Listening to the Word

Ezekiel 42-44; Revelation 22   “…the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God…On each side of the river stood the tree of life,…and the leaves are for the healing of the nations…Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Revelation 22:1, 2, 17 The free gift of the water of life is available now for those who want it. In Ezekiel 47, Ezekiel was shown this river of life and invited to step into it. Jesus pointed to this river of life as flowing out of the innermost being of his disciples (John 7:37-39); by this he meant the Holy Spirit. Do we know the reality of this water, the river of life? We are sealed at conversion with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13), but it is our choice to get to know the Holy Spirit and yield to him.   Will we step into this river of life, or will we just ask God to bless our life on our terms. Are we thirsty? There is more, more life and more

Ezekiel 40-41; Psalms 128; Revelation 21   “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it…The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it.” Revelation 21:23, 24, 26 The unique culture and the nature of the people groups and nations of the whole world will be evident in the City of God, the New Jerusalem. This global city will reflect the glory of God, but it will also express the lesser glory of the redeemed cultures of the nations. As God’s covenant people, chosen from every tribe, language, and nation, we bring our cultures with us as gifts to the King of kings. We, too, reflect the creative nature of the Creator, and our recreations can be offered as worship to the King.   Will we begin now to redeem culture and offer our art, music, sport, and culinary gifts to the King? Culture distinguishes us as na

Ezekiel 38-39; Psalms 145; Revelation 20   “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:18, 19 What does it mean to call on God in truth? Is it possible to call on God and still be holding on to deception or falsehood? When God proclaimed his name before Moses on Mt. Sinai, he proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness…” (Exodus 34:6) The last word, ‘faithfulness’ is the same word translated ‘truth’ in Psalm 145:18. Our faithfulness, integrity, and honesty before God matter as we walk with him. God sees and hears everything in our lives; we cannot hide sin as we call on the Lord. Our humility and truth-filled prayers draw the presence of the Lord. David killed many people, including the husband of Solomon’s mother Bathsheba. God can handle our sin as we call on him in truth. “Lord God, I re

Ezekiel 36-37; Psalms 110; Revelation 19   “The Lord will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth.” (or, ‘your young men will come to you like the dew.’) Psalm 110:2, 3 Jesus is the fulfillment of Psalm 110 making this Psalm the most frequently quoted Psalm in the New Testament. The authority Jesus received was both as a King and a Priest in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus is both the King of Righteousness and of Peace (Hebrews 7). This authority was granted to Jesus Christ as he “humbled himself and became obedient to death…” (Philippians 2:8). The offer of authority by Jesus to his disciples and now to his Church follows the same path of surrender and willing obedience to the King of Righteousness and Peace. Ironically, it is as the victorious King of Peace that Jesus will judge the nations and rule in t

Ezekiel 33-35, Revelation 18   “’Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.’” Ezekiel 33:7 God still calls watchmen to speak to his people - watchmen who care more for the spiritual health and wellbeing of God’s people than for their own popularity or position - watchmen and watchwomen who have the hand of God on their lives and who hear God’s Word well and obey - watchmen who speak with the anointing of the Holy Spirit and fear God more than men. Do we know watchmen like that? What is their word to God’s people, in our place and in our time? We, too, are weighed down by offenses and sins which have consequences. We, too, must turn away from sinful habits and self-indulgent living and turn toward the living God and his call. What Word is the Lord speaking to us? Will we listen, obey, and turn? Will we listen, obey, and speak? “Lord Jesus, you are the watchman of my soul and your Word to me is loving and clear.

Daniel 3- 4; Psalms 81; Revelation 17   “I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices…But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” Psalm 81:10-12, 16 Jesus reminded his disciples that his food was to do the will of his Father and to finish his work (John 4:34). Jesus rebuked Satan by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, “man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” However, for us to listen and obey the Word of the Lord, we require humility. In the picture of opening wide our mouths to consume, God’s Word reminds us of a good meal. God desires to feed us with the “finest of wheat” and “honey from the rock”. The hidden truths which surprise and delight us in God’s Word are available to those who seek the Lord, and

  Daniel 1-2; Revelation 16   “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands – a rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold to pieces.” Daniel 2:44, 45 The Lord Jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, is the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands. Christ’s kingdom confronts the kingdoms of this world and overcomes them. Jesus promised to build his Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. The instrument through which lives are liberated from the bondage of sin and death is the cross of Christ. We overcome today by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and loving not our lives unto death (Revelation 12:11).   Who is crushi

Lamentations 3-5; Revelation 15   “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed…They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness…It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord…Let him bury his face in the dust - there may yet be hope.” Lamentations 3:21, 23, 26, 29 Because of God’s steadfast love (emunah), we have hope (tiqwah). These two very rich, deep, and powerful words in Hebrew can transform our lives if we invite God’s revelation. We see “emunah”, or steady persistence, in Moses’ intercession while Aaron and Hur held up his arms. “Emunah” is the sash around Christ’s waist (Isaiah 11:5). This powerful, steadfast love is meant to define how we live with faithfulness before a faithful God (Habakkuk 2:4).   It was God’s faithful love on which Ruth clung as she looked for hope (Ruth 1:12). David’s repeated testimony was that God gave him hope, no matter what (Psalm 71:5). It was this hope that Jeremiah found i

