Faithbase

Hey brothers and sisters, welcome back. Glad to see you for this upcoming show. You know, we're going to talk about, well, I guess basically a ladder, you know, what a ladder is used for. Now here I have an example of a ladder. This is, as you can see, this is an old one. It's been used. It's not a long gigantic one, but you can see the whole thing. You know, it's a ladder. So what is a ladder used for? Many times it's to climb up and down to get to different aspects of what you're trying to work. Many times it's used for working. They want to get on top of a high item, a high area to come back down. So they have different kinds. Like I said, this one, what I'm showing right now is a step ladder, but then they have the longer ones, but it's always used to get from one area to another, usually going in, as you would say, this is, you know how to say horizontal and vertical, excuse me, if I'm saying the wrong angles, but yes, horizontal, yes, to go up. And that brings us to the connection that God has with us and always wanting us to be connected with him going up. But we're going to read a story in the Bible where we talk about a ladder that was shown in the past, but it was the answer to the future, to the present and the future, what God was showing. It's called Jacob's ladder. And in some cases it's called Christ's mystic, Christ the mystic ladder, Christ's mystic ladder. But it's taken, we're going to look at Genesis 28, 10 to 15, and we'll see how this ladder was designed for our salvation, for mankind, womankind salvation. As we said, Jacob, Genesis 28, 10 to 15, and Jacob went out from Bathsheba and went toward Haran, and he lightened upon a certain place and tarried there all night because the sun was set. And he took, and he took up the stones of that place and put them for his pillows and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed and behold a ladder set up on earth and the top of it reached to the heavens and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And behold, the Lord stood above it and said, I am the Lord. I am the Lord God of Abraham, thy father, and the God of Isaac and the God of Isaac, the land where on thou liest to thee will I give it and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth and thou shalt spread aboard to the West and to the East and to the North and to the South and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. And behold, I am with thee and I will keep thee in all places, whether thou goest and will bring thee again into this land for I will not leave, leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to thee. I'm gonna read verse 12 again. And he dreamed and behold a ladder, behold a ladder set up on earth and the top of it reached into heaven and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And this is what, no, this is what Jacob saw. So if we look at the story, remember the previous, in the previous chapters that wasn't right, Jacob, you know, the story about Esau and Jacob, Jacob had tricked his father, what the hell, his mother encouraged him to trick his father into getting the blessing that was, he was supposed to get the blessing, but not in the way they went about it. And it lets you, I don't want to jump ahead of myself, but it lets us know that even when things are not working right and we may know there's something for us that God has for us, even though we're supposed to be doers and move forward, don't go before God, especially when you're doing it in a negative way, I should say, which is unfortunately what Rebecca and Jacob did when they tricked Isaac and Esau got mad and was now going to kill Jacob. So Jacob had to flee, you know, his life was at stake now because Esau was going to kill him. And when he ran, when his parents told him to leave, because in the verses before, if you look at the first verse of Genesis 28, it says this, 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 Peridam, to the house of Bethel, thy mother's father, and take thee a wife, thence of the daughters of Laban, thy mother's brother. And in the previous verse, chapter 27, it says, with Rebecca on 46, it says, and Rebecca said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, which are the daughters of the Lamb, what good shall my life do to me? I'm just reading those to explain why, we're not going to go through the whole thing, but basically in a nutshell, because Jacob had tricked Esau, Esau was mad and was going to kill him. So now Rebecca saw that there was going to be death in her house. And before that can happen, she convinced her husband, Isaac, their father, that let Jacob go to our relatives. And just basically it was to escape the anger of his brother. But she also looked at the context of Marian as a New Testament say, do not be unequally yoked with non-believers because Esau was doing what he wanted in that sense. And it grieved their heart and they didn't want the same thing to happen to Jacob. So she was using that as analogy but the real thing was because Esau was going to kill him because of the deception that was done. So now Jacob had to flee for his life. And this is where we get into chapter 28, where he was running. And as it pointed out, he was in a place where he was by himself and he was afraid. And it was like, like two days from where he had already gone. And the thing about it is, is when he was there, those two days, he got to really contemplate what he did. And that's the thing about God. He hears us. He answered us. But sometimes when we do wrong things, he gives us a chance to really, for us to think about what we did so we can really see the wrong that we did and ask for forgiveness. Now, unfortunately, some sins, the immediate consequence happens right away. But God still, in that sense, gives you the ability to see the wrongness and he gives you a chance to, gives us a chance to ask for forgiveness. So Jacob had a chance to look over what he was doing. From the beginning he knew. And now he was in a situation where he really wanted the help of God. And he knew the promises that God had bestowed and God had said, but still, because he went about it the wrong way, that burned his heart. Then