Listening to the Word

 Amos 7-9; Psalms. 104; Titus 2   “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.” Titus 2:1, 2 Theology is important regardless of our age; however, why teach the older men to endure? It’s possible for older men to feel they have raised their children to follow the Lord, they’ve worked hard to provide for their family, and now in their later years, it is “me time”. Rather than endure and persevere in the race marked out for them, they take a “time out”. The enemy of our souls looks to exploit our “time outs” and “me times” to damage our character and destroy all we have received in Christ. Will we endure patiently, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, so that we, too, will finish well? “Lord Jesus, my eyes are on you. Fill me with grace to run well in every season of life, for your glory.”

 Amos 4-6; Psalms. 86; Titus 1   “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. They claim to know God, but by their consciences they deny him…” Titus 1:15, 16 Why are all things pure to the pure in heart? Paul’s context for this statement was the influence of the Jewish circumcision group on the lives of new Christ-followers. The circumcision group were advocating for both practicing the laws of Moses with its many cleanliness laws, and salvation through Christ. Paul’s call was for the righteousness of Jesus to be received by faith and grace, and then lived out in the power of the Holy Spirit, rather than by the letter of the law. Are there rules and practices that we are living under in our attempt to earn God’s favor? Are there religious rituals or practices that have replaced the Holy Spirit’s power and freedom in our lives? Are we enjoying the righteousness, peace, and

 Amos 1-3; Psalms. 80; 2 Timothy 4 “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” 2 Timothy 4:2 At the close of his earthly life, Paul was focused on the essentials as he encouraged Timothy, his spiritual son. The Greek word, logos, means Preach the Word . Jesus is the logos , and the fulfillment of the Word of God. Preach Jesus. Stay focused on the living Word of God and your fruit in ministry will endure. As an evangelist, Timothy needed to be prepared “in season and out of season”. Preach when hearts are prepared and when they aren’t. Preach when we are prepared and when the door of opportunity suddenly opens. Correct, rebuke, and encourage with patience and care, using the plumb line of God’s Word as our standard. Build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, the logos, and the truth of Christ’s Gospel will set people free. Let the Word of God dwell in us richly and then talk about it all the tim

 2 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 25; 2 Timothy 3   “He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel…in accordance with the word of the Lord, the God of Israel, spoken the servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.” 2 Kings 14:25 Jonah was used by God to prophesy the defeat of Israel’s oppressing enemies to the north. His own family would have experienced the hardship of living under the cruel Arameans. Jonah’s assignment to preach repentance to Nineveh meant God’s redemptive plan included Israel’s enemies. To fulfill that preaching assignment, Jonah had to represent God’s throne room rather than his own people. Are we able to view the world from God’s mission-heart first, or are we also carrying, as our first response, the biases and political perspectives of our nations? Jonah was first a servant of the Lord and it was God’s Word that he carried. How would others describe us? “Thank you Lord for entrusting your Word to me and opening doors to share it, regardless of

 Jonah 1-4; 2 Timothy 2   “’Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.’…’I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.’” Jonah 1:2; 4:2 God’s wrath against sin is not incongruent with his grace, compassion, and love for people. Jonah was sent to an enemy of Israel with a message of repentance. God’s kindness leads us to repentance. Are we willing to deliver God’s message about sin to a culture and generation that has forgotten the meaning of sin and repentance? The love of God is greater than we can imagine, extending to the cruelest and most violent people on earth. Yet he does not ignore their sin. God’s desire is that no one would die for their sin - not Nineveh, not terrorists, not dictators - but that everyone would repent of their sin and find the mercy of God in Christ. Is that a mission we can accept, or will we, like Jonah, run the oth

