Listening to the Word

Job 22; Mark 7-8   “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.” Job 22:21 This argument from Eliphaz the Temanite to his friend Job has been repeated countless times through history. Some would argue that this statement is the central thought which is refuted by Job’s story. We live in a fallen world which Christ is redeeming. Sin, sickness, and poverty afflict God’s people as well as those who don’t know him. When we give our lives to Christ, he redeems all things, including our pain, and uses them to strengthen our faith so we can bring glory to God. The resurrection power of Jesus is available to God’s children to heal, deliver, and restore us; however, it is not a formula for prosperity. Not all are healed and not all pain is removed. “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Job reminds us to live for what remains. “Father God, may you receive glory from my life and choices this day...

  Job 2l; Mark 5-6   “When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them…Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down…” Mark 6:47, 48, 50, 51 How do we respond when we are in deep water and the wind is against us? The disciples knew they had authority in Christ and had already exercised that authority in driving our demons and healing people; however, the stormy lake presented a new challenge for which they felt unprepared. While Jesus walked on the waves, the disciples fought them. What are we fighting against that Jesus has already overcome? Jesus’ word to the disciples was to take courage and not fear.   In the midst of our struggles, can we stop, resist fear, and find courage in the presence of Jesus? Jesus has called us to be overcomers. He is the great “I am...

Job 20; Mark 3-4   “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand…I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemes of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven…” Mark 3:24, 25, 28, 29 God’s kingdom grows in unity but is set back by division. The Holy Spirit is actively working to unite God’s people, and when we slander or undervalue the work of the Holy Spirit we will not advance in our faith. When we slander other Christ-followers, judge their motives, and even attribute their ministry to Satan, even Satan’s kingdom doesn’t function in division. When we do this, we grieve God.   When there are differences between us as Christ-followers, we are called to take our eyes off of each other and focus on Jesus. Christ’s purpose is to bring glory to the Father through our lives. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodn...

  Job 19; Mark 1-2   “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.” Mark 2:21, 22 New wine will burst old wineskins. The container is not the focus; it is the wine that matters. The structures must serve the fresh outpourings of God’s Spirit and expressions of his kingdom, not the reverse. It takes risk-taking obedience to develop new wineskins in step with the Spirit. Our natural tendency is to try to control new wine through old wineskins. The Jewish laws could not contain the new inner righteousness of the outpoured Holy Spirit any more than the western church structures can contain the new expressions of Church in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. God is continually doing a new thing. When we perceive it, ...

Job 18; Psalms 114; Acts 27-28   “When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.” Psalm 114:1, 2 God’s presence is within his people, far more than it is within a building. The house of Jacob, the tribe of Judah, and Israel as a nation were all described as God’s people. When we leave the bondage of sin and experience salvation, we, too, leave our ‘Egypt’. We, too, offer our lives as the temple of the Holy Spirit. Collectively, the Church is Christ’s building project. We are ‘being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:22). This is our collective witness, that the love of God is transforming us and fitting our lives together to express his glory. Are we collectively living this gospel witness? “Lord God, you have delivered me from the bondage of sin and filled me with your Spirit, for your glory. Thank you.”

  Job 17; Acts 24-26   “…’Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied.” Acts 26:14, 15 Ox goads were slender sticks with a pointed end used to prod oxen to do what their master wanted. Oxen kicked against the goads when they resisted the sharp, pointed reminder that their will wasn’t the final word.   How long had Saul felt the pointed prodding of the Holy Spirit prior to his conversion? Sometimes, the most antagonistic critics of the gospel are those under the greatest conviction of the Holy Spirit. God is at work in people’s lives long before their conversion. The sudden conversion on the Damascus Road was preceded by a long period of prodding. Perhaps Paul watched Jesus minister, argued with him in the temple, and grew in his opposition to this ‘usurper’ of the Pharisees’ authority. Saul was persecuting Jesus as he imprisoned those who wer...

