Animated Dust.

You are nothing more than animated dust.

Does that sound preposterous? It does to me. To think I am nothing, absolutely nothing more than animated dust seems bizarre. I think of a wooden puppet brought to life and then that magic of life is taken away and the puppet is nothing more than wood again- lifeless. Are we all in some way dust Pinocchio's? Is Pinocchio who was made of wood, ultimately a dust Pinocchio if the wood decay breaks down to that level? Wood decays, it rots. Even some of the best preserved wood without renewed applications of preservative would over time hundreds, thousands of year eventually end up as dust- right? Wood rots and is eventually ground into dust.

When our animation ceases and the last breath of life is expelled from our animated dust bodies and returns to God who gives that breath of life, another part of us sleeps death's sleep.

Every animated dust person is given a uniqueness that makes them special, one of a kind. We are flesh, spirit and soul.

Heb_4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Soul divided from the spirit, just as bones from their marrow.

1Th 5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Your whole spirit AND soul AND body.

We animated dust beings are more than the dust. Just as- yes, I'm going back to Pinocchio- when he was brought to life everyone became invested in him as a living wooden being because he had a personality, he was more than an automaton that simple responded to commands. He had a power of choice in him, a curiosity in him- he wasn't brought to life only to remain a controlled puppet.

We are not controlled animated dust beings.

Along with the life in each and every particle of our bodies that will eventually return to the dust as the original, first ever animated dust body was created from, we were given a power of choice and a spirit that could be born within us united to the Holy Spirit, one of the three separate beings that had a hand in our very creation.

When Adam's dust created body lay there on the ground newly formed it had no breath of life in it, it had no ability to think, it had no ability to communicate with its Creator. Separated from the breath of life, separated from the ability to think, to choose, to commune with God- the body was an empty shell.

God breathed that life into Adam, God brought to life the spirit within Adam, God gave to Adam the power of individual thought outside of His control. God did not raise a robot to life, a controlled dust being forced to obey His commands.

The power to bring us to life to form us so that we live was not an accident, it didn't happen over billions of years, we were created beings, designed beings. When we chose to leave our Creator's guidance and step out on our own- drastic changes occurred all around us and in us.  With the glorious light of our Creator stripped from us, we became creatures subject to pain, to decay, to death. So much of us was altered so that we could continue to function physically without God's glorious light, without the fruit from the tree of life to sustain our grand design. With those things taken from us we reverted to a most basic animated dust being without the power of eternal life. That we were allowed to continue to live at all was a blessing, and it was given to us only because there was a way already in place to save us and return us to the eternal glory originally designed for us- should we individually choose to accept the Way.  The accepting of the Way, is an accepting wholly and truly that the power behind that Way was of God, and NOT anything we could manufacture on our own.  The Way was given to us, not made by us. The power is God's.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

The Way is the TREASURE in our dust animated bodies (earth made vessels). The Power of God is the Way. The Kingdom of God was preached to us by His only begotten son, Jesus Christ- who is the WAY.  Jesus came to expound on the knowledge that there is a HOPE for a return to our original God designed being. We can be reunited with God! We can be brought back to eternal life! All hope is not lost! We don't have to return to dust permanently! On resurrection day, the day our Lord returns and calls us from our graves, or from this world still living should we be among those blessed, we will be raised up and transformed back into the original design!

1Co 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 

1Co 15:53  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 

1Co 15:54  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 

Changed. Yes, we'll still be animated dust beings but restored to immortality, to eternal life, to incorruption- to the light of God's presence!

All glory to God in the highest! All praise and honor unto Him! All worship to our Creator, our Sustainer, our Redeemer, our LORD, Jesus Christ! All through the Holy Spirit may we belong to them and no others!