he was in a position where the other, you know, he was by himself. He was in an area where other people were in terms of the fear that people could attack him. And he was worried, would God still be with him? Would the promise that God had still be viable for him? And this is not the only time he's going to feel this way. Years later, he's going to feel this way again. But that's just how the devil gets you. And that's why God says to stick with him. But here, when Jacob was feeling that way, and he was tired and rested, he laid down to go to sleep, even with all that worry and stuff, God came to assure him. And when he assured him, this blew his dream. As we said, when he laid down, he had a dream and behold, a ladder set up on earth and on top of it reached heaven. And behold, the angels of God ascending and descending. So here we see that God was showing Jacob that the ladder was a visible symbol of the real uninterrupted fellowship that God, that between God in heaven and his people on earth, the angels ascending to present to present men's needs before God and descended from, descended with promises, descended with promises of divine assistance and protection. The ladder appeared to rest upon earth where Jacob laid, alone, destitute and forsaken by men, above in heaven stood Jehovah. Proclaiming himself to Jacob as the God of his fathers, he not only confirmed to him all the promises made to his fathers, the possession of Canaan and numerous offspring and the blessings of all men. So when Jacob, when God showed him that dream and he showed him the ladder that was going from heaven to earth, he was letting him know that he's still with him and the promise that he had, he's still going to keep it. And regardless of how his surroundings may, he's still with him. Angels, the word angel means messengers and angels usually give us messages from the Lord. That's what we read about in revelations, the three angels message. It's a message that God gives to us to share with others. So here, the ladder was showing that God is here with him and God has still not forsaken him. It's from heaven to earth. So it comes from heaven, but it connects it with earth. So there's still a connection. And with that, he assured him that the promise is still there. The fact that Jesus said he was going to come to die for humanity and he was going to use through this linkage of him coming as a human being, because that's all it was. And when I say that, I'm not downplaying it. What I'm saying is Jesus was going to come as a human being to save all mankind. So he was coming through the linkage of mankind. He created us in his image and his likeness. So we're his children. So he was coming through that line to save humanity. And regardless of what the devil was trying to do to stop that, God was saying, my promise stands and I'm going to do that. And because Jacob and Abraham and Jacob's father, Isaac, God had told him about the promise. He was still assuring to Jacob that that promise still stands. And being that you're sorry for what you've done, I forgive you and I'm going to keep you and I'm going to hold on, but you have to just hold on to me. And here's an assurance to show that I'm going to do what I said, just how I'm connected with you this way. You stay with me and this connection will never depart. This is what God was showing through that. Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to pray before I started. So excuse me. I just want to add this prayer right now. Heavenly father, as we talk with you, dear Lord, let your words be spoken and not mine. It gives far many sins. So I'll pray in Jesus name. Amen. Yeah. I like to pray. As you can see now, I'm starting to pray before we start these topics. So I guess I was so excited. I just kept going, but here we go back to like I was saying, God was showing that there was a connection that the Lord had with humanity and with heaven. And he was assuring Jacob that he let Jacob know if we read in John 1 51, this is what he had said. And he said unto them, verily, verily, I say unto you hereafter, you shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man. And this is what he was alluding back to when he was talking to the disciples of what happened with Jacob's dream, but he was showing because Jesus came, Jesus was showing that he came in the flesh. And we know when he got baptized and the dove came down on his head, he said, and the Lord, God, the father said, this is my beloved son in whom I will please. So God was showing, Jesus was showing the fulfillment of all those, but that's the beauty of this. What we see here that Jacob was shown that God's promise is still going to be with him, that God has not forsaken him, that God has not turned his back on him and that God is here protecting him, you know, that God was going to watch him in the midst of him by himself alone, feeling that he was gone and forsaken. God said, I'm still with you. And I'm letting you know that I'm hanging in there with you. So just stay faithful and believe, and God will still be with you. This is what Jacob was shown from all the craziness that he was going through. God was showing that. Come to us. When Adam and Eve sinned, man was thrown into a desolate world of wickedness. Our connection that we have with God talking face to face was totally eradicated because now sin separated us. We were alone away from God, away from his presence. Sin captured the world. Death had now come upon this world to completely and permanently separate us from God. The communication that God had with us was now temporarily, the devil made it seem like it was cut off, but he made it seem like it was cut off permanently. And it was going to be cut off permanently because that's what sin is. The wages of sin is death. We were put in that situation where no connection with the Lord was there, but God showed us that just like he showed this dream with the ladder, that this is the same aspect of what he was doing for humanity. He was making sure that there's still a connection that we're going to have, that he was going to come down here and die for us. And with him coming down from heaven on earth, he is that ladder that