Archived-Sabbath School Lessons DAILY STUDY

[thecountrydoc]

TUESDAY
Crucibles of Sin October 9

"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:18, NKJV).

Everything we do has a consequence. If you stand in the hot sun with ice cream, it will certainly melt. Cause and effect always go together. And no matter how desperately we would want things to be different, it is the same with sin. It always reaps consequences. It is not that God sits in heaven wondering what terrible things He could do to people who sin; no, sin itself comes with its own built-in consequences.

The problem is that many times we think that we can somehow outwit God and sin without the consequences. It never happens. Paul makes it very clear that sinning has not only consequences for eternity but painful and distressing consequences today.

In Romans 1:21-32, Paul describes the process of people falling into sin and the consequences of those sins. Read prayerfully and carefully these verses, and summarize the essence of what he is saying, focusing specifically on the stages of sin and its consequences.



Earlier Paul describes these consequences as the "wrath of God" (vs. 18). God's wrath in this passage is simply God allowing human beings to reap what they sow. Even for Christians, God does not always intervene immediately to remove the pain that results from our own actions. Many times He allows us to experience the consequences of our actions in order that we may understand how deeply damaging and offensive our sin is.

We have been considering the consequences of breaking God's moral laws. But what about breaking God's health laws? Our bodies are God's home. If we abuse our bodies by failing to eat healthfully or exercise, or if we regularly overwork, this is also sin against God. And this has consequences that can create the conditions of a crucible.

How, in your own life, have you reaped the immediate consequences of your own sins? What lessons have you learned? What changes must you make in order not to go through something similar again?

 

[thecountrydoc]

WEDNSDAY October 10

Crucibles of Purification

"Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Behold, I will refine them and try them; for how shall I deal with the daughter of My people?' " (Jer. 9:7, NKJV).

"If the Spirit of God brings to your mind a word of the Lord that hurts you, you may be sure that there is something He wants to hurt to death."—Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Uhrichsville, Ohio: Barbour & Company, Inc., 1963), Sept. 27.

How do you understand the above quote and text? What has been your own experience with the pains involved in the purification process?



Read Jeremiah 9:7-16. God says that He will "refine and test" (NRSV), or "melt" (KJV), Judah and Jerusalem (vs. 7, NIV). What two reasons does God give for this? How will the refining happen? (vss. 15, 16).



God's refining and testing involved drastic action. There are perhaps three reasons why such refining and testing may feel like a crucible.

First, we experience pain as God uses circumstances to bring our sin to our attention. A little earlier, Jeremiah unhappily writes, " 'The bellows blow fiercely to burn away the lead with fire, but the refining goes on in vain; the wicked are not purged out' " (Jer. 6:29, NIV). Thus, sometimes drastic action is needed in order to get our attention.

Second, we experience anguish as we feel sorrow for the sin we now see clearly.

Third, we experience frustration as we try to live differently. It can be quite uncomfortable and difficult to keep choosing to give up the things that have been so much a part of us.

Think about the sins that you struggle with. If God was going to refine and test you today, how might He do it? What action could you take now to deal with this before God would want to take drastic steps with you, as He did with Israel?


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Don't forget to post your comments and questions each day. They may be of great benefit to others.

 

[reddogs]

The verse "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:18, NKJV). is still ringing in my head, especially the phrase "who suppress the truth in unrighteousness"

 

[thecountrydoc]

THURSDAY October 11

Crucibles of Maturity​

"And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure" (2 Cor. 12:7, NKJV).

There is a big difference between cutting down and pruning. We cut down plants that we don't want anymore; we prune plants that we want to develop into greater fruitfulness. Both processes, however, do involve a sharp knife. Indeed, pruning requires cutting parts off the plant that might seem to a novice gardener like destroying it. In a spiritual context, Bruce Wilkinson writes, "Are you praying for God's superabundant blessings and pleading that He will make you more like His Son?

"If your answer is yes, then you are asking for the shears."—Secrets of the Vine (Sisters, Ore.: Multnomah Publishers, Inc., 2001), p. 60.

People have wondered what Paul actually meant by a "thorn in my flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7, NIV). Ideas range from Paul's having constant attacks from enemies to having a speech difficulty. It seems that this was actually a problem with his eyesight.—Ellen G. White Comments, The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 6, p. 1107. Amazingly, Paul believed that his "thorn" was "given me."

What do you think Paul meant by "given me"? Who gave it to him? How was God able to use it for Paul's benefit?