Fragile Earthen Vessels.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

Earthen vessels. That's all we are made of, right, materials that eventually return to dust? We can be damaged in many, many ways, too many for me to count. We are fragile in the grand scheme of things. Many a person has spent their lives longing for a way for humans to live longer, better lives.  We have not been able to extend our lifespans much beyond 120 years at the very, very best and it's more like 84 for men and 86 for women- but that's not always the case either. Both of my parents and all of my grandparents died before 86 years old. I have only a couple of aunts and uncles left who are getting up there into their 80's. If my dad had lived longer he'd be 89 today, but he died at the much younger age of 55. People die all the time, the very young- barely born, the unborn, and every single age in between can claim many lives. There is no magical age of life where you can't be destroyed in some many. We are simply earthen vessels.

A part of us deep down inside comprehends that this isn't how our lives were meant to be though. Death is an anomaly though many have come to terms with it being the norm. We know in our hearts it is not the norm. We do not want to die. I heard something the other day about the people who have survived suicide attempts, the majority will tell you that the moment after they committed to death and that step was taken off the ledge, the bullet released, the stool kicked away- the thought they had was they wished they hadn't, that no problem they had couldn't have been figured out in another way.  Now this is a majority thing, not just a few suicide survivors. The suicide successes (though I hate to call them successes) can't tell their stories of their almost last thoughts, but to even consider for a moment they felt the same way it's heartbreaking.

We were not meant to live the lives we have to live today. We were not meant to live in the shadow of death, in the grip of pain day after day, in the heartache of losing loved ones, and loved ones losing us. Our existence was meant for more and that is why we strive to comprehend a true belief in life after we die.

I believe in life after we die, but not instant life after we die.

I believe that supernaturally I will be resurrected when my Savior returns and ushers in our new existence- the existence we were always meant to have, not this one.

We were not created to be fragile jars of clay, we were created to live forever. When sin entered the world the alteration of our beings on many levels had to occur to allow for death- and truthfully- it took hundreds of years for us to run down into the fragile beings we are today. People used to live into their hundreds, one man lived to be nine hundred and some years old before succumbing to death. We weren't meant to die easily, we were made for eternity.

The fact we became subject to death is a constant, unending reminder that we messed up things and stepped out of the life offering us a source of eternity. We turned our backs on eternal life but the GOOD NEWS is we can still accept a future eternal life! We weren't cut off from the promise entirely, just temporarily!

More on this tomorrow by the grace and will of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

See the Eternal Things.

Obviously earthly treasures are not to be desired, though because we live in a Satan ruled world filled with his evil we are inclined towards earthly treasures. We are inclined to believe we are successful when we have earthly treasures, the more the better. We are inclined to believe we are successful when we can give others earthly treasures. We are inclined to label ourselves and others a success when we can enjoy the supposed good things life has to offer. Our bent is towards earthly treasures and it starts at a very young age.

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

Our eternal treasure- one that can never degrade in any way, one that can never be stolen is the heavenly treasure of eternal life given to us by Jesus Christ.

We cannot manufacture this treasure. We cannot dig deep into the earth and uncover this priceless gift. We, in and of ourselves cannot produce even the tiniest bit of this eternal, and very precious treasure no matter what we try to do.

This treasure must be given to us by another, and not just any other, but our God- Jesus Christ.

We ourselves are made of the earth. Our very flesh and bones are simply broken down into dust.  We are earthen vessels, and have no power of our own- the power lies with God.

All the treasures in the entire world would be easily given up and rejected if we only comprehended in full the eternal treasure awaiting us.

Read the following and please, pray for full comprehension. We are NOT as Christ followers, going to have an easy temporal life- it just isn't promised to us at all.  When our hope is in the eternal treasure there is not a single thing that take that from us, not a single trouble that exists for us, not one bit of distress or perplexity, because we cannot despair if we have the eternal hope.

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 

2Co 4:12  So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 

2Co 4:13  We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 

2Co 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

We need to spiritually see the eternal things, all by the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Treasures of Earth, Treasures of Heaven.