comes from heaven and sets up on earth. And when he sets up his ladder from heaven to earth, as he came down, when you climb a ladder, you go every one step higher and higher, just like how the song, we are climbing Jacob's ladder, every step is higher and higher. Well, Jesus is that ladder that connected us, that reconnected humanity to heaven. He's that one that we can count on, that ladder that shows us that we are still connected with him and he hasn't forsaken us. If we read at 1 Timothy 2.5, but there is one God, one mediator between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. Jesus is that mediator. And just like that ladder showed, Jesus came down here, died on this earth on a cross, but then rose and went back to heaven. That connection he shows has never been broken. And that connection, he assured us that we'll have something to count on to and to believe in. So that faith that we have is assured that he's there with us and he will carry us through. If we look at John 10, nine, it says, I am the door by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture. Jesus is saying, he's the door. Like I said, sin separate us. We thought we were alone, but God showed that he's the door. And if we knock on that door, he'll open. It's usually him knocking on our door. And once we open and let him in, he brings us with him because he's trying to come in with us. So when sin had totally put a strong barrier away from us, he came in and said, no, I'm gonna close the gap. And this ladder shows because with heaven, he stands on high, but he looks down low and he sees us as one of his own. If you look in Psalms 97, one, the Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, let the multitude of isles be glad thereof. The Lord reigneth, he reigns up high, but yet he still looks down low on us. And he doesn't look on us as a low human being. He looks at us as one of his own. And he has this ladder in terms of grace in which when we ask him for his help, he's there to take care of us. The prayers that we pray up, as is what's sown in the temple, the incense, is our prayers going up to him. And when he hears it, the Holy Spirit takes our prayers and comforts us and lets us know. And then Jesus advocates whatever the situation is for us. And the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit work as a unit. They work together to take care of us. So when you're alone and you think that all has forsaken, remember, Jesus is still there. When you don't see any more hope, just as Jacob didn't see any hope, God showed him, I have hope for you. I have a promise that I haven't forsaken. And this is what this ladder showed, Jacob's ladder, which Jesus is that promise. Jesus is that hope that nothing will leave us as long as we're with him. Since the fulfillment of this promise to Jacob was still far off, God added the firm assurance, I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken of thee. Now that's actually in verse 16. Yes, that's in verse 15. Yes, as I read, I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken of thee. The same thing applies to Jacob, applies to us. I will not leave thee. If we look at Matthew, end of Matthew, when Jesus ascends, right before he ascends to heaven, he tells the disciples, Lord, I'll be with you always, even unto the end of the earth. And he told them, go out and preach this gospel to all the world, baptizing them in the name of the father and the holy ghost, teaching them to follow all things. So just as he told Jacob, when he told Jacob, as he told Jacob, I will not leave thee until I have done that which I have spoken to of thee. God is not going to abandon us until what he said has to be accomplished, which is this message of love, this eternal message to go out through all the world. So they have a chance to accept it and be baptized and come into the world. This message, God said, I'm not going to stop. I'm not going to end it until it gets to every human being and they have an opportunity to give their heart to me. So God said, just how he said, until this is fulfilled, until this is fulfilled. Now there's going to come a point where this is going to be fulfilled because he said, this gospel will be preached as a witness. And the witness is that everybody's going to have a chance. Now, whether they accept or not is up to each person. But when you look at the love that Jesus is, you pray that they will accept it because once they accept it, then God will say, this is it. Okay. It's time for me to close up shop in terms of this world, clean it up and make it new for all of us to go home and go home with him. Our loved ones can be resurrected. The ones that died in Christ can be resurrected and we all can go back home with him in heaven. And then he can come back, bring us back on this earth, made new so we can live in paradise. Like how he designed it from the beginning in terms of when he first created this earth with no more sin. But he said, this has to be accomplished first. So when we hear all the tragedies and all the craziness that's going on in this world and thinking that the world's going to come to an end, it is going to come to an end because God said that he's coming back and it is going to come to an end. God says, watch and be ready because no man knows the hour when he's coming. But he said, I will come again and receive you onto myself that where I am, you will be also. So God is going to clean up this earth. He said he won't destroy this earth by what? By fire next time. So he is and fires to purify this earth. But before he purifies this earth, he wants to get a chance to accept him and he could purify our hearts so we could be with him. So we won't have to be purified in the fire of destroying this earth. We'll be with him and be purified with him. So when he cleans up this earth, we'll be able to attain the beauty of a new world. So as he said, I'm not going to finish this. I'm not going to leave you until this is accomplished until, like he says, I will not leave you until I have done that, which I have spoken of the same premise applies to us. As long as we stay with him, he's not going to leave us. The promise is sure. His promise is