Greetings Army of Youth! In today’s class, we shall talk more about the thoughts that God thinks towards us, and how we can progress up Jacob’s ladder. “Every round goes higher, higher, Soldiers of the cross”
Jacob’s Ladder Is For You- Continued
Some years ago or so, there was a girl living down in Florida, 18 years old. And she was kidnapped. She was carried up into a neighboring state and hidden so that nobody could find her. And the people that kidnapped her sent word to her father and said, “Now, we are going to have to have a half million dollars so that you can get your daughter back.”
He was a multi-millionaire. That’s why they kidnapped the girl. The father paid, and he got his girl back. It cost him a half million dollars. Do you think that girl thought that her father loved her, or do you think she had some doubts about it?You, girls, if your daddy, or somebody else that loves you, had paid a half million dollars to get you back, paid the ransom, would you begin to wonder whether or not they were interested in you? Why, no, you wouldn’t. That would settle it, wouldn’t it, if you had any doubts before?
Listen, friends, if you’ve ever had any doubts that God is interested in you, look at Calvary. Look at the cross. The cross is the ladder. It stretches from heaven to earth. And on that cross, Jesus hangs the offering for you. He is the bridge. It’s over His wounded body that we travel from earth to heaven. The point is, friends, He has paid the ransom price for you. This is how interested He is in you. Now, when you look at that, can you doubt His interest in you? Can you doubt His love? Can you doubt His desire to have you with Him?
Suppose a week after that girl got home from being kidnapped that she meets some of her young friends, and they say, “Mary, my, it’s great to have you back. I know your father must certainly be happy to have you back.”Suppose she should say, “Well, sometimes I wonder. I just wonder whether he wants me around or not.” Would she say that? Why, of course not. Her father just the week before paid a half million dollars to get her back.
Listen, friends, how much has Jesus paid to get you? Did He pay anything? Did it cost Him anything? Why, a million times more than all the money in the world, friends – His life, His infinite life.
So when you look at the cross, you see how much God values you. You see how anxious He is for you to climb this ladder with Him. And listen. He doesn’t just stand at the top of the ladder and say, “Come up here and I’ll be glad to see you.” No, no. The ladder, which is Christ Himself, comes right down where you are. Jesus, on the cross, took your sin; He suffered.
You may say, “Oh, my, I’m not worthy.” Of course you’re not. You may say, “I don’t deserve anything good.” No, you don’t. I don’t either. Friends, I’m so glad I don’t have to get what I deserve. I get what He deserves. It’s a lot better. And think of it. When you and I come to Jesus, no sooner do we approach the mercy seat than we become the clients of the great Advocate. That means He’s our lawyer; He’s our attorney. He represents us just the moment we come to Him – not after we have done this, that, and the other thing – but just the moment we come to Him.
I just hope, friends, we can get this very simply. It isn’t after you get to the top of the ladder that you get some blessing. There’s all you can hold right here at the bottom of the ladder. Of course, every step we take, our capacity enlarges, we can hold more. If we start with a teaspoon, pretty soon we can hold a cup, and finally a bucket; and then it just comes in barrels, friends. But listen. Right where you are, you start; and you can have all the blessing you can hold.
Do you know what I want you to do? Of course, you will have to decide whether you do it or not. I hope, after class, sometime between now and when you close your eyes in sleep tonight, that every one of you will find a little time to be all alone with Jesus. Will you do that? Be all alone with Jesus. Now, some of you have already known that Jesus thought so much of you.
Some of you may be glimpsing it for the first time, that God thinks so much of you. But I want to tell you something, friends. The folks that have known this all your lives, listen: It’s better than you thought it was. He thinks a lot more of you than you knew about. He’s more interested in you than you had any idea. He’s paid a lot more for you than you knew about.
If somebody had paid a thousand dollars to get you out of jail, and later you found out that it had cost them ten thousand dollars instead, you’d say, “My, they really did think a lot of me, didn’t they?” Oh, folks, every time we come to Calvary with open hearts, and try to understand what He did there for us, we know that it was a bigger ransom, a greater price, than we had known before. And that means He thinks more of us than we knew before.