 Joel 1-3; 2 Timothy 1   “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God…” 2 Timothy 1:7, 8 The price of testifying to the Gospel in Paul’s day was sometimes imprisonment and even death. In the western world, the protections given by the freedom of religion are still not enough to encourage many Christians to share the Gospel.   Is it because we value the acceptance of our neighbors and society more than God’s acceptance of us? What’s more powerful than the fear of man? Paul reminded Timothy of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment and love which transform how one views others and interacts with them. As Paul anticipated his final trial and possible martyrdom, his prayer for Timothy, his son in the Lord, was that he would stand firm in his faith and calling to live and share the Gospel until the en

 2 Kings 11-12; 2 Chronicles 24; 1 Timothy 6   “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. Grace be with you.” 1 Timothy 6:20, 21 As a young leader and disciple, Timothy was in a spiritual battle both in his discipleship walk and in the life of the Church he was leading. The battle for the hearts and lives of Christ-followers always begins in the thoughts we meditate on and pursue. The Greek definition of knowledge encourages the debate of ideas and the separation of the mind from the activities of the body. However, the Biblical definition of knowledge is rooted in the Hebrew, Shema, from Deuteronomy 6:4, 5, which all Jews recited twice each day. This call to love God with all your heart, soul, and strength involved obedience, not just feelings. In Hebrew, to know is to obey. Timothy was contending for obedience i

 2 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 22-23; 1 Timothy 5   “Jehu said, ‘Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord.’ Then he had him ride along in his chariot. When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family; he destroyed them, according to the word of the Lord spoken to Elijah.” 2 Kings 10:16, 17 Where does zeal come from? Jehu was a commander of men in Israel’s army, but there was no recorded evidence of his zeal prior to the prophetic word he received regarding Ahab’s family and his anointing for kingship. When the prophet poured oil on Jehu’s head and anointed him, the Spirit of God came upon Jehu with power. Paul repeatedly called the Church to be zealous in serving the Lord. The jealous love of God toward his people and his prophetic purposes is described as zeal. Have we experienced the Lord’s zeal in our lives? It is this zeal which will keep us from sin and motivate us to live on mission. Will we ask the Lord for more zeal if we are lacking? “Lord Jesus, renew

 2 Kings 8-9; 2 Chronicles 21; 1 Timothy 4 “The spirit clearly says that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1, 2 There is no more important capacity or discipline in the life of a disciple of Christ than to live in unbroken fellowship and communion with the Holy Spirit. This was the prayer of Jesus for his disciples. The Spirit of truth guides us into all truth, reminds us of what Jesus has said, counsels us, empowers us for mission, convicts us of sin, gifts us for ministry, bears fruit in our lives for God’s glory, and reminds us that we are deeply loved by our Father. When we deliberately and repeatedly disobey the Holy Spirit, our conscience becomes seared and we lose our sensitivity to the Spirit’s promptings and ministry. We then become vulnerable to deceiving spirits and counterfeit gifts. How cl

 2 Kings 6-7; 2 Chronicles 20; 1 Timothy 3 “’Don’t be afraid,’ the prophet answered. ‘Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ And Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.’…he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.” 2 Kings 6:16, 17 God both opened the eyes of Elisha’s servants to see into the unseen spiritual realm around them, and later closed the physical eyes of the Aramean soldiers. We, too, are battling as Paul reminds us in Ephesians 2:1-3, with the ways of the world, the devil, and our sinful nature. We, too, need our spiritual eyes opened to discern the enemy’s schemes, and to recognize God’s provision. Losing our physical sight is tragic; however, living without spiritual vision has eternal impact. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to open the eyes of our heart so we can know the Father better and the hope to which he has called us, the inheritance that is ours, and his great power for us as believers

 2 Kings 4-5; Psalms. 83; 1 Timothy 2   “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men – the testimony given in its proper time.” 1 Timothy 2:5, 6 The most powerful and wealthy leaders in the world are powerless to save souls from God’s wrath against sin. It was through the willing offering of himself as a ransom for all people, a sinless sacrifice for the sins of all people, that Christ Jesus brought salvation to God’s creation. Will we accept this generous offer of salvation and in turn offer our lives to God and his mission? Christ Jesus came at the proper time, in the fullness of time. God’s timing is as important as his call.   As we pray and intercede for revival in our nations, will we recognize the times and seasons that God has determined to bring salvation and spiritual awakening to our people? Will we stand in the gap between God and our nation and intercede for a spiritual harvest? “Lord Jesus, have