When I was a child the anticipation of Christmas was palpable. Everything changed right after Thanksgiving. Decorations came out of the closets that had been stored away for ten and a half months and things just seemed a bit more exciting than they had even the day before.

Christmas was coming! To me Christmas meant the Sears Wish Book Catalog. Does that sound sad? It probably does, it should.

Yes, I grew up learning all the standard Christmas songs which included 'Away In the Manger', 'Silent Night', 'O Come All Ye Faithful', 'Little Drummer Boy.'  These songs told the tale of a baby, a very special baby who was born on Christmas Day. However, I also grew up with songs such as 'Santa Claus Is Coming to Town', 'Jingle Bells', 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,' and so on and so forth. Being a child, and I think perhaps a typical child, I focused on the Santa Claus is coming to town bit and the idea of getting presents, lots of presents even if lots meant five or six, that was a lot, plus there was that stocking stuffed with candy and toys as well. We anticipated that toy catalog and we were allowed to pick out anything and everything we wanted knowing all the while we weren't likely to get most of the things, but even if we would get just one thing we were happy.

Christmas and getting gifts, Christmas and all the fancy eating! The cookies, the candy, the pies, coffee cakes, yes, this was what made Christmas special to me.  Christmas and visiting relatives for more candy, food, and favorite sodas. My lack of focus on the birth of Christ wasn't my parents fault, they took us to church, they told us the importance of gift giving, not just receiving, but my personal penchant towards selfishness kept me more self-absorbed than self-less. My treasures were not in heaven, they were wrapped in pretty paper and tied with fancy bows under the Christmas tree.

Gift getting, treasure accumulation this was all a part of my life and my happiness. I'm not proud of it at all, but it's the truth.  Putting my treasures in heaven didn't come easy and truthfully it is something I think about even to this day.

I sit here in my living room surrounded by my Christmas treasures- mostly lots of snowmen that I've collected throughout the years, but many other things as well and I know I'd be very sad to lose any of it. I have two china cabinets and only one holds china, the other is my curio cabinet with more treasures I possess. Again, treasures I wouldn't want to lose. I like to think if I lost all my earthly treasures I'd be fine, and maybe I would be, I hope I would be, by the grace of God I would be.

I'm blessed beyond measure in the earthly treasure department, but I have to wonder how my heavenly treasure storehouse fares. Treasures such as wisdom and understanding- they are heavenly treasures that are distributed to us to use on earth.

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 

Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in the mystery of God, the Father and Christ.

Treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  Today I would circle these treasures were they offered in a catalog, but not as a child and not as an adult for many years. Treasures of the heavenly, treasure greater than precious gems.

Pro 16:16  How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver! 

Imagine… wisdom better than gold! Understanding better than silver!

It truly makes sense when we are told this…

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 

Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

The only treasures that cannot be taken from us, or destroyed in some manner are heavenly treasures! Think about it for a moment. All our earthly treasures are subject to being stolen. All our earthly treasures can be destroyed, few treasures survive a fire as most people who live through house fires will tell you.  If we make people our treasures they too can be taken from us, but our faith in our heavenly Father allows us to comprehend that one day we may see our loved ones again - the great resurrection day when Christ returns for us and the dead in Christ are raised to meet Him in the air- we too will raise to meet the Lord in the air in that day and we will see all those we loved who died in the love of Christ. Losing the treasure of loved ones is a temporary loss because we place their safe keeping with our Heavenly Father.  They become a treasure  kept safe in the heavenly promise of a future resurrection.

Listen to these words of admonition-

Jas 5:1  Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 

Jas 5:2  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 

Jas 5:3  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 

Obviously earthly treasures are not to be desired, though because we live in a Satan ruled world filled with his evil we are inclined towards earthly treasures. We are inclined to believe we are successful when we have earthly treasures, the more the better. We are inclined to believe we are successful when we can give others earthly treasures. We are inclined to label ourselves and others a success when we can enjoy the supposed good things life has to offer. Our bent is towards earthly treasures and it starts at a very young age.

