Karen:   This visit will bring back some memories for us, Karen, and probably for a number of podcast listeners as well.

Karen:   We’re going to hear a 15-minute Chapel of the Year radio broadcast from December 30th 1978. That’s like 45 years ago.

Intro:     Welcome to the Before We Go Podcast featuring Dr. David Mains and his wife, noted author Karen Mains. Here’s David and Karen Mains.

Karen:   The Chapel of the Year was heard daily except Sundays on a network of some 500-plus radio stations across the country.

Karen:   And it was founded decades earlier by your Uncle John D. Jess. He was your mom’s brother.

Karen:   He was well loved and not all that easy to replace. This recording will last 15 minutes, then we’ll talk about it, and you’re welcome to join our discussion, Dean.

Ted:       I noticed by my calendar that this is the next to the last day of 1978. And we here at the Chapel of the Year would like to help you make the most of the time remaining. If you’ll lend us the next 15 minutes, David Mains is walking into the studio with an armful of suggestions on how to make 1979 your best year ever. And now, ladies and gentlemen, our director, David Mains.

David:   A good number of years ago, when in Haiti, that’s H-A-I-T-I, I clarified because I understand Mr. Jess after one of his mission visits there received a letter from a listener who was most anxious to hear him describe his trip to Hades because she had heard so many preachers talk about how awful that place was. Well, I’m referring to a little island in the Caribbean. Anyway, I was there not long after a hurricane had devastated the place and part of my responsibility was to pass out American grain to the natives. The larger part of it was to be eaten sparingly over the next weeks and then there was also a portion that was to be planted. Well, for obvious reasons, these people were more concerned with the immediate and proceeded to just kind of gobble down all what was given them in a relatively short period of time. And unfortunately, soon they were in the same position as when they first came asking for help. I’m wondering if this isn’t a picture of how the New Year is going to be treated by many.

Instead of taking time to carefully think through how to best take advantage of this new beginning, they’ll kind of grab at it and then try to get all they can from it as quickly as possible, but before you know it, the opportunity is gone and they’re right back where they started. A passage then from the Old Testament book of Genesis might prove profitable as a basis for this yearend visit.

This concerns of the man Jacob, who at the point in the narrative where we’ll begin, has been renamed Israel. Because not long before this, he’s wrestled with the angel at the Brook Jabbok and there wounded in his thigh and was given this new title. And of course his offspring, the children of Israel, have been called this ever since. In chapter 35 the Lord says, “Arise go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make an altar to the God who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob is now to return to a place where years before he had rested and met God when first leaving his family. You’ll recall how he had cheated his older brother Esau his father’s blessing and therefore was running to escape the sworn revenge. Bethel was where that first night he had dreamed of a ladder that reached to heaven with angels ascending and descending. Above it to the Lord saying, “Behold I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done that which I have spoken to you.” Well that was many years earlier and now Jacob is about to return with wealth and wisdom and a large family.

But before just rushing into this new episode of his life he pauses long enough to make sure all involved are truly ready for what’s ahead. Verse 2 “So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, Put away the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves and change your garments. Then let us arise and go up to Bethel that I may make there an altar to the God who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me ever since. So, they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods that they had and the rings that were in their ears and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem.” What’s happening then is that Jacob is making sure this new opportunity is not to be spoiled by consciously bringing into it old flaws.

Therefore, this call to purification. He’s not going to bumble this time if he can help it. What was ahead upon reaching Bethel he couldn’t say but he knew that here was a fresh beginning, and he wanted all associated with him to walk it with God. The wisdom of his action becomes very clear in what follows. Verse 8 “And Deborah, Rebecca’s nurse died, and she was buried under an oak below Bethel.” Now whether or not this old woman had taken Jacob’s word about self-examination seriously, the Bible doesn’t say but, in her case, what was ahead was the ending of days. And how beautiful to have been able to have readied herself for this ultimate of events through a time of personal purification. The same tragedy next occurs to a much younger woman as Rachel, Jacob’s favorite wife, is also soon to die giving birth to his son, Benjamin. Now we know Rachel had quite a running feud with her sister, Leah. And I would like to think that the two of them had patched things up when Jacob called everyone in his family to holiness before moving on. I’m sure neither woman was aware this would be their last major opportunity to do so. But here once again the call to cleansing certainly was timely.

