Listening to the Word

Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10   “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God…It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26, 27, 31 The warning against deliberate sin by those who know the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit is clear. If we think that our ministry impact, or family heritage, or donations give us a pass with God to continue in willful sin, we are deceived. The Lord cannot bless rebellion, sin, or pride of any kind. It is healthy to live with the fear of the Lord - a fear that keeps us from sinning and focuses us on a life of worship and loving surrender to the Lord. While it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, those same hands were pierced with nails on a cross out of sacrificial love for us. God’s hands are stretched out to us today ...

Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9   “’Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.’” Isaiah 12:2, 3 “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!” Hebrews 9:14 Salvation is found in a Person, not a formula, set of rituals, or religious observances. Jesus Christ became the sacrifice for our sin, and it is his blood which cleanses our conscience so that we may serve the living God. Those who have experienced this salvation and new life in Christ have joy and a song in their hearts. They are free on the inside from the chains of sin. They know the strength of the Lord’s presence within. They live with faith and trust in the Lord rather than with fear. Many church attenders and religious peop...

Isaiah 8-10; Hebrews 8   “The Lord spoke to me with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: ‘Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy…he is the one you are to dread.’” Isaiah 8:11-13 Fear is a powerful force when it grips the minds of a society. Fear causes irrational behavior through sudden changes that can paralyze decision-making. Conspiracy theories grow in this kind of environment. People seek to cast blame and find control over their narrative. God’s word through Isaiah in a time of national crisis was ‘don’t fear the invading forces of the Assyrians, rather, fear the Lord Almighty!’   What would his word to us be today? In times of crisis, those who know God humble themselves before him and seek his face. We grow through our dependence on the Lord, not on conspiracy. “Lord Jesus, I fix my eyes on y...

Micah 5-7; Hebrews 7   “With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?...Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:6-8 It’s in our human nature to bargain with God. e.g. ‘If I do this, then I expect you to do that. If I sacrifice to you or for you, then I expect your protection, good health, and a hand on my children.’ When we become aware of our sin, we might still think bargaining with God is our best approach. If I really sacrifice a lot (e.g. my firstborn), then he should forgive me. But God’s requirements of us go deeper. He is asking for the surrender of our will and the offer of our whole lives to him. God is asking for actions that are just and merciful toward others, as we ...

Micah 1-4; Hebrews 6   “Many nations will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’ The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares…Every man will sit under his own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken.” Micah 4:2-4 God’s kingdom-purposes go beyond the personal salvation of individuals. God is also interested in the transformation of nations. In the last days, nations will be drawn to learn of God’s ways, and most importantly, how to find peace and reconciliation with each other. God’s peace will so transform the nations that peoples will ‘”sit under their own vine and…fig trees, and no one will make them afraid”… Instead of trusting in their weapon...

Hosea 13,14; Psalms 100,102; Hebrews 5   “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations…But you remain the same, and your years will never end. The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.” Psalm 100:5; 102:27, 28 God’s faithfulness to families over many generations is an amazing testimony of his love to the world. Even when we are unfaithful, God’s faithfulness continues through all generations. For those who know God and his character, we can claim this promise: that the children of those who serve the Lord will live in God’s presence and our descendants will be established before him. We trust in God’s faithfulness to his covenants with us. No matter what happens, God is good and his love endures forever. As we speak these words over our families, let us remind them of the generations of faith that have gone on before us. “Lord God, you have been faithful to my ...