Notice that Paul's "thorn" had a definite purpose: "to keep me from becoming conceited" (vs. 7, NIV). It was not because of any specific sin he had committed but to prevent him from sinning in the future. Paul recognized that he had, by nature, a weakness to sin and that this "thorn" could guard against it.

Read 2 Corinthians 12:7-12. How does Paul deal with his "thorn"? Do you think that Paul's weakness had any other spiritual benefits to him? How can the way that Paul responds help you to deal with "thorns" that you may have to carry?

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Don't forget to post your comments and questions.​

Respectfully,
Doc​

 

[reddogs]

Paul's "a thorn in the flesh" has always been a mystery to me...

 

[thecountrydoc]

Hi Red,

Hopefully this will add some light to your last post.

Thorn. Gr. skolops, "a pointed piece of wood." "a pale," "a sharp stake." The papyri also uss the word to refer to a splinter, orsliver, driven into the flesh and impossible to get out. The usual NT word for thorn is akantha. (Matt. 13:22; 27:29; ect.)

In the flesh. The infirmity was bodily, not spiritual or mental, which caused him considerable embarrassment as well as discomfort and inconvienc. It was evidently some affliction that affected the eyes (Gal. 4:13-15).

(See EGW on Acts 9:8, 9)
Paul's Afflicition Not Removed.--

Paul had a bodily affliction;his eyesight was bad. He thought that by earnest prayer the difficuly mght be removed. But the Loed had His own purpose, and He said to Paul, speak to Me no more of this matter. My grace is sufficient. It will enable you to bear the infirmity." (Letter 207, 1899).

Painful Impedments in Paul's Work--

"A deep sadness still restd upo the mind and heart of Paul because of his apprehensions concerning the Corinthian church. hile at Phillippi he commenced his second epistle to them, for they hung as a heavy weight upon his soul. The depression of spirits from which the apostle suffered was, however, attributable in great degree to bodly infirmities, which made him very restless when not engaged in active service. But when working for the salvation of souls, he rose superior to physical debility. He felt the disease under which he suffered was a terrible impediment to hm in his great work, and repeatedly besought the Lord to relive him. God did not ee fit to answer his prayers in this respect, though He gace him assurence that divine grace should be sufficient for him (LP 175, 176).

Respctfully,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

Thursday

Crucibles of Maturity

2 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

2 Corinthians 12:7 NIV 7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

2 Corinthians 12:7-12 NKJV 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 11 I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing. 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

Respectfully,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

FFRIDAFFFriday October 12


Further Study:

Read Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times, Nov. 18, 1903; Ellen G. White Comments, p. 1182, in The SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 4; "Enduring Trials," p. 92, in My Life Today.

"He who reads the hearts of men knows their characters better than they themselves know them. He sees that some have powers and susceptibilities which, rightly directed, might be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these persons into different positions and varied circumstances that they may discover in their character the defects which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects, and to fit themselves for His service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to assail them that they may be purified."—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 471.
Notes:



Discussion Questions:

It really can be hard while we are reaping the consequences of our sin. "Will I ever be able to be made right with God again?" we ask. What promises does God make that can encourage us to persevere through such times and not give up? (See what Paul writes later in Romans 5:1-11.) What can you say to someone who is asking this very question?
Notes:

What does Ellen White mean by "His providence"? How does this work? How do you know when something happens by God's providence? What acts of God's "providence" have led to trials in your own life? As a class, discuss what you've learned at this time. How might you help someone else who is wondering whether some event is indeed "His providence"?

Notes:

If you know someone going through a crucible right now, does it matter, or should it matter, what brought it on? That is, how should you react to them and their suffering, regardless of what caused it?
Notes:

A Christian young man living in South America went through a bitter trial. After it was over, he moved to Europe and later commented to someone, "I left my corpse in South America." What does that mean? Why must we all, in a sense, leave our corpse somewhere? What role do trials have in that process?
Notes:

As a class, plan an outing to a hospital or somewhere where you could be of help, comfort, and cheer to those who are, for whatever reason, being squeezed in a crucible.
Notes:

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Additional Comments by E.G.White

Friday October 12

Ellen G. White, Signs of the Times,
November 18, 1903 Effectual Prayer.
by Mrs. E. G. White.

Prayer is not an expiation for sin. It is not a penance. We need not come to God as condemned criminals; for Christ has paid the penalty of our transgression. He has made an atonement for us. His blood cleanses from sin.

