Listening to the Word

Isaiah 63,64; Psalms 107; John 2   “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him…No one calls on your name or strives to lay hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us and made us waste away because of our sins.” Isaiah 64:4, 7 It requires faith to wait on God in prayer when we desperately desire for God to act on our behalf now.   Who waits on God like a waiter at a nice restaurant? Who strives to ‘lay hold’ of God? In a generation that celebrates God’s grace, have we cheapened this grace to a prayer-vending machine? God’s mystery and hiddenness are meant to draw out our faith and strong desire for intimacy and communication. God’s love for us, in Christ, reveals what was once hidden for those seeking truth. Will we wait on the Lord and strive to lay hold of him until he pours out his Spirit upon us in renewal and love? “Lord Jesus, strengthen our resolve to wait on you, for your g

 Isaiah 60-62; John 1   “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you…Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn…the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.” Isaiah 60:1, 3, 5 When we live for the glory of the Lord, we reflect that glory to the world around us. The presence of Jesus is attractive. The spiritually dark nations of the world are attracted to the light of God’s presence. Will we unashamedly radiate the light of Jesus wherever we go? Jesus alone can heal wounded hearts and lives. He is our peace. The longing of the world for peace will only be satisfied in Jesus.   Wealth is one of the ways that the nations will say thank you to Jesus and his kingdom for bringing them peace. When the glory of the Lord is our focus, wealth is a gift we give, not an idol we worship. “Lord Jesus, we will reflect the light of your presence so that the nations may find their peace in

Isaiah 57-59; Psalms 103; 2 Peter 3   “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen” 2 Peter 3:18 These last words from Peter the Apostle define his life. This simple fisherman’s life was totally transformed when he decided one day, on the shore of Lake Tiberius, to follow Jesus. He experienced God’s grace personally as he walked with Jesus and grew as Christ’s disciple. The more we know Jesus personally, the more we, too, will experience his grace in our lives. Despite never going to school, Peter became an international leader who’s teaching, writing, and influence continues to this day. God still calls simple people to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ as both their Savior and their leader in daily life. Our knowledge of Jesus Christ and our relationship with him will transform us, while our knowledge in other arenas of study will equip us. When we grow in grace and relationship with Jesus, he incre

 Isaiah 53-56; 2 Peter 2   “But he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 Our peace and healing came at a price. The punishment for our sins and selfish behavior was carried by Jesus to the cross so we could experience healing and peace with God and others. In every conflict someone must initiate reconciliation for healing to occur. In our conflict with sin, God through his holiness, took the initiative and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice. The deep wounding in the various conflict zones around the world can only be healed by intervention that is costly. Someone must take initiative in reconciliation. In Christ we have the message and ministry of reconciliation. Peace is possible in every conflict if we will receive Christ’s gift of peace and healing. Where is God inviting us to apply this in our lives and in our prayers for the world? “Lord Jesus, you are

Isaiah 50-52; Psalms 92; 2 Peter 1   “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21 We serve the living God who speaks to us today by his Spirit. The prophetic writings in Scripture were first spoken to people who were listening to God. This prophetic anointing continues to fill the lives of those who ask God for it, as Paul counseled us to do (1 Corinthians 14:1). Peter was aware of his imminent departure when he wrote 2 Peter because the Lord was speaking to him. Throughout the world today, the Lord is speaking to his children, guiding their lives into fruitful mission as they cooperate with him. Are we listening to the Word of the Lord, or just analyzing it? The Church and the world need to hear the Word of the Lord today. Will we listen with ‘awakened ears’ so we can have instructed tongues (Isaiah 50:4). “Lord Jesus, you are the Living Word within me by the Holy Spirit. Disciple me and teac

 Isaiah 46-49; 1 Peter 5 “…All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” 1 Peter 5:5, 6 Humility is both a choice we make every day in all our relationships, and it is the fruit of living under God’s mighty hand. There is no hand more important on our lives than the hand of God. However, God’s hand requires humility. We choose whether we will submit to God with our lives. The alternative is to live with the pride of independence, comparison with others, and a focus on self. Will we turn from these sins of self and humble ourselves again today under God’s mighty hand? God promises his grace for those who live under his hand. God’s grace flows toward those who humble themselves before him every day. “Lord God, I humble myself before you, and trust you for all things this day, for your glory.”

