chair, Bible (modern translation such as New Living Translation if available), journal, pen or pencil – and for some of us plenty of coffee!

Jean and I are firmly convinced that using a daily Through the Bible in a Year reading plan is the absolute minimum for personal devotions for a growing Christian. We have a plan in MS Word or plain text format that we would be happy to send you by email – free of charge. Just write and ask us for it.

In addition to simply reading the Bible every day (following a structured plan) it is so very helpful to journal your thoughts from the scriptures you are reading and develop from that a practical application of God’s Word to your life each day. Journaling provides a consistent opportunity for God to speak to you by His Word and His Spirit.

A simple but effective journaling plan to follow is: SOAP

S – Scripture – read it.

O – Observation – think about what you read – what it says and means.

A – Application – Make one or more specific applications to your life – for today.

P – Prayer – Pray a simple and specific prayer of response and commitment.

And, of course, journaling means that you write it. Writing your thoughts clarifies them and helps immensely in remembering what you learned at Bethel in your encounter with God.

· Intentional seasons of meditation, contemplation, and evaluation.

Take time – slow down – get away. I know what you’re thinking, “There’s no way I can afford to take even a little time to slow down and just think!” If you don’t, you will accumulate idols, get dirty, and your clothes will become all ragged, dirty, and smelly! Figuratively speaking, of course!!

Seriously, you and I are no better than Moses, Elijah, or Jesus. They required intentional breaks from activity, sometimes short breaks and other times extended breaks. You can’t stay strong and you can’t stay on track unless you have some very intentional times to step aside, slow down, and reflect on where you’ve been, where you are, and where God wants you to go.

I rejoice with those who have the opportunity to take a sabbatical somewhere other than a hospital bed or an extended period of spiritual unemployment. But if you don’t find a way to simply stop, evaluate, and plan, you are likely to eventually find yourself in one or both of the two less-than-desirable options above!

Jean and I developed the idea of mini-retreats some years ago. When responsibilities and financial constraints make longer retreats impossible or at least impractical, you can make great progress with a mini-retreat. This may be only a day or it could be a day and a half or a weekend.

The important thing is understand the importance of these regular visits to Bethel becoming a part of your life, find something that will work for you, and then JUST DO IT!

I hope these thoughts are encouraging and challenging to you.

Jim Stephens

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Amazing Grace! ...Tis Grace hath brought me safe this far, and Grace will lead me home!

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GraceNotes is Copyright ©2007 by Jim Stephens of Resource Ministries International. All rights reserved worldwide. Please include this publication and copyright information section in all forwards or printed copies. If any part of the text of this mailing is included in any other publication, please include this information.

Jim and Jean Stephens
Resource Ministries International
P.O. Box 7096
Bend, OR 97708 USA
Phone 541-389-7155
resource@resourceministries.org