Listening to the Word

Job 11-12; Acts 15-16   “Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.’ This brought Paul and Barnabus into sharp dispute and debate with them…” Acts 15:1, 2 Why would “certain people” travel from Jerusalem to Antioch without the blessing of the Jerusalem elders to bring their personal doctrinal beliefs to the emerging church in Antioch? They believed their convictions to be the right ones and an important foundation for the new believers. The same exporting of theology is happening today within the fast growing African and Asian churches. The internet and television have made exporting our theological distinctives easier than ever before. However, we lack the discernment, consensus-building, and authority of the Jerusalem Council. Today, self-proclaimed apostles, prophets, and evangelists do what is right in their own eyes. Validation comes through their test...

Job 9-10; Acts 13-14   “The Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, ‘You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? Now the hand of the Lord is against you…’” Acts 13:9-11 Why did Paul confront Elymas in the presence of the proconsul? Paul discerned that Elymas was deliberately deceiving the proconsul and opposing the gospel. This bold confrontation required Paul to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He was opposing spiritual forces of darkness that would have prevented the gospel from spreading throughout the island of Cyprus. Are we facing similar opposition to the gospel from people who also are a “child of the devil” and an “enemy of everything that is right”? Avoiding these confrontations will not work. Prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit continue to be weapons the Lord has given us as we ...

Job 6-8; Acts 12 “Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision…Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.’” Acts 12:9, 11 Why did Peter doubt that his dramatic night rescue or prison breakout was really happening? It was a seemingly impossible situation and his death seemed imminent. Peter had accepted death as an outcome Jesus had prepared for him. Peter’s good friend and fellow apostle James had just been martyred, so it was reasonable to believe he was next. Yet we serve the God of the impossible who closes the mouths of lions, who defeats giants, and who knocks over impenetrable walls. The angels of the Lord are sent to serve those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14), and sixteen Roman guards inside a fortress prison were no match for on...

Job 5; Psalms 108; Acts 10-11   “Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he also binds up; he injures, but his hands also heal.” Job 5:17, 18 Can we receive this word? We are blessed when we are corrected, disciplined, wounded, and even injured by the Lord. God’s discipline is always motivated by love. He knows our heart and knows that our rebellion, stubbornness, and fear will rob us of our inheritance in his kingdom. God disciplines us for our good. God’s sanctification process in our lives is life-long and will transform us if we submit to his Spirit and obey. The Almighty also binds up our wounds and heals us with his hands. He is worthy of our trust. Will we place our lives into God’s hands? “Lord God, I give you my life and I trust you. You have wounded me and healed me, and your loving discipline is good, for your glory.”

Job 3-4; Acts 8-9 “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.’ Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. ‘Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. ‘How can I,’ he said, ‘unless someone explains it to me?’ So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” Acts 8:29-31 The Spirit of God is on a mission to reach people and nations with the good news of Jesus. Philip was invited by the Spirit of God to stay near a moving chariot so he could converse with the Ethiopian official. We, too, are invited to stay near people who are on the move so we, too, can have gospel conversations in the course of everyday life. Spiritual seekers are often unable to understand the Bible until they receive the Holy Spirit. They need available servants of God who are willing to walk (or run) with them. Are we listening to the Spirit of God for our daily assignments, and are his promptings given throughout the day? Our obedience could affec...

Job 1-2; Acts 6-7   “His wife said to him, ‘Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!’ He replied, ‘You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?’ In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.” Job 2:9, 10 How we respond to the tests that God allows in our lives exposes our character and our level of spiritual maturity. After the death of Job’s children and the destruction of all he owned, Job’s wife urged him to curse God and die. How would we respond? How do we respond? The heresy that God only prospers those he loves is exposed in Job’s story. We are living for an eternal glory that far outweighs the burdens of this life. Job understood that. Are we prepared to accept both good as well as trouble from God? Job chose to hold his tongue despite the prodding of his wife. That self-control is remarkable and an inspiration to us when we, too, are tested by those closest to us whom we love. Passing tests leads to promotions ...