 Isaiah 43-45; 1 Peter 4 “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12, 13 The Church in North Africa has paid, and is paying, a big price to know and follow Jesus. Young women who find Christ can be thrown out of their homes, beaten by their families, and face life on the street. Anyone who helps these sisters of ours will be charged by the police. Peter’s call to rejoice in this kind of suffering seems difficult to understand until he links them to the sufferings of Christ. Jesus understands the pain and rejection our sisters are suffering. One day they will share in Christ’s glory. The global family of God can learn much from the stories of faith, and stand with our sisters and brothers in the fire, wherever possible. “Lord Jesus, your sufferings for me humble me and give m

 Isaiah 40-42; 1 Peter 3   “Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the ends of the earth…Let the desert and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kedar lives rejoice…” Isaiah 42:10, 11 Every nation and people group has a song to sing which emerges from their culture and history. When they sing their song to the Lord of all creation, they are offering worship with the gifts they have been given. The settlements of Kedar had their own new song, as do the first nations of every land. Music reflects culture and yet worship has been exported by a few global generators, rather than inspired by the Holy Spirit through the cultural voice of each people group. It’s time to sing to the Lord a new song, and his praise from the ends of the earth. “Lord God, let your new song rise up in me and in your Church, for your glory.”

2 Kings 20; Isaiah 38,39; Psalms 75; 1 Peter 2     “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;…” 1 Peter 2:9, 10 Without clarity of our identity and value as people, we live desperate lives attempting to make a name for ourselves and prove our worth. God’s invitation to us is to find our life in him. He declares we have been chosen by him and set apart for his glory and mission. It was God who called us out of the spiritual darkness of sin and self, into his wonderful light. We declare God’s praises because this is our natural response to knowing we are loved and we belong. Our identity in God’s family unites us with people around the world, from every culture and language, who have also become the people of God. Have we discovered our identity in God and his family, or are we stil

 Isaiah 36,37; Psalms 76; 1 Peter 1   “…In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade – kept in heaven for you,” 1 Peter 1:3, 4 It’s not unusual for an inheritance to become a point of conflict in families. Children who quarrel about money have forgotten where their lasting inheritance is found. Peter reminds us that being born again   into God’s family has given us a lasting, eternal inheritance which no one can take away from us. This inheritance includes our atonement from sin and its penalty of death, and it also includes God’s rewards for faith and faithfulness in living out the ‘good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do’ (Ephesians 2:10). Because we have an eternal inheritance, we can live boldly, generously, and with hope that the same resurrection power in Jesus indwells us through the Holy Spirit. Has our inheritance changed how we

2 Kings 18,19; 2 Chronicles 32; James 5     “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him, and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed…” James 5:14-16 The confession of sin to one another breaks the power of the enemy’s hold over our thoughts and lives, and invites the healing power of the Spirit of God into our lives. When we confess sin to one another, we come out of the darkness and into the light of God’s presence together. It is God who forgives, heals, and delivers, but he has placed us in the Body of Christ so we could minister his grace to one another. Praying together for healing gives a wonderful opportunity to confess our sins to one another and walk in the light together. Healing of our hearts, bodies, and minds i

 2 Chronicles 29-31; James 4 “When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.” 2 Chronicles 31:1 The revival in Jerusalem brought consecration and cleansing throughout the land of Israel. When the sacred stones, idols, and high places in our lives and families come down, true revival is taking place. Revival is not just having a good time worshiping the Lord, it is costly and involves repentance; strongholds of sin are smashed. When was the last time we experienced this kind of revival? When we focus on sin strongholds, the will to confront them might not be present. However, when we focus on the Lord and consecrate ourselves to him, the repentance and willingness to confront sin c

2 Kings 17; 2 Chronicles 28; Psalms 46; James 3   “The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: ‘Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees…’ But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who did not trust in the Lord their God.” 2 Kings 17:13, 14 How we respond to the Lord’s warnings in our lives influences the ways in which we experience God’s discipline. The tribes of both Israel and Judah were repeatedly warned by God’s messengers, yet their hearts remained hard and their necks stiff. It takes humility to bow our heads before God and his Word to us. How have we responded to his warnings to us in the past? Are our hearts getting softer, or harder? Our obedience to God’s Word is connected to our trust that God’s ways are better than our sinful ways. Walking in the light of God’s Word and ways is our witness to the world that God is at work in our lives. Israel is a reminder to all God’s covenant people that how we respond

