Listening to the Word

 Judges 9-10; Psalms 49; 1 Corinthians 16 “…they refreshed my spirit and yours also. Such men deserve recognition.” 1 Corinthians 16:18 We live in a generation where there are many options to refresh our bodies and souls through treatments, leisure, and rest. However, are we paying attention to the well-being of our spirit and that of others? How did the visit of elders from Corinth refresh Paul’s spirit? They probably brought a financial gift to support Paul and his ministry team in Ephesus. They also would have brought news of the emerging churches in Corinth and of the many new disciples. They would have shared the words and gifts of the Holy Spirit as they spent time in the presence of the Lord together with the Church in Ephesus. How has God refreshed our spirit through the visits we’ve experienced with others? When the Church comes together from various locations, we have the opportunity to encourage one another and together, listen to our Father. In what ways is the Lord invitin

Judges 8; Psalms 42; 1 Corinthians 15 “My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’…Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 42:3, 5 When we face the taunting of others and of the enemy of our souls, and then question God’s love, his presence, or even his existence, we have a choice. Will we give in to discouragement and indulge the oppression of our soul, or will we choose to worship God, remembering his saving and delivering work in our lives? When we offer the sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confesses God’s name, even in the midst of taunting and challenging circumstances, God is glorified. ‘Deep calls to deep’ when we enter the depth of Christ’s sufferings and become like him in his death, and somehow attain the resurrection of the dead (Philippians 3:10).   In what ways are we being invited to renew our hope in God and of

 Judges 6-7; Psalms 52; 1 Corinthians 14   “…’Ah, Sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face!’ But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.’ So Gideon built an altar to the Lord there and called it The Lord is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.” Judges 6:22-24 The fear of seeing God face to face was part of Israel’s history and tradition since Moses and the Israelites met with God at Mount Sinai. The consuming fire, thunder, and lightening that marked God’s presence so terrified Israel that they begged Moses to meet alone with God. God’s holiness and mankind’s sinfulness cannot be reconciled without a blood sacrifice for sin. Christ himself is our peace with God and with one another. Only through Jesus Christ is our sin debt paid and God’s righteousness offered to us. Through Jesus, we like Moses, can stand with unveiled faces and meet with God face to face. There is no peace on earth without first finding peac

 Judges 4-5; Psalms 39,41; 1 Corinthians 13   “You have made my days a mere hand breadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath…Remove your scourge from me; I am overcome by the blow of your hand. You rebuke and discipline men for their sin; you consume their wealth like a moth – each man is but a breath.” Psalm 39:5, 10, 11 Living under the conviction of sin robs us of the enjoyment of life. Some people defy God and live in rebellion, while others are humbled by God’s rebuke and discipline and in the process grow in wisdom. Wisdom begins with the fear, a healthy fear, of the Lord. We recognize the brevity of our lives. We recognize how fleeting and temporal wealth is. We recognize, through wisdom, that we live within limits. We learn that following God’s way is the most satisfying and fulfilling way to live. How have our choices and the consequences of these choices shaped our understanding of God and where we are to place our values? How has t

 Judges 1-3; 1 Corinthians 12   “And Caleb said, ‘I will give my daughter Acsah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.’ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Acsah to him in marriage.” Judges 1:12, 13 Caleb recognized that his daughter was a prize too valuable to be given away without a price. His challenge to the next generation included claiming their inheritance in Israel. Caleb didn’t realize he was equipping the next generation of leaders at the highest level. Othniel responded to Caleb’s challenge and led Israel for forty years. He was looking for a big challenge, and so are many young leaders today. There is no greater challenge or reward than living on mission with Christ today and to see his kingdom come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Are we challenging our children to possess their inheritance in Christ’s kingdom? We don’t realize who we might be equipping to lead in the next generation.

