Listening to the Word

  Numbers 24-27; 1 Corinthians 13   “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 “…’The oracle of Balaam son of Beor, the oracle of one whose eye sees clearly, the oracle of one who hears the words of God…’…While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods...” Numbers 24:15, 16; 25:1, 2 Balaam had a prophetic gift to hear and see revelation from God, but his heart was not fully surrendered to God. Our spiritual gifts, including preaching and worship, are not an indication of the health of our heart. Without love, the sacrificial, surrendered, agape love of God, we have nothing. Balaam professed to speak only what God gave him; but, his counsel to Balak to use Moabite women to entice Israelite men into idolatry and sexual immorality was wicked c...

Numbers 21-23; Mark 6,7     “…About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost…Immediately he spoke to them and said, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’…They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.” Mark 6:48-52 When our hearts are hardened, we can be in the middle of a miracle and not see the significance. When our hearts are hardened, Jesus can pass by and we won’t recognize him. When our hearts are hardened, we are vulnerable to fear, unbelief, and doubt. In the midst of our storms, Jesus walks on the waves, commands the wind, and says to us, ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’ Will we receive Jesus and his words to us today? Will we invite Jesus to soften our hearts so we receive his revelation? Sin hardens our heart; repentance softens it. “Lord Jesus, I, too, need understan...

  Numbers 19-20; Psalms 28; Mark 5   “While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue rule. ‘Your daughter is dead,’ they said. ‘Why bother the teacher anymore?’ Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, ‘Don’t be afraid, just believe.’ Hi did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John…After he put them all out…went in where the child was.” Mark 5:35-37, 40 The men of Jairus’ household brought the message of death; Jesus brought life. Who will we listen to and put our faith in? Jesus took only three of his disciples into Jairus’ home and emptied the house of all mourners. Anyone still under the influence of fear and death would not be helpful as Jesus called the twelve-year-old girl back to life. It is important to know who is in the room with us when we are praying faith-filled prayers. It is also important to know whose voice and word we are listening to. Jesus is the resurrection and the life! “Lord Jesus, yo...

Numbers 17-18; Psalms 29; Mark 4 “Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders…” Psalm 29:1-3 In this Psalm, David reminds us that we enter God’s presence as we reflect on creation around us. Even in a story, God’s power, holiness, and majestic voice are heard. We often pray with a focus on God’s guidance and provision.   When was the last time we proclaimed God’s glory, strength, and holiness, and worshiped him for who he is, not for what he can do for us? Often, God whispers to us by his Spirit, sometimes he thunders. In those moments when we are in a storm, the safest place to be is in the hand of the Lord. As we worship God for who he is, we draw strength and peace from his presence. Will we boldly worship the Lord in the midst of the storm? “Lord God, you are worthy of all glory, honor, ...

Numbers 14-16; Mark 3   “Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath…became insolent and rose up against Moses…’You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the Lord’s assembly?’...He brought you and all your fellow Levites near himself, but now you are trying to get the priesthood too.” Numbers 16:1-3, 10 Korah’s rebellion opposed Moses’ leadership and Aaron’s priesthood. Korah’s statement to Moses, “you have gone too far”, implied that Moses had initiated his call to confront Pharaoh, deliver Israel, and travel to the Promised Land. If we take authority, we are always defending it. If we are given authority, we look to the One who gave us authority to defend us. Korah was seeking the Aaronic priesthood not just the Levitical service in the Tabernacle. When new assignments and authority are being defined, it tests our heart and our motives. Grasping for positional authority divides and undermines t...

  Numbers 12-13; Psalms 90; Mark 2   “Some men came, bringing a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” Mark 2:3-5 The paralyzed man was unable to access the presence of the Lord by himself; he needed help. His four friends could not access the presence of the Lord without persistent faith. That faith was rewarded with forgiveness of sin and healing. Interestingly, it was the faith of the friends which caught Jesus’ attention. How are we approaching the presence of the Lord when our spiritual life is paralyzed, or we, too, face a seemingly impossible situation? We need faith-filled friends willing to break through with us to the presence of the Lord. Globally, the mission-paralysis of the Church requires us to let o...