Our prayers are as letters sent from earth, directed to our Father in heaven. The petitions that ascend from sincere, humble hearts will surely reach Him. He can discern the sincerity of His adopted children. He pities our weakness, and strengthens our infirmities. He has said, "Ask, and ye shall receive."

Many of the human family know not what they should ask for as they ought. But the Lord is kind and tender. He helps their infirmities by giving them words to speak. He who comes with sanctified desire has access through Christ to the Father. Christ is our Intercessor. The prayers that are placed in the golden censer of the Saviour's merits are accepted by the Father.

Every promise in the Word of God is for us. In your prayers, present the pledged word of Jehovah, and by faith claim His promises. His word is the assurance that if you ask in faith, you will receive all spiritual blessings. Continue to ask, and you will receive exceeding abundantly above all that you ask or think. Educate yourself to have unlimited confidence in God. Cast all your care upon Him. Wait patiently for Him, and He will bring it to pass.

We are to come to God, not in a spirit of self-justification, but with humility, repenting of our sins. He is able to help us, willing to do for us more than we ask or think. He has the abundance of heaven wherewith to supply our necessities. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." God is holy, and we must pray, "lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting."

We are to pray in the name of Christ, our Mediator. Our petitions are of value only as they are offered in His name. He has bridged the gulf that sin has made. By His atoning sacrifice, He has bound to Himself and His Father those who believe in Him. His is the only name under heaven whereby we may be saved.


God is our King, and we are His subjects. A mere knowledge of His will does not set aside the necessity of offering earnest supplications to Him for help, and of diligently seeking, by obeying His law, to co-operate with Him in answering the prayers offered. Thus His kingdom is established in our hearts.

"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let them return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." We are to seek "first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." We are to be ready to receive the blessing which God will bestow upon those who seek Him with the whole heart, in sincerity and truth. We must keep the heart open, if we would receive of the grace of Christ.

In our prayers we are not to preach a sermon to the Lord. We need not tell him the history of our lives. We can tell Him nothing with which He is unacquainted. He knows our inmost thoughts. Every secret is open before Him. Nothing can be hid from Him.

High-flown language is inappropriate in prayer, whether the prayer be offered in the pulpit, in the family circle, or in secret. Especially should one use simple language when offering public prayer, that others may understand what he says, and unite with his petition.

God hears the prayers that are offered in the family circle, if they come from devoted hearts. Jesus says, "Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."

Do not neglect secret prayer. "Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

We are not to be so overwhelmed with the thought of our sins and errors that we shall cease to pray. Some realize their great weakness and sin, and become discouraged. Satan casts his dark shadow between them and the Lord Jesus, their atoning sacrifice. They say, It is useless for me to pray. My prayers are so mingled with evil thoughts that the Lord will not hear them. These suggestions are from Satan. In His humanity, Christ met and resisted this temptation, and He knows how to succor those who are thus tempted. In our behalf, He "offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears."

Many, not understanding that their doubts come from Satan, become faint-hearted, and are defeated in the conflict.

Do not, because your thoughts are evil, cease to pray. If we could in our own wisdom and strength pray aright, we could also live aright, and would need no atoning sacrifice. But imperfection is upon all humanity. Educate and train the mind that you may in simplicity tell the Lord what you need. As you offer your petitions to God, seeking for forgiveness for sin, a purer and holier atmosphere will surround your soul.

When you pray for temporal blessings, remember that the Lord may see that it is not for your good or for His glory to give you just what you desire. But He will answer your prayer, giving you just what is best for you.

When Paul prayed that the thorn is his flesh might be removed, the Lord answered his prayer, not by removing the thorn, but by giving him grace to bear the trial. "My grace," He said, "is sufficient for thee." Paul rejoiced at this answer to his prayer, declaring. "Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." When the sick pray for the recovery of health, the Lord does not always answer their prayer in just the way they desire. But even tho they may not be immediately healed, He will give them that which is of far more value,--grace to bear their sickness.

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed."

More comments to follow:
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Don't forget to post your comments and questions.

