Listening to the Word

Revelation 19-22 “…’Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.’ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God…On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel…The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Revelation 21:9, 10, 12, 14 The Bride of Christ, the wife of the Lamb, is a Holy City, the New Jerusalem. This Bride is made up of both Israel (the twelve tribes) and the Church (the apostles) in its structure. The Chief Cornerstone is Jesus Christ. It is Jesus, the Christ, and our faith in his finished work of salvation on the cross which unites Jews and Gentiles into the body of Christ. Jesus has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles.   “In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21). Are we...

Revelation 15-18   “…The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast,…They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is the Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers…For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God’s words are fulfilled.” Revelation 17:8, 14, 17 The story of salvation-history is completed with the restoration of all things and their reconciliation with their Creator. This reconciliation requires God’s judgment of evil and its pervasive influence. The will of God will be accomplished even in the hearts of his enemies! God’s Word and prophetic purposes will be fulfilled, and with him will stand his called, chosen, and faithful followers. Are we following the Lord now? Are we being proven faithful in ...

Revelation 10-14 “…’Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; and they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.’” Revelation 12:10-11 Our inheritance in the kingdom of God includes salvation, power, and authority, all of which the accuser is trying to keep us from experiencing. We possess this inheritance by the blood of Christ who makes us righteous, the word of our testimony which is the gospel lived, and our willingness to die-to-self and face physical death without fear, but with resurrection hope. The battle for our possession of our inheritance in Christ is not well understood. Many Christ-followers live under the accusations of the enemy without resisting and standing firm in faith and truth. We are called to overcome in thi...

Revelation 5-9   “I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’” Revelation 5:4, 5 The final chapter of salvation-history has been written and Jesus has triumphed. The final judgments of creation for the sin and rebellion of its inhabitants will be completed. The tears of John for the worthiness to open the scroll of truth have been fulfilled in Christ. We, too, can be found worthy in Christ and his righteousness. He is our sacrificial Lamb and our Lion of judgment. Our privilege in Christ is to participate with his kingdom-mission on earth until every knee bows and every tongue confesses Jesus Christ as Lord. We reign in life as we live under Christ’s authority and obey Christ’s kingdom-mission assignments as his ambassadors of reconciliation. In this age of grace the...

Revelation 1-4   “’…These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:…These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again…These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.’” Revelation 2:1, 8, 12 This revelation of Jesus Christ in all his glory as head of his Church, eternal in his being, overcoming death, and leading the armies of heaven, this Jesus is the One to whom we give our lives. Jesus is present today, walking among the lampstands (local churches) and engaged with our issues and struggles. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, so we can trust his perspective on our questions and trust him with our eternity. The word in his mouth is the Word of God, and it is this sword that will judge the nations with truth. We can trust Christ’s justice to prevail. Do we know this resurrected Christ Jesus? “Lord Jesus, your words are life and light; I bow...

Psalms 117,119:81-176; 2 John; 3 John   “It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us…Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 4, 9 The teaching of Christ, his life as a disciple of the Father, his obedience unto death as an atoning sacrifice for our sin, his resurrection and promised second coming to bring full restoration to all of creation, this teaching is the truth that sets us free. When we see disciples of Christ that we have invested in walking in this truth they have found in Christ, we, too, are filled with joy. Running ahead of these truths to secondary teachings that in God’s Word are disputable is a distraction that will weaken our relationship with the Father and the Son. Are we focused on Jesus, or have disputable topics grabbed our attention? “Lord Jesus, you have my attention, and...

1 John 1-5   “…God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7 Claiming to fellowship with God while holding onto secret sin-grievances, or idols, is living a lie. The light of God’s presence overcomes darkness, but we get to choose whether we hold onto our inner darkness. What is keeping us from walking in the light? Living by the truth requires us to humbly invite the Spirit of God to shine into every dark corner of our lives. We repent as the Spirit exposes sin, unforgiveness, wounds, or idols. Once we are fully in the light, our responsibility is to walk in the light and maintain fellowship with God and others. As children of light, this is our heritage. “Lord Jesus, I choose to live in the light, for your glory.”

John 19-21 “At this, she turned and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus. ‘Woman,’ he said, ‘why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’” John 20:14-16 The first person to meet the resurrected Christ was Mary Magdalene who had been delivered from seven demons and a horrific past. Jesus spoke her name like no one else. This honor conferred on the most humble and lowly was an echo of Christmas when a peasant couple welcomed the King of kings into their family and shepherds witnessed the newborn King. Around the world, it is the poor and persecuted who are still responding to the good news of Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. Today, in the midst of our loneliness, fear, and seeming forgotten condition, it is Jesus who speaks our name. He has given us his Spirit and is closer to us than a brother. ...

