Listening to the Word

Job 22; Mark 7-8   “’How many loaves do you have?’ Jesus asked. ‘Seven,’ they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so…’If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.’” Mark 8:5, 6, 34, 35 What multiplies? The bread needed to feed four thousand men came from seven loaves. It was as the disciples gave Jesus what they had that he blessed it, broke it, and gave it away. Similarly, as Jesus described his own discipleship-journey and that of those who would follow him, we, too, offer our lives (what we have) to God to be broken and multiplied by faith. Only through faith do we offer what we have to God. Only through faith do we willingly choose to surrender our will and be broken. ...

Job 2l; Mark 5-6 “’Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him…And he was amazed at their lack of faith…” Mark 6:2-4, 6 Jesus was rejected by his own community and family because they thought they knew all there was to know about him. Jesus’ identity as a carpenter from a Jewish, Galilean family was all his community could see. Regardless of his miracles, the community only perceived Jesus’ humble background. They lacked faith that God could work through Jesus because they were familiar with who Jesus was as he was growing up in their midst. Is there someone like that in our lives? Who are we familiar with in our family or community and are unable to see the call of God on their lives? Are we, too, receptive to those God uses from far away rather t...

Job 20; Mark 3-4   “…’This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, although he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.’” Mark 4:26-29 The gospel, like a seed, has power in itself to transform people’s lives. When we have confidence in the gospel, we will boldly share it knowing it is Christ who transforms lives, not ourselves. The stages of a plant’s growth until it is ready to be harvested remind us that the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of our sin and our need for God is a process. We cannot expect planting and harvesting in a single conversation. If we have the opportunity to lead someone to Christ we must discern if they are ready and acknowledge that others have contributed to this salvation-stor...

Job 19; Mark 1-2   “’After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” Mark 1:7, 8 John’s water baptism of repentance was experienced by hundreds of thousands of people. This softening of hearts prepared the way for the coming Holy Spirit to fill the early church. Are we experiencing the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit, or just the baptism of repentance? The full immersion in the Holy Spirit means we do not just have more of the Holy Spirit, it also means the Holy Spirit has more of us! To be immersed in the life of the Spirit, we must daily yield to the Holy Spirit in our thoughts, speech, and actions. We must be led by the Spirit, empowered by the Spirit to grow the fruit of the Spirit, and express the fruits of the Spirit. Does this describe us, or are we still at John’s baptism? “Lord Jesus, thank you for your baptism of the Holy Spirit, ...

Job 19; Mark 1-2   “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 28:31 Paul arrived in Rome as an ambassador of Christ, rather than a prisoner awaiting trial before Caesar. His inner sense of call from the Lord Jesus was stronger than his Roman citizenship. It was Christ’s kingdom Paul preached. It was the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul was serving. Are we clear about our citizenship in the kingdom of God and of our life-message? The inner empowering presence of the Holy Spirit gave Paul boldness to speak about the good news of the gospel even as he awaited trial for proclaiming this very message! Rather than being intimidated, Paul was ‘doubling down’ on his message. We can often be intimidated by much less as we witness for Christ. What contexts has God placed us in which need to hear a clear gospel-witness? Will we, too, pray for boldness? “Lord Jesus, fill me with boldness and your anointing this day, for your glory.”

Job 18; Psalms 114; Acts 27-28   “…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 24:15, 16 Paul’s defense before Governor Felix was a response to the charges brought against him by the Jerusalem lawyer Tertullus, as well as a testimony of Paul’s faith in Christ. The hope of the resurrection which marks Paul’s writings is at the center of his defense-comments. However, Paul extended his comments into personal testimony as he talked about the impact of this hope on his daily effort to live with a clear conscience before God and man. Knowing we will one day stand before God and give an account for how we live our lives means that we, too, must strive always to keep our consciences clear through the convicting assistance of the Holy Spirit. The Gospel must change how we live each day, not just our eternity. “Lord Jesus, I will obey your Spirit’s p...

Job 16; Acts 21-23   “Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.” Job 16:19-21 We have an advocate before the throne of God who is interceding for us and his name is Jesus. On behalf of those who are both inside God’s family and those yet to hear and respond to the gospel, we have an intercessor; one who pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend. Jesus is our eternal priest who lives forever to make intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). Not only does Jesus intercede for us through the Holy Spirit, he prompts others to also intercede for us. This invitation to intercession connects us with one another as the body of Christ, and with Jesus, our Head, before the throne of God. This incredible privilege is made available to us through Jesus, our advocate, intercessor, and friend. “Lord Jesus, thank you for praying for me and inviting othe...