 Isaiah 32-35; James 2   “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there…But only the redeemed will walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing;…” Isaiah 35:8-10 The road to Zion is for people who have been redeemed, set free from a life of living for sin and self, and who now live for God. They have been ransomed from the kingdom of darkness by the blood of Christ. Now they walk on the road called Holiness because Christ has made them holy and set them apart to walk in his ways. Does that describe what God has done in our lives? Can we walk on this road called Holiness and still live on mission in the mess and brokenness of our world? Jesus walked this road, on mission, as our example. Holiness describes the life of those who have been redeemed, ransomed from sin, and who choose to wa

Isaiah 29-31; James 1 “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” James 1:26 From the overflow of our hearts, our mouths speak. The unbridled tongue is often the expression of an undisciplined heart. Like a horse, guided by a bit and bridle, so our lives are to be led by the Holy Spirit. When fear, anger, and pride are natural responses of the heart, the response of a disciple of Christ is guided by the Holy Spirit. Instead of reacting like a startled horse, we respond with love, humility, gentleness, and grace to the unexpected challenges of life. Religion that does not transform our hearts and speech is not worth anything of eternal value. “Lord Jesus, fill my heart and mouth with your peace and love this day, for your glory.”

 Isaiah 25-28; Hebrews 13   “Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith…Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden…” Hebrews 13:7, 17 Leaders are servants of God and are held accountable by God for the Church entrusted into their care. This stewardship relationship means healthy leaders recognize people belong to the Lord first, not to the leaders of the Church. Godly leaders must lead by their character and life of faith first, and not just their words and positional authority. When we submit to Christ’s authority in the Church, we are submitting to Christ. In a generation that struggles with authority, this can be a powerful witness to the world around us. Ask the Lord how you can bless the lives of his leaders today. “Thank you, Lord, for those who have taken on leadership in your Chur

 Isaiah 22-24; Hebrews 12   “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral…” Hebrews 12:14-16 Holiness, or being set apart for the purposes of God, is the fruit of Christ’s righteousness given to us. However, it is not a passive state of being, but a daily life of pursuing God’s pleasure in our lives. We value God’s presence and friendship more than the pleasures of sin. We value healthy, peaceful relationships more than getting our own way. Each day we invite God’s grace through the Holy Spirit to fill us and strengthen us so that our relationship with God and with one another is marked by holiness and peace. It is a better way to live but it requires daily choices and the power of the Gospel at work within us.   “Lord Jesus, thank you for the Gospel and your grace at work with

 Isaiah 19-21; Hebrews 11   “…without faith it is impossible to please God…By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Hebrews 11:6, 8 Faith is the fuel for a life lived on mission with God. Interestingly, it is as we burn this fuel through active obedience to God’s promptings and invitations each day that our faith grows, not diminishes. Abraham moved to a place God showed him and in the process he possessed his inheritance. By faith, are we possessing our inheritance in God’s kingdom? Faith pleases God because it operationalizes our convictions and confessional statements into everyday choices that please God. Without acts of obedience to God’s call, we don’t have a living faith, only religious theories. Each of us needs our own faith story of trust, obedience, and provision as we live on mission with God. “Lord Jesus, you are my Shepherd and my example of living on mission

Isaiah 15-18; Hebrews 10   “…those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Hebrews 10:3, 4 The Jewish Day of Atonement is an annual day of repentance before God for the sins of the nation. Today, without a temple and sacrificial system in place, this annual day becomes one of remembrance. Religious systems all around the world encourage “sacrifices”, or merit-making, to improve one’s spiritual standing. However, it is still impossible for the blood of bulls and goats, or any amount of good works to take away sins. Only the purposeful sacrifice of the sinless life of Jesus the Messiah can atone for the sins of human kind. We serve, love, and willingly live sacrificial lives in response to his forgiveness of us; not to gain his forgiveness. Today, who is God bringing into our lives that needs to hear this good news? “Lord Jesus, thank you for your forgiveness and grace toward me, for your glory.”