 

[thecountrydoc]

Ellen G. White, My Life Today, p. 92

God Permits Trial and Affliction to Purify Me

But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Mal. 3:2, 3

A refining, purifying process is going on among the people of God, and the Lord of hosts has set His hand to this work. This process is most trying to the soul, but it is necessary in order that defilement may be removed. Trials are essential in order that we may be brought close to our heavenly Father, in submission to His will, that we may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. . . . The Lord brings His children over the same ground again and again, increasing the pressure until perfect humility fills the mind, and the character is transformed; then they are victorious over self, and in harmony with Christ and the Spirit of heaven. The purification of God's people cannot be accomplished without suffering. . . . He passes us from one fire to another, testing our true worth. True grace is willing to be tried. If we are loath to be searched by the Lord, our condition is one of peril. . . . It is in mercy that the Lord reveals to men their hidden defects. He would have them critically examine the complicated emotions and motives of their own hearts, and detect that which is wrong, and modify their dispositions and refine their manners. God would have His servants become acquainted with their own hearts. In order to bring to them a true knowledge of their condition, He permits the fire of affliction to assail them, so that they may be purified. The trials of life are God's workmen to remove the impurities, infirmities, and roughness from our characters, and fit them for the society of pure, heavenly angels in glory. . . . The fire will not consume us, but only remove the dross, and we shall come forth seven times purified, bearing the impress of the Divine. (p. .93)

Ellen G. White, Ministry of Healing, p. 471

It is because God is leading them that these things come upon them. Trials and obstacles are the Lord's chosen methods of discipline and His appointed conditions of success. He who reads the hearts of men knows their characters better than they themselves know them. He sees that some have powers and susceptibilities which, rightly directed, might be used in the advancement of His work. In His providence He brings these persons into different positions and varied circumstances that they may discover in their character the defects which have been concealed from their own knowledge. He gives them opportunity to correct these defects and to fit themselves for His service. Often He permits the fires of affliction to assail them that they may be purified. {MH 471.1}

The fact that we are called upon to endure trial shows that the Lord Jesus sees in us something precious which He desires to develop. If He saw in us nothing whereby He might glorify His name, He would not spend time in refining us. He does not cast worthless stones into His furnace. It is valuable ore that He refines. The blacksmith puts the iron and steel into the fire that he may know what manner of metal they are. The Lord allows His chosen ones to be placed in the furnace of affliction to prove what temper they are of and whether they can be fashioned for His work. {MH 471.2}

The potter takes the clay and molds it according to his will. He kneads it and works it. He tears it apart and presses it together. He wets it and then dries it. He lets it lie for a while without touching it. When it is perfectly pliable, he (p. 472) continues the work of making of it a vessel. He forms it into shape and on the wheel trims and polishes it. He dries it in the sun and bakes it in the oven. Thus it becomes a vessel fit for use. So the great Master Worker desires to mold and fashion us. And as the clay is in the hands of the potter, so are we to be in His hands. We are not to try to do the work of the potter. Our part is to yield ourselves to be molded by the Master Worker. {MH 471.3}

Romans 5:1-11 NKJV 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
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Any additional thoughts or cmments?
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Inside Story to follow.

 

[thecountrydoc]

INSIDE STORY​

Running Away to God
by SERGEI VENEVTSEV​

I was born into a Russian family that had no use for God. But in high school I had to take a class called History of Religions. The teacher, a Muslim man, taught about most main religions, but he had more enthusiasm for Christianity and read quotations from the Bible and told us Bible stories.

I decided religion might help me make sense out of life, so I began searching different religions. I tried several different religions, but they left my heart empty. It seemed they all were the same, saying I must earn favor with God—whatever His name was—by my deeds. I did not need such a religion; I needed answers to my questions.

Then I saw a TV program produced by Seventh-day Adventists called, Waiting for the Second Coming. It caught my interest, and I thought, It would be good to belong with these believers who live as a family. But I did not know where to find these Adventists.

I started reading the New Testament, and though I did not understand many things, I kept reading, for I found great peace. I began to pray, and to my surprise, God answered. Then I broke up with my girlfriend. I prayed again, but it seemed that this time God did not answer. Angry, I shook my fist at God and shouted, "I do not need You. I will reach my goals myself!"

The results of my prayer came immediately. I had been a peaceful person, but after I rebelled against God, I became hard and wanted revenge on everyone who hurt me. I started drinking and fighting. Evil spirits entered my life and our home. I began to think life was futile and not worth living.

Then a friend invited me to a Christian meeting. At first I refused to go, then I changed my mind. I decided it would be my first and last time at a Christian meeting. But once there, I was touched by the songs, the prayers, and the Bible study. I could hardly wait for the next one. Within a year I had surrendered my life to Christ.

After high school and my term in the army, I returned home to work as a literature evangelist. Then God called me to serve as a Global Mission pioneer in an area where there were no Adventists. The Lord blessed my partner and me and led us to people who were searching for meaning in life. In our first year nine people have been baptized and others are preparing.