Reuben’s name is the next one that comes up in the narrative. He’s the oldest of Jacob’s twelve sons and up until now has demonstrated certain small signs of weakness in his character. On several occasions in a particular situation, he’s known the right thing to do but has failed to couple his knowledge with appropriate action. What went through Reuben’s mind when his father talks so intently of wanting to return to Bethel in righteousness we don’t know. But apparently at best the plea was responded to superficially because now Reuben in verse 22 makes love to one of his father’s concubines, Bilhah. So, in spite of his potential no greatness is ever to be associated with Reuben’s name and many years later when dying in Egypt old Jacob will give this incident as the reason. How much better it would have been for Reuben had these flaws of character been dealt with when his dad spoke to everyone on behalf of God regarding repentance.

Two other sons, Simeon and Levi also had trouble controlling their violent tempers. In the previous chapter their wrath vented on an entire town has caused Jacob to say in exasperation, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious to the inhabitants of the land.” Or restated, “Because of you I stink in everyone’s eyes around here.” So, in their case the call to sanctification would mean dealing with this sin, but they didn’t do it. And soon their anger will have dire effects on the immediate family of the patriarch as they actually sell their younger brother Joseph into slavery. Now over the process of time Simeon and Levi will become good men, but it’s too bad loss of years and heartbreak have to be so major a part of their story.

And what about young Joseph? Somehow one gets the feeling this event made a great impression on his life. He was probably just entering his teen years when his dad said all were to purify themselves. Could this then be when Joseph made up his mind to always walk with God? Sometime early in his life things were sealed between he and the Lord in such a remarkable way it allowed him to walk through one trial after another. Who knows? Quite possibly this was the turning point. Poor Jacob, who saw returning to Bethel in the years ahead as the fulfillment of all God’s promises to him, little did he know that one word more than any other would now mark his days: Suffering.

First his beloved wife died and too soon thereafter it was his first son by her whose bloody coat was brought to him. Even so, how comforting it must have been to Jacob to have known that to the best of his ability anyway he had spiritually prepared himself and those for whom he was responsible. So, when the dark days came, God was still close by his side.

Well, I’m not sure what’s ahead for you, my friend in 1978. Undoubtedly some will be like Nurse Deborah, whose days were soon to be completed. Because there will always be temptations, certain friends will become even more deeply entrenched in their flaws while others, like Joseph, will learn to overcome. And of course, sorrow is a common traveling companion. Though no one can really tell what’s ahead, I do feel it’s important that you hear me say in Jacob’s fashion, you know, you might be wise to get along with God some time today to examine your overall relationship with him before actually entering this new year. “Oh, come on,” you respond. “That was a major turning point in Jacob’s life. A new year is just a manufactured thing. It has no real significance one way or the other.”

“I beg to differ,” I respond. Returning to Bethel was basically whatever Jacob wanted to make it. He could probably have slipped in quietly or with great show, but there was nothing forcing him to make this a spiritual occasion. He would still look the same, talk the same, have the same wives and children and flocks. Yes, God told him a rise and go, but he didn’t say anything about how. The simple truth is that Jacob chose to view this as a special time.

And that’s what I’m asking you to do regarding the year ahead. To see it as a new beginning for yourself. And rather than rushing into it, to set aside a half hour or hour to get alone with God and reflect on what it could be. What temptation needs to be overcome? What section of scripture mastered? What relationship prayed about regarding healing? What person treated with special care? What project finished? What individual reached out to? See, 1978 could be the very best year you’ve ever known spiritually. But it’s not likely to just happen by chance. In a sentence, then, what I’m saying is, before entering into new opportunities, God’s people are wise to purify themselves. And that word purify may sound a little funny, but it’s taken from this text where it’s almost the idea of disinfecting oneself.

“Does everyone understand, or should I go over the details again?” Shouted the person in charge just before the grain was to be given out. I talked about this at the start of the broadcast in case you tuned in late. “We understand,” was the response. And to have repeated the instructions again at that point wouldn’t really have made any difference. Everyone listening had decided what they would do. And so also by this time, probably you have as well regarding whether before this year is through, you will take my recommendation and be meeting with God regarding the 12 months just ahead.

Well, Ted, I wanted to say to you, thanks, and of course, Mr. Jess, and ever so many wonderful friends, most of whom I’ve never even met, but they help make up our Chapel of the Air family. And together, you people have made this a most wonderful year for me by extending your love in a thousand different ways. And I’m deeply grateful.