Isaiah 11-14; Hebrews 9   “…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…make known among the nations what he has done…” Isaiah 12:2-4   Religions require people to dig hard for spiritual experiences and atonement for their sin. All over the world, spiritually thirsty people are digging dry wells. Jesus is our salvation; his Spirit is living water. Pointing people to Jesus as the salvation of their lives is a well of living water that will never run dry. When we find that living water, like the Samaritan woman at the well, we must tell our friends and family. Jesus offers us his salvation and his Spirit so we are satisfied to the depth of our being. Have we found living water and are we sharing that well of salvation with others? - Or are we still digging for life in all the wrong places? “Lord Jesus, you are my strength and salvation and the source of life that never runs dry. Thank you, for your g

Isaiah 8-10; Hebrews 8 “…but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan – The people walking in darkness have seen a great light;…Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end…” Isaiah 9:1, 2, 7 Jesus grew up and ministered in ‘Galilee of the Gentiles’, a mixed race region with many Gentiles and some Jews. The light he brought was the knowledge of salvation and freedom from the darkness of sin and death. Christ’s kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit within that is then expressed through Christ’s kingdom citizens to the world around them. Of the increase of this kingdom and peace there will be no end. Are we growing in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit? Jesus lived this light in a dark place, and so can we. The light of Christ’s presence and peace within us will transform and overcome the darkness around us, no matter where we live! “Lord Jesus, you are the light. I yield to you an

 Micah 5-7; Hebrews 7   “What misery is mine! I am like one who gathers summer fruit at the gleaning of the vineyard; there is no cluster of grapes to eat, none of the early figs that I crave. The godly have been swept from the land;…” Micah 7:1, 2 The prophet Micah is grieved that there is no spiritual fruit among his people at the time of harvest. He longs for the fruit of the vine and the fig tree; the righteousness, faithfulness, and justice of God’s ways expressed in and through his people. Are we provoked to misery in our spirit at the spiritual condition of our lives and of our Churches when we, too, lack spiritual fruit? When there are few, if any baptisms, few leaders being raised up, and few mission workers sent out, we should not remain content. ‘What misery is mine [ours]!’ Fruitfulness in character and in souls is normal when the vines and fig trees of God’s kingdom are healthy. “Lord God, I repent for settling with limited fruitfulness when you expect and call for more, f

Micah 1-4; Hebrews 6   “Every man (person) will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. All the nations may walk in the name of their gods; we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.” Micah 4:4, 5 The heart of God is for his people to possess their inheritance in his kingdom. Moses shared the vision of each Israelite being brought into a good land, a land with streams and pools of water, ‘a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees’ (Deuteronomy 8:8). In their impatience, Abiram and Dathan demanded their inheritance quickly – the fig trees and vines. In deception, the king of Assyria offered the people of Judah their own vines and fig trees if they submitted to his authority and moved to his land (Isaiah 36:16). God’s heart is to restore us to our inheritance of vines and fig trees and restore to us the years the locusts have eaten (Joel 2:22). The fruit of the Spirit in the kingdo

 Hosea 13,14; Psalms 100,102; Hebrews 5 “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. Where, O death, are your plagues? Where, O grave, is your destruction?” Hosea 13:14 “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” Psalm 102:19, 20 Many peoples have sought refuge in death as an escape from the pain of their lives. They don’t know that Jesus has defeated death and offers them freedom from the bondage of death, and the gift of his abundant life. First Nations’ peoples around the world have lived with this struggle. They are like prisoners in chains. God hears their groans and he pronounces their release. The condemning lies of the spirit of death are overcome by the truth that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He is the Chief Cornerstone. Jesus has overcome! He is our Redeemer! Jesus sets the prisoners free! We proclaim his victory ov

 Hosea 10-12; Psalms 73; Hebrews 4 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15, 16 Jesus understands our frailty and weaknesses and our vulnerability to temptation and he is interceding for us. He is seated beside the Father’s throne of grace, interceding for mercy on our behalf to the Father. We are not dependent on human priests to intercede for us with animal sacrifices. The forgiveness for sin, which every one of us requires, has been accomplished. We don’t need to fear punishment for sin, or live under the shameful, destructive lies of the enemy. The grace of God gives us confidence, boldness, and courage to live as overcomers in the world. Our mission is to live and share this Gospel with all who have never h

 Hosea 6-9; Hebrews 3   “Therefore, holy brothers who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” Hebrews 3:1 Jesus is our salvation, not just at the point when we give our lives to him and put our faith in his atonement of our sin, but every day. Fixing our thoughts on Jesus throughout the day, every day, is one of the disciplines of a disciple of Christ. When we face temptation, we know Jesus was tempted in the same say, so we ask him for strength and a way out. We fix our thoughts on Jesus, our high priest who sacrificed his life for our sins, and we worship him. We fix our thoughts on the ways of God that we see illustrated in the life of Jesus as he also lived for the will of the Father. Choosing to fix our thoughts on Jesus today will change how we live for his glory. “Lord Jesus, fill me with thoughts of you this day, for your glory.”