I praise God for being patient with me, loving me, saving me, and allowing me to serve Him.

SERGEI VENEVTSEV lives in Tyrnauz, Russia.

Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission
Web site: www.adventistmission.org
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I pray that this weeks lesson has been a blessing to all.

Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

SAC CENTRAL STUDY HOUR​

We will be adding Pastor Doug Batchelor and the Pastoral Team from Sacramento Centeral Seventh-day Adventist Church as they present each weeks Sabbath School Lesson, live, from Sacramento Centeral Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Simply click the link below to watch and listen to Sabbath School live each week and get new prespectives on each weeks lesson.​

http://www.amazingfacts.org/Televis.../SQT/A/7/The-Crucibles-That-Come/Default.aspx


Your Brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

LESSON 3*October 13 - 19 The Birdcage

SABBATH AFTERNOON


Read for This Week's Study:

Exodus 14, 15:22-27, 17:1-7, Proverbs 3, Luke 4:1-13, 1 Pet. 1:6-9.


Memory Text:

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials" (1 Peter 1:6, NKJV).

In the full light of day, and in hearing of the music of other voices, the caged bird will not sing the song that his master seeks to teach him. He learns a snatch of this, a trill of that, but never a separate and entire melody. But the master covers the cage, and places it where the bird will listen to the one song he is to sing. In the dark, he tries and tries again to sing that song until it is learned, and he breaks forth in perfect melody. Then the bird is brought forth, and ever after he can sing that song in the light. Thus God deals with His children. He has a song to teach us, and when we have learned it amid the shadows of affliction we can sing it ever afterward."—Ellen G. White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 472.

Notice that the one who carries the bird into the darkness is the master himself. It is easy to understand that Satan causes pain, but would God Himself actively take a part in guiding us into crucibles where we experience confusion or hurt?


The Week at a Glance:

What examples can you think of in the Bible in which God Himself leads people into experiences that He knows will include suffering? What do you think were the new songs He wanted them to sing?



*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, October 20.

Don't forget to post your comments and questions.
_______________________________________________

Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

October 14 SUNDAY​

To the Promised Land Via a Dead End

"And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord" (Exod. 14:10, NKJV).

Have you ever been set up, led into a trap or to a dead end? Sometimes it can be nice, like walking unexpectedly into a room of waiting friends who all shout "Surprise! Happy birthday!" At other times it can be quite a shock, even a very unpleasant one. It may have been bullies when you were at school or a work colleague who unexpectedly tried to make you look bad.
From the day the Israelites left Egypt until they reached the Promised Land, "the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night" (Exod. 13:21, NIV). Every part of their journey was led by God Himself. But look at where He led them first: to a place where the sea' was before them, mountains were on either side, and Pharaoh's army was within eyesight right behind!

Read Exodus 14. Why did God bring the Israelites to a place where He knew they would be terrified?


Following "the pillar" doesn't assure us of being happy all the time. It also can be a hard experience, because training in righteousness takes us to places that test our hearts, which are so naturally deceitful (Jer. 17:9). During these difficulties, the key to knowing when we are truly following God is not necessarily the absence of trials or pain but, rather, an openness to God's instruction and a continual submission of our minds and hearts to His leading.

What lesson did the Israelites learn from this experience? Exod. 14:31.



Why is trusting God sometimes so hard, even though we may know many of the wonderful promises He has for us? Recount some difficult situation you believe the Lord led you into in order to teach you to "believe" in and to "fear" Him.


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Don't forget to post your comments and questions.

Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

MMONDAYM
MONDAY October 15


Bitter Waters

"The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink" (Exod. 17:1, NIV).

We might surely not get from God everything we want, but can't we expect to get all that we need? Not what we think we need but what we truly need?

There was one thing the Israelites certainly needed, and that was water. Just after God led the Israelites through the Red Sea in the cloud, they followed Him through the hot, waterless desert for three days. Particularly in the desert, where finding water is so critical, their desperation is understandable. When would they get the water they needed?

So, where does God lead them? The pillar goes to Marah, where, at last, there is water. They must have been excited. But when they tasted the water, they immediately spat it out because it was bitter. "So the people grumbled against Moses, saying, 'What are we to drink?' " (Exod. 15:24, NIV).

Then, a few days later, God does it again. This time, however, the pillar actually stops where there is no water at all (Exod. 17:1).

Read Exodus 15:22-27 and 17:1-7.