Numbers 10-11; Psalms 27; Mark 1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1 David found strength, confidence, perspective, help, guidance, protection, and provision in the presence of the Lord. This was the simple, but profound secret to David’s resiliency and impact as a leader. No matter how much pressure David was under, or what circumstances he was facing, he found all he needed in the presence of the Lord, his tabernacle, refuge, and stronghold.   In the midst of pressure, opposition, and tests, do we hear our heart say “seek his face” (Psalm 27:8)?   Sometimes those closest to us – family and friends – disappoint us and we realize the only secure shelter in the storm is the presence of the Lord. David’s strategy was to wait for the Lord, and wait on the Lord. To wait, or find our hope in the Lord, requires refocusing our attention.   Where and to whom are we looking for l...

Numbers 8-9; Acts 28 “’You are to bring the Levites before the Lord, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them.’” Numbers 8:10 “His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.” Acts 28:8 The practice of “laying on of hands” is a foundational teaching that every Christ-follower should know (Hebrews 6:1, 2). Laying on of hands was used to consecrate, or set apart, the Levites for service on behalf of the Israelites. The Levites were in place of the tithe of the first-born son from every Israelite family. When we lay hands on someone, there is transference from one person to another. In the story of Paul healing Publius’ father on Malta, Paul laid hands on a sick person and the healing power of Jesus restored the man (James 5:14-16). When the early disciples laid hands on people, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit and their spiritual gifts were released to the people. We pass ...

  Numbers 7; Psalms 23; Acts 27   “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul…” Psalm 23:1-3 “But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” Acts 27:22 The ship in which Paul and 275 others were being transported across the Mediterranean Sea provided safety and shelter. However, in the storm that structure broke into pieces; yet, all lives on board were saved. It was Jesus, the good shepherd, who spoke to Paul and assured him that his mission to Rome would not be damaged, nor would any lives be lost in the storm. Are we trusting today in our structures, or in Christ as our security? When the storms of life hit us, will we be looking back or looking forward? Are we clear on what our mission from the Lord is? The Lord leads us out of the storm and beside quiet waters. Will we trust him and take his hand? “Lord Jesu...

Numbers 5-6; Psalms 22; Acts 26   “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?…All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations.” Psalm 22:1, 27, 28 This passionate, painful cry of David was quoted by Christ on the cross as he died for the sin of the world. Christ was forsaken so we could turn to the Lord and find mercy. Christ was rejected, humbled, insulted, and killed, only to rise from the dead, be given a name above every name, and the worship of the nations. This salvific story was prophesied by David many hundreds of years before it was fulfilled in Christ. Today the families of the nations, even from the farthest ends of the earth are turning to the Lord as the Gospel of the Kingdom reaches all the earth. When God allows suffering in our lives, he prepares us for it an...

Numbers 3-4; Acts 25   “’When the camp is to move, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the shielding curtain and cover the ark of the Testimony with it…Over the table of the Presence they are to spread a blue cloth and put on it the plates, dishes and bowls, and the jars for drink offerings; the bread that is continually there is to remain on it.’” Numbers 4:5, 7 The bread of the Presence was to be before the Lord always, even when the Israelites were traveling from one camp to another. This “shew-bread” represented Israel’s continual dependency on God for provision and life. When tempted to turn stones into bread, Jesus reminded Satan that “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). When we pray “give us this day our daily bread”, we are reminded of the bread of the Presence continually before God. Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life…here is the bread...