Job 16; Acts 21-23 “’Who are you Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied…’Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’” Acts 22:8, 10 When the Church, the body of Christ, is persecuted, the Lord Jesus feels the pain. When we become part of his body, we receive direct communication from Jesus Christ, our Living Head. The Word of the Lord is living, active, and sharper than a sword. The body of Christ would become Paul’s assignment as he called both Jews and Gentiles to salvation in Christ. Jesus feeds and cares for his body, the Church (Ephesians 5:29, 30), and he invites us to love the body of Christ as he does. When one part of the body is in pain, other parts are affected and the whole body adjusts. Have we grasped this broader reality of Christ’s one body, or are we focused on our own needs in a particular, local expression of Christ’s body? Are we experiencing Christ’s care and p...

  Job 15; Acts 19-20 “…You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publically and from house to house.” Acts 20:18-20 Paul’s life and words were congruent. His tent-making supported the work of preaching so he wasn’t controlled by the donations of his audience. With great humility and boldness he served the Lord and the people. This freedom from the control of others, and yet servant-leadership attitude reminds us of Jesus. Paul’s tears for those he was ministering to were an expression of the love which motivated his life. What motivates us in life and ministry to others? In what areas of character are we being invited to new levels of Christ-likeness? “Lord Jesus, your humility, love, boldness, servanthood, an...

  Job 13-14; Acts 17-18 “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead.” Acts 17:2, 3 The Scriptures are a record of both history and prophetic revelation of God’s salvation story culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paul’s gift was in reasoning, explaining, and proving that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of God’s promise to send the Messiah. Are we able to use the Scriptures effectively as a tool in our gospel conversations? Is Jesus the focus of our gospel conversations, or have we become the focus? Paul’s ministry included many miracles and demonstrations of the Spirit’s power, but they only confirmed the gospel message rather than becoming the focus. Is Jesus our main topic of discussion, or has he been replaced by other, ‘more interesting’ topics? “Lord Jesus, you are my life-focus and my conversation...

  Job 11-12; Acts 15-16   “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements…having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” Acts 15:28; 16:6, 7 Listening to and knowing the leading of the Holy Spirit was essential to the doctrinal discernment as well as missional strategy of the early Church. Are we practicing the same dependency on the leadership of the Holy Spirit today? The early Church listened to the Spirit’s leading through Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James. God speaks through the Body of Christ. Paul listened to the Spirit’s leading through promptings and prayer. God speaks through his Spirit communing with our spirit, and through circumstances which point to his direction. Are we growing in our capacity to discern the Holy Spirit’s leading, or are we leadin...

  Job 9-10; Acts 13-14   “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:2, 3 The leadership team of the Church in Antioch made time to fast, worship the Lord, and discern God’s assignments. This is another level of Spirit-led leadership than what is normally practiced in the Church. Prayer is most often a devotional start to business meetings, or a summit day when we share with the Lord our hopes, struggles, and requests. Taking several days to fast, worship, and seek the Lord for his assignments for us requires us to enter God’s presence without an agenda. To listen well, leadership teams require the gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in the lives of their leaders. The impact of the discernment summit in Antioch was the launching of a church-planting mission strategy that was in ...

  Job 6-8; Acts 12   “After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover…The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared…” Acts 12:4, 6, 7 How many soldiers, chains, and prisons does it take to chain God’s Word, God’s work, and God’s Spirit? Herod discovered the might of the Roman Empire could not stop the advance of the Gospel. When we, like Peter, face the schemes of the enemy to block our witness, or the advance of the Gospel, we, too, must humble ourselves and call out to God for deliverance. One angel was all it took to deliver Peter from squads of soldiers, chains, and a prison. Can God deliver us from our prisons of fear, doubt, lust, and rebellion? There are times when only God can deliver us. Like...

Job 5; Psalms 108; Acts 10-11   “The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean…You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:15, 36 The good news of the Gospel is that we have been offered peace with God through Jesus Christ, and peace with each other. Why peace with each other? Because Jesus has broken down the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles, and every other wall separating cultures and people groups. The Jewish dietary and purification laws have been removed by God’s command; he has made all food clean. Jesus has been given all authority in heaven and on earth; peace is possible through him. This message of vertical and horizontal peace in the name of Jesus is what we are called to live and share. To whose house is God inviting us so we can testify to this good news? “Lord Jesus, thank you for breaking down the walls and making peace poss...

