Listening to the Word

Numbers 24-27; 1 Corinthians 13   “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd…’Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in who is the spirit, and lay your hand on him…Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him.’” Numbers 27:15-18, 20 The leaders God appoints must be filled with his Spirit so he can shepherd and lead his people through these leaders. God’s leaders are not passive, but are marked by risk-taking obedience as they go before God’s people and lead them out and bring them in. Just as Jesus led by example, God’s leaders are the first to humble themselves, the first to repent when needed, and the first to obey. Leaders in God’s kingdom are commissioned by the laying on of hands, signifying the transference of authority. Joshua received some of Moses’ authority, but...

Numbers 21-23; Mark 6,7 “Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’…Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown.” Numbers 22:28, 31 Sometimes our donkey can see what we cannot see. When our stubborn self-will pursues a direction that is dangerous or outside of God’s best, God will use circumstances or the most unlikely of people to get our attention. Our computer, our car, our phone can “lie down” to get our attention. When wealth or influence or lust entices us, God still uses “donkeys” to get our attention. In his mercy, the Lord warned Balaam, but he still stubbornly tried to manipulate the will of God. The end of this path was destruction. Will we listen to our donkey rather than beat it? “Lord Jesus, deliver me from evil. I humble myself before you and choose to obey your voice, for your glory.”

Numbers 19-20; Psalms 28; Mark 5   “…’Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.’” Numbers 20:10-12 In the dryness and hardness of Meribah, Moses failed the test. It was a test of obedience to God’s command to speak to a rock. Instead, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff and arrogantly questioned why he had to bring water out of the rock. When leaders become so familiar with the presence of the Lord and serving as his instruments that they forget it is the Lord who is blessing, enabling, and bringing the increase, then these leaders are at risk. Pride causes us to trust in what worked in our last meeting, last service, or last challenge, r...

Numbers 17-18; Psalms 29; Mark 4   “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders…The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic…The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord is enthroned as King forever. The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.” Psalm 29: 3, 4, 10, 11 The peace of God in our lives, our homes, and our relationships is a sign of his blessing. The Lord promises peace to his covenant people (Leviticus 26:6; Numbers 6:26). The writer of Hebrews describes this as rest. We enter rest by listening to God’s Word and voice, obeying and responding with faith. The voice of the Lord shakes creation in power, majesty, and glory, yet is also a gentle whisper for those who know him (Kings 19:12, 13). Listening and obeying the Lord brings the blessing of his inner peace to our lives; this then touches the lives of all who know us. Are we walking in the blessing of God’s peace? Will we obey and res...

Numbers 14-16; Mark 3   “…’Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?’ And they said to each other, ‘We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.’ Then Moses and Aaron fell face down in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there…When Moses heard this he fell facedown…But Moses and Aaron fell face down and cried out, ‘O God, God of the spirits of all mankind, will you be angry with the entire assembly when only one man sins?’” Numbers 14:3-5; 16:4, 22 When we are opposed in our leadership how do we respond? In that moment our hearts and the source of our authority are revealed. If it is God who has called us as servant-leaders in his kingdom, we, too, will fall facedown before the Lord and call out for his deliverance. If it is man who has called us, we will fight flesh and blood to defend ourselves, or prevail in the court of popular opinion. Moses knew his security and defender was the Lord. Do we know where our security, identity, and strength come from? How w...

Numbers 12-13; Psalms 90; Mark 2 “…’When a prophet of the Lord is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. With him I speak face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord…’” Numbers 12:6-8 “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” Psalm 90:1 “…Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts…” Mark 2:8 Our privilege as sons and daughters of the Lord is that we live in his house. We dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Our spirit is connected to the Holy Spirit at salvation as Jesus and the Father make their ‘home’ with us, indwelling us through the Holy Spirit. Like Moses, we can speak with the Lord ‘face to face’, no longer slaves to sin, but sons and daughters of the King. Let us not stop at salvation, with sin atoned for, but rather, press into the Lord’s presence. He reveals himself to seekers, n...