There are some things you can exaggerate. This you can’t. There’s no way of getting it too big. God thinks a million times more of you than you have any idea. Oh, why not get all you can hold? And let me tell you why. It isn’t just so you and I can feel better. It isn’t just so you and I can get rid of sin. It’s to make Him happy.
Listen, don’t you know that father was happy when he got his girl back? Don’t you know he was? Sure. Why? He liked her. He must have, to pay that much. He must have. And so, my dear friend, when you and I come to Jesus, come right here to the ladder and take that first step with Him, it makes Him so glad. So, don’t think so much of making yourself happy; think of making Him happy.
Kneel down, as I say, all alone with Him. Talk to Jesus and tell him, “Dear Lord, I am so glad you think that much of me. And I’m coming to You. And if it’s the first step, Lord, help me to take the first step. If I’ve already taken several steps, Lord, help me to take another step.”
You say, “What step shall I take?” Ask Him, friends. He’s the ladder. He knows where you are on it; I don’t, and you don’t. But if you will ask Him, He’ll help you to know. If He’s done anything for you, those are the steps He’s helped you climb. But oh, He’s got some more. He wants to bring you closer to His Father above. And He’s down here with you, helping to lift you, helping to raise you.
If you really want to enter into the experience, you have to follow the recipe. Will you follow the directions? Girls, when you’re cooking, quite often you have a cookbook. It tells you to take this and this and this and this in certain amounts and put them together, doesn’t it? Yes. Or do you just throw the book away and guess at it?
And you fellows, is there a recipe when you mix concrete? Does it make any difference whether you put any sand in or not? Yes. The point is, recipes are to follow. Directions are to follow. And if you want an experience with God that will make you happy, and most of all, make Him happy, follow the directions. Go to God, and by faith see that ladder let down from heaven for you, and thank God. Tell Him personally. Open your lips and talk to Him. You may whisper if other people are too close around. But don’t just think it, talk it.
When Jacob woke from this dream where he’d seen that wonderful ladder, he started talking to God. I want you to talk to 
God. If you’ve already been doing it, tell Him again. If you haven’t, start now. Kneel down, open your lips, talk to God. And ask God to do something for you that will make Him happy. He delights to give. He just loves to fill your heart with victory over sin.
If you’re having some problem, talk to Him about it. But while you talk to Him about your problem, will you talk to Him about His problem? Did you know God had a problem? Well, God’s problem, friends, is getting sin out of the lives of people, so that they can know how much He loves them. And so, if you will talk to God about His problem and say, “Lord, I understand that you love me more than I knew you did. Will you please reveal that love to me? Will you please help me to know and feel that love? Not just for my sake, but for Your sake. Will you do that?” He will.
A Special Surprise For You!
While the world is thinking about valentines and romance, God is ever sending forth His messages; to assure us of His paternal love. “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord” Jeremiah 29:11.
“In the human heart He sees more than sin, more than misery. In His infinite wisdom and love He sees man’s possibilities, the height to which he may attain. He knows that, even though human beings have abused their mercies and destroyed their God-given dignity, yet the Creator is to be glorified in their redemption.” {7T 269}
Find out how you can experience more of God’s redeeming love, in our 3-disc DVD series, “A Time to Love”. This valuable series is especially geared towards the youth. Yet, the principles within are jewels from the treasure-house of truth, for both young and old! Is your heart ready to receive God’s message?–> CLICK HERE
As a special gift for all of our beloved students, the first sermon is featured below!
What Stands Out To You?
What stands out to you from today’s lesson that can help you in entering into a C.I.P. with Jesus? Please let us know in the comment section below! God bless!
* This study has been adapted from classes taken by Elder W.D. Frazee.
Did you know that we have more online classes available (and posted daily)?
Amen blessed with this message.
Praise the Lord, may God bless you with a C.I.P. relationship with Him!