Hosea 2-5; Hebrews 2   “There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.” Hosea 2:15 The Valley of Achor was where Achan was buried after he stole a Babylonian robe and money from Jericho. God clearly said the Israelites were to touch nothing. Achor means trouble, the kind of trouble we find ourselves in when we rebel against God’s ways and pursue security and self-indulgence. In his mercy, God is able to redeem the Valley at Achor and make it a door of hope – tikvah (Hebrew) – in our lives if we will humble ourselves and repent. The pain of Achor gives motivation for us to open the door of hope when we see it, and walk through. We serve the God of all hope and the resurrection of Christ from the dead means our hope is eternal. When we are troubled by sin, we look for the door of hope! “Lord Jesus, you are my hope. I choose to live for you and share your G

2 Kings 15,16; Hosea 1; 1 Hebrews 1   “King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: ‘On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering…Sprinkle on the altar all the blood of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.’ And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.” 2 Kings 16:15, 16 King Ahaz copied the design of a pagan altar he had seen in Damascus to replace the bronze altar God had instructed Solomon to build. Every altar God instructed his leaders to build included requirements unlike those of the pagan altars around them. The atonement for sin must follow God’s prescribed ways. We cannot invent or copy our way to salvation or righteousness. King Ahaz kept the bronze altar off to one side for seeking God’s guidance. He wanted his own religion, but he also wanted the opportunity to seek God’s direction when it suited him. Rather than confront this powerful leader, the priest Uriah

 Isaiah 6,7; 2 Chronicles 26,27; Philemon   “Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,” Philemon 1:1 Who would introduce themselves in a public letter as a prisoner? Paul wasn’t ashamed about his prisoner status because he knew his imprisonment was the will of God. From the first days of his conversion when the Lord showed him how much he would suffer for Christ’s name (Acts 9:16), Paul knew that suffering was part of his Gospel witness. Was suffering for the Gospel an assignment given only to Paul, or is there an invitation for us as well? If Paul could introduce himself as a prisoner, not of Caesar’s, but of Christ Jesus, then we can also introduce ourselves as prisoners of Christ because of his call on our lives. We are teachers for Christ Jesus, business leaders for Christ, students of Christ, and builders for Christ. Our identity and calling come from Christ if we belong to him, no matter our occupation. What difference will that make in how we see ourselves today

 Isaiah 4,5; Psalms 115,116; Jude   “May the Lord make you increase, both you and your children. May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth…How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” Psalm 115:14, 15; 116:12, 13 The blessing of God on our lives brings ‘increase’ to us and to our children. The same creative beauty evidenced all around us in creation is being expressed in our lives as we offer them to God. How can we say thanks to God for his blessings on our lives and our families? We lift up the cup of salvation by remembering Christ’s gift of forgiveness and grace to us and we share that cup with others. We pursue relationship with God throughout the day by calling on his name and inviting him into the everyday activities of life. All of life becomes grateful worship once we realize how much God has blessed us. “Thank you Father, for your grace and goodness to me and to our family. All

Isaiah 1-3; Titus 3   “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow;…’” Isaiah 1:16-18 Our individualized application of discipleship and salvation inform how we read God’s promise to wash our lives clean, as ‘white as snow’. The sins for which God rebuked Israel were the corporate sins of ignoring justice for the oppressed and ignoring the cause of the fatherless and the widow. The most vulnerable in society are noticed by the Lord and he holds his covenant people responsible to do something about it. This kind of repentance is very practical. ‘Stop doing wrong, learn to do right!’   What injustices does God want us to respond to? “Lord Jesus, you are the Light of the World, through me and through your Church. Forgive my selfishness and let me see injustice through your eyes th