Numbers 10-11; Psalms 27; Mark 1   “’Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out…When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies.’” Numbers 10:2, 9 The silver trumpets gathered the community and its leaders, but more importantly, the sound of the trumpets signaled dependency on the Lord. When attacked or oppressed by the enemy in their own land, the sound of the trumpets signaled to the Lord that the Israelites needed rescuing. “…if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?” (1 Corinthians 14:8) The readiness to hear the Word of the Lord or prophetic word is often the key to a breakthrough in our spiritual battles. Who is carrying the trumpet in the church today?” Who has the Word of the Lord? We need less recycled words of men from each ...

Numbers 8-9; Acts 28 “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:30, 31 In the capital of the Roman Empire next to the magnificent coliseum, the Roman Forum and might of the Imperial Army, a small Jew named Paul ended his mission on earth. His final location was the Mamartine Prison, a hole in the ground, constructed to hold the most dangerous of prisoners. The bold proclamation of the gospel which marked Paul’s life shook the city of Rome and the empire itself. This wandering preacher confronted the powers of Rome and like his Lord, Paul paid the price with his life.   The gospel Paul boldly proclaimed continues to transform nations, while the power of Rome has faded away. How bold are we in confronting the powers of our society with the gospel? “Lord Jesus, you are my boldness and readiness this day, for your glory.”...

Numbers 7; Psalms 23; Acts 27 “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul…” Psalm 23:1-3 Sometimes the Lord intervenes in the frantic pace of our lives and the noise of our inner soul and ‘makes’ us lie down. Much like a child fighting their afternoon nap, we resist stopping and resting. Without rest and worship, we, too, get cranky and depleted. It is the grace of God which makes us lie down and which leads us to quiet waters. Only God can restore our soul. The entertainment, self- indulgences, and relational stimulation quick fixes don’t fill and refresh our inner life like the presence of the Lord.   Before our Shepherd makes us lie down, will we willingly come to him and lay at his feet? Will we willingly follow him to quiet waters and drink deeply of his Spirit and living Word? “Lord Jesus, my Shepherd, I come to you this day for refreshment of my soul and quieting of my spirit, for yo...

Numbers 5-6; Psalms 22; Acts 26   “…’When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed. He must make full restitution for his wrong, add one fifth to it and give it all to the person he has wronged.’” Numbers 5:6, 7 This was the highest ethical standard of the day and it is still the foundation for our laws in the western world today. Violations and wrongs against another person are wrongs against both that person and the Lord. Restitution must be made to the wronged party, and in the absence of any wronged party or relative, restitution is made to the Lord. Our sin is against the Lord. In the western world this has been secularized to a crime against the state. It was for this reason that Jesus came as God’s offer of forgiveness for our sin. Instead of restitution for each crime, Christ came to pay our sin-penalty before God. While our crimes against the state still require payment, we ca...

Numbers 3-4; Acts 25   “Nadab and Abihu, however, fell dead before the Lord when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai. They had no sons…” Numbers 3:4 The descendants of Aaron the priest never forgot the consequences of offering unauthorized fire before the Lord. The command that priests must abstain from alcohol while performing their duties followed the death of Aaron’s two sons. The incense offered in the tabernacle was not to be just any incense; but, only that which God had instructed Moses to develop. The consequences of ignoring or forgetting God’s holiness while serving him, and in his presence, was costly. Is it still costly today? Paul reminded the Corinthian Church that taking the Lord’s Supper without discerning the body of Christ was to eat and drink judgment on themselves. In that context, discerning the body of Christ referred to their brothers and sisters in Christ who were ignoring or insulting others as they took communion....

Numbers 1-2; Acts 24   “…I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man.” Acts 24:14-16 Paul was a follower of the Way, the path of discipleship in the Way of Jesus. His beliefs were a lifestyle he walked in each day, rather than a creed he recited just on Sundays. Paul’s beliefs and lifestyle in the Way were rooted in the Mosaic Law and the Prophets. His belief in the resurrection of the dead was rooted in the Psalms and Daniel. Rather than a rootless sect seeking power, followers of the Way were living in the fulfillment of the covenant-promises God had given to their spiritual fathers in Judaism.   As those who follow the Way of Jesus today, are we aware of the de...