Job 15; Acts 19-20   “On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.” Acts 19:5-7 What does it mean to be baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus? Some approach baptism as a rite of passage in entering a Christian community. However, the New Testament church had a much deeper understanding of baptism. John’s baptism of repentance prepared the way for the baptism of the Holy Spirit into Jesus Christ. The identities of those who receive salvation by faith in Christ are transformed from self-mode to Christ-mode. Baptism is an outward act which signifies an inward transformation. Our immersion in water symbolizes our death to our old life; as we emerge from the water, we testify to new life through the Holy Spirit. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, then becomes our life. Have we been baptized in the name, or identity, of th...

Job 13-14; Acts 17-18   “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ So Paul stayed [in Corinth] for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” Acts 18:9-11 The Lord Jesus gave Paul his mission-assignments and was going before him in the strategy.   When Jesus told Paul, “I have many people in this city,” were those people already saved, or about to become saved? Regardless, Paul, and we, are participating in God’s mission as we live as disciples who make disciples of all nations. Fear could have derailed Paul’s assignment as well as ours. The Word of the Lord to us today is “do not be afraid.” In whatever context we are today, be bold and ask the Lord for a word in season. We are not alone. “Lord Jesus, thank you for your Word and Spirit empowering me on mission today, for your glory.”

Job 11-12; Acts 15-16   “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11, 12 Paul defined “noble character” by how the Bereans [we] responded to God’s message to them [us]. The Bereans examined the Scriptures each day as their source of authoritative truth and the benchmark against which they measured Paul’s words. We have access to the Scriptures in ways the Bereans could never have imagined. Yet, it often seems that those who have limited access to God’s Word, value it more. God’s invitation to us is to also bring the issues, messages, and ideas of our day to the Scriptures as our source of truth. As we daily listen to the Word and to our culture, we, too, can grow as disciples of Christ with noble character. Character becomes Christ-like as we apply the Word of God to our lives. In a generation where truth is being challenge...

Job 9-10; Acts 13-14   “…Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said. Paul and Barnabus appointed elders for them in each church and with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts 14:21-23 As Paul and Barnabus contended for healthy DNA in the new churches they had planted, preparing these disciples for persecution was an essential discipleship-topic. They modeled fasting and prayer as the way decisions were to be discerned and trust in God expressed. It was their lives as much as their words which provided the discipleship-message. How are we strengthening and establishing new believers in their faith and in discipleship? Are we living a costly discipleship, or have we forgotten the core curriculum of the early church? “Lord Jesus, thank you for your goodness and love in the mids...

Job 6-8; Acts 12   “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains…” Acts 12:5, 6 Peter was imprisoned, bound by chains, guarded, facing a death sentence yet sleeping peacefully. How was this possible? Peace is not dependent on our circumstances, but rather on the reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy through the Holy Spirit indwelling us. The reality of this kingdom is greater than the kingdoms of this world. Herod could not hold Peter imprisoned if God chose to release him. The church was praying to God because they, too, were living in the reality of Christ’s ultimate authority in the kingdom of God, far above all rule and authority, title, and dominion on earth. Peter’s life rested in the hands of God and so can ours. “Lord Jesus, fill me with the reality of your peac...

Job 5; Psalms 108; Acts 10-11   “Then a voice told him, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.’ The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’…’I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who hear him and do what is right.’” Acts 10:13-15, 34, 35 The table of the Lord is open to all people who respond to his offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. God does not show favoritism but has made room at his table for all nations. All religions restrict diets which restrict who can join the table. Not only does the gospel invite everyone to the table, but the followers of Christ also have no barriers toward those with whom they can eat. Are our tables open? Do we invite only those to our table who are like us, or is our table as open as the Lord’s Table? Do we still call anything “impure” that God has made clean? How ...

Job 3-4; Acts 8-9   “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there…When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.” Acts 8:3-5, 25 The persecution of the church following the stoning of Stephen scattered the disciples throughout the region, including Samaritan villages they would have formerly avoided. The pain, confusion, and cost of persecution were redeemed by the Lord for the advance of the kingdom of God beyond the Jewish culture. When our focus is on Jesus and his kingdom, rather than our own safety, comfort, or health, we, too, can live on mission regardless of our circumstances. The Samaritan woman at the well and her believing friends in Sychar probably offered shelter ...