Numbers 1-2; Acts 24   “Take a census of the whole Israelite community by their clans and families, listing every man by name, one by one. You and Aaron are to number by their divisions all the men in Israel twenty years old or more who are able to serve in the army.” Numbers 1:2, 3 Why did God command Moses to take a census or all Israelite men by name and by tribe? God makes covenant with individuals, not just a nation. Each person matters to God. God held the men responsible for their families. It was the 603,550 men who were being prepared for warfare as Israel were soon to face attacks in the desert. God’s promises and covenant with us today through Jesus Christ extends to both men and women, by name. We, too, have a responsibility to keep the terms of our covenant with God. We, too, are being trained for spiritual warfare, not just for our own wellbeing, but on behalf of our family, community, and nation. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ruler...

Leviticus 26-27; Acts 23   “If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.” Leviticus 26:3, 4 The promises of God always come with conditions on our part. God’s promises to Israel for provision, protection, peace, and his presence were conditional on Israel walking in God’s ways and obeying his commands.   When we claim 2 Corinthians 1:20: “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ”, but fail to obey Christ as Lord of our lives, are we still expecting God’s promises, like blank cheques, to be operational in our lives? Bonheoffer called that presumption “cheap grace”. God’s invitation to us is to find our life fully in him, listen to his Word, and obey. It is as we make God our life, he fills us with his abundant life, and like a good Shepherd, takes care of us (John 10:10). Will we surrender to God every area of our lives t...

  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. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land…Even if he is not redeemed in any of these ways, he and his children are to be released in the Year of Jubilee, 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, 24, 54, 55 “Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles!” Psalm 25:22 God’s instructions through Moses to his people made clear that they belonged to God. The Year of Jubilee, or freedom, every fifty years was designed as a reset of all debts and purchases to go back to their original owners. All Israelites enslaved by debt and all land sold to pay debt were to be returned. There is no greater debt we owe to God than our sin. The bondage of sin includes the harassment of demonic powers ...

Leviticus 23-24; Psalms 24; Acts 21   “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 24:3, 7 There are two movements in this Psalm: we are invited as worshipers to ascend the hill of the Lord, and the King of glory is riding up through the gates into the citadel. The gates are commanded to “Lift up your heads” (Psalm 24:7), reminding us of fortifications that have a personality. The repeated command to the gates is to open for the King of glory. Jesus declared he would build his Church and the gates of hell would “not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18). The gates represent authority which must submit to Jesus, the King of glory. Even as our King comes to rescue, deliver, and save, we are invited to come into his presence, but on his terms, not ours. The hill of the Lord is for those who have consecrated themselves to the King and received his righteousnes...

  Leviticus 20-22; Acts 20   “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Acts 20:32 We get a window on Paul’s confidence in the Lord to care for disciples in this farewell speech on the beach outside Ephesus. Paul committed the elders of the Church to “God and to the word of his grace”, rather than an apostolic leader as a replacement. Paul was clear that the spiritual warfare against this Church would continue to be intense. In the days ahead, “Savage wolves” were coming - internal leaders who would distort the truth and lead to divisions and doctrinal splits. Paul’s confidence was in the grace of God operating through the team of elders, or under-shepherds of God’s Church, to discern the attacks of the enemy and to resist them. When we understand the grace of God in our own lives, we can commit our teams and those we serve and lead to the word of God’s grace as well. What relat...

Leviticus 18-19; Psalms 13; Acts 19   “While Apollos was at Corinth, 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 Apollos knew only the baptism of John, a water baptism of repentance of sin. That was what Apollos taught in Ephesus. When Paul arrived and asked the disciples about whether they had received the Holy Spirit, they didn’t know what he was talking about. We can only take others in ministry as far as we ourselves have gone. When the seven sons of Sceva, the Jewish chief priest, tried to pray with demonized people, they commanded demons to flee in the name of Jesus, “whom Paul preaches”. They did not know Jesus personally through the Holy Spirit. We can only pass on to others what we ourselves have. Paul laid hands on the Ephesian disciples and they received the Holy Spiri...