What did God reveal to Israel about Himself at Marah and at Rephidim? What lessons should they have learned?




In Rephidim, what question did the children of Israel ask? (Exod. 17:7).

Have you ever asked the same question? If so, why? How did you feel, and what lessons did you learn after you had it answered? How many times do we need to get it answered before we stop asking it altogether?


________________________________________________

Don't forget to post your comments and questions.

Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

The Crucified Creator

"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3).

"All things" were made by Him, Jesus, " and yet—according to Scripture—"Jesus wept" (John 11:35).

The Creator wept? Even more so, Jesus was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isa. 53:3).

The Creator, a man of sorrows, despised and rejected? And He once cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matt. 27:46).

How could these things be? It's because Jesus, our Creator, was also our Redeemer, and as such He was the Crucified God—the Creator who took on humanity and in that humanity suffered through a life of privation and toil that ended with Him hung on a Roman cross.

Thus, our Creator, the One in whom "we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28), suffered in humanity in ways that none of us ever could. We can experience only our own griefs, our own sorrows; at the Cross He bore "our griefs, and carried our sorrows" (Isa. 53:4)—all of them. It's the most amazing act in all cosmic history.
With that background (that of the crucified God looming over us like the desert sky) we will for the next few months seek to better comprehend the incomprehensible-our own suffering, the sufferings of Christians, of those who have committed their lives to Christ. We're making no claims to have all the answers or even many; we're claiming only that "God is love" (1 John 4:8) and that although these things happen, we can trust God despite them and, indeed, grow in grace through them, no matter how painful the process.

This quarter we will study the Word of God and see how other flesh and blood, though radiated in faith, nevertheless faced despair, betrayal, disappointment, loss, injustice, and abuse (sound like anything you can relate to?). How did they cope? What did they learn?
What can their examples teach us?

As we look at these people, their experiences, their struggles, and their trials of faith (which might be much like our own), we must always see them contrasted against the background of the Cross. We must always remember that no matter what anyone faces, Jesus Christ, our Creator and Redeemer, went through much worse.

Our God is a suffering God. Even Albert Camus, hardly a Christian, understood some of the implications of the Cross and the sufferings of God there: "The night on Golgotha is so important in the history of man only because, in its shadow, the divinity abandoned its traditional privileges and drank to the last drop, despair included, the agony of death."—Albert Camus, The Rebel (New York: Vintage International, 1991), p. 33.

Or, as Ellen White expressed it, "The cross is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain that, from its very inception, sin has brought to the heart of God."—Ellen G. White, Education, p. 263.

Our lessons are not a theodicy, the justification of God in the face of evil. Instead, as we've said, they're an attempt to help us work through the inevitable suffering we all face here in a world where sin is as easy as breathing. What we will try to show is that pain, suffering, and loss don't mean that God has abandoned us; they mean only that, even as believers, we share now in the common lot of a fallen race. The difference is that for us, through Jesus and the hope He offers, meaning and purpose can be found in what seems meaningless and purposeless and that somehow, even if we can't imagine how, we can trust the promise that "all things work together for good to those who love God" (Rom. 8:28, NKJV)—the God who, though He made all things, suffered all things, too (and that's why we love Him).

 

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Tuesday

October 16


The Great Controversy in the Desert

"And Jesus, being full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil" (Luke 4:1, 2, NKJV).

Read Luke 4:1-13.

What lessons can you learn from this account about how to overcome temptation and not give in to sin?




Temptations can be so difficult because they appeal to things we really desire, and they always seem to come at our weakest moments.

Luke 4 is the beginning of the story of Jesus' temptation by Satan, and it brings some difficult issues to our attention. At, first glance, it appears that the Holy Spirit is leading Jesus into temptation. However, God never tempts us (James 1:13). Rather, as we have been seeing, God does lead us to crucibles of testing. What is striking in Luke 4 is that the Holy Spirit can lead us to times of testing that involve our being exposed to Satan's fierce temptations. At such times when we feel these temptations so strongly, we may misunderstand and think we have not been following God correctly. But this is not necessarily true. "Often when placed in a trying situation we doubt that the Spirit of God has been leading us. But it was the Spirit's leading that brought Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. When God brings us into trial, He has a purpose to accomplish for our good. Jesus did not presume on God's promises by going unbidden into temptation, neither did He give up to despondency when temptation came upon Him. Nor should we."—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, pp. 126, 127.

