Listening to the Word

Romans 1-4   “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, [from faith to faith] just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” Romans 1:17 The righteousness we receive through faith in Christ for our salvation is the same righteousness we then live in. We were called in righteousness, to be righteous by faith in Christ every day. We live by faith from our first day in God’s family, through eternity. We grow from faith to faith as we daily surrender our will, disappointments, fears, and sins to the Lord. In the tests of faith, like Abraham, we, too, can trust the promises of God and be strengthened in our faith. We, too, can give glory to God by living fully persuaded that God has the power to do what he has promised. It is the tests of faith which remind us that we have room to grow. How are we responding in these tests of faith? Can we look back and justify that we, too, are going and growing from faith ...

1 Timothy 4-5; 2 Thessalonians 1-3 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 The suffering Thessalonian church lived with the hope of Christ’s return because their circumstances caused them to long for heaven. Paul reminded them that the persecution they were suffering would ultimately be dealt with by Christ’s judgment of sin and rebellion at his second coming. Justice and mercy would triumph over idolatry and sin. Do we eagerly await the return of Christ, and do we encourage each other with these words? Or have we found heaven on earth and avoided suffering so that the return of Christ is no longer on our minds? C...

Matthew 28; 1 Thessalonians 1-3   “We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith...” 1 Thessalonians 3:2 Paul referred to Timothy as his brother and fellow worker. Yet he was also Timothy’s spiritual father in the faith. As Paul and Timothy labored together in spreading the gospel, their relationship grew and developed. Paul’s humility in honoring Timothy as his brother-in -Christ is rooted in their common Father in heaven. When we pray, “Our Father…” we, too, acknowledge that we are part of a global, eternal, and heavenly family. We, too, are fellow workers with many others around the world who are living and sharing the gospel, strengthening and encouraging the family of God in their faith. Who are we in God’s family? Are we clear in our kingdom identity, or are we being defined by this world? “Lord Jesus, thank you for redeeming my life and inviting me into your family and kingdom, for...

Psalms 125; Matthew 26-27   “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.” Psalm 125:1, 2 The strength of Jerusalem was the natural defense of its surrounding hills and steep valleys. These natural defenses gave the Jebusite inhabitants the confidence to mock David. When David conquered the city, he did so through the water shaft, not by breeching the walls. The Psalmist used the hills around Jerusalem to describe the Lord’s presence as a constant protection around his people. Can we thank the Lord for that truth today? Using this image, it is God’s people who are ‘Jerusalem.’ Collectively, we are the New Jerusalem, the Bride of Christ, radiating in beauty and full of the glory of the Lord. Not only does God’s presence surround us, but his glory fills us, and his affections are for us. This promise is forevermore! “Lord Jesus, you are our B...

Matthew 23-25   “The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them…The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’” Matthew 25:3, 7-9 The oil of the Holy Spirit is the only way we sustain the flame of first love for God in our lives. It is this first love for God which keeps our soul awake to the promptings of the Lord throughout the day and the imminent return of Christ. Awaiting Christ’s return and living with anticipation and expectation is unusual in a generation where the Church has fallen asleep. The foolish virgins are counseled to go to the ‘oil sellers’ to buy oil, so their lamps will not go out. Those who know the fullness of the Holy Spirit are able to minister to those who need oil. Are we foolish virgins without oil, wise virgins with oil, or oil sellers with access to oil in abundan...

Matthew 20-22   “’Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.’” Matthew 21:43, 44 The point of the parable of the tenants is that God expects fruit from our lives and from his Church. The historical covenants with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not enough. Through Christ, God is making a new covenant with anyone who responds to the gospel. The Holy Spirit is given to the Church to equip and empower us for ministry unto fruit. The cost of this gospel is our lives as we fall on the cornerstone and experience the brokenness of surrendering our lives to the builder so he can reshape our lives. Brokenness is essential for fruitfulness. It is in humility that we receive God’s grace, empowerment, and wisdom, like soil that must be broken before it can receive the seed, we, too, must acknowledge our need for God. Are we ...

Matthew 17-19 “’If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.’” Matthew 18:15 It requires courage to go to a brother- or sister-in-Christ and show them their fault, especially when it concerns a relational sin against you. Most never confront those sins and live with unresolved conflict in their lives thus leading to bitterness and broken relationships. It requires humility to receive a rebuke from someone and then repent. The capacity to give and receive in relational conflict influences our capacity to grow and be fruitful as a Christ-follower. The inability to confront sin when others have sinned against us can lead to passive-aggressive behavior that undermines relationship while holding on to the grievances of sin. Instead, Jesus invites us into the courageous freedom of clear relationships and restoration. Will we obey the Lord and deal with all known relational sin? “Lord Jesus, set...

