STEP BY STEP TO HEAVEN
TRANSLATION ALERT 25
Step by Step to Heaven | Neal Frisby’s Sermon CD#1825 | 06/06/82PM
Lord, I pray in my heart, touch the people tonight. It’s because of the prayers and the efforts of the people of the Old Testament, that’s what makes it easy on the United States. That’s prophecy. Glory, Alleluia! That seed reached in clear over here, according to the bible—the prayers of the prophets, the prayer of the Lord Jesus—that’s why such a great nation has come; that’s why such a great people that love God came upon the earth. But they are beginning to turn; the nations are turning their back on God. It is now that the real people of God need to get a firm grip and stay in because it is the hour of the coming of the Lord and He shall come soon. Bless them here tonight, Lord. Whatever their needs are, I believe you are going to meet their needs. Can’t you feel the power of God? Just relax, can you relax? The Holy Spirit is a great relaxer. He will take away the oppression, even possession, if you have it. He will heal and He will cure. Let your anxiety and tension go and the Lord will bless you.
Tonight, Step by Step into Heaven: How far do you want to go up the spiritual ladder tonight or in the days ahead? It’s a kind of sermon that reveals things to you. It shows our journey in this life. The dream/vision that came to Jacob reveals many things. In the great pyramid that is in Egypt—this is symbolism—in the pyramid, there are seven overlapping steps that lead to the veil. They represent the church ages and so forth. The sermon tonight is about Jacob’s ladder.
Turn to Genesis 28: 10-17:
“And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran. And he lighted upon a certain place and tarried there all night…and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and he lay down to sleep” (vs. 10-11). The scripture says “stones”, but when it gets through, it says “stone” (vs. 18 & 22). He took the stones for his pillows. Yes, he was tough, wasn’t he? He was a prince with God and became a very wealthy man, too. He was great prince with the Lord. The Lord got some of that conniving out of him. But he was tough. He just got stones together and he was going to lay his head on them as a pillow. He was going to lie down there in the open. We have it too easy today, don’t we? Maybe it’s showing us that sometimes when you rough it out a bit, the Lord will appear to you. Well, He revealed to Jacob the steps of his life. Finally, the steps of his seed, the elect that will come. The Lord is showing us something here.
“And he dreamed, and behold a ladder was set up on earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it” (v.12). Note that the ladder was not from heaven to earth. It was set up from earth to heaven. That is the word of God. There are messengers coming back and forth. Through the word of God, we either reject his ladder or we are going to go up this ladder. Can you say, Amen? Praise the Lord. I might also say that the stone (s) he collected was the very Headstone. Oh, Christ was with him. He laid right down on Him. This is one time Jacob got as close as John—remember he (John) lay on the Lord’s bosom (John 13: 23). The ladder with angels ascending and descending was glorious as you look upon the spiritual scene.
“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” (v. 13). It wasn’t just angels going up and down the ladder, the scripture says, “Behold, the Lord stood above it. “ Also, He told Jacob, “Where you are lying down, I am going to give it to you.”
“And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth…and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed” (v. 14). That covers everything, doesn’t it? The spiritual seed as well; not only the Jewish lineage, but also the gentiles—the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ, the elect of God, and many of the compartments of the wheel within the wheel of the church. “And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed”—that is A-L-L. How wonderful it is? Such a great power. See; it shows you the faith blessings to all the families of the earth. By faith, we have got the God of Jacob when we got the Messiah. Isn’t that wonderful? He never changes. Glory, Alleluia!
“And, behold, I am with thee and will keep thee in all the places thou goest, and will bring thee again to this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of” (v. 15). Jacob went over there, met Laban and he came back just as the Lord has said. He laid down his head on that stone with the angels going back and forth and with the Lord standing above the ladder. He came right back and wrestled with the Person that put the ladder there until He blessed him. Can you say, Amen? Going out, he saw a ladder and coming back he wrestled with the Person that put the ladder there. “I will not leave thee.” God will never leave you. You can walk out on Him, but He will never leave you. He is right there, “until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.”
“And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not” (v. 16). It’s like in this city (Phoenix, AZ), Capstone Cathedral, the Lord is in this place and they know it not. How many of you caught that? When He does something great, He will put it right in front of the people for a sign and they will miss it every time. He is a great God.
“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 to heaven” (v. 17). He respected the Lord so much; it was frightening. He said this is none other but the house of God. He didn’t understand all about what he had seen, but he knew it was supernatural. For all of his life, he thought about the things that God had shown him. He couldn’t figure it out; it was a struggle, step by step that seed would come—the Israelites. Look at them over there (in their homeland) today, step by step until Armageddon—until it’s all over. The Lord said so, “Until it is all over with, I will be with that seed. Isn’t that wonderful?