Ted:       Thanks, David. And by the way, congratulations to you on completing your second year with the Chapel of the Air. It seems you’ve been with us longer than that. probably because your ministry has meshed so well with that of your uncle John D. Jess. Well, friends, we’ve come to our last broadcast of 1978. So, keep listening, and we’ll keep bringing you meaningful broadcasts on the Chapel of the Air.

David:   Well, that music brings back a lot of memories, doesn’t it?

Karen:   It’s a beautiful song, isn’t it? He holds my hand. Jesus holds my hand. Wonderful.

David:   Yeah, safely to heaven, he leads the way. He is my keeper from day to day. He holds my hand.

Karen:   How does it make you feel hearing that?

David:   I was wondering whether I would put everything into a sentence.

Karen:   I think you did do that. I mean, you developed that pattern very early, didn’t you?

David:   Yeah, Dean, what are your thoughts?

Dean:    Well, it brings back a lot of memories, David. I love that song, and I always love hearing the beautiful, mellifluous tones of Ted Sealy. What a powerful announcer he was. A lot of people don’t realize that Ted, in addition to being a wonderful broadcaster, and he participated in many of the Moody Bible Institute radio dramas, but Ted actually was a graduate of seminary, and he was a very serious theological scholar and just a wonderful, wonderful man. He’s been with the Lord now quite a number of years, but just to hear his voice again was wonderful. The thing that really struck me was how important and pertinent to today, the message from 45 years ago. The call to purification and repentance that you gave in that Chapel of the Air message is so important and so very much on target for today.

David:   You know, Dean, as I listened to that, Mr. Jess was a master. It was very difficult to replace because he was dearly, dearly loved.

Karen:   Well, and he was more of an apologist than you were.

David:   That’s a fair statement about him, yes. He was very, very good at that.

Karen:   I wouldn’t say that you’re an expositor as much as you are a pragmatic and practical theologian. How do these things work out in our lives? I think that’s a keynote of your ministry, David.

David:   When I first came to the Chapel, Mr. Jess said to me, no, “You’re not going to be preaching, David. In preaching, you project. There are a lot of people out there. What you have to do is get in your head that you’re talking to one person because they listen to radio one person at a time. You don’t get six or seven people who come and sit around. So you’re across the table with someone and you’re talking to him in normal terms.” That was very, very hard for me to get used to. And he was a master at it.

Karen:   Well, and you’ve been in the pastorate where you did preach. You had a congregation that you preached to. You weren’t yelling and shouting like some preachers do, but it was a very different communication for him.

David:   Yeah, it was. And I struggled with it. And people were very gracious to listen and say, I had a number of station managers who would say, “He’ll get there sooner or later, hopefully.”

Karen:   How long did you do the broadcast, David?

David:   Oh, man, I have no idea.

Dean:    You did it for more than 20 years, David.

David:   We’re not talking days or weeks. We’re talking decades.

Karen:   Yes, decades, right.

Dean:    Toward the end of time, you were doing Christian television programming every day as well. So, the schedule to do a 15 minute broadcast, six days a week plus the television program, that was a phenomenal workload, wasn’t it?

David:   Well, I was workaholic. That was my prevailing sin, but it took me a long time to recognize that, begin to reduce my schedule.

Karen:   The other thing we didn’t do was we didn’t realize you could have repeated a lot of those broadcasts.

David:   I thought when I said something that was the end all of it.

Karen:   The whole world listened.

David:   Now we’ve covered that topic.

Karen:   We could have bought ourselves a lot of extra space if you just said, oh, that was a very good series. Let’s do that again. Several years after it’d been originally broadcasted. So we learned and some things we didn’t do as well as we could have, but I think it was a very powerful ministry, David, in people’s lives.

Dean:    Another significance for me, David, of 1978 is that’s the year you and I met face to face in October of that year.

David:   Oh, Dean. That’s right.

Dean:    And that was the beginning of my relationship with you and you served as my spiritual mentor and continue to do so.

David:   Wow. What a great thing that was. The Lord provided a wonderful friend in you. And continue with the relationship. Yep. I’ve said, you can’t pass on to the Lord until I get all of my work done.

Dean:    May the Lord hear and answer your prayer, David.

Karen:   That’s great.

Outgo:   You’ve been listening to the Before We Go podcast. And if you would like to write to us, please send us an email at the following address, hosts@beforewego.show. That’s all-lowercase letters, hosts@beforewego.show. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, please remember to rate, review and share on whatever platform you listen. This podcast is copyright 2023 by Mainstay Ministries, Post Office Box 30, Wheaton, Illinois 60187.