Matthew 14-16   “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns…Jesus replied, ‘They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.’” Matthew 14:13, 16 Grieving the martyrdom of his cousin, John the Baptist, Jesus withdrew from the crowds. When they followed him, he had a choice whether to teach, heal, and minister to them, or withdraw again. The disciples, some of whom had been former disciples of John, were also grieving. A crowd of hurting, hungry people was the last thing the disciples wanted. It was in those challenging circumstances, when they were at the end of their emotional and physical resources, that Jesus challenged the disciples to feed 5,000 men plus their families. Are we feeling stretched beyond our reasonable capacity to respond to needs around us? Jesus then asked the disciples to start with what they had – five loaves and two fish – to bring/surrender...

Matthew 11-13 “’…you have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children…Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and your will find rest for your souls.’” Matthew 11:25, 28, 29 The humility required to receive salvation is also the key to living with inner rest as we follow Jesus. Child-like faith is expressed in daily dependence on Jesus to show us the way. When we become ‘too big’ to learn from Jesus, walk at his pace, and listen to his Spirit, we become stressed, prideful, and fearful. Jesus invites us to wait on him, take his yoke of discipleship, and learn to listen to his Word and obey. Maturity is a function of inner surrender and obedience to Christ, not our many years in church or in ministry. What weight are we carrying because we have ignored the yoke of discipleship? What confusion, stress, or fear are we tolerating because we h...

Matthew 8-10   “’Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.’” Matthew 10:34 Jesus’ call to love and forgive our enemies often gets confused into a peace-centered theology apart from Jesus’ gospel of the kingdom. The exclusive truth-claims of Jesus and his call to forsake all other loyalties, seeking first the kingdom of God, by definition, will cause conflict. When that conflict comes, we are called to forgive and love those who oppose the kingdom of God within us. The absence of this conflict could be an indication that we have replaced the lordship of Jesus in our lives with peace. Those of us living in the religious pluralism of the West are particularly susceptible to this danger. Jesus came to bring the kingdom of God, not peace in the way this world proclaims peace. The fruit of the Spirit in our lives is peace. The kingdom of God within us is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. This inner peace with ...

Matthew 5-7   “…’Our Father in heaven, hallowed by your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given you as well…Not everyone who says to me “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.’” Matthew 6:9, 10, 33; 7:21   Salvation is more than sins forgiven. Salvation is our deliverance from the kingdom of darkness, and our new birth into the kingdom of light, God’s kingdom. We are to daily pray for God’s kingdom to come and his will to be done on earth and in our lives. We are to daily seek first the kingdom of God, rather than try to build our own kingdoms. More than our words, or the right prayer, it is daily doing the will of our Father in heaven that signifies we belong to his kingdom. This requires humility, surrender, listening, and obeying the Spirit and the Word. “Lord Jesus, I choose to live for your...

Matthew 1-4   “…’ [John said] I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented…he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali - to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: “Land of Zebulun, and land of Naphtali, the way to the sea, along the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people living in darkness have seen a great light;…” Matthew 3:14, 15; 4:13-16 Jesus’ family history was recounted by Matthew in his gospel to show that Jesus the Messiah was a direct descendent of King David.   Why? Because prophesy had stated it was from that bloodline that the Messiah would be born. He was born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit, again to fulfill prophesy (Isaiah 7:14). Jesus was baptized by John to fulfill all righteousness. He moved to Capernaum in “Galilee of the Gentiles” to fulfill prophesy spoken abo...

Psalms 124; 2 Corinthians 11-13   “…’My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10 Paul understood God’s grace, or unmerited favor and power, best expressed and most evident in his weakness. Paul boasted in his persecution for the sake of the gospel as one of the ways God’s grace and humility continued to grow in his life. When we avoid persecution through fear, and hardships by avoiding risk-taking obedience, we can also miss the grace of God. The persecuted church is often the praying church. In prayer, we receive fresh outpourings of God’s grace and power. In our hardships we call out to God for strength, provision, and his presence. What challenges is the Lord inviting us...

2 Corinthians 7-10 “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously…Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.” 2 Corinthians 9:6, 10 Generosity is God’s nature. The evidence is everywhere in his creation. The abundance of seeds produced by trees and plants as they reproduce reminds us that we, too, can be generous and will have more to give next year. Our harvest size is influenced by our sowing with generosity. Our source is the Creator and Sustainer of life. When we are generous in our love, our forgiveness, our finances, our hospitality, and our time, we look like our Father in heaven. The harvest is a joyful experience that is worth the investment of time, prayer, resources, and our seeds of faith. Are we generous in our sowing? “Lord Jesus, you have been so generous with me! I want to sow with the same ...

2 Corinthians 3-6   “For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you…And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again…All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:” 2 Corinthians 4:11, 12; 5:15, 18 The ministry of reconciliation comes through a life-message of surrender to Christ, death-to-self, and new life in Christ. Living in the gospel means dying-to-sin with Christ and being continually raised to new life in him. A ministry of reconciliation requires us to live the message of reconciliation. We, too, must both receive Christ’s forgiveness and extend this forgiveness to others in all situations. Only then are we ambassadors of Christ, the Lamb of God. Walking the path of discipleship as those always...