Leviticus 26-27; Acts 23   “’A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord;…The entire tithe of the herd and flock – every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod - will be holy to the Lord.’” Leviticus 27:30, 32 The command to tithe was one of the ways God reminded his people that all they owned came from him. The tithe was also the way in which worship in the temple was maintained and priests were supplied with food. The tithe was holy, or set apart, for the Lord and his worship. Do we understand that all we possess in the new covenant through Christ still belongs to the Lord? If the people of God all tithed, ministries of worship, witness, and compassion would be fully subscribed. Those who serve the Lord vocationally would be fully supported, if we all tithed. Will we test the Lord in this and see if he will richly provide all we need and more if we will honor him with the ‘firstfr...

Leviticus 25; Psalms 25-26; Acts 22 “’The land must not be sold permanently because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants…for the Israelites belong to me as servants. They are my servants, whom I brought out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” Leviticus 25:23, 55 God’s claim on the land and the people of Israel was based on his deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt, and his liberation of the land from the Canaanite fertility gods. How do we, who have been liberated from the slavery of sin and death, view our lives and all we possess? Are we aware that we owe our lives to God, and all that he has entrusted to us? What difference does this reality make in the way we steward our bodies, our wealth, and our future? Do we see ourselves as aliens and strangers on this earth traveling to our eternal home? “Lord God, I offer my life and all you have given to me back to you, for your glory.”

Leviticus 23-24; Psalms 24; Acts 21 “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?...Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” Psalm 24:1, 3, 7 While the earth is the Lord’s, he has given people authority to rule over creation and to steward it. We, in turn, have given our authority in this world over to the enemy through our rebellion and sin. Our free will to choose how we will respond to God’s commands is expressed in our choice to turn our heart back to the Lord in repentance. In seeking relationship with the Lord, we also seek the restoration of his kingdom on earth. We exercise our authority in Christ over the gates of sin and rebellion opposed to the King of glory. As those who live for Christ, the King of kings, we command the ancient doors and gates of our nations to open for the King of glory. Are the doors in our...

  Leviticus 20-22; Acts 20 “Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” Acts 20:26-28 Paul’s final statement to the Ephesian church elders that he was innocent of the blood of all men, is a reference to the Lord’s command to Ezekiel that when he sees sin, he must warn the person of the consequences before God, or else that persons’ blood would be on Ezekiel (Ezekiel 3:18, 19). This call to be a watchman of God’s people and of our own lives is still the responsibility of church elders. Paul’s final meeting with the Ephesian elders was not primarily about their personal relationship, but about their responsibilities as leaders of Christ’s church. Are we aware of the responsibilities before God that we carry as elders in the church? Are we praying for our elders and pastors that they will not...

  Leviticus 18-19; Psalms 13; Acts 19   “…Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’” Acts 19:1, 2 Paul’s pointed question to the disciples in Ephesus exposed a form of religion with no power. Without the Holy Spirit, these Christ-followers were relying on their own strength to resist sin and follow the Way. In his later letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminded them that when they believed, they were marked in Christ with the seal of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 14). He went on to say he was praying for God to give them the Spirit of wisdom and revelation “so that you may know him better” (Ephesians 1:17). At the point of our belief in Christ, we, too, are sealed with the Holy Spirit; however, we, too, need to yield to the Spirit’s wisdom and revelation so that we can know God better. ...

Leviticus 15-17; Acts 18 “Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John.” Acts 18:24, 25 There are many apologists today who have a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures and teach about Jesus accurately; yet, they know only the baptism of repentance. We teach what we know. We can only lead others as far as we ourselves have gone with the Lord. It required great humility for a learned person like Apollos to be further instructed about the way of God ‘more adequately’ by Priscilla and Aquila, tentmakers. Are we open to more understanding of God’s ways, or are we convinced that our church tradition provides us with all there is to know about God and his ways? Are we humble enough to receive instruction and ministry from those outside of our church ...

Leviticus 13,14; Acts 17   “For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:31 There is a day of justice coming when all the injustice and exploitation in this world is judged. While we advocate for and pursue justice now, we recognize the full realization of complete justice waits for the day when God will judge the living and the dead. We, ourselves, are complicit through sin and contribute to this world’s injustice. We, too, are in need of a Savior, a Savior who was sinless and yet died on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sin. God’s judgment of sin was expressed in Christ’s death on the cross. God’s plan to redeem and restore relationship with creation was expressed through raising Christ from the dead. God’s justice toward sin and his sacrificial love toward all he has created are expressed in the death and resurrection of Jesus. Has this truth changed o...