John 15-18 “’I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.’” John 15:1, 2 Each spring a grape plant sends our many new shoots from the base of its main trunk. These new shoots, called “suckers,” are potential rivals to the main vine for nutrients, despite having no potential to bear fruit. These suckers are removed each spring, and the primary vine is pruned so that the remaining branches receive maximum nutrients and sun for fruit-bearing. In the story of Christ’s disciples, Judas was removed and the remaining disciples were pruned, resulting in an unprecedented spiritual harvest. Are we willing to be pruned in the hands of the gardener for maximum fruit-bearing? Will we trust God’s purposes for our lives, even when it is painful and we experience loss? “Lord Jesus, I choose to remain in you and trust the pruning, for your glory.”

John 12-14 “Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast…they said, ‘we would like to see Jesus.’…’I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.’” John 12:20, 21, 24 At the height of his popularity, when a parade was organized in his honor during one of the great feasts of Judaism, curious Greeks asked for a personal audience with Jesus. Jesus, knowing his destiny and the upside-down nature of his kingdom, chose that moment to teach about the principle of life coming forth from death. The call to die-to-self and the self-life is at the heart of discipleship and a fruitful life in Christ. If we receive the original creation-mandate to be ‘fruitful and multiply,’ we must also receive the call to die. Paul said that the life of Christ is expressed in and through us as we die daily. When our influence grows, exactly then are we called to surrender and die that...

John, 9-11   “…’I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” John 11:25, 26 Knowing Jesus and trusting him for our forgiveness of sin gives us access to the Tree of Life which is eternal. Martha and Mary experienced the power of the resurrection in their family, which transformed how they faced death. This same hope in the resurrection power of God has transformed how countless millions of Christ-followers have faced death ever since.   Do we believe the same resurrection power in our lives? Is our hope in Christ, or what this world has to offer? Jesus is the resurrection and the life. His presence in our lives gives eternal life to our spirit, even while our physical body is aging and will eventually die. Knowing this truth means we need to share this hope with those around us so they, too, may believe. “Lord Jesus, you are the resurrection and the life and...

John 7-8   “…’How did this man get such learning without having studied?’ Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own…If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” John 7:15-17; 8:31, 32 Jesus was educated in the school of the Holy Spirit - ‘listen and obey.’ When we also choose to fully surrender our lives to the will of the Father and be daily filled with his Spirit, we, too, become disciples of the Father who follow in the way of Jesus. When we study in classrooms, we learn from teachers. When we are being discipled in all of life by the Spirit of God, we are learning from the Lord. Both forms of training are important, but the school of the Spirit is essential. Are we taking the time each day to listen and obey? Is our ongoing training coming from the words ...

John 5-6 “’I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.’” John 6:51 Jesus redeemed us from the curse of sin and restored our access to the Tree of Life. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and we are invited to daily ‘feed’ on his life which is eternal. This world has no other lasting source of life. Entertainment, pleasure, wealth, and power all fade away. Those who feed on Christ, find fulfillment at the core of their being. This is food that satisfies in this season of celebrating the birth of Christ with much gift-giving. Are we sharing the gift of Jesus with those who don’t know him in our families and among our friends? Jesus is the only person who will exceed our expectations once we give him our life! “Lord Jesus, you are living bread, living water, and the only one who satisfies me. Thank you! …for your glory.”

John 2-4   “’My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, “Four months more and then the harvest?” ‘I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages; even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together.’” John 4:34-36 The Samaritan woman at the well was ready to respond to the Gospel. Jesus’ spiritual eyes were open to her need and thirst for living water. When Jesus instructed his disciples to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into the field, he was calling them into the same work and will of God that he himself was focused on. By commanding them to ‘Go,’ Jesus was declaring himself to be the ‘Lord of the harvest’. The Holy Spirit is the evangelist, but there are many jobs we are called to in the sowing, watering, and reaping process of people coming to faith in Christ. Our cooperation with the Holy Spir...

2 Peter 1-3; John 1   “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance…Bear in mind that the Lord’s patience means salvation…” 2 Peter 3:9, 15 God’s patience and kindness with us is evident every day in his provision, protection, and forgiveness. Jesus came full of grace and truth to bring salvation to anyone who would receive his gospel and recognize the consequences of sin is death. Repentance requires a work of God’s grace in our lives where we recognize our need of God. God’s patience in pointing us in that direction and giving us challenges which expose our need for him help us extend that same patience toward others who have yet to surrender their lives to Christ. As we pray today for those we know have yet to experience salvation, let us thank God for his patience and kindness toward us in Christ. “Lord Jesus, thank you for your patience toward me, for your glor...