  Job 3-4; Acts 8-9   “Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ…Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.” Acts 9:22, 31 Saul’s dramatic conversion and immediate launch into public testimony was confusing as well as profound for the Jews, both in Damascus and later in Jerusalem. The fiercest persecutor of the Church became its strongest advocate overnight. Despite strong opposition, both Saul and the Church grew in spiritual strength, in numbers, and in the fear of the Lord. Sometimes it is in our darkest moments that God is accomplishing his greatest work of transformation. Are we praying for spiritual renewal and new strength regardless of the cost? The persecution which broke out against the Church both scattered the disciples, and precipitated new mission outre...

Job 1-2; Acts 6-7   “…It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables…We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” Acts 6:2, 4   There is a price to pay for not ‘waiting on tables’, and instead, waiting on the Lord in prayer and meditation on Scripture. Many people choose volunteer work or vocational ministry because they want to make a difference; they want their lives to be significant, not just successful. The hidden work of waiting on God requires the faith and full surrender few have patience for. We prefer the more immediate gratification of helping when someone is in need. When we release administrative work to others and focus on prayer and the Word, we might be criticized or misunderstood, and we ourselves might feel less productive. However, when we respond to the Lord’s invitation to wait on him, we become the vessels through which he communicates...

  Malachi 3-4; Psalms 148; Acts 5   “But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.” Malachi 4:2 “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.” Acts 5:42 The spiritual darkness of Israel prior to the coming of Jesus the Messiah heightened everyone’s anticipation that a new day was coming. The weight of the law was too heavy to carry. People longed for spiritual freedom. The Son of Righteousness is the Light of the world. Those who receive his gift of righteousness by faith are filled with his Spirit and released from the confinement of sin and spiritual bondage. This spiritual freedom is stronger than the threat of persecution and death. The early Church could not stop obeying God rather than men. They couldn’t stop teaching and proclaiming the good news of the Gospel...

Nehemiah 13; Malachi 1, 2; Acts 4 “’My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations,’ says the Lord Almighty.” Malachi 1:11 “’…It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth…that this man stands before you healed…Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’” Acts 4:10, 12 The promise of God to Malachi that his name would be great among the nations was fulfilled through Christ and his gospel of peace. Every nation, tribe, and language has now been given an opportunity to hear the Gospel and experience salvation through Jesus Christ. Those of us who know Jesus are daily bombarded by movies, conversation, and media that blaspheme the name of Jesus Christ. Will we honor this great name, or those who blaspheme him? Do our lives indicate reverence for God’s name? Are we p...

  Nehemiah 11-12; Psalms 1; Acts 3   “Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate…he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, ‘Look at us’...’In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk’” Acts 3:2-4, 6 Why was this crippled man, over forty years of age, healed on that day? Jesus would have passed him many times on his way into the temple. Why had Jesus not healed this man earlier? Peter’s street-preaching that day brought several thousand new disciples into the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit used this miraculous sign to give faith to many people who were curious about the gospel of peace. God’s timing in our lives and in the lives of those around us is trustworthy. We might not understand why our prayers are not answered within our timing, but we can trust that God’s plans are good. The crippled man wanted coins for his daily bread; God’s plan was for full healing and restoration so this man could bless others....

Nehemiah 9-10; Acts 2   “…we are making a binding agreement, putting it in writing, and our leaders, our Levites and our priests are affixing their seals to it…we will bring to the storerooms of the house of our God, to the priests, the first of our ground meal, of our grain, offerings of the fruit of all our trees and of our new wine and oil. And we will bring a tithe of our crops to the Levites…” Nehemiah 9:38; 10:37 Spiritual renewal of God’s people included their recommitment to tithing and supporting the priests who daily led worship in the temple. Spiritual renewal that doesn’t affect our regular giving and our first fruits offerings is just an emotion. When we are generous with God, he loves to open the flood gates of heaven’s blessings on us (Malachi 3:10). Our generosity toward God gives an indication of the true nature of our heart and is a witness to the world around us that we believe God is our Source. Is there a commitment to generosity that God is inviting us to make...