Joshua 23-24; Psalms 44; 1 Corinthians 11   “It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them…I do not trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;…” Psalm 44:3, 6 Israel’s inheritance was won for them by the Lord; however, they were responsible to follow and obey him. Later in Israel’s history, when they suffered defeat and exile, the temptation was to blame their circumstances on poor leadership, strong enemies, or a lack of military strength. However, the Psalmist reminds God’s people that their inheritance came from the Lord. He was the one who could restore it.   What are we trusting in for our inheritance today in Christ’s kingdom? Have the right hand, the arm, or the light of God’s face changed? Has his love for us changed? Will we humble ourselves and pursue the loving, light-filled face of the Lord? It was Israel that drifted away from the Lord, not t

 Joshua 21-22; Psalms 47; 1 Corinthians 10   “Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy. How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth. He subdued nations under us, peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.” Psalm 47:1-4 When we understand that the Lord Most High is the great King over all the earth, then his choice of Israel’s territorial inheritance is understandable. It was God who chose the Canaanite territory for Israel. It is God whose kingdom is coming and whose will is being done on earth as it is in heaven. It is God who invites us to ask him for nations as our inheritance and the ends of the earth for our possession. The Gospel liberates peoples and nations from the bondage of sin and frees them to live under God’s authority and ways. God’s authority must be chosen in love, not imposed through fear. Christ’s victory over sin and death was the result of God so loving the world that

 Joshua 18-20; 1 Corinthians 9   “(But the Danites had difficulty taking possession of the territory, so they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their forefather.)” Joshua 19:47 “…Run in such a way as to get the prize…I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24, 27 The tribe of Dan failed to possess their inheritance, and instead, they settled for a consolation prize in the far north of Israel. Many Christ-followers also fail to possess the fullness of the life Christ offers in the Gospel. They are unwilling to pay the price to confront the ‘giants of the world’ - their sinful nature, and Satan (Ephesians 2:1-3). In their pursuit of discipleship and sanctification, Dan and his tribe never confronted the giants of Ekron and Gath (the home of Goliath and his four brothers), and eventually they entirely

Joshua 15-17; 1 Corinthians 8   “…there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this…” 1 Corinthians 8:6, 7 An essential question every person must answer is ‘who is God’?   For many, that god is science, especially in the West. For others in the East, it is idols or a man-made merit system.   A second question of essential importance is ‘what does God do’?   Paul points to Jesus Christ and God the Father as one in creation, sustaining all things. This essential unity means that through the incarnation of Christ, we all were given a very clear view of who God is in Christ, and what he does. God not only creates, he redeems, he restores, he heals, delivers, and he brings new life. God loves us and desires that we reach out to know him personally through Christ so we can live through him. We live on mission with Jesus because not every

Joshua 12-14; 1 Corinthians 7   “Those are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took…the territory of Og King of Bashan, one of the last of the Rephaites, who reigned in Ashtaroth and Edrei. He ruled over Mount Hermon, Salecah, all of Bashan…” Joshua 12:1, 4, 5 Og was a twelve foot tall giant, a Rephaite, or Anakite. He was part of a race of giants that were demonically possessed and ruled whatever territory they occupied. Moses, Joshua, and the Israelites defeated Og and claimed the high place of Mount Herman on the Golan Heights as their inheritance. Today, we, too, face giants. In Ephesians 6:12 we read, “…our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but, against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. These spiritual giants still oppose the kingdom of God and the people of God. Will we, like Moses and Joshua, cooperate with God to see the h

Joshua 9-11; 1 Corinthians 6   “’This is what we will do to them: We will let them live, so that wrath will not fall on us for breaking the oath we swore to them.’” Joshua 9:20 The leaders of Israel understood that God kept his Word to them and he required his people to keep their word to others. The Gibeonite ruse succeeded because Israel’s leaders failed to seek the Lord for his guidance in response to the Gibeonites’ offer of a treaty. The consequence of this lack of judgment was that Israel was required to keep their word, regardless of the cost. Later, when Saul sought to wipe out the Gibeonites, God brought three years of famine. However, the famine in Israel was not during the reign of Saul, but rather, his successor David. Why the delay in God’s judgment? Perhaps God was giving his people time to repent. Keeping our word is important because in this world we are Christ’s ambassadors. Our character either points people to the Gospel, or turns them away. We serve a gracious and m

Joshua 7-8; Psalms 69; 1 Corinthians 5 “Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters…I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox, more than a bull with its horns and hooves.” Psalm 69:14, 30, 31 Relational conflict can feel like a mud pit, or like drowning in deep water. David expressed his pain and anger to the Lord and then he did something that refocused his thoughts and attention on a more edifying subject. David offered God the sacrifice of praise in the midst of his relational pain. He chose to glorify God rather than wallow in the mud. When we find ourselves in a relational mud hole, we, too, have the same choice. Either we can throw more mud, or we can climb out and refocus our attention on the Lord our Defender. “Lord Jesus, I choose to glorify you this day with thanksgiving and praise.”