  Job 41-42; 2 Corinthians 1-2   “’Can you pull in the leviathan with a fishhook or tie down his tongue with a rope?...If you lay a hand on him, you will remember the struggle and never do it again!...His back has rows of shields tightly sealed together;…He looks down on all that are haughty; he is king over all that are proud.” Job 41:1, 8, 15, 34   Leviathan is proud, proud of his seeming invincibility, his armor, and his unrestrained tongue. He is king over all that are proud. We do not confront Leviathan in spiritual pride and overcome him. The red dragon in Revelation 12 whose tail swept a third of the stars from the sky was overcome by the blood of the Lamb, the word of our testimony, and loving not our lives unto death. It is in humility and the opposite spirit that we overcome. In the spiritual battles of ministry and mission when gossip, slander, and control intimidate us, we, too, are called to overcome Leviathan in the opposite spirit. We are not helpless in th...

Psalms 149; 1 Corinthians 15-16   “Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet…If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained?” 1 Corinthians 15:24, 25, 32 The “wild beasts” Paul fought in Ephesus were not animals in the arena, but spiritual powers of darkness opposed to the advance of the Church. Jesus was building his Church in Ephesus, and the gates of hell could not stop that advance. Leaders like Paul were declaring the reign of Christ above all other gods, including Artemis and Diana, and inviting people to spiritual freedom. Jesus reigns today in heaven and on earth and he is looking to express his authority through his body, the Church who are making disciples of all nations. We, too, fight spiritual battles as the enemy resists the advance of the Church in our contests. Are we clear on the ...

Job 39-40; 1 Corinthians 13-14   “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears…But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort…he who prophesies edifies the church.” 1 Corinthians 13:9, 10; 14:3, 4 The gift of prophesy, which Paul encouraged the Corinthians to receive and practice, is to be focused on strengthening, encouraging, and comforting the Church. From the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. The condition of our heart influences how the prophetic words are communicated. We prophesy in part because we do not see or hear as clearly as we will in heaven. What we see and hear with our spiritual eyes and ears is “in part” and is influenced by our maturity, faith, and the condition of our heart when used properly. The gift of prophesy edifies and builds up the Church. When used with immaturity or in pain, the gift of prophesy can do much damage. The answer to wrong use of this gi...

Job 37-38; 1 Corinthians 12   “The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, these parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor…” 1 Corinthians 12:21-23 The interdependence of the body of Christ is a reality which we either choose to affirm and live out or ignore, to our detriment. Our recognition and affirmation of the weaker and more hidden parts of the body indicate the degree to which we understand the reality of interdependence. As we identify and celebrate the unique contribution of each person and their spiritual gifts, we strengthen the capacity of the entire body of Christ to function effectively. In our context, what ways are we honoring the weaker and hidden parts of the body of Christ? Who can we encourage today? “Lord Jesus, you are the head of the body. Your mission requires every part to do their wor...

Psalms 122; 1 Corinthians 9-11 “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:22, 23 Voluntarily choosing to humble ourselves before others, exposing our weakness in order to win them for the gospel requires that we find our identity in Christ and not in the affirmation and opinions of others toward us. Paul’s manner and message were congruent. Jesus gave Paul the Gospel and prepared him to suffer greatly in sharing that gospel with others. Paul received that commission and so have countless others since him. When we think we can share the gospel without living the gospel we deceive ourselves and we will not see lasting fruit through our lives. The cost of the gospel is great, both for Jesus, and for those who become carriers of its message and ministry. Have we willingly served the cause of the Gospel with our ...

Job 35, 36; 1 Corinthians 7-8 “Be careful, however; that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak…When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” 1 Corinthians 8:9, 12 The paradox of freedom in Christ and willing submission of our rights strikes to the heart of discipleship. Paul’s concern about discretionary matters of conscience such as alcohol, entertainment, and culture, is we are not primarily discerning based on our own needs or wants but rather based on serving others and the Lord well. When we cause others to stumble in their faith by our exercise of freedom, we are sinning against Christ. Together, we are all part of Christ’s body. When one part of the Body’s freedom causes another part of the Body to stumble, all are affected. In cross-cultural communities where traditions, practices, and values differ, we must live with great humility, preferring others over ourselves as we choose how ...

Job 34; 1 Corinthians 4-6   “For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena…We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored…when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” 1 Corinthians 4:9, 10, 13 Why is the cost of ministry so high for apostolic leaders? Paul felt his life was a public display of humiliation for the sake of the gospel. In the spiritual warfare of mission, Paul was not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of spiritual darkness. God allows this opposition in the lives of his servants to refine us and cause our full dependency on Christ to grow. The cost of kingdom-leadership is high, yet the rewards of seeing lives transformed for eternity are even higher. The power of God is revealed in weakness, not natural gifting, or human strength. Christ’s leaders are...