  Leviticus 15-17; Acts 18   “But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’” Acts 18:6 Paul was clear about his responsibility to first communicate the Gospel to the Jews before turning to the Gentiles. In each community, he ministered first in the synagogue, building on the foundation of the law and the prophets. Paul understood God’s word to Ezekiel, that the watchman is accountable for the blood of those he is sent to if he fails to blow the trumpet and warn them (Ezekiel 33:6). However, if he blows the trumpet and the listeners do not take warning and respond, the watchman is released from his responsibility. Are we clear in understanding who we are responsible to share the Gospel with? Our family, neighbors, and those we work with must know the Gospel. If they are unclear about the Gospel, we might be unclear...

Leviticus 13,14; Acts 17 “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 Paul was gospel-centered in his ministry strategy, keeping his focus on Jesus wherever he traveled. What are we focused on? The Macedonians had poverty, political reform issues, education issues, and many other challenges we could relate to; yet, Paul knew the most important need they had was for a relationship with Jesus Christ. The Scriptures were Paul’s tool, his weapon in a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of a city. His subject was Jesus. Are we confident that Jesus is the best answer for the challenges in our communities today? Are we able to clearly communicate the Gospel in every context? This gospel-confidence will change our lives and ministry if we will live gospel-centered lives wherever we are. “Lord Jesus, you are the Good News the ...

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. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.” Acts 16:25, 26 The presence of the Lord is more powerful than the chains and prisons of darkness. Paul and Silas sought and enjoyed the presence of the Lord because they understood that was where true freedom was found. In what ways are we seeking freedom today? Many are indulging in television binging, too much alcohol, or exotic vacations to pursue freedom. Paul and Silas enjoyed the freedom of the presence of the Lord in a dark dungeon, chained to a wall! The resulting earthquake was both physical and spiritual as the jailer’s family found freedom in Christ and the Kingdom of God broke into the darkness of Philippi. Many of our cities need to be shaken by the reality of ...

Leviticus 7-9; Acts 15 “Then Moses said, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.’…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 9:6, 23, 24 What is the point of our worship services, consecration, and sacrifices to God? Is it our encouragement, training, edification, and renewal? The point of the priestly consecration and sacrificial system as given to Moses was “that the glory of the Lord may appear to you”. Worship is not about us, it is about God and his manifest presence among us. The glory of God must re-orient all of our religious activities from us to our King. The fire of God came from the presence of the Lord and consumed the o...

  Leviticus 4-6; Acts 14 “’Whatever touches any of the flesh will become holy…The clay pot the meat is cooked in must be broken; but if it is cooked in a bronze pot, the pot is to be scoured and rinsed with water.’” Leviticus 6:27, 28 For over 300 years, the site of the Tabernacle was Shiloh in the hills north of Jerusalem. Current excavations in the Shiloh area have exposed millions of shards from the pottery dishes that held the meat from the altar, left by thousands of worshipers over hundreds of years of sacrifices. Anything touching the meat of the sacrifice offered on the altar to God became holy. In the New Covenant in Christ, he is the sacrificial Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. However, we, also, are invited to offer our lives to God as “living sacrifices” in worship (Romans 12:1). We have this treasure (the presence of Christ) in jars of clay (our bodies) to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us (2 Corinthians 4:7). We, too, are...

Leviticus 1-3; Acts 13   “’If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect…He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him…If someone’s offering is a fellowship [peace] offering…He is to lay his hand on the head of the offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting...’” Leviticus 1:3, 4; 3:1, 2 Why did God require the person bringing his offering to lay his hand on the head of the animal? According to the writer of Hebrews, this principle of “laying on of hands” is a foundational teaching to be in the life of every follower of Christ (Hebrews 6:2). There was transference of the worshiper’s sins to the sacrificial animal in the laying on of hands. Jesus, our Passover lamb, had the sin of the world laid on his head as he hung on the cross. We have peace with God, only through the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf. This principle of transference also applie...