Listening to the Word

Joshua 12-14; 1 Corinthians 7 “What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short…those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away…but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 7:29, 31, 35 Paul’s ethical teaching on marriage and sexual behavior was guided by a sense of urgency concerning the return of Jesus. Paul’s accountability to Jesus and his mission meant that civilian affairs had to be put in their proper place. Becoming “engrossed” in the things of this world can easily replace our first love for Jesus and his mission. For Paul, this even extended to his understanding of marriage. He chose to remain single in order to serve Christ.   If we were to ask those close to us what they think we are devoted to, what would they say? Do we live with a sense of urgency related to Christ’s mission-call on our lives and the imminence of Christ’s return? “Lord Jesus, all I am and ...

Joshua 9-11; 1 Corinthians 6   “The Israelites sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord. Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.” Joshua 9:14, 15 The Gibeonite deception of Israel reminds us how much we need the Lord’s perspective in matters of discernment and all of life. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1Samuel 16:7). The Israelite leaders illustrated that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). By trusting the Gibeonite evidence of having been on a long journey, the Israelites leaders forgot the living presence of God who was parting the Jordan River, defeating Canaanite kings, and knocking over Jericho’s walls. How quickly we fix our eyes on what it is seen rather than what is unseen (2Corinthians 4:18)! Will we fix our eyes on Jesus today in each matter of discernment, in each obstacle, and in ...

Joshua 7-8; Psalms 69; 1 Corinthians 5   “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me…Rescue me from the mire, do not let me sink; deliver me from those who hate me, from the deep waters…You know how I am scorned, disgraced, and shamed…” Psalm 69:1, 2, 14, 1 David’s call to leadership came from the Lord as Samuel anointed him with oil and the Spirit of God filled him. Later, as he faced betrayal, opposition, and a campaign to destroy him from his father-in-law Saul and later his son Absalom, David found refuge in God. Rather than fight those who opposed him, David asked God to fight his battles for him. The “flood waters” which seemed to drown David were a metaphor for relational conflict. The mud and mire of a slander-campaign gave David no foothold on which to stand.   When we are “scorned, disgraced and shamed,” where do we turn?   David cried out t...

Joshua 3-6; 1 Corinthians 4   “…’In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’’…He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” Joshua 4:21, 22, 24 Standing stones of remembrance kept the story of God’s miraculous parting of the Jordan River always in front of the Israelites. Standing stones can be represented by pictures, mementos, or objects, used to help us remember what God has done. In remembering, we receive encouragement, new courage to step out with risk-taking obedience into the next assignment the Lord has for us. Standing stones are also a witness to those around us of our stories of faith. They teach us and those who come after us to always fear and follow the Lord. “Lord God, thank you for standing stones which mark my faith-journey with you, for your glory.”

Joshua 1-2; Psalms 37; 1 Corinthians 3   “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17 The immature ‘worldly’ behavior Paul rebuked in the Corinthian church was not related to their clothing or entertainment choices; but rather, to jealousy and quarreling which led to factions in the church. This divisive behavior was destroying it. The enemy of the church, Satan, still sends people to destroy the church as we read in Paul’s epistles to the churches. However, most divisive people don’t realize they are being used by the enemy. They believe they are defending an issue of integrity, justice, equity, or tradition that serves God’s mission, not destroys it. The Church is the Bride of Christ. Paul said the Spirit dwells in our midst, not just in individual believers. We together, as God’s people, are the temple of...

Deuteronomy 32-34; 1 Corinthians 2   “My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4, 5 We reproduce who we are. We can only give to others what we ourselves have received. Paul had the theological training to use wise and persuasive words in laying the foundation for the church in Corinth, yet he chose not to. Rather, Paul relied daily on the living presence of Jesus within him by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate Christ’s power to deliver, heal, and forgive. Seekers in Corinth experienced the presence of Jesus before they understood all the truths of God’s Word. Their faith rested on God’s presence and power to change their lives. In a generation that is asking if God is real, rather than whether God’s Word is true, this is important. If we bring our experience in the living Christ through the power of the Spirit, we, too, wi...

Deuteronomy 30-31; Psalms 40; 1 Corinthians 1   “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.” 1 Corinthians 1:27-29 The Lord loves humility! The Lord deliberately chooses the foolish, weak, lowly, and despised things of this world as recipients of his grace and a testimony to his saving power. Why these dramatic testimonies? – “…so that no one may boast before him” (1 Corinthians 1:29). Our continual dependency on the Lord for all things, not just our salvation, is God’s best for us in Christ. The momentum in church multiplication is not coming from the wealthy, educated West; but rather, from the ‘margins’ of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It is the poor who are becoming rich in salvation. It is those without proper medical care who are ...