Joshua 3-6; 1 Corinthians 4   “Then the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’ So the place has been called Gilgal to this day…’Are you for us or for our enemies?’ ‘Neither,’ he replied, ‘but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.’…Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for his servant?’…’March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days.’” Joshua 5:9, 13, 14; 6:3 The seemingly impossible challenge of Jericho is similar to the spiritual obstacles we face in reaching the global cities of this world with the Gospel. The first ‘battle’ God called the Israelites to face was their shame of being slaves in Egypt. We, too, are called to consecrate ourselves to the Lord and circumcise our hearts from every rival lover and idol so that we, too, can love the Lord with all our heart. After consecration, Joshua bowed in submission and surrender to the Lord. G

Joshua 1-2; Psalms 37; 1 Corinthians 3   “…those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land…the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace…The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever…those the Lord blesses will inherit the land…the righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever…Wait for the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land;…there is a future for the man of peace.” Psalm 37:9, 11, 18, 22, 29, 34, 37 The descriptions of those who possess their inheritance in Psalm 37 looks a lot like those Christ described as blessed in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12). These qualities aren’t of warriors who possess their inheritance by force, but rather, these qualities describe the character of the people God is transforming into citizens of the kingdom of heaven. These kingdom citizens find their hope in the Lord. They are meek (not weak), blameless, blessed by God, and righteous. They wait on God’s timin

Deuteronomy 32-34; 1 Corinthians 2   “’My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.’” 1 Corinthians 2:4, 5 What does our faith in God rest on today? If our faith is based on the eloquence of our pastor or a well-presented formulation of the Gospel, we are at risk of living a second-hand faith. We need our own faith-walk and experience of knowing God through more than propositional truth. The irony is that Paul’s doctrinal formulations are used as salvation texts. Paul himself calls us to demonstrations of the Spirit’s power in both our lives and in the lives of others to authenticate and personally ground our faith-walk. Of course we need the truth of God’s Word, but much of the world today is seeing and experiencing the living Word through demonstrations of God’s power before they understand his written Word. “Lord Jesus, thank you for the real

Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalms 40; 1 Corinthians 1   “’For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.’” 1 Corinthians 1:18 Many of the world’s religions acknowledge Jesus as a great prophet, a guru, and a teacher of truth; however, they reject the cross as offensive. The concept of God, or even a great person, dying a torturous death for others is foolishness to them. The grace-filled, sacrificial atonement of God for our sin is his power in our lives to give salvation. We live in this Gospel, rather than just experiencing it once. We are saved in a moment and we are being saved (sanctified) as we daily rely on the grace of God our Savior. Where do we need to be reminded of the power of the Gospel in our lives today? “Lord Jesus, thank you for your forgiveness, freedom, and fullness in salvation. You are my life and you give the power to overcome sin and temptation.”

Deuteronomy 28-29; Galatians 6 “’Whoever sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.’” Galatians 6:8-10 The ‘law of return’ in the harvest reminds us that whether we sow to please the Spirit, or the flesh, we will reap a corresponding harvest. When we obey the promptings of the Spirit in doing good to others, we are both sowing seeds for a spiritual harvest and obeying the law of Christ to love one another. The proper time for a harvest is influenced by the growing cycle, not only a particular time of year. Acts of kindness soften people’s hearts and humility/repentance breaks up the fallow ground. The fruit of the Spirit grows as we yield to and obey

 Deuteronomy 25-27; Galatians 5   “’Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.’” Galatians 5:24-26 One of the marks of belonging to Jesus is that we have crucified the flesh with its “passions and desires”. We obey the Spirit living within us as he convicts us of sin and pursues our sanctification. This life in the Spirit requires us to keep in step with the Spirit. The life of the flesh is about comparisons with others and motivated by pride (conceit) which expresses itself in comments which provoke and cause envy.   Based on how we live, would others say we live by the Spirit, or by the flesh? Jesus was crucified. We, like Paul, can choose to die to self as we apply Christ’s victory over sin and the devil in our daily battles and temptations. We have the authority and freedom in Christ to say, ‘No’ to si