Sometimes when in the crucible we get burned rather than purified. It is therefore very comforting to know that when we crumble under temptation, we can hope again because Jesus stood firm. The good news is that because Jesus is our Sin Bearer, because He paid the penalty for our failure to endure that temptation (whatever it was), because He went through a crucible worse than any of us will ever face, we are not cast off or forsaken by God. There is hope, even for the "chief" of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15).

What temptations are you facing now? Spend some time in prayer, asking the Lord to teach you how to apply the lessons from Jesus' example in your own life. Remember, you don't have to succumb to temptation, ever! Remember, too, that you have a Savior if you do.


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Don't forget to post your comments and questons.

Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

1. Taking the Wrong Turn?

You recall that God's people were in slavery in Egypt for hundreds of years. God, working through Moses and Aaron, forces the Egyptian Pharaoh to free God's people. Let's pick up the story by reading Exodus 13:17-18. What did God's people expect? (They expected that they might have to fight before they reached the promised land. They were armed for battle.)

What did God expect? (He expected that His people might change their mind if they faced armed resistance. Thus, God seemed to adopt the strategy of avoiding battles.)


Read Exodus 13:20-22. What gave the people confidence they were going in the correct direction?


Do you wish that God would be as clear in His leading in your life?


Read Exodus 14:5-9. God's people were ready for battle. Were they prepared to battle a force of this size and military sophistication?


Does it seem odd to you that God would say that He was leading them to avoid war, and then allow the Egyptians to catch up with His people as they tried to escape?


Read Exodus 14:10-12. Was God right in His prediction of how the people would react?


Put yourself in the place of God's people. They have been following God's directions. God knew they could not stand against the Egyptians. Why did God allow this frightening thing to happen? Why did God allow them to think they would die?

Read Exodus 14:13-14. Is this an answer to why God would allow this when He knew they were not up for the fight?



Is this same answer applicable to us in our discouraging circumstances?

Is this the entire answer to our question about why God would allow this - that the people needed to learn to trust God and let Him handle their battles? (Read Exodus 14:1-4 and Exodus 14:15-18. The main answer is that this difficult and frightening situation would give glory to God.
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Your Thoughts?

 

[thecountrydoc]

An Enduring Legacy

WEDNSDAY October 17

Read 1 Peter 1:6, 7. What is Peter saying?


Peter is writing to people who were battling through difficulties and often felt very alone. He was writing "to God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia" (1 Pet. 1:1, NIV). This is the area we know today as western Turkey. A few texts later, Peter says that he knows that they are experiencing "grief in all kinds of trials" (vs. 6, NIV).
What does he mean by saying that they are "strangers" and "scattered"? How might that add to their trials?


Being a Christian during these times was a new thing; believers were small in number and in various places where they were a decided minority that was often misunderstood at best, persecuted at worst. Peter assures them, however, that these trials are not random or chaotic (vss. 6, 7). Genuine faith is the goal of those who persevere through "all kinds of trials."

Read 1 Peter 1:6-9. What ultimate assurance does Peter seek to give these people amid their trials?

What does that hope mean for us too?


Whatever their trials, whatever they suffer, how can it be compared to the eternity that awaits them when Christ returns? Peter's words to them are God's words to us, regardless of whatever we are facing. However difficult or painful our trials, we must never lose sight of the ultimate end, eternal life in a new heaven and new earth, without pain, suffering, or death. With such a promise before us, a promise guaranteed us through the death of Jesus, how important that we not lose faith but, instead, amid our trials ask the Lord to purge us of everything and anything that stands in the way of our faith.

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Do't forget to post your comments and questions.

 

[thecountrydoc]

Thursday October 18

Trial by Fire

There was a young man. We'll call him Alex. He had come out of a very troubled youth: drugs, violence, even some time in jail. But then, through the kindness of a local church member (whom Alex had stolen from), Alex learned about God and gave his heart to Jesus. Though he still had his problems and struggles, and though elements of his past still lingered, Alex was a new person in Jesus. He loved God and sought to express that love by obeying His commandments (1 John 5:1, 2). At one point Alex felt impressed that he should be a minister. Everything pointed to it. He was answering God's call, no doubt about it.

At college things went well at first. Then one thing after another went awry, and his life began coming apart. His source of money started to dry up; a close friend turned against him, making accusations about him that were false but that damaged his reputation. Next, he kept on getting sick; no one knew what it was, but it impacted his studies to the point where he was afraid that he was going to have to drop out of school completely. On top of it all, he was fighting fierce temptations with drugs, which were readily available in the local community. At one point he even fell in that area. Alex couldn't understand why all this was happening, especially because he was sure that the Lord had led him to this school to begin with. Was Alex wrong about that? If so, was his whole experience with God a huge mistake? Even the most basic elements of his faith were coming under doubt.