sure. The only time the promise is not sure is when we break the promise and we step away. He wants to stay with us. He wants us to hang on there and be with him. This is the promise that he has for us. Jacob realized he can rely on the Lord. Jacob seeing that even though he had made a mistake, God was willing to still give him another chance. God was still showing the love that he can hang in there and don't worry, I'm still with you. It's the same thing with us. When we see the separation that we may have fallen into, don't let that make it seem like God is not with us, that God won't give you a chance to come back because he's always there with his hand out saying, just hold on to me, hold on. And if we put our hand in his hand, he will hold on and he'll put a grip that no man could separate. And that's why that ladder shows that it was permanently set into the ground, but it was permanently set into heaven. So as long as men come to that ladder, they can reach up and always get connected with Jesus. When you let Jesus in your heart and you accept him and come and connect with him, he becomes permanent in your heart. So when the trial and the tribulations of this earth come, you don't give up because there's something in you that's going to keep you going. That's what Paul says. Nothing will separate us from the love of God. Now the temptations may come and the struggles may come. And that's why it says I die daily because we have to die to self. Whatever the issue is, it's going to come up. It's going to raise his ugly head and it's going to cause us to really feel like we can't accomplish the goal. But yet, if nothing will separate us from the love of God, it's that spiritual connection that you have. That belief in that love is more than just knowing. It's actually knowing and putting in the effort. And that's what the Holy Spirit, that's what the power of God does to us. It gives us the ability to hang in there, to change who we are because we can't change ourselves. It's only through Jesus. Only he's the one who changes us. That's why works won't get you into heaven. But when Jesus changes it, you will want to do the works. You will want to share this with others because that's what God said. Remember he said, not until this work is done, not until you share this with the world so they can have a chance to be saved. That's what God is showing when he shows us the ladder from one, when earth was separated, he put a ladder so we can start climbing back up to make it into the earth, make it into the earth made new. God stood up there and said, I am that God that I'm with you. When he heard God's voice in his dream, he knew that God was going to be with him. And Jesus fulfilled that by showing that he's going to be with us no matter to hold on and to believe in this promise, to believe in his truth, that God will take care of us no matter what, that God will be with us. You know, he says, Jesus says, I am the way I am the truth. I am the light. He uttered a truth of wonderful significance. So no matter what the transgression of man has been to separate earth from heaven, God came here and brought it back together to show that there's no separation. The sacrifice that he made on the cross was to bridge us back to him. And the resurrection he did was to show that he still, that the sacrifice was fulfilled. And now he's there advocating for us to let us know that he holds the keys to permanent salvation. And as long as we connect with him, we won't have to worry about where the situation is going. The situation is always going to go up as long as we stay with God. Christ is the only way. And that's what this letter showed. It showed that he was the only way. He's the light that man hang on to and will lead us to salvation. He's the one who will take us throughout all the struggles we're going through. He's the one that will guide us. So no matter what is going on, remember there's a hope we have. There's a promise we have. There's a surety that we have that no matter what goes on, Jesus is with us. Jacob didn't see where the future held him. Even though he had a destination he was going to, as he was going, he saw the wildness around him. He saw the different, he wasn't sure if anybody was going to attack him. I mean, he wasn't a warrior like his brother Esau. He was a man, more of a homebody. I mean, he wasn't a chump or anything like that, but he wasn't, as they would say, he wasn't a fighter, whereas Esau was. And no matter how tough you are, when you see the odds are against you, when you're afraid, you know, he can't go back because he knew his brother was going to kill him and where he was going, he was going to, even though he was going to a destination, there was still uncertainty of what's going to happen. And that can bring serious fear, especially when you're in a dark wilderness, coldness, and the danger of life that's out there from other people, other situations. God, are you still going to take care of me? God, am I totally lost? Will those promises come true? God, I've been praying and it doesn't seem like anything is coming true. The time is just going by. Are you still with me? Are you still answering these prayers? And God says, I am. I am with you. I would never leave you, nor forsake you. And the promise I gave, I'm not breaking that promise. All I need you to do is hold on to that promise. And here's the trustworthy, here's the trust and the surety that you have, that I'm going to be with you always, even unto the end of the earth. This ladder that keeps men on this earth connected with the Lord is our permanent aspect to show that Jesus hasn't left us and that Jesus is still with us. We are climbing Jacob's ladder. Every round goes higher and higher. Every round kicks up closer to the Lord. So let's keep on climbing Jacob's ladder so we can make it to the kingdom. And on that note, let's pray. Heavenly Father, I thank you for being the mediator. I thank you for being the bridge to bring us from this sinful earth back to your glorious Lord. The Lord be with us and take care of us. Encourage us and hold on to us so we never let you go. This is our prayer in Jesus' name. Amen. See you again next week.