  Nehemiah 7-8; Acts 1   “They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being said.” Nehemiah 8:8 Most, if not all of the people listening to the Torah that day in Jerusalem, spoke Persian, not Hebrew. The words Ezra was reading needed translating and explaining. Most of those who listened could not read for themselves. They were an oral culture that passed on truths in story form. The Book of the Law anchored their ethics and beliefs in revealed truth connecting them to God’s commands at Mount Sinai. In the drift of culture and the migrations of people, we, too, need to anchor our lives to the timeless principles and truths of God’s Word. Those who translate and explain God’s Word to us, so that we understand it and apply it to our lives, give us the foundation of truth on which to build our lives. Nehemiah was used to build the physical walls, but it was Ezra and his fellow Levites who build up ...

Nehemiah 5-6; Psalms 146; Luke 24   “Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah.” Nehemiah 6:17, 18 Tobiah strategically married the daughter of Shecaniah, a leader in Israel whose name meant ‘God’s dwelling’. Tobiah then married his son Jehohanan to the daughter of Meshullam, anther leader in Israel who was a gatekeeper at the house of God. The strategy of Tobiah was to eventually possess and defile the temple of God. Has the strategy of the enemy changed? He is still pursuing, seducing, and enticing God’s people to open their lives to lust, greed, pride, revenge, and any other foothold that will defile our lives and give the enemy authority over us. Paul said that he was not unaware of the schemes of the enemy. Are we? “Lord Jesus, deliv...

  Nehemiah 3-4; Luke 23   “…The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” Nehemiah 4:19, 20 How do we support one another in living on mission with Jesus when the work is so extensive and we are spread out and widely separated from each other? Nehemiah revived the use of the trumpet. The trumpet was used in Israel’s history to gather people for worship and to warn them of approaching danger (Numbers 10:1-10). Moses taught Israel that the sounding of the trumpet would remind God of his promises to Israel and move his heart to rescue them. Nehemiah knew this Scripture and repeated the same promise that ‘our God will fight for us’ (Nehemiah 4:20). The battle is the Lord’s. Our trumpet blast today is the prophetic word of the ‘watchmen’ warning of danger. Our response must be to call on the Lord for his deliverance and rescue. Our God saves. ...

Nehemiah 1-2; Psalms 133; Luke 22 “…the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves…I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones…But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of mighty God.” Luke 22:26, 29, 30, 69 Christ’s kingdom is so unlike the kingdoms of this world. Christ made citizenship in his kingdom possible by dying to pay the sin-penalty of humanity. He exemplified a radically different definition of leadership by modeling and calling his disciples to serve, rather than exercise positional authority in his kingdom. The authority to rule in the age to come is earned by the willingness to serve and even die for the gospel of the kingdom in this age. Like Jesus, we are tempted with offers of the kingdoms of this world, rather than die to self and live on mission in the way of Jesus. Which kingdom are we living for ...

 Ezra 9-10; Psalms 131; Luke 21   “My heart is not proud, O Lord, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore.” Psalm 131 Would we describe our soul as quiet or noisy? We have choices in how we respond to the circumstances of life. The prayer of surrender acknowledges that pride and concerns turn up the volume of our soul so we find it difficult to hear the Lord. When ‘great matters’ fill our thoughts, we can choose to surrender them fully to the Lord. We then approach God, not as a vending machine dispensing decision-making counsel, but as a mother in whose arms we can rest contentedly. Are we ‘weaned’ of our need to control our circumstances, and even God? Humility quiets our soul as we open our hands to the Lord, surrendering the great and sm...

Ezra 7- 8; Luke 20   “’Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,’ they said. ‘Who gave you this authority?’…’Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.’” Luke 20:2, 46, 47 The Jewish teachers of the law challenged Jesus’ authority to heal, teach, and receive worship. Jesus challenged their self-serving religious authority which exploited the most vulnerable. Whose authority came from God? How can we discern God-given spiritual authority today? Authority that comes from God is not self-seeking; it gives glory to God. Authority that comes from man is competitive, prideful, and positional. When God-given spiritual authority is also positional, the Church can grow in faith, hope, and love. “Lord God, I repen...