Imagine that, amid this crisis, Alex came to you and asked for advice. What would you say? What experiences have you had that could help someone like him? What Bible texts would you use? How helpful might the following texts be in such a situation? Proverbs 3, Jer. 29:13, Rom. 8:28, 2 Cor. 12:9, Heb. 13:5.



Almost all who follow the Lord have had crises during which they've been tempted to doubt the Lord's leading. The important thing in such situations is to cling to the promises, recount God's leading in the past, and pray for faith and endurance. The Lord will never give up on us; it's we who have to fight the temptation to give up on Him.

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Don't forget to post your comments and questions.

Your brother in Christ,
Doc

 

[thecountrydoc]

1. Is this the entire answer to our question about why God would allow this - that the people needed to learn to trust God and let Him handle their battles? (Read Exodus 14:1-4 and Exodus 14:15-18. The main answer is that this difficult and frightening situation would give glory to God.)
2. Consider this a moment: how many of your difficult and discouraging situations involve an attack on "your glory?" Not God's glory, but your glory?
3. Are you comfortable with any resolution of a problem which brings glory to God?
   1. What if God's glory seems to come at the expense of you or your family?
4. Let's re-read Exodus 14:13-14. If your primary goal in life is to bring glory to God, how would that affect your fear? How would it affect your discouragement? (Our attitude makes all the difference. If we know the goal of our life, and of every situation, is to bring glory to God, then we can feel comfortable with the outcome. Especially, in this situation we see that God promises them protection without having to fight!)
   
   1. Is God's willingness to fight, while His people "stand firm" and watch, a situation that applies only here? Or, does it apply to all of our problems in life? (This is the great thing about "God's glory." If it is God's glory which is at stake, and not your glory, then God is going to undertake the battle to protect His glory. If you would quit worrying about your glory, and let God fight the battle for His glory, your "nerves" would be a lot better. Your life would be more peaceful.)
5. The Spectators of Faith
6. Read Exodus 14:19-20. What parallel do you see for the solution to your current problems? (If we want to know God, He will give light for daily living. If we are hostile to God, we stay in darkness. The result is "neither went near the other." You are way ahead of the bad guys.)
7. Read Exodus 14:21-22. In my new home, the main freeway dips into a tunnel under a huge waterway. One moment you are looking at the surface of the water, the next you are below the surface of the water. This tunnel is often jammed with traffic. When I was talking to a local person about this, she suggested that motorists were nervous about making "the plunge" below the surface of the water. What kind of feelings would you have if you were looking at a towering wall of water on each side of you?
   1. I painted a picture of God's people as spectators to this fight. Is that a fair picture? (Only as to the fight. They are required to "move forward." They are required to exercise faith in God.)
   2. Is our faith experience like theirs - that if we don't move forward, we can look forward to being captured by "the bad guys?"
      1. Should that equation be part of every faith decision?
8. Read Exodus 14:23-25. Who do the Egyptians credit for their problems?
   1. Should we pray that our enemies will be "confused" and have the "wheels fall off" their endeavors?
9. Read Exodus 14:26-28. The Egyptians are now "believers" ( Exodus 14:25). Why drown them? (Barnes' Notes points out that in every Egyptian monument Pharaoh is depicted as leading the army. He also points out that Psalms 136:15 says that Pharaoh died with his army. The total destruction of Pharaoh and the army meant that God's people would not be threatened by the power of Egypt in their journey to Canaan.)
   1. What does this suggest about the deliverance that God will ultimately bring to His people? (The wicked, even those who believe in God, will be totally and permanently destroyed.)
10. Read Exodus 14:29-31. What made the difference between these verses and Exodus 14:10-12?
    1. What does this suggest is the reason for difficulties and discouraging times in your life? (When you see God's deliverance, it strengthens your faith and trust in Him!)
11. Friend, in every problem, every discouraging event, we have the opportunity to place our faith in God and let Him fight the battle for His glory. If the battle is for our glory, we have picked the wrong battle! When the goal of our life is to promote the glory of God, then a sense of peace and confidence comes into our life knowing that God is "on the point" in the battle. Our job is to simply follow Him.
12. Next week: Seeing the Goldsmith's Face.