Are You Living In Bethel Or El Bethel?
Have a time of praise (testimonies)
(The song I would Love to tell you )
Genesis 35:1-7 And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went. And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem. And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. And he built there an altar, and called the place El bethel: because there God appeared unto him, when he fled from the face of his brother.
We have name this church Bethel which means The House Of God I would like us to go further than that of being just The House of God
To being El Bethel which means The God of The House of God
There is a difference of being in the House of God
To being in The God of the House Of God
It’s like living in the Valley verses The Mountain Top
The Valleys is where it seems to be full of troubles & bad things happen
We all know that all things run down hill.
It floods it goes to the valley
Sin takes us down
Sad times are the valleys On the mountain Top everything is better
It’s like living in darkness verses living in the light
In the dark bad things happen
In the light you can see & know where you are going
It’s like living on a house boat verses a house on dry land
The house boat will rock when the winds & storms come
The House is built upon solid ground will be stable It’s like having a big juicy T-bone steak verses a Big mac
It’s like Having Jesus verses just knowing of him
Many people including Baptist or going to Miss Heaven by 18 inches
1)El Bethel Bring Us To Remembrance
Vs1: And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother.
Remember when you were 1st saved how excited you were. (I remember the place the day & everything that happened) (re-live it) (5 rows back the song being sung) (I was sitting 5 rows back) The message was there are devils in the church) (I was teaching, driving a church bus, going soul winning BUT LOST) (The time was 12:25 on Sunday March 31,1982) (I ran those 5 rows and fell on my face and got rite with God) (I was born again) (I will never forget it Never)
When you saw God move in your life
Your 1st soul you led to the lord (Mine was at the SA Rescue Mission A black man) (I was riding high) (My 1st teenager was a gang girl) (My what a change in that girl) (she gave me a key chain that said Preacher Harold I love You Thank You (I still have it)
I remember when the Lord called me to preach (My was I scared still am) (I remember the 1st message I preached at the Nursing Home “When the Role is called up Yonder) (I remember the 1st Christmas message I preached “The unspeakable Gift) (Very loud I was stupid & young in the Lord))
Hey have you lost that 1st Love
Revelation 2:5a Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,and repent, and do the first works; To get to El Bethel we need to remember & get back that 1st Love
2)El Bethel Brings Us To Repentance
Vs 2-3 Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.
Be Clean The Bible Says : Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
We are to be old fashion
To know the God of this book Is Repentance
Be Not Yoke With The World The Bible Says: 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
Touch Not The Unclean Bible Says: Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Repent Of Sins Says The Bible: Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
There are Independent Fundamental Baptist Preachers preaching against Repentance
Men we need a change I mean pull out them ear rings & the nose job too.
Look like a man pull up your pants
Smell like a man put on some old spice Instead of mommy’s stuff
Women let your hair grow out
Put on a dress Deuteronomy 22:5 The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God. 1 Timothy 2:9a In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel …” Demand that the door be opened for you
Smell like a lady not like a mechanic (I thank God for my wife being a lady)
Get rid off those trash perverted Bibles Get the real thing KJV baby
It’s time for an old fashion Burning service
Oh how much fun they were
Send it to Hell where it belongs
To get to El Bethel we have got to have some old fashion repentance
Man when I got saved I changed I mean to tell you
2 Corinthians 5:17 became real to me “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
3)El Bethel Brings Us To A Place Of Revival
verses 5-6 And they journeyed: and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob. So Jacob came to Luz, which is in the land of Canaan, that is, Bethel, he and all the people that were with him. 2 Chron. 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Psalms 85:6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
When men got exited & shouted AMEN PREACHER AMEN
When the men would jump up & shout
When they raised their Bibles in the air & shouted
When the women would raise theirs hankies in the air
When the men & the women & the children would run around the church pews Shouting & praising God While the Man of God preach “Thus saith the Lord thy God”
The days when the altars were full of sinners getting saved
Christians getting right with God
Folks were getting right with each other
The days when God would come down & meet with us like in the day of Moses When he was told to get all the people together & bring them to the edge of the mountain. He was going to talk with them and show himself to them all
Why?
So Israel would see that he is God Jehovah
We need that today our children & grandbabies deserve to see the Almighty God The God of the mountains
Psalms 71:18 Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. This is my prayer that God would allow me to this before He takes me Home to Heaven I desire for them to know the God I grew up with
This is not the case today!
Preachers falling into sin
Preachers quitting On God
Church members falling into sin
Members quitting on God
Church people on MY SPACE
Wicked & out of hell
50 percent on there is queer
50 percent Predators
100 percent liars
Preacher’s children living like the Devil in spite of daddy
Church members helping the preacher’s kids run away just because they are mad Him
Song leaders running off with women off the internet & church members wives
Youth Pastors having affairs with their young ladies
Then they get pregnant & then kill them because they don’t want nobody to know
OH My Oh My
What are we coming to today?
We are dead churches
No singing taking away the good songs for 7-11 songs The church following these new air singers (full of air) (perform it) (The God of the mountain) (Amazing Grace) Instead of good old fashion singers that praised God & sung from the heart
No amending, no raising the Bible (can’t get them to even read the Bible)
No shouting, no praising the Lord (the song service sounds like we are in funeral home)
No soul winning, Altars are empty (You have got to be running on empty yourself)
Pastors killing themselves preaching & no body listening
To get to El Bethel we need an old fashion Revival
4)El Bethel Is A Place Of Reverence
Vs 7a “And he built there an altar, and called the place El bethel: because there God appeared unto him…”
Let me tell you something backsliders will not worship the Lord
When we realize who God really is then we will show reverence
Isaiah 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
We will really see who we are when we really see the Lord in who is When Jacob met Jesus on the Ladder Jesus touched the hollow of his side Jacob change he walked with a limp.
May I say when the Lord touches you there is a change A big change Nothing Like it May I remind you that God is
He is a Holy God & we are to be the same
1 Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
Then we will Thank the Lord from our hearts
I remember great preachers Jack Hyles, Jack Wood, Lester Rollof, & John R Rice
They were holy men OF God
They were men that cried for the Lord to use them
John R Rice asked God to take away his tears all the time
Souls quit being saved John R Rice pleaded with God to give back the tears
Jack Hyles when told to choose between the Bus Kids or them
All night on his face crying lying prostrate on the ground
Next morning a crowd was all around him
He was on Public Street in Chicago
He jump up and said I’ll take the Bus kids
The Rest is History
What am I trying to say real men will cry & give reverence to the Lord
Bro. Woods had a preacher friend come to visit him
When he arrived the Sec. told him just go on in but be very quiet
This is weird, he went to the door wanted to knock but just walked in
Bro. Woods was just sitting there looking out the window
The Preacher just sat there after awhile he began to cry just watching Bro. Woods
Bro Woods looked over at him and said
“He’s been here all morning” “Don’t run Him off”
I’m reminded in the Old Testament of Moses when he asked God to show himself
Exodus 33:18-23 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory. And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy. And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
Hey I want that
Many a time on my face crying and the spirit of God all over me
You can’t move, hardly breath, crying uncontrollably, snot running down
Your Lost in the Lord
Yes El Bethel is a Place of reverence
Do You want just Bethel? (The House of God)
Or do you want El Bethel? (The God of the House of God)
To get El Bethel we are going to have to change our ways Our thoughts Our life styles Our every being
To have El Bethel we need to come to a place of Remember
To have El Bethel we need to come to a Place of real repentance
To have El Bethel we got to come to a Place of real Reverence to the Lord
To have El Bethel we need the Lord
