祭坛筑成以后，神又向雅各显现。（创三五9。）雅各的经历与亚伯拉罕的经历多少有些不同。当神第一次向亚伯拉罕显现时，那里没有祭坛。然而神向雅各显现，不仅是在伯特利，并且是在祭坛前。我们在进入教会以前，的确有一点神显现的经历，然而，我们不是在伯特利的祭坛前。在伯特利的祭坛前，有很大的不同。现在，进入教会并筑坛以后，神再次显现。我们许多人能作见证，当我们进入教会生活，并且把自己重新献给主以后，我们深深确信主向我们显现了，我们在个人的经历中有了主的显现。这不是仅仅一个道理。只要我们在伯特利筑坛，我们就应当有神的显现。这不该是一段时间才有的一次，这必须是继续不断的经历。每天，甚至每时，我们都该经历主的显现。换句话说，我们应当行在主的面前。
神赐福与雅各
神在伯特利向雅各显现时，祂赐福与雅各。（创三五9。）我们自从来到伯特利筑坛，所得着的是何等的祝福！当我年轻时，我喜欢一首诗歌说，“数主祝福，要一一的数。”我鼓励你数算所蒙的祝福，列举在教会生活中所经历的祝福。在教会中的祝福是何等深弘！在教会之外，没有一个人能有伯特利的祝福。
神重题雅各的新名
神在伯特利向雅各显现的时候，也重题他的新名说，“你的名原是雅各，从今以后不要再叫雅各，要叫以色列，这样，他就改名叫以色列。”（创三五10。）神似乎说，“雅各，我不是改了你的名么？你为甚么还叫自己雅各？现在我题醒你，以后你的名不再是雅各，你必须叫自己以色列。不要再叫自己雅各了，因为那意思是你以‘雅各的’方式生活、行动、为人。你的生活、行动、为人，必须像以色列。
信息重点：雅各在伯特利筑坛以后，神再次向他显现并赐福，又重题他的名字是“以色列”。 神不只要我们奉献，更要我们活在祂面前，并活出祂所赐给我们的新身份。
应用祷告：主耶稣，求你使我天天活在你的面前，更多经历你的显现和祝福。也求你提醒我，不再照着从前天然的自己生活，乃照着你在我里面所作的新生命而活。
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God Appears to Jacob, Blesses Him and Reaffirms His New Name — Gen. 35:9
After the altar was built, God appeared to Jacob again (Gen. 35:9). Jacob’s experience differed somewhat from Abraham’s experience. When God first appeared to Abraham, there was no altar there. But when God appeared to Jacob, it was not only at Bethel, but also before the altar. Before entering the church, we may indeed have had some experience of God’s appearing, yet we were not before the altar of Bethel. Before the altar of Bethel, there is a great difference. Now, after entering the church and building the altar, God appears again. Many of us can testify that when we entered the church life and offered ourselves anew to the Lord, we became deeply assured that the Lord had appeared to us, and we had the Lord’s appearing in our personal experience. This is not merely a doctrine. As long as we build an altar at Bethel, we should have God’s appearing. This should not be a one-time experience limited to a certain period; it must be a continuous, ongoing experience. Every day, even every moment, we should experience the Lord’s appearing. In other words, we should walk in the Lord’s presence.
God Blesses Jacob
When God appeared to Jacob at Bethel, He blessed him (Gen. 35:9). What a blessing we have received ever since we came to Bethel to build the altar! When I was young, I loved a hymn that said, “Count your blessings, name them one by one”. I encourage you to count your blessings, listing the blessings you have experienced in the church life. How profound are the blessings within the church! Outside the church, no one can have the blessing of Bethel.
God Reaffirms Jacob’s New Name
When God appeared to Jacob at Bethel, He also reaffirmed his new name, saying, “Your name is Jacob; you shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called him Israel (Gen. 35:10). God seemed to say, “Jacob, did I not already change your name? Why do you still call yourself Jacob? Now I remind you — from now on your name is no longer Jacob; you must call yourself Israel. Do not call yourself Jacob any longer, because that means living, acting, and behaving in the manner of ‘Jacob’. Your living, your actions, and your conduct must be like Israel.”
Message Main Points: After Jacob built the altar at Bethel, God appeared to him and blessed him again, and reaffirmed his name as “Israel”. God does not merely want our offering; He wants us to live in His presence and to live out the new identity He has given us.
Daily Prayer: Lord Jesus, make me to live day by day in Your presence, and to experience more of Your appearing and blessing. Also remind me that I should no longer live according to my former, natural self, but according to the new life You have wrought within me.