 2 Kings 1-3; Psalms.82; 1 Timothy 1 “Timothy, my son, I am giving you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience…” 1 Timothy 1:18, 19 God spoke prophetically to Timothy, early in his discipleship journey, about his gifting and calling in the kingdom of God. Over the years, the Lord brought these prophetic words back to Timothy, fulfilled to remind and encourage him that God was going before him. Even though Timothy received prophetic words regarding his gifting and calling in ministry, he needed to fight daily, in faith, to possess the promises. He needed to live with purity and a clear conscience before the Lord. The prophetic words encourage us, but they don’t replace the daily disciplines of discipleship and faith-filled obedience to Jesus and his Word. What has the Lord spoken to us and promised us that we need to recall, so that we, too, can fight well in th

 1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18-19; Colossians 4   “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.” Colossians 4:2-4 Paul’s call to be devoted to prayer came from a prison cell, and possibly the cruel Mamartine prison in Rome. A natural request would have been to ask for prayer for his release, but that was not Paul’s focus. Paul’s counsel in prayer was that the Colossians would pray for open doors, not for his release, but for the Gospel. Pray for opportunities to share Christ with people in a clear manner so they fully understand the Gospel. Paul was Gospel-centered and mission-focused, even when he was facing extended imprisonment and death. How much of our praying is focused on our needs and the needs of others? Will we devote ourselves to prayer that is Spirit-led, mission-focused, and Gos

 1 Kings 20-21; 2 Chronicles 17; Colossians 3   “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:15, 16 What is ruling in our lives and Churches today? Paul encouraged the Colossians to let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts. Who has the last word in disputes, discernment processes, or counsel? Paul said the message of Christ should be the Word we are dwelling on, guided by, and daily meditating on. Are we centered on Christ and finding our daily direction and counsel from Christ? The ministry of the Spirit is to remind us of the words of Christ and counsel us in how to apply them to our lives personally and corporately so that the peace of Christ rules. “Lord Jesus, fill my mind with your thoughts and my mouth w

1 Kings 17-19; Colossians 2 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness…For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:6, 7, 9, 10 Receiving Christ Jesus as Lord of our lives at conversion changes everything in our lives. Receiving Christ Jesus as our personal Savior at conversion only changes a few things in our lives. When Jesus is clearly understood as our life, we live in him and are rooted in him each morning when we awaken. We find our strength in Christ and we process all of our questions and challenges with Christ through the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus Christ is over every earthly and heavenly power and authority. Knowing this means we live with great boldness and freedom if we belong to Christ and serve as his amb

 1 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 15-16; Colossians 1 “He is the image of the invisible God…he is the head of the body, the church…For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:15, 18-20 God’s global peace-plan is found in Christ and his Gospel. The Church, or body of Christ, is the vehicle in which God’s peace-plan is expressed. Are we aware of the scope of God’s intentions for the Church? The forgiveness of sin is not just so individuals can go to heaven. The atonement can heal nations, warring cultures, and ancient wounds. God has made peace possible in every conflict in heaven and on earth through Christ’s death and shed blood on the cross. No other blood needs to be sacrificed.   If the Church were to live this message sacrificially in every conflict around the world, how many lives would be spared? “Lord Jesus, yo

1 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 13-14; Philippians 4 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God…will guard your hearts and your minds…Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure…think about such things…And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:6, 7, 8, 9 We have a choice with what we do with troubling thoughts. We can both ‘stew’ over them and grow in our anxiety and agitation, or we can surrender these thoughts, relationships, problems, and troubles to God in prayer. God promises when we choose to surrender our anxiety and its causes to him, his peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Our daily choice then is to not just surrender troubling thoughts to God, but to actively meditate and think on topics which are true, noble, right, and pure. It is our choice whether to actively pursue wholesome topics on which to me