Leviticus 10-12; Acts 16   “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them…The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” Acts 16:25, 29, 30 Why did Paul and Silas, although beaten and bloody, have such joy at midnight in a Philippian jail? After the vision of the man from Macedonia, they knew they were where they were supposed to be, doing what they were supposed to do. The persecution they had experienced was a normal part of the calling they had received. Do we consider persecution or testing for our faith and witness as normal? Following the earthquake, the jailer drew his sword to kill himself; but, far away from the darkness of the inner cell, a man shouted, “Don’t harm yourself. We are all here!” (Acts 16:28) How did Paul know the jailer was about to kill himself? Just as God gave the vision of the Ma...

Leviticus 7-9; Acts 15   “Moses and Aaron then went into the Tent of Meeting. When they came out, they blessed the people; and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people. Fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat portions on the altar. And when all the people saw it, they shouted for joy and fell facedown.” Leviticus 9:23, 24 When God is present, everything changes. At the consecration of the Tent of Meeting, the priests and their preparation of the sacrifices were focused on the glory of the Lord’s coming. It was the presence of the Lord that they were seeking. When fire came out from the Most Holy Place and consumed the sacrifice on the altar outside the Tabernacle, the spontaneous response of God’s people was a massive shout of wonder and joy, followed by facedown worship. What are we seeking? Are we content with consecration, preparation, and sacrifice, week after week with no fire and no glory? When was the last time we, too,...

Leviticus 4-6; Acts 14   “But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabus spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord who confirmed the message of his grace…They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city…they returned to Lystra…” Acts 14:2, 3, 19, 21 Would we return to a city where weeks before we had been stoned to the brink of death for preaching the gospel? When opposition arose to the preaching of the gospel, it seemed to stiffen Paul’s resolve to keep preaching. When minds were poisoned against Paul and Barnabus, they boldly preached the message of God’s grace, and God graciously confirmed this gospel with miracles and wonders. In our western society, tolerance, compromise, and pluralism have been more effective at silencing our witness to the gospel than direct opposition. Paul returned to Lystra after they stoned him because he believed that strengthening new disciples was more...

Leviticus 1-3; Acts 13   “In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabus, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.” Acts 13:1 There was a diverse leadership team in the church at Antioch. They represented diverse cultures and birth places, yet God had brought them together for a season of ministry in Antioch. More than that, God brought them together before his throne in worship and prayer. It is the presence of God which unifies us as we experience one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, and one mission. Our mission is to seek the Lord and obey his call. This mission begins in the heart of God. The ‘Missio Dei’ is God’s mission to restore relationship with his creation. Jesus made it possible for the church, the called-out ones, to be built in every culture. Our assignment in Christ’s mission is to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded us. We, too, need diverse l...

Ex 39-40; Psalms 15; Acts 12   They made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue cloth…They made pomegranates of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen around the hem of the robe…The bells and pomegranates alternated around the hem of the robe to be worn for ministering, as the Lord commanded Moses.” Exodus 39:22-24, 26 Why did God require pomegranates to be woven on the hem of the priestly garments? Of all the fruit God could have chosen to be displayed on these garments, as well as on the temple pillars, why pomegranates? Most fruit contains seeds and pulp to feed the seeds in reproduction. The pomegranate is unique in that it is composed almost entirely of seeds. This fruit symbolizes the sacrificial intent to multiply itself. God’s ways include multiplication of fruitfulness and life. We have been blessed to be a blessing. Like Abraham, God’s promises of descendants for us are like the sand of the seashore and the stars of the heavens. The church multiplied on th...

  Ex 37-38; Psalms 19; Acts 11   “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Psalm 19:7, 8 The western world, like the ancient Romans, is increasingly investing in spa cosmetic treatments. David’s reflection on the value of internalizing God’s Word is like a much deeper spa for the soul. God’s Word brings our life into alignment with God’s ways as we listen and obey. Following God’s Word revives our soul, gives us wisdom, brings joy to our heart, and light to our eyes. People around us can tell if we’ve spent time in the spa of God’s presence, listening to his Word for us. As we value God’s words to us and savor them, they will keep us from foolish decisions, unwise relationships, poor investments, and wasteful   self-indulgences. Listening and obeying God’s Word is life-givi...