More on all of this tomorrow by the grace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

May we learn more of the heavenly treasure especially at a time we are inclined to want to receive and even give earthly treasures.

Treasure.

Treasures.

Col 2:2  That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 

Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 

Mat 6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 

Mat 6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 

Mat 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

Jas 5:1  Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 

Jas 5:2  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 

Jas 5:3  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 

2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 

2Co 4:8  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

2Co 4:9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 

2Co 4:10  Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 

2Co 4:11  For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 

2Co 4:12  So then death worketh in us, but life in you. 

2Co 4:13  We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; 

2Co 4:14  Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 

2Co 4:15  For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. 

2Co 4:16  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 

2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

2Co 4:18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

Luk_18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

Luk_12:33  Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

Luk_12:34  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Luk 12:13  And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. 

Luk 12:14  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? 

Luk 12:15  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. 

Luk 12:16  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: 

Luk 12:17  And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? 

Luk 12:18  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 

Luk 12:19  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. 

Luk 12:20  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? 

Luk 12:21  So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God. 

Luk 6:45  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh. 

Mat_19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Mar_10:21  Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

Mat 13:51  Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. 

Mat 13:52  Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

Mat_13:44  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

Mat_6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Jesus, Our Ladder

Gen 28:17  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 

Jacob was in fear, in complete awe, overwhelmed with the reality of the majesty of the place where He was.  The House of God- the Gate of Heaven. His spiritual eyes were opened, he was allowed to see beyond the temporal realm, the tangible existence. The vision given to him left him in complete and utter astonishment, shock flowed through him, he'd been gifted with insight into Heaven and the house of God.

A ladder.

Jacob dreamed but it wasn't an ordinary dream at all. This dream was based in reality.

Gen 28:12  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 

Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 

Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad 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. 

Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 

Gen 28:16  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 

From heaven the LORD called to Jacob and renewed the same promise He gave to Abraham and Isaac. The LORD told Jacob He was with him.

The LORD was in this place Jacob said, and he didn't even know it.

How often is the LORD with us and we aren't fully comprehending of that fact? Can we push the LORD away from us? Yes. Can we park GOD at the door to our personal dens of iniquity carefully setting Him aside and hiding Him behind a closed and locked, often times barred door? Yes. On the other hand, we can cry out in the depths of despair at our own sinfulness and the LORD will answer. The supernatural super hero able to break through any and all things that would try and stand between Him and a truly repentant sinner.

Jacob was a supplanter, a deceiver… He obeyed the voice of his mother who instructed him to take the blessing of a dying Isaac who favored the oldest son over the younger. Jacob could have said no to his mother's scheming plan to steal away Esau's blessing. He didn't say no, he didn't gently remind his mother that deception was not a good thing, stealing was not a good thing, that they needed to repent of her plan. The wheels were in motion and Jacob did all that his mother instructed in order to fool the semi-senile, surely all but completely blind, Isaac. The truth that Isaac hadn't aged gracefully- keeping his senses clear to the end of his life- but was caught up in the intense deterioration that can occur in extreme old age was a fact. That he could be fooled by fur placed on arms and the scent of clothes was understandable. Jacob had to be all but trembling in fear of being caught as he wore the furry arm bands and brought the stew to his father. Yes, Jacob was caught up in deception to obtain something that didn't belong to him.

After completing the deception he was told to leave, his brother's anger against him was so great that the fear of his being murdered was very real. Told to leave the only home he'd ever known, thrust out on the heels of his deception, Jacob was being sent off to a new life one without his mother as his defender, or his father, or most gratefully at this point, his brother.

On his way to his uncle's, Jacob fell asleep that first night with stones for pillows and he dreamed the dream already discussed.

Running away after stealing what belonged to his brother, Jacob was given a dream and the blessing of Isaac was shown to be very real, even placed upon a deceiver.