1 Peter 1-5   “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Peter 2:24 Jesus carried the sin of the world on the cross and died in atonement for that sin, our sin. He is now the Tree of Life, offering eternal life to all who put their faith in him. The leaves of that tree in Revelation 22:2 are for the healing of the nations. By Christ’s wounds we have been healed. For leaves to become good medicine, they must be crushed. Jesus was crushed for our iniquities and “the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The suffering for the gospel in the lives of Christ-followers was normal in the first several centuries. Jesus’ life is expressed in and through our suffering. We are to ‘arm ourselves with the same attitude’ as Christ, who knew there was a cost to bring salvation to the world. Our lives, like leaves, must also be pressed if w...

James 1-5 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:17, 18 God’s wisdom is peace-loving and those who walk with this wisdom sow seeds of peace. When we love something, we invest time and effort toward that goal or direction. We take time to make peace. James said this reflects God’s wisdom in our lives. Like God’s discipline in our lives, pursuing God’s peace in our relationships and community requires perseverance and humility. The result of sowing seeds of peace is a harvest of righteousness, or right standing, before God. We are known as sons and daughters of our Father in heaven when we sow peace by loving our enemies. There are many other definitions of wisdom in the world, but God’s wisdom is transformational in real life, so we look more like him. “Lord Jesus, you embodied wisdom and peace-maki...

Hebrews 12-13; Jude   “…’My son do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves…No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:5, 6, 11 The mark of a disciple of Christ is that they submit to Christ’s authority and follow him. Christ disciplines those he loves. He uses circumstances, family, the Church, and society, to be the instruments of his discipline. More deeply, the Lord disciplines us through his Spirit within us as we experience conviction of sin and call to repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, restitution, and restoration. The fruit of living in obedience to the inner and outer discipline of the Lord is a harvest of righteousness and peace. When we pray for a hundred-fold harvest and multiplication, we are also praying to die-to-self like a kernel of wheat, so t...

Hebrews 9-11 “” By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days. By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” Hebrews 11:29-31 The birth of Christ includes the story of Rahab as a distant family member. Rahab’s faith in God began as she heard about the Red Sea parting and one of the world’s most powerful armies being destroyed. Our obedience to God’s Word to us, regardless of the cost, could be instrumental in someone’s decision to trust God with their difficult situation. The ripple effect of our faith-stories will echo throughout eternity. Without faith we cannot please God. The seemingly impossible obstacles of the Red Sea, the Jericho walls, and Rahab’s life of prostitution, were all overcome by faith. In what very difficult obstacle or challenge we are ...

Hebrews 5-8   “…but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:24, 25 Christ is our eternal high priest, interceding for us before the throne of God. This is a profoundly humbling thought. Those who belong to Christ have an advocate and intercessor who always lives to make intercession for them before the throne of God. This constant availability is the pattern for intercession in the Church today. Christ is equipping and calling intercessors to join him. Those who are available to the Father and his assignments, as well as available to nations and peoples to bring their needs before God. As the Father pours out his grace and Spirit upon us in response to intercession, Christ’s intercession for us is transforming our lives. Our lives are noticed, and our needs are met by the Lord Jesus who always lives to intercede for us. Will we res...

Philemon; Hebrews 1-4 “In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.” Hebrews 2:10, 11 With Jesus as our author of salvation and example of discipleship, we, too, are being made holy. This work of grace requires death to the life of self and sin, and this requires the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus suffered and showed us God’s playbook for transformation. Our capacity to absorb and grow through pain and suffering directly influences our journey in holiness. It is as we surrender our will in the midst of the relational, financial, health, and ministry pain that we cry out to Jesus, our author and perfecter of faith and salvation. His grace and his Spirit’s power are enough for us, especially in our weakness. In what way...

2 Timothy 1-4   “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth…All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16 For the Lord’s workers, the Word of God is both a weapon and a tool. The Holy Spirit, who inspired God’s Word, spoke to and through the various authors with wisdom and revelation. However, the Word of God requires correct and skillful ‘handling’ so that its intended meaning and impact is received. The life of the worker is the first place God’s Word must transform. We live under the authority of God’s Word and receive it with humility before we have the responsibility of sharing it with others. ‘What we are looking for in ministry, equipping, and truth, is found in the Word of God. Listening to the Word is a daily discipline ...

1 Timothy 5-6; Titus 1-3   “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:4-7 This trustworthy saying was probably memorized and repeated in local churches on Crete. It captures the heart of the gospel. We are saved by the kindness, love, mercy, and grace of God toward us, not by of our righteous deeds. The process of salvation is through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on us is through Jesus Christ who came to baptize us with the Holy Spirit. Those who have experienced this new birth in Christ now live with the hope of eternal life. They know they belong to God and their desire is ...