Faithfulness in Spite of Circumstances - Day 20 Through the Bible

One of our award-winning local non-profits is The Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina.  This 2011 Calendar photo was taken in our county, Yancey.  These blocks are actual quilt patterns, and there are stories written to tell why the owners chose particular patterns.  Trail guides are available and are a wonderful way to see this beautiful area.

The big lesson in the OT Reading - in spite of the circumstances, Joseph remains faithful to the Lord, and the Lord remains faithful to Joseph. (Gen 39-40)

§  Seduced by the boss’s wife - she said, “Lie with me.” AND GET THIS.  “he refused and said to the Master’s wife, …he has kept back nothing from me but you….How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God”…

I wonder how our lives, how our businesses, our churches, our nations would be different…if we had…if we will… say no to all sin, lust, wickedness because of God, because of hurting others as well…I wonder how this might affect our children’s choices in drugs, alcohol, premarital sex – if they saw the example of their parents.

§  An escalation of seduction – she tears off his robe (11-13).  But HE FLED.  We are told this often in the Bible…get away from, flee from, have nothing to do with, separate yourself from sin and wickedness…what if WE did this? – every time, regardless of the consequences?

§  Blame/Lies/False Accusations/Schemes  Gen. 39: 14-19…Why do we not understand this?  Those who will commit adultery will also lie and destroy lives knowingly, deliberately.  If they do this evil WITH you, they will do this and other evil AGAINST you…The Bible asks, “Can an Ethiopian change his skin or a leopard its spots?” (Jeremiah 13:23)

§  Imprisoned – unjustly/wrongly.  Again, the Lord blesses him.  Again, Joseph is a blessing to others. Gen. 20 – 40.  Joseph is betrayed by the one he helped.  The butler forgets – for 2 years! – to remember Joseph to the king for his goodness in interpreting the dream.

While we leave Joseph in the prison alone, we go to the Psalm and Proverb study that further drive home these lessons:

§  God, where are you in all this trouble? (Ps. 10) – The wicked are persecuting the poor, catching them in the plots they have devised, boasting of their heart’s desire, blessing the greedy, renouncing, not seeking God, God is in none of their thoughts, yet they are always prospering, not caring about Your judgments, sneering at their enemies, saying they will never be caught, never be in adversity, and they are full of cursing, deceit, oppression, trouble, iniquity, lurking in secret places, murdering the innocent, secretly fixing their eyes on the helpless, lying in wait secretly to catch the poor in his net, crouching low to catch him by his strength…saying God will not see, God has forgotten, God hides his face… I love the Psalms and the Bible for telling it like it is – all our doubts, all our screaming out to God, all the warts – ours and the saints – exposed…seen and heard by the God of the Universe.  Tomorrow we read God’s answer to these cries and Joseph’s trials. 

   For those of us crying out the same laments to God, a reminder in the meantime:  Hebrews 4:12-14 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”  God WILL arise, He WILL answer, He DOES see – in His time, in His way.  That answer may be a long time in coming – even in eternity. This is about Him, His Plan, His purposes.  

§  Proverbs 4: 1-6 continues on this theme of godly responses to life – hear instruction…give attention to understanding, good doctrine…do not forsake my law…retain my words…keep my commandments…do not forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.  Joseph remembered and lived God’s Word regardless of – in spite of – because of – his circumstances.  Do I?

§  Matthew 13 – the parables – the kingdom of Heaven on earth– like a field planted with the good seed and an enemy planting tares among them – (Joseph's situation and ours)  The kingdom is also like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, like leaven in bread, like a dragnet with both good and bad being brought up.  We live now among evil, but there will come the eternal separation at His Hands.  Until then, we are called to be separate – to live for God in newness of life – not as the world lives. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-4

‘It is true I may appear to be a loser by refusing evil company, but it is better to leave my cloak than lose my character.  It is not essential to be rich, but it is incumbent upon me to be pure.  No ties of friendship, no desire for beauty, no display of talent, no threat of ridicule should be able to turn me from the wise resolve to flee from sin.  I am to “resist the devil, and he will flee from me.”’ James 4:7  Morning by Morning by Charles H. Spurgeon

Lessons and Applications - Day 2 Through The Bible

Mt. Mitchell Golf Course up the road from us - a 4.5 Star Golf Digest "Must Play" public course.

(We thought you might enjoy seeing photos of the beauty that surrounds Mt. Celo Church.  The golf course above is a favorite course to play and home of some of our Mt. Celo Church members.  We hope you will worship with us at church and then enjoy the acclaimed outdoor sports and beauty all around us.)

JANUARY 2

TODAY'S BIBLE READINGS (Bold type, italics, all caps, and underlines are mine - according to how I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to me.)

Lessons I learned from the readings:

1) The Blame Game - take responsibility for my own disobedience to God.  It's not God's fault ("The woman YOU gave me.. "Gen 3:12); someone may have influenced me, but they rarely make me do something contrary to God's will ("The WOMAN you gave to me, SHE gave me of the tree, and I ate."Gen. 3:12); things (even lies) and people don't cause me to disobey - I choose ("The SERPENT deceived me, and I ate." Genesis 3:13.

2) There Are Consequences to Sin - even when we are forgiven. (Genesis 1: 14-19)  I loved this from Dr. Stanley:  "Sin fractures the relationship between God and us and between us and others.  It also creates a painful emotional distance and destroys the close fellowship God intended for us to enjoy."  Guilty.

