His Name, His Blood, His Word - Day 18 Through the Bible

ATRC - Appalachian Therapeutic Riding Center - down the road from Mt. Celo Church

As a former volunteer in this deeply soulful place,  I am pretty sure there were times I felt the touch of angel wings.

Gleanings and a Quandary fromToday's Readings

1) Full Obedience - Jacob was told to return to his family (Gen. 31:13).  He didn't.  He only obeyed the "go" part but decided to live in Succoth/Shechem - not Bethel as God had said.  We saw the consequences of following his "eyes" rather than God.  We all make this mistake at times - turn our eyes to the world and away from God. 

2) Back on Track - now Jacob is communing with God again and is where he is supposed to be, doing what he is supposed to be doing- back in Bethel (Luz/Light). (Gen. 35: 9-14)  This is what I am to do as a believer when I get off track.

3) Separation/Purification/Cleansing/Division - Jacob said to his household and all who were with him -"Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments...let us arise...go up..I will build an altar there to God. (Gen 35:2-3) "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?"  2 Cor. 6:14  Jesus said, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." (Matt. 12: 25)  We belong to God's kingdom - not the worldly kingdom.  

4) Know/Trust/Seek God - HE is our refuge, THE righteous and just Judge (we are not) who has finished the destruction of His enemies forever. (Psalm 9:6-10)  Fight on my knees in prayer, obey God in my will before Him prior to taking action against evil. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Eph. 6:12
5) Vertical Wisdom of God/ Horizontal Wisdom with Man.  "Do not withhold good to those to whom it is due, nor strive with anyone without cause, nor devise evil against your neighbor who lives by you for safety's sake..."(Proverbs 3:27-30)  "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise."  Luke 6:31

6) In His name, through His blood, by His Word. Matthew 12:29: This is the believer's power and one of Charles Stanley's notes regarding Answers to Life's Questions - "Binding Satan."  "How can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man?" "And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.  John 16:23; But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:7; 2 Timothy 3:16-17—"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."
7) The Unforgivable Sin - "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men."  Rather than a lesson learned, this is something I will continue to contemplate through the year of study.  Dr. Stanley says this sin is unforgivable because it prevents repentance - but that God will never reject anyone who is truly repentant.

The Holy Spirit persuades and enables men to accept Christ and enjoy the saving benefits of the gospel [John 16:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14; Acts 7:51], but if anyone refuses to submit to the Spirit's gracious constraint, preferring to call good evil and evil good, how can the gospel avail for him? The deliberate refusal of the grace of God is the one sin which by its very nature is irremediable" F.F. Bruce, Answers to Questions

The Transformed Life - Day 16 Through The Bible

Mountain Farm is a sustainable 24-acre lavender, blueberry, dairy goat farm just up the road from Mt. Celo Church.  The annual Lavender Festival in the early summer is attended by thousands of visitors.

Lessons and Applications from Today's Readings


1)  Deceiving Jacob becomes the deceived - for 20 long years - by another family member.  The trials and sufferings transform His life and impact the world for God's kingdom.

•   There is a personal effort vs. scheming now - regardless of the consequences - "You know that with all my might I have served Laban...yet he has deceived me and changed my wages ten times". Gen. 31: 6-7  

•   There is acknowledgement that God is Sovereign and Providential in his life - "God has been with me; God did not allow him to hurt me; God has taken away from and given me; God has seen my affliction". (Gen. 31)

•   There is communion with God and obedience to Him - "The Angel of God spoke to me in a dream (v.11)...arise, get out, return (v 13)...Jacob rose...to go". (17-18)

•   There is covenant-making and humbling with those who have wronged him and with those whom he has wronged (v 44, Gen. 32) - and, most importantly, a humbling before God: "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant..." (Gen 32:10)

•   There is now wrestling prayer with God (Gen 32: 24-30) where there was once anger instead of prayer (when Rebekah could not conceive and demanded a child from him.) Gen. 30:2

2) There is a reason for the term "Prayer Warrior".  Sometimes the hardest battles are fought in our wills before God.  This is another lesson and model we will see in our year through the Bible - persevering prayer.

3) Wrong deeds are not always punished immediately; blessings do not always come on the heel of obedience.  God's timing is not ours, but sins do have consequences, and "all things do work together - not always singly - for the good of them that love the Lord - for those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

4) Father of a Nation - the deceiver Jacob becomes the father of the 12 tribes of Israel and is given the new name, Israel. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Cor 5:17.  Most NT Biblical scholars think the "Man" with whom Jacob wrestled was the Pre-incarnate Christ. We are no longer the same persons once we have seen Jesus. 

5) The Psalm is an interesting parallel to Jacob's tending of the flocks and God's abundant blessings on Jacob in this:  "You have made him to have...You have put all things under his feet...All sheep and oxen, even the beast of the field...(Psalm 8:6-9).  The Proverb is an extension of this:  The LORD by wisdom founded...by understanding He established...by His knowledge the depths were broken up... Prov 3:19, 20.  It is all about God, from God.  All glory and praise belongs to Him.

6) God considers us, as believers, greater in His kingdom of heaven than even John the Baptist ("among those born of women there has not risen one greater"), according to Jesus.  We are so very loved by the God of the Universe - eternally, assuredly! (Matthew 11:11)

7) And this soul-comforting invitation from Jesus:  " Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-29.  This is our time to come alone to God - like Jacob; this is our Peniel - when we study, wrestle, learn with Him, let Him lead us with His yoke (His Holy Spirit) into that rest (confident trust) in Him.  These are my most treasured moments.

Personal contact with Jesus alters everything...The attitude of coming is that the will resolutely lets go of everything and deliberately commits all to Him.  Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His HIgh