Listening to the Word

Genesis 1-2; Luke 1 “…’The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will over-shadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35 Jesus is the first born of a spiritual family that is growing around the world. He was called the Son of God, and now there are many sons and daughters of God who have become born again by the Holy Spirit. We, too, have experienced the power of the Most High overshadowing us and filling us. As we look ahead to this New Year, we can rest in the knowledge we are part of God’s family and each one of our days is known to the Lord. We, too, have the privilege of hearing our Father’s voice and learning to obey his Word to us. “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers (Romans 8:29).”   Are we clear that we belong to God? Has he named us and filled us with his Spirit? Are we living for his glory? There is no greater privi...

Revelation 19-22 “…’Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel…The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:9, 10, 12, 14 The Bride of Christ, the wife of the Lamb, is a Holy City, the New Jerusalem. This Bride is made up of both Israel (the twelve tribes) and the Church (the apostles) in its structure. The Chief Cornerstone is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus, the Christ, and our faith in his finished work of salvation on the cross which unites Jews and Gentiles into the body of Christ. Jesus has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles.   “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21). Are we...

Revelation 15-18   “…The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast,…They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers…For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled.” Revelation 17:8, 14, 17 The story of salvation-history is completed with the restoration of all things and their reconciliation with their Creator. This reconciliation requires God’s judgment of evil and its pervasive influence. The will of God will be accomplished even in the hearts of his enemies! God’s Word and prophetic purposes will be fulfilled, and with him will stand his called, chosen, and faithful followers. Are we following the Lord now? Are we being proven faithful in ...

Revelation 10-14 “…’Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.’” Revelation 12:10-11 Our inheritance in the kingdom of God includes salvation, power, and authority, all of which the accuser is trying to keep us from experiencing. We possess this inheritance by the blood of Christ who makes us righteous, the word of our testimony which is the gospel lived, and our willingness to die-to-self and face physical death without fear, but with resurrection hope. The battle for our possession of our inheritance in Christ is not well understood. Many Christ-followers live under the accusations of the enemy without resisting and standing firm in faith and truth. We are called to overcome in thi...

Revelation 5-9   “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” Revelation 5:4, 5 The final chapter of salvation-history has been written and Jesus has triumphed. The final judgments of creation for the sin and rebellion of its inhabitants will be completed. The tears of John for the worthiness to open the scroll of truth have been fulfilled in Christ. We, too, can be found worthy in Christ and his righteousness. He is our sacrificial Lamb and our Lion of judgment. Our privilege in Christ is to participate with his kingdom-mission on earth until every knee bows and every tongue confesses Jesus Christ as Lord. We reign in life as we live under Christ’s authority and obey Christ’s kingdom-mission assignments as his ambassadors of reconciliation. In this age of grace the...

Revelation 1-4   “’…These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:…These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again…These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.’” Revelation 2:1, 8, 12 This revelation of Jesus Christ in all his glory as head of his Church, eternal in his being, overcoming death, and leading the armies of heaven, this Jesus is the One to whom we give our lives. Jesus is present today, walking among the lampstands (local churches) and engaged with our issues and struggles. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, so we can trust his perspective on our questions and trust him with our eternity. The word in his mouth is the Word of God, and it is this sword that will judge the nations with truth. We can trust Christ’s justice to prevail. Do we know this resurrected Christ Jesus? “Lord Jesus, your words are life and light; I bow...