Deuteronomy 22-24; Galatians 4   “’Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there…When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless, and the widow,…’” Deuteronomy 24:18, 19 Remembering our former bondage and slavery to sin is essential as we live on mission in the harvest. When we engage in mission without compassion and empathy, we reduce the Gospel to a task to be completed, rather than a grace-filled story that we have experienced and now have the privilege of sharing. The ‘gleanings’ in our spiritual harvest are our generous, compassionate response to need without expecting anything in return. Often the ‘gleanings’ are hidden and require searching. Like the hidden peoples around the world, we recognize that the ‘gleanings’ don’t belong to us. We respond generously to the ‘gleanings’ of people and resources because we ourselves have been the recipients of God’s grace

Deuteronomy 19-21; Galatians 3   “’He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit…There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’” Galatians 3:14, 28 The blessing of Abraham is the person of the Holy Spirit who makes possible personal relationship and communion with God. This promise of relationship with God, through the Holy Spirit, is for those who have received Christ Jesus as their Savior and Lord. We have one Lord and one Spirit, and we are one Body in Christ. This blessing is for all nations and all social classes, both men and women, old and young. There is no more powerful, uniting presence on earth, than God’s indwelling Spirit through Jesus Christ. Is this unity of the faith evident in our relationships, churches, and ministries? Are we living in the fullness of God’s blessing to Abraham and his seed? “

Deuteronomy 16-18; Psalms 38; Galatians 2   “’The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.’” Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord our God has raised up a prophet greater than Moses and his name is Jesus!   Are we listening to him? Jesus is more than a prophet. He declared that he was the Messiah and then, in the power of the Holy Spirit, he demonstrated this by healing, freeing, and saving those he met. God spoke audibly to Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan and declared him to be his Son. God repeated that statement on the Mount of Transfiguration when he said, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (Mark 9:7) Are we listening to Jesus? He said that his sheep would know his voice, the voice of our good Shepherd. Jesus said he had other sheep who were not of the Jewish sheep pen, and they, too, would listen to his voice (John 10:16). Are we following the voice of our Shepherd, Prophet, Messiah, and risen King? He is speaki

Deuteronomy 13-15; Galatians 1   “’I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all…’” Galatians 1:6, 7 Paul’s concern for the purity and clarity and integrity of the Gospel reminds us that ‘Gospel drift’ can occur in every part of the world and in every generation. The Galatian Church was transformed by the grace of Christ and his love for them. This Gospel was powerful unto salvation, yet the Galatians quickly deserted this Gospel and reverted back to a form of works of righteousness. What alternative Gospel is pulling at our hearts and Churches? For some, the Gospel is a personal fulfillment plan; for others, it becomes a formula we give mental assent to. For others, the Gospel is a credit card allowing us to enrich and indulge ourselves at Christ’s expense. Paul’s testimony was that he had been crucified with Christ and no longer lived. The Gospel of Christ is som

Deuteronomy 10-12; Mark 16 “’You are not to do as we do here today, everyone as he sees fit, since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give your rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety.’” Deuteronomy 12:8-10 The rest that God is inviting us to experience at the deepest level of our being is found in possessing our inheritance. Our inheritance, if it is found in a bank account, property, or a person, will not satisfy, and often produces anxiety. When our inheritance is found in Christ and his eternal kingdom, we experience rest even as we work. Israel needed to cross the Jordan and engage their enemies to possess their inheritance. It was in loving obedience and fearing the Lord God that Israel both crossed the Jordan and experienced God’s deliverance from giants, kings, and fortified

 Deuteronomy 7-9; Mark 15   “’Moreover, the Lord your God will send the hornet among them until even the survivors who hide from you have perished. Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, of the wild animals will multiply around you.’” Deuteronomy 7:20-22 Our greatest weapon in spiritual warfare is the living presence of our great and awesome God. It is the presence of the Lord which drives out the enemy and the wild animals. Jesus faced ‘wild animals’ at the cross, and Paul faced them in his Church planting work in Ephesus. The principle Moses gave the Israelites was that possessing our inheritance is different from receiving our inheritance. To possess our inheritance, we must ‘hold the ground’ and drive out the ‘wild animals’. What strongholds of sin and unbelief remain in our lives as opposition