The LORD was with Jacob. Jacob witnessed the truth of a ladder, a way from one realm to another. Jacob saw the way made for heaven and earth to unite and what a blessing it was for him to know that God allowed that way to be made for mankind.  The occupants of heaven- angels- would descend and ascend on that ladder, going to the aid of those in need where God sent them.

Jesus is that way, Jesus is the ladder, without Him and the sacrifice He was going to make, there wouldn't have existed a ladder in a dream for Jacob. Heaven and earth are united through the Savior. This is truth. There is but ONE ladder and that is Christ.

Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. 

Let us see heaven open and know that Jesus has made the way possible for us to receive the heavenly blessing, the hope that in all He will be with us. The angels of God will help us in our need, sustaining us in Christ through all things. There is hope. Heaven is our hope, heaven is what our Lord took on flesh and dwelt among us, suffering and dying so we could have that hope of being united with Him in all His glory! Our treasures surely are in heaven, let us keep them there, let us know they await us - salvation through the LORD JESUS CHRIST NOW AND FOREVER!!!!!!! 

Amen.

Heaven and Earth United Through Christ Jesus

Gen 28:12  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. 

Gen 28:13  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; 

Gen 28:14  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad 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. 

Gen 28:15  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of. 

Gen 28:16  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not. 

Gen 28:17  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 

A ladder set up on the earth, the top of the ladder reached to heaven. On the ladder angels of God went up and down between earth and heaven.

Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. 

The Ladder-Jesus Christ our Lord.

A ladder enables a person to get to a place they otherwise would not be able to get to, right? The only reason we use a ladder is because without one we couldn't get to where we need to be. The other day I went up and down a ladder in my house as I hung up Christmas cards in strings upon my walls. I had to climb the ladder so I could reach the hook to place the string of cards. Without that ladder I never would have been able to reach the hook, it would be impossible. I could think about it all day long and still would never be able to do what I needed to do without a ladder.

It's safe to assume the majority of people have used  a ladder a time or two during their lives. Some people use them every single day as their job or living arrangements dictate. Ladders are extremely useful and most buildings in existence would not be built without a ladder. When a young child climbs their first ladder a parent is usually right there behind them, even if the ladder is just a step or two leading to a toddler slide.

Ladders need to be sturdy in order to work as they should. A ladder needs to be dependable or else we risk falling and injury. Often people will have other people hold a ladder to give it extra stability as they climb.

Ladders can be frightening as well because even the most secure ladder in the world will not keep our feet from slipping. Some people have hooks on a belt around their waist they use to alternately hook themselves into the rungs of the ladder as they climb so should their foot slip, or hand miss its mark throwing them off balance they won't fall to the ground below which could be hundreds of feet on some towers and such.

The fact there exists a spiritual ladder one that reaches to heaven where God resides and to earth below is truly an amazing analogy. That we read in the New testament that the ladder is none other than the Lord, Jesus Christ is amazing.  Jesus bridges the gap between what is otherwise impossible to reach. There is no other way to reach heaven than through Jesus Christ.

Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. 

Jesus touches the earth and anchors there, stretching all the way to God in heaven above. Angels of God through Jesus - first through the hope of the promise of Jesus to bridge the gap, secondly through the reality of Jesus' death and resurrection when the gap was fixed permanently- Jesus has been the way to God, to bridge the great gulf that exists between man and God. Angels help mankind at God's command, ministering to us as needed towards our eternal life.

Gen 28:17  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. 

Jacob was in fear, in complete awe, overwhelmed with the reality of the majesty of the place where He was.  The House of God- the Gate of Heaven. His spiritual eyes were opened, he was allowed to see beyond the temporal realm, the tangible existence. The vision given to him left him in complete and utter astonishment, shock flowed through him, he'd been gifted with insight into Heaven and the house of God.

More on all this tomorrow by the grace and will of God! All through HIS LOVE!