Lamentations 1- 2; Obadiah; Revelation 14 “Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads…They follow the Lamb wherever he goes…” Revelation 14:1, 4 While the world is marked by the name of the beast, the followers of Jesus are marked by the name of the Father and the Son - the Lamb of God. Our testimony is clear when our identity is secure. Do we know who we are and whose we are? The tattoo of the name of God on our foreheads speaks to our unashamed, bold, and transparent allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. We give evidence of this allegiance through purity, humility, and selfless obedience to Jesus in his mission, that every nation would know his gospel and be given an opportunity to respond.   If our community around us could identify us, what would they say was tattooed on our foreheads? Are we known for our denomination, our buildings, or for our allegiance to the Fath

  Jeremiah 42-44; Psalms 48; Revelation 13 “If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down; I will plant you and not uproot you, for I am grieved over the disaster I have inflicted on you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, whom you now fear. Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save you and deliver you from his hands. I will show you compassion so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.” Jeremiah 42:10-12 This amazing statement of God’s love, mercy, and sovereignty was rejected by Israel’s remnant in favor of seeking protection from Pharaoh. The “I will” statements echo God’s promises to Moses and Israel in Exodus 3 when God first delivered Israel from the slavery of Egypt. Why do we, like Israel, think that the false security of our pension plans, our nations, or our jobs can replace fully surrendering our lives into the hands of God?” Amazingly enough, God promised to show his compassion to the re

2 Kings 25; 2 Chronicles 36; Jeremiah 40-41; Revelation 12   “The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy…The land enjoyed its sabbath rests; all the time of its desolation it rested, until the seventy years were completed in fulfillment of the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah.” 2 Chronicles 36:15, 16, 21 God’s judgment of sin is not impulsive, random, or unjust. He warned his people of the consequences of sin and allowed them to live under the tyranny of lust, pride, fear, and idolatry until they would humble themselves and repent. It is God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. When we despise God’s Word to us and repeatedly ignore him, we, too arouse Gods’ wrath against sin. Christ paid the penalty for our s

  Ezekiel 29-32; Revelation 11 “…I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1260 days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” Revelation 11:3, 4 Jesus promised his disciples they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them and they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Why? The Lord of the earth, the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, is on a mission through his Church to see every nation, tribe, tongue, and language reached with the gospel. The two witnesses in John’s Revelation were living this same mission under Christ’s authority. However, they were clear about the consequences of refusing Christ’s offer of mercy and forgiveness. Judgment belongs to the Lord. The Holy Spirit was sent to convict the world of guilt in regard to sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8). If we are not convicted by the Holy Spirit in these ways, we

Ezekiel 25-28, Revelation 10   “…’There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.’” Revelation 10:6, 7 The prophetic words concerning the Messiah bringing the fullness of God’s kingdom to earth will be fulfilled. The disciples asked Jesus when he would be bringing this kingdom to Israel in a manifest form (Acts 1:6). Christ’s reply acknowledged the coming kingdom on earth, but refocused the disciples on their Spirit-empowered assignment as witnesses of Jesus. These disciples did not anticipate two thousand years between Christ’s first and second coming. They did not understand the mystery of the kingdom which is both new and not yet. Like the disciples, we, too, live in anticipation of the fullness of Christ’s kingdom coming at his return. Are we spiritually awake, cooperating with Christ’s mission and anticipating his return? The time is now; t

Ezekiel 22-24; Revelation 9   “They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads….The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze,…Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.” Revelation 9:4, 20, 21 To be a disciple of Christ is to be set apart for Christ’s purposes. Disciples of Christ are sealed by the Holy Spirit unto salvation. Disciples of Christ are quick to repent when they sin because they value pleasing God more than themselves. These disciples live on mission with Jesus because there is no other way to follow Jesus. As they proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God, they share their own story of repentance from a life of self and sin and they call others to repent and follow Jesus in the same way. Y

Ezekiel 20-21, Psalms 111; Revelation 8   “’For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them…I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will show myself holy among you in the sight of the nations. Then you will know that I am the Lord…You will know that I am the Lord, when I deal with you for my name’s sake…’” Ezekiel 20:40-42, 44 God’s judgment of his people Israel, and then his fulfilled promise to restore his people and gather them again back to the land of Israel, is an astounding action in the sight of all nations displaying the holiness of God’s name and nature. Jesus taught us to begin the Lord’s Prayer with “Hallowed be your name”. The re-gathering of Israel back to the land where God will reveal himself to them is a hallowing of God’s name, just as his s

Ezekiel I7-19; Revelation 7   “Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God…’Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’” Revelation 7:2, 3 It is the Holy Spirit indwelling those who know the Lord that is the seal of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13, 14). We have been set apart for God’s glory, not our own. We have been sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). In the last day judgments of God on the land, the seas, and the trees, it is the seal of God on the foreheads of those who belong to him which protects us. This seal is visible in the angelic realm. The presence of the Holy Spirit within us reflects the glory of God and is light in the spiritual darkness of this world. As those who walk with the living God we have nothing to fear but everything to give. We offer the story of salvation to those whom God brings to us. We sing his salvation song to the nations until every