 1 Kings 13-14; 2 Chronicles 12; Philippians 3 “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead…take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you…many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” Philippians 3:10, 11, 17, 18 Who are we following as we seek to know and live for Christ? Paul called the Philippians to follow his way of life, even as Paul followed Christ. At the heart of Paul’[s discipleship journey was the cross – the death and resurrection of Jesus. Both in Paul’s day and in our day, there are many who live as enemies of the cross. They might give token acknowledgment to the historicity of the cross, but when you observe their lives, they are unwilling to deny themselves and to consider themselves dead to sin and alive to God. The death and resurrection of Jesus doesn’t seem to have made any difference in how the

1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 10-11; Philippians 2   “Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Philippians 2:1, 2 While we can be united in one mission, our highest level of unity is to be one in Christ. Pursuing Christ as our common center, being led by his Spirit as our common guide and source of love, leads to united thought and action. Unity is not often the result of more talking, but rather, the result of more praying. When Jesus is our focus and we are together in his presence, unity is a result. How many marriages and ministry teams would experience a new level of love and unity if they would make Jesus their center through humble prayer and worship? Rather than focusing on our differences and problems, let us fix our eyes on Jesus and invite the Holy

 Song 5-8; Philippians 1   “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” Philippians 1: 29, 30 Jesus has granted, or given to us freely, salvation and suffering, to believe in him and to bear pain with him. The Philippian Church was birthed during the severe beatings and imprisonment of Paul and Silas. As Paul wrote this letter to the Philippian Church he was again in prison, this time in Rome. Mission pioneers are at the forefront of the spiritual battle for territory.   Suffering is normal in missions, but is it normal for all Christians? Jesus calls all of us to live on mission wherever we are, and the normal consequence in our community, workplace, and family, could include suffering. Are we living on mission with Jesus? “Lord Jesus, your mission is costly and rewarding. I pray for grace to be faithful, for your glory.”

Song 1-4; Ephesians 6 “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” Song of Songs 2:15 “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:11 Foxes burrow in holes beneath the grape vines, disturbing and destroying the roots, as well as chew on the tender shoots and later, the fruit of the vine. Jesus said we are branches and he is the vine. Our purpose is to produce fruit that remains for God’s glory. Satan’s schemes are to destroy that fruitful capacity of our lives in any way possible. The hidden sins of gossip, lust, fear, and pride, eventually become evident in our reduced fruit-bearing capacity. Confronting these hidden sins of our thoughts, speech, and behavior, is essential if we are to grow as disciples of Christ. Catching these “little foxes” means we must “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). We have authority in Christ to resi

 Ecclesiastes 10-12; Psalms. 94; Ephesians 5   “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” Ephesians 5:25-27 Jesus is the Word of God who made his home with us. Listening to the Word and obeying this Word will cleanse us from “stains…wrinkles…blemishes” and every other defiling influence of sin in our lives. Christ’s beauty treatment for us begins with immersing ourselves in his cleansing Word. Are we listening to the Word in our homes? - In our marriages? Are we becoming more like the radiant bride for whom Christ is returning? Do we love Christ enough to let him ‘rub off the dead skin, cleanse our pores, and purify us’? This life-long beauty treatment is for Christ’s glory. Seeing him when he returns will make it all worthwhile. “Lord Jesus, yo

 Ecclesiastes 7-9; Ephesians 4   “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ…and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus…Therefore…put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” Ephesians 4:15, 21, 25 Our maturity as the body of Christ is both influenced and expressed in our truthful speech to one another. Jesus is the truth, so he must flavor our speech. Jesus is our source of love, so we, as Christ’s body, must love one another. Speaking and listening to the truth, in love, is the way we learn from each other and grow in our maturity in the body of Christ. We love each other too much to not speak Christ’s truth to one another. Are we loving and bold in our communication of Jesus’ truth to each other? What invitations does Jesus have for us today? “Lord Jesus, speak truthful love in me and through me this day, for your glory.”