The ladder going from earth to heaven—it shows you each step is providential going into heaven (Proverbs 4: 12). It shows the messengers going back and forth, the angels bringing messages to the people; the ladder is the word of God going back and forth from God—“It shows your way shall be opened up to you step by step in my ladder.” How wonderful it is! And in your life, sometimes, you get in a hurry; sometimes, you wonder how this thing that you have been asking for, you have not received it yet. Sometimes, it is faith. However, some things are providential and predestined; none can move them, they are destiny. If you hold on to the word like Jacob, believe me, the Lord will meet your need and He will direct you step by step. But you’ve got to let Him guide the first, second and third step before you can jump into the seventh or eighth step. .
Step by step, if you understand that in your life—no matter what step you are in your life right now. There are many steps; a few of them you must have missed and God guided you back. You got off step. You got off the trail. He guided you right back in step into unity. What you want to do is this: In your heart and mind, like Jacob, picture yourself being with that Headstone. You see, he laid his head on the Headstone, the very Christ—the Pillar of Fire. Moses looked over and saw a burning bush. Can you praise the Lord?
Step by step, you get in tune with the Lord and say, “I want you to order my life, step by step, no matter how long. I will not be impatient, but I will be patient with you. I will wait until you guide my life step by step through the trials, through the tests, through the joy, mountains and valleys. I will take it step by step with you with all my heart.” You will win; you can’t lose. But if you get your mind on other people, the failures of other people and some of your own failures; if you start looking at things from that standpoint, you are going to get out of step again. He said He will never leave you or forsake you until He has done “whatever in this life He has purposed and predestinated by providence for you. Until it is all over with, He will be with you.” Then, of course, you go into a spiritual plane, into another place—we know that.
And so, step by step, the way will be opened up before you. And Jacob said God is in this place. You know, Jacob was probably thinking about what he would do when he got to where he was going. You know Jacob was very materialistic in his mind. He was thinking about all these things he was going to do. He was thinking about everything but God. Finally, he was so tired; he had his mind on so many things. He left one place, he was going to another. He was probably thinking, “Why did this happen to me?” God’s hand was upon him. He had so many things on his mind—running from his brother and going to Laban. Suddenly, when that happened to him—the heavens opened up—the angels going back and forth; he saw all these things moving. The Lord was trying to make him to understand, “Jacob, there is action; we don’t just sit around the place, we move up and down.” Glory! “I am working with you right now. I am planning your whole life. You think nothing is happening. I have got a lot ahead for you. Your boy is going to rule Egypt.” Oh, Lord, thank you! The boy has not even come yet. “All your life, I am planning it—clear to the end when you stand before Pharaoh and to the last day when you lean upon your staff and bless the twelve tribes.” Glory! Isn’t that wonderful? Glory to God!
And so, Jacob got up and said, “Oh me, I didn’t know that God was a million miles from this place and I fell down on this rock. This must be where he lives.” We found out that God followed him everywhere he went. He didn’t have to come back to that place (to find God). But He scared him. He was afraid because the last thing on his mind was to come into where God lived. Can you say, Amen? The Lord is full of surprises. It says in the bible, be careful less you entertain angels unawares. That’s what happened to him. Angels appeared to Abraham—the Lord and two angels. Jacob was lying down here and angels came unexpectedly. Be careful, you entertain angels unawares. Jacob’s whole life was planned. God was active. Those angels were going up and down through there and they help the children of God in the same way.
Our lives are step by step on the ladder of life and that ladder is taking us on to heaven. “And I will provide a way; providentially, step by step will I lead thee and guide thee.” Jacob said he was afraid. He said this is the house of God and this is the gate of heaven. “And Jacob rose up…and took the stone that he has put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it” (v. 18). One time, the three disciples were with the Lord and His face was changed; His face was altered like lightning—the very Headstone, the Capstone, the Lord Jesus Christ. His face was altered like lightning and He stood before them in a cloud with a voice and great power. And the disciples said, this is the place of God here. Let’s build a temple here. You see what happens to them; they get so caught away in that dimension. It’s so wonderful and so powerful that they always get beside themselves. “He took the stone…” It says here the stone that he took and put for his pillows—he set up a pillar and poured oil upon it, like he was anointing something. As far as we know, the Lord comforted him and made it look like a stone but it might have been symbolic and typifying the Pillar of heaven because it is called the Pillar of Fire. The Pillar of Fire drew him into dreams and visions. He poured oil upon it like an anointing. He called the name of the place Bethel (v. 19). Jacob vowed that he would do what the Lord said and he asked the Lord to help him in everything that he would do. Then, Jacob went on about his life (v. 20).
Tonight, how far up the ladder do you want to go? How many really want to get to heaven? Does it mean much to you as it meant to Jacob? If you really believe Him in your heart tonight, you can take a new step with God. Believe me, those messengers going back and forth are your messengers. These are the messengers of God, particularly used in the visionary dream. They were used as messengers and they came from the Mount of God—back and forth—to help the seed that He said will be all the families of the earth, like the dust of the earth. These same messengers are coming to us up and down from heaven and they are delivering His people. I believe tonight that you have messengers with you and that God will encamp around those that have faith. There is great power in this place, this very Capstone and they know it not. You shall have whatsoever you say, if you have power to believe it. Amen. There is deliverance in the power of the Lord.