Job 1-2; Acts 6-7   “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. 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 The Twelve apostles recognized that they had been neglecting the table of the Lord while they focused on the table-serving ministry of widows and those in need. The immediate needs of those around us capture our attention and we, too, can ignore the Lord’s invitation to live for more than bread alone, but rather on “every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deuteronomy 8:3).   Have we prioritized the Word of God and prayer in our daily habits? This is the real food available at the Lord’s Table; food which strengthens our inner being so we can serve, love, and witness to those ar...

Malachi 3-4; Psalms 148; Acts 5 “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver…” Malachi 3:2, 3 Jesus came to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. The tongues of fire that rested on the 120 disciples in the Upper Room at Pentecost represented the sanctifying, purifying work of the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira’s hearts were quickly exposed by this intense refining fire. In the presence of the Lord, we are convicted of sin and given the opportunity to repent. The “launderer’s soap” is purifying a bride for her Bridegroom as we await the return of Christ. Like John the Baptist, we, too, are announcing the coming of the Lord. We, too, are making ourselves ready as a bride without blemish, spot, or wrinkle. We enter the cleansing, convicting presence of the Lord now, so we can stand at h...

Nehemiah 13; Malachi 1, 2; Acts 4   “…Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courts of the house of God. I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. I gave orders to purify the rooms…” Nehemiah 13:7-9 “’A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me” If I am a master, where is the respect due me?’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name.’…” Malachi 1:6 Eliashib, grandson of Joshua the high priest, defiled the temple by providing a storage room in the temple for Tobiah the Ammonite. Even though Moabites and Ammonites were forbidden from entering the temple area, Eliashib, the high priest, had allowed them to move in.   As we consider the ways in which our enemy tries to defile the temple of our bodies, and especially those of spiritual leaders, are we as ‘priests’ in the kingdom of God, making every effort to ...

Nehemiah 11-12; Psalms 1; Acts 3 “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers…For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous…” Psalm 1:2, 3, 6 Whatever we focus on in life represents worship. When our delight is in God, we enjoy meditating on his Word and God enjoys our friendship. The picture of a thriving green tree full of fruit and with deep roots reminds us that it is the hidden source of moisture which nourishes what is visible. God’s presence, his Word, and his Spirit nourish us as we meditate on him and his Word, enjoying God for who he is. The fruit of this kind of God-centered living is the favor, blessing, and prosperity of God’s presence in our lives. The living God watches over the way of those who make him their focus. What are we focused on? “Lord Jesus, you are my focus, for your glory.”

Nehemiah 9-10; Acts 2   “This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” Acts 2:23, 24 The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just historical fact; it was prophesied hundreds of years prior to occurring. The death and resurrection of Jesus occurred because of God’s “set purpose and foreknowledge,” as well as the evil intent of wicked men. Is this the only event in history that God foreknew and man’s willful sin engaged? In the pain and unforeseen events of our lives we can be confident that God is sovereign. What the enemy means for evil, God will use and is using for our good and his glory. We, too, can face death with confidence and courage because we know Jesus has defeated death. Death will not keep its hold on any followers of Je...

Nehemiah 7-8; Acts 1   “…’This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law. Nehemiah said, ‘Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’…the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.” Nehemiah 8:9, 10, 17 There is great joy in knowing and obeying God’s Word to us. When we align our heart and our spirit with God’s Word and Spirit, our fellowship with the Lord is renewed. This inner joy and peace cannot be found any other way or in any other place. Some are looking for this joy by accumulating possessions, exotic vacations, new adventurers, new romantic relationships, and many other fleeting distractions. Joy is experienced in our heart as we turn fully toward the Lord, listen to his Word, and live in obedience to what we hear....

Nehemiah 5-6; Psalms 146; Luke 24   “Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save…Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them – the Lord, who remains faithful forever. He upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry.” Psalm 146:3, 5-7 Why is it easier to rely on “princes,” people with wealth, power, or skill, rather than the Lord? As Jacob discovered, God is faithful to his promises. God upholds, he provides, he delivers, and he redeems. The one who made heaven and earth is worthy of our trust and full dependence. When we find our help in the Lord, we, too, are able to testify to God’s faithfulness, presence, and covenant love. We are “blessed” because it is God’s nature to bless. We are blessed to be a blessing to others and to call them to also replace their reliance on “princes” with reliance on the living God, Maker of heaven and earth. In wh...