THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
A man in the jungle developed a high fever. The witch doctor was called.
He made some medicine with: eye of toad, liver of snake, heart of rat, six black beetles, a half cockroach, and all mixed with slime from the local river. He applied this to the patient's forehead.
The witch doctor came back the next day, and the patient was no better.
He said, "Hmmm....maybe he should take two aspirin!"
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________SCRIPTURE____________________________________________________________________
GENESIS 13
1 And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.
KJV
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_______THOUGHT______________________________________________________________________
Abraham was leaving Egypt and returning to the South portion of the "Promised Land." The Bible explicitly tells us that Abraham was "very" rich. He had gone to Egypt in a time of draught and famine. God blessed his move, and allowed him to return without losing anything.
One can lose NOTHING when he/she surrenders to God and His will for their life.
But why did Abraham return to Bethel?
Bethel literally means "house of God." More specifically it means the place of God's "presence."
It was here that Abram had built an "altar" and called upon God before.
It was here He called upon God again.
It would be here that his grandson (Jacob) would wrestle with God.
It would be here that the Judges and the first two kings of Israel would worship.
It's good that we should "revisit" our beginnings in God. Sometimes I take a trip back in time and remember that old altar at New Chapel Hill Baptist, in West Monroe, La. where I first gave my life to Jesus. I remember the tears of conviction; I remember the flood of forgiveness; I remember the tears of joy; I remember the powerful indwelling of God's Holy Spirit in my heart; I remember the people coming by to hug and welcome this 11-year-old into God's Kingdom.
And that gives me NEW consecration and dedication.
It gives me a sense of RENEWAL!
Yes! It's good to go "back to Bethel." It renews our commitment to God.
Try it Sunday. Go to the altar alone during the invitation. Just pray and renew your commitment to God. You'll find that He will renew His powerful presence in you!
Love ya,
Bruce