Jacob felt like praising the Lord and the bible said it this way in Psalm 40: 3, “And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God…” Jacob had a new song in his heart, didn’t he? How wonderful it is! And then, Psalm 13:6, “I will sing unto the Lord because he has dealt bountifully with me.” He will be with you tonight. How would He do it? By praising the Lord, He will give you a miracle. “Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion; declare among the people his doings” (Psalm 9: 11). Here, it tells you to shout the victory, tell the people of His wonderful things and He will deal with you in a wonderful way. You have to cause/create an atmosphere of power. Believe me, for a moment when he (Jacob) poured oil on that stone, there was an atmosphere in that place. Amen.
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord….come before his presence with singing” (Psalm 100: 1 & 2). When you come, you come into His presence with joy and you come into His presence with singing. All over the bible, it tells you how you can receive in the church the things that God has. Sometimes, people come and they are angry with someone or they come here and something is wrong. How do you ever expect to get something from the Lord? If you come with the right attitude to God, you can’t fail to get a blessing each time you come to church. “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving” (Psalm 69: 30). Come singing, come praising the Lord. These are the secrets of God, the power of the Lord and the secrets of the prophets, too. “Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name” (Psalm 18: 49). Do you believe that, tonight? Every one of you, each of you should have a song in your heart. You can have a new song in your heart. The blessings of the Lord are for you. Tonight, we have got our heads laid down on the Headstone—the place of the power of God. He is all around you. Isn’t that wonderful? I feel it; I feel the power of the Lord too.
The Lord led me to go this way, Acts 16: 25 & 26; we are headed for an earthquake with all that is going on. Praising the Lord shakes things, Amen. It will quake the devil and drive him off. “And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed” (v. 26). You begin to praise the Lord, you begin to thank the Lord always in your heart, no matter what, there will be doors opening. Praise God. He will open the doors and will let you go free. I believe that the last revival that the Lord is going to send is going to come through praising the Lord, through faith and the power of the Lord, but you’ve got to have faith. It is impossible to please the Lord unless you have faith (Hebrews 11: 6). Each one of you is given a measure of faith. You may not be using it; it may be lying there negative, but it is there. It is up to you to allow that faith to grow by expecting in your heart and by giving thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.
Believe me that ladder going to heaven; those messengers going back and forth are on a bidding/mission and their job is whatever you ask, you shall receive. Seek and you shall receive. This is a wonderful lesson in the power of God and the doors will open immediately. So, we see that the steps in the ladder revealed in Jacob’s life, in the families of the earth and in all the elect seed on the earth, that the Headstone will indeed be with them—that it is close as laying your head on it—the power of God. Moreover, it revealed that providentially those people chosen by God of the seed to come upon the earth—the Gentiles—and all the families of the earth will be blessed, but they have to receive the salvation through the Messiah—the Root, the creator and the Offspring of David. So, we see the ladder was meant for the seed on the earth. Step by step, He will lead His children and step by step—with His messengers going back and forth—at the end of the age, we will go up and meet God at the top of it. Isn’t that wonderful? How many of you can say, Praise the Lord? We are going to come up this spiritual ladder.
Make a spiritual move into the kingdom of God. Promise the Lord in your heart, “Lord, guide me step by step, no matter what the devil tries to do to blow me one way or the other, I am going to set my course right in there and I am going to believe with all my heart.” I believe those messengers are coming back and forth to those that believe the Lord Jesus, the great Headstone. Jacob did not reject Him. He used Him as a pillow and poured oil on Him. That was all representative of the Chief Headstone. The bible said in the New Testament that Jesus Christ was the Main Headstone that was rejected. The Greek called it the Capstone. So, tonight I am receiving the headstone, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Very One that will bless your heart. We are going into a spiritual move and a restoration with the Lord in the next few years or month or whatever time He has, we will go in and have a revival with the Lord. Dreams and visions are very important, aren’t they? And the bible is true; that boy (Joseph) that came through him (Jacob) ruled Egypt and saved the whole world from famine.
Somebody that was just out in the wilderness out there and didn’t know it, but the God of Israel was there. He is here tonight, closer to you than you have ever realized. When you lay down on your pillow tonight–I feel this from the Lord– that is how He is close to you and whatever you need. Think of your pillow as Jacob’s pillow. Believe that your pillow is the very Headstone of God with you and over you and He will bless you. Do you believe that? Let’s just praise the Lord. Glory to God! And you new ones, if it is a little too strong for you; I cannot lighten it, it’s going to get stronger. Why play around, just get in. That’s what the Lord Jesus likes about it too. When He Himself came and was working miracles in Israel, He got the job done and that’s what we have to do. If you want to get with God, just get right in. Don’t let pride keep you back. It is yours, it belongs to you, but you can’t get it if you don’t open the door. Just get it there and travel on your way step by step to heaven.
Please Note:
Read Translation Alert 25 in conjunction with Special Writing # 36: The Will of God in One’s Life.
Step by Step to Heaven | Neal Frisby’s Sermon CD#1825 | 06/06/82PM