Deuteronomy 5-6; Psalms 43; Mark 14 “’In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?’ tell him: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.’…he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land he promised on oath to our ancestors. The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today.’” Deuteronomy 6:20, 21, 23, 24 The law God gave to Moses and his people represented his standard of righteousness. The law influenced a culture of worship, confession, and holiness. God brought his people out of Egypt as slaves and remade them into a people who looked more like his kingdom values. However, this law was powerless to transform human hearts, and only exposed man’s desperate need for grace, atonement, and the empowering presence of the Lord within his

 Deuteronomy 3-4; Psalms 36; Mark 13 “’Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.’” Mark 13:8-10 The birthing of the kingdom of God in the lives of people through the power of the gospel does not come without opposition. Jesus promises opposition from local authorities and even family members. The gospel which cost Jesus his life is also a costly gospel to embrace. Are we proclaiming this costly gospel, or rather, are we proclaiming a gospel of self-fulfillment? When opposition, betrayal, and persecution for the gospel come, Jesus wants his followers to be prepared. Ironically, it’s often not during periods of peace and prosperity that

 Deuteronomy 1-2; Mark 12 “’The Emites used to live there – a people strong and numerous, and as tall as the Anakites. Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites.’” Deuteronomy 2:10, 11 The descendants of both Esau and Lot had to drive giants out of the territory God gave them as an inheritance. The same race of giants intimidated ten of the twelve spies Moses sent into the land of Canaan. The city of Hebron was controlled by the family of Arba, the largest of the giants. This is often the reality when we are called to possess our inheritance in the kingdom of God. Next to our inheritance are giants opposed to God and to us. Moses’ words to Israel were, “The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt…” (Deuteronomy 1:30). The Lord Jesus defeated the giants of sin and death; he made a “public spectacle of them [principalities and powers], triumphing over them by the cross” (Colossians 2:15). We c

 Numbers 34-36; Mark 11   “’…Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’” Numbers 35:33, 34 Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, killed his brother Abel. When God confronted Cain with his sin, he said, “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” (Genesis 4:10) This cry of innocent blood from every nation and region of the world continues to cry out to God for justice. God’s requirement that blood must be shed to atone for the sin of taking innocent blood still stands today. That is why Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, came to earth. His sprinkled blood “speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). God is looking today for intercessors and evangelists who can proclaim this “better word” of the blood of Christ to their people and lands. The blood of Chr

Numbers 32-33; Mark 10   “’…When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish their high places…those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides...’” Numbers 33:51, 52, 55 “…’One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven…’” Mark 10:21 God’s call to destroy all the idols in Canaan, and Christ’s call to sell everything and give to the poor, are both focused on freeing the hearts of God’s people. Compromise with greed, lust, self-indulgence, and the things of this world, weaken our faith and sap our spiritual power. What does “destroy all the idols” mean in our life today? What is the “one thing you lack” if Jesus were speaking directly to us today? God wanted his people to flourish in Canaan, and Christ wanted the rich young ruler to have treasure in heaven. What good things

 Numbers 30-31; Mark 9   “After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, ‘Why couldn’t we drive it out?’ He replied, ‘This kind can only come out only by prayer.’…Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ‘If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.’” Mark 9:28, 29, 35 The spiritual authority required to drive out unclean spirits, or lead in the kingdom of God, comes from intimacy with God. When Jesus pointed to prayer (and fasting) as a requirement in some deliverance situations, he was pointing to the need for greater intimacy with God and the need to yield to the work of the Holy Spirit, rather than a formula for success. The desire to be first is a misplaced desire. Jesus calls those who want to be first, to a life of servanthood. Our primary focus as followers of Jesus must be our intimacy and obedience with Jesus. It is God’s responsibility to assign our position and titles in his kingdom. We focus on the depth of our wal

Numbers 28-29; Mark 8 “’For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.’”  Mark 8:35 The kingdom principle of laying down our lives to gain true life is counter-intuitive, yet something God has created us to do. The path of discipleship requires that we continually deny ourselves so that the life of Jesus would be expressed in us and through us. This ‘laying down’ of rights, possessions, positions, and even our very life, is the opposite of our world’s message that we deserve better, more, and whatever we want – now. Will we listen to the Gospel, or will we listen to the world? Will we follow Jesus, or will we follow our sinful nature? The power of the Spirit and the Gospel to transform us requires that we submit to them and die to self. The good news is that Christ has defeated sin and death. He offers us freedom and the way forward. “Lord Jesus, I chose to receive your Gospel and live in your way of surrender, for yo