3) Jealousy/Envy/Anger/Murder - An Escalation of Sin: Cain and Abel:  Sin increases in intensity.  Again, we are responsible for choosing our reactions to circumstances.  And, again, there are consequences to these choices. Note especially Genesis 4:6-7  So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry?  And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.  And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."

4) Maybe my favorite of the day: "Then men began to call on the name of the LORD."  Gen, 4: 26 Prayer Enters the Human World.  This was from Spurgeon's Morning devotional today:  "Prayer is the struggling speech of the believing infant, the war cry of the fighting believer, and the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in the arms of Jesus.  It is the breath, the password, the comfort, the strength, and the privilege of a Christian."  May I be a prayer warrior for You this year and throughout my life, Father.

5) An Eternal Question in Psalm 2:1-6 - Why do the nations rage, plot, set themselves against,  and take counsel together against the LORD and His anointed?  Then the great promises that the LORD will hold them in derision, speak to them in His wrath, distress them, and has set His King on His holy hill of Zion.  The battle between the 2 forces still rages.  Note how well this parallels with the Genesis reading.

6) Proverbs 1: 8, 9 reminds us and our children of The Importance, The Essence of Hearing, Not Forsaking, and Clothing Ourselves with the Instruction and Law of God.  And so we commit to this study.

7) Matthew 2: 1-23  God's Providential and Sovereign Care of Us with His Great Plan is in evidence here.  God communicated to Joseph and to the wise men.  He communicates with us.  Jealousy/Envy/Anger/Murder again raise their ugly heads in King Herod's choices.  As Dr. Stanley said, "Herod believed enough in Scripture to inquire where they said the Messiah would be born, but not enough to shape his life according to its teachings.  A little religion can be a dangerous thing.  We must know the full counsel of God's Word."  This is why we commit to this study.  We want to know all of God's Word - not just portions pulled out in a wrong context.  I want to interpret Scripture by Scripture - the whole counsel of God.  I want to quote another note of Dr. Stanley's since some of our blog readers may not have his annotated study Bible.  "The wise men formed an important part of the celebration that surrounded Jesus' birth.  In fact, they represented you in God's great plan.  They portrayed the countless stargazers who set out in search of a king and find the Son of the living God.  Through your own seeking and serving, you become part of the heavenly symphony that gives passionate praise to the Savior.  Allow your heart to burst into song at the thought of Him.  Permit the tune of your being to swell with the joy of who He is.  Just like the wise men, you have joined the great multitude in never-ending worship.  Seek Him and sing, for surely He is worthy."

APPLICATIONS:  I want to know God better through His Word, draw closer to Him in prayer, and have His Holy Spirit be the only controlling force in my emotions, choices and life.  I want my walk to honor and glorify God, to be a faithful witness to other believers, and to be His light in this dark world.

OUR SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE: Through the Bible Together in 2013

Fellow Pilgrims:  Our new journey of faith begins tomorrow - New Year's Day, 2013.  We have committed as a church to study the Bible together daily and hope that all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ - and all seekers - will join us on this pilgrimage.  We want to know individually and collectively just what the Word of God says, meditate on its meaning for our church and personal lives, and pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance in applying it to our daily walk - all to honor and glorify God.
Soli Deo Gloria.

When the Mt. Celo Women's Group presented the new Daily Study Bible to each member, we included the following letter. We are beginning this study this year with the new Life Principles Daily Study Bible by Charles Stanley. We encourage you to join us in this day-by-day study in this selected text or in any Bible of your choosing.  Please share your thoughts, lessons learned, and life applications with us as we discover God's truth newly applied to our lives.  As Jim Reimann says in his commentary of Charles Spurgeon's Morning by Morning devotional for today:  'This year may we make a different kind of resolution - one that will pay spiritual dividends for years to come.  May we simply resolve to go to Jesus every day of the year - and drink of Him!  May our closing prayer of this year be that of David, who prayed, "One thing I ask of the LORD; this is what I seek:  that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD, and to seek Him in His temple."' Ps. 27:4  Godspeed.

Mt. Celo Presbyterian Church                         

5275 State Highway 80 S, Burnsville, NC 28714-7443

December 16^th, 2012

“The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”  A. W. Tozer

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As most of you know, a few of us began a Bible Study Group in the church within the past year.  Our lives have been enriched and blessed by God as we have committed to a serious study and meditation of His Word and its application to our lives through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

We felt God’s convicting us to make a request to you for collective daily covenantal Bible study and prayer – at home by each of us – on the same Scripture selections every day – taking us through the entire Bible together in a year. 

Charles Stanley’s new Life Application Daily Bible was selected by the group because of the impact Dr. Stanley’s teaching has had on many of us in this congregation.  We hope the study notes and life application samples will lead you closer to God as He speaks to you personally through His Word.

The Graham family has a technique they use for meditating on God’s Word.  It does lengthen a reading into a study, but we have found this powerfully effective in taking us into deeper communion with God.  This is a 4-step program, which we like to write (or type) for sharing in our group study.  Step #1:  What does the verse say?  Step #2 :  What does it mean?  Step # 3:  What lessons are taught in this verse?  Step #4:  How can I apply this to my life? 

May you be richly blessed, comforted and encouraged as your commune with God through His sacred Word, and may it be a means for God to use us to reach out to others in His Name and for His glory.

Love in Christ,

Mt. Celo Women’s Bible Study Group

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Psalm 119:105