Ecclesiastes 4-6; Psalms. 18; Ephesians 3   “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,” Ephesians 3:10 In Christ, both Jews and Gentiles have access and relationship with God and with each other. Together, we are being built into a temple, or body, in which God dwells through his Spirit. Together, we are the Church, the ‘called-out’ ones. The Church is God’s peace-making, reconciling vehicle on earth. Our collective witness of reconciliation is a statement to the spiritual rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms of God’s amazing wisdom. In his wisdom, God sent his Son to offer his life as an atoning sacrifice for sin to reconcile all things to God and to each other. The wall of partition between Jew and Gentile and between cultures has been broken down by Christ’s sacrifice. As Christ’s ambassadors, we willingly enter the culture of another and offer our lives that they might

 Ecclesiastes 1-3; Psalms. 45; Ephesians 2 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 Salvation is a gift of grace in our lives which liberates us from living under the authority of our sinful nature, the ways of this world, and Satan. We are born again into the kingdom of God and become part of Christ’s body, the Church. Together, we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do, together. This is not a solo, body-building, exercise routine, but a corporate identity that together Christ’s body, functioning under his authority as our head, is working to advance his kingdom mission in this world. Our interdependence on one another and dependence on the Lord is a function of the different parts, gifts, and grace which we have received. Yet, our collective purpose as one body is to glorify God. We are a piece of work with which God is not f

Proverbs 30-31; Psalms. 33; Ephesians 1  “The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.” Psalm 33:10, 11 God’s plans are not just for individuals, but for cities and nations. God’s plans are not just for our lives, they are for multiple generations. God both establishes his plans and foils the plans of the nations when they oppose him. For those of us who surrender our lives to God and seek his kingdom and his righteousness, God shares his plans so we can cooperate with them. We have the privilege of standing in intercession for Christ’s kingdom to come and his will to be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Heaven becomes our inheritance as we invest in God’s mission. Are we willing to exchange our plans for the Lord’s plans? “Lord God, your plans are eternal and they also are personal. Thank you for your love and care for me and your invitation to me t

 Proverbs 28-29; Psalms. 60; Romans 16 “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet…” Romans 16:20 Paul’s warning to the Church in Rome was to watch out for those who manipulate others to gain influence within the Church, and then cause divisions. This was a warning that it was a scheme of the enemy to destroy the Church. Jesus has already triumphed over Satan on the cross and the victory has been won. However, we must now apply that victory by the authority Christ has given us in resisting Satan. The God of Peace, who calls us to love our enemies and live in forgiveness, has and will crush Satan under our feet as we stand firm in spiritual warfare. The weapons of our warfare are not physical, but spiritual. They include forgiveness, love, and prayer in the name of Jesus Christ and his blood shed for us. Do we know this God of Peace, or have we created another gospel of peace which is really an appeasement with spiritual darkness? “Lord Jesus, you have overcome as our Prince

 Proverbs 25-27; Romans 15 “May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 Hope is rooted in who God is. We are invited to ask God to daily fill us with his Spirit, expressed in joy and peace. God’s joy and peace within us is evidence that our trust in him is transforming both who we are and how we approach life each day. This joy and peace is what living a hope-filled life looks like. Our hope in God is not just for eternity, but for today, and it is powerful. Paul prayed for this reality of God’s hope to fill the Church in Rome, through the Spirit’s joy and peace. Like Paul, we can pray for the same experience of God’s presence today. It’s not automatic, but a faith-filled prayer of trust in who God is, in us and for us.” “Lord God, fill me with your peace and joy so my hope in you and through you is stronger today, for your glory.”