This is the House of God – by Desmond Ford
Jan 11, 2016 2217
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” – Genesis 28:16–17, NIV,
Here is a man who is a wanderer, a guilty wanderer – a cheat. Isn’t it wonderful that God does not turn his back on him. God gives him a great privilege. God opens heaven to him. God speaks to him. God makes promises to him and they are wonderful promises of security, inheritance, of family, and of fellowship. What wonderful promises to a guilty cheat!
How encouraging it is to hear the words spoken of Christ:
This man receiveth sinners… He is gone to be guest with him that is a sinner… All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men.
When Jacob wakes up from his dream, he says that this is none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven. That is true of every place. Every sunbeam can enter every eye unless the eye is looking away. Isn’t that wonderful? There is one sun up there; it can enter six billion eyes as though there was only one person on earth.
Wherever you are this is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven, whether you are living in a shack or a palace, whether you are driving the smallest, oldest car on the road or a Mercedes. This is none other than the house of God. This is the gate of heaven.
I can remember when I was just beginning to read the Bible. What a privilege it was! I was saying prayers as I cycled to school (with my eyes open), and I was filled with awe: this is none other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven!
Do you see it? Every place can be the house of God. In Him we live, move, and have our being and he is not far from anyone of us. Isn’t that a great line? He is not far from any one of us. In Him we live!
What wonderful promises to a guilty man! It is this vision of God that delivers us from the shackles of sin because like Jacob, all sinners are cheats.
– Des Ford. Rom 8:27–32. Adapted from “The Night of Wrestling.”
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