Deuteronomy 28-29; Galatians 6   “Brothers [and sisters], if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:1, 2 The law of Christ was that we would love one another as Christ has loved us. This love is tested when our brother or sister is caught in a sin. Our tendency can be to judge that person, gossip about them, or separate ourselves from them. Instead, Paul calls us to gently restore that person to right relationship with God and others. We restore one another gently because we recognize sin’s deception, our own vulnerability to temptation, and Christ’s incredible mercy and gentleness toward us. When we walk with each other in this ministry of restoration and soul care, we are carrying each other’s burdens to the feet of Jesus and inviting Christ to heal, cleanse, free, and restore. This ministry of caring fo...

Deuteronomy 25-27; Galatians 5   “You, my brothers [and sisters], were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13 Paul contrasted the freedom of God’s family to serve one another in love to the freedom to indulge our sinful nature (the flesh). Freedom is not the absence of all restraint; but rather, it is the power to do what is right and good. Indulging the sinful nature leads to habits, addictions, and misery. The power of the Spirit gives us freedom to humble ourselves and serve others with love. Loving God and our neighbor becomes our focus, rather than indulging our own wants. We were called to be free. Are we living this kind of freedom? What indulgences do we need freedom from? Will we humble ourselves before the Lord and invite his deliverance, forgiveness, and freedom so our heart is light and full of the Spirit’s love, joy, and peace? The fruit of the Spirit describes freedom, while the a...

Deuteronomy 22-24; Galatians 4   “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, how I wish I could be with you now…God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba Father’. So you are no longer a slave, but God’s son…” Galatians 4:19, 20, 6, 7 Paul used family images to describe the identity of the Galatian disciples of Christ as God’s children. We have the Spirit of the Son, Jesus Christ, indwelling us through the Holy Spirit. We have intimacy with our holy father God through Christ. However, Paul goes deeper and describes his role as the Galatian church planter - like a birthing mother. The pains of childbirth, like ‘intercession-travail,’ marked the birth of the church. Paul was in intercession-pain as he called them to Christ.   He was contending for Christ to be “formed in you.” Have we, like the Galatians, been birthed into the family of God by a spiritual mother or father? Are we birthing o...

Deuteronomy 19-21; Galatians 3   “If man guilty of a capital offense is put to death and his body is hung on a tree, you must not leave his body on the tree overnight. Be sure to bury him that same day because anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse. You must not desecrate the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.” Deuteronomy 21:22, 23 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’” Galatians 3:13 The penalty of sin is death. God’s law required those guilty of intentionally taking another life to be killed by hanging. This public death communicated God’s curse on those guilty of taking another person’s life. Jesus took our penalty for our sin by becoming a curse for us through his death on a cross. He atoned for defiling sins which pollute our land. God’s answer to the bloodguilt which has defiled every nation through the shedding of innocent blood is the blood of ...

Deuteronomy 16-18; Psalms 38; Galatians 2   “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:19, 20 There are many ‘shadow-missions’ we can pursue in life, rather than finding our life in God and his inheritance for our lives. Paul’s religious upbringing as an observant Jew meant that the Mosaic Law was where he looked for life until he met Jesus Christ. In entering into Christ’s death and resurrection, Paul gave us the key to finding life in Christ. This path of death, resurrection, and life can be ours. Will we die to our false self which trusts in religious performance, good deeds, and being nice, and invite Christ to live through us? Life in Christ requires daily faith that Jesus’ loving presence in us is enough. “Lord Jesus, live in me and through me, for your glory...

Deuteronomy 13-15; Galatians 1 “Paul, an apostle - sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead - and all the brothers with me…If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:1, 10 Paul’s clarity of calling, received by revelation from Jesus Christ, shaped his understanding of the gospel and his freedom in ministry. Paul was not beholden to any organization or person. He wasn’t controlled by a salary, job description, or even local governing board. Yet, wherever he went, Paul lived in mutual submission to the elders in Jerusalem and local leaders in the church. His inner submission to Christ meant that Paul viewed himself as the servant of all. He became “all things to all people,” so that he could win them for Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Are we free to receive gospel-assignments from the Lord? Are we pleasing Jesus Christ first, and serving others to influence them for the gospel of Christ...

Deuteronomy 10-12; Mark 16   “’But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’’…When Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons…When they had heard that Jesus was alive and that she had seen him, they did not believe it.” Mark 16:7, 9, 11 The angel at the empty tomb spoke to Mary Magdalene and the other women asking them to announce the resurrection to the disciples. They were to travel to Galilee where Jesus would meet with them. The disciples didn’t believe the women. We, too, might be able to identify with them in their struggle to believe. Mary and the women excitedly shared the good news and were the first to do so yet were faced with doubt and disbelief from the other disciples. We might be able to identify with them in that rejection based on our gender, background, or message we are carrying. Jesus chose to first reveal ...

Deuteronomy 7-9; Mark 15   “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna…to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Deuteronomy 8:2, 3 Our hunger for relationship with God comes from him and can only be satisfied by the Lord. Israel’s desert experience taught them dependence on the Lord in a very practical way, every day. Manna represented the life that God alone could give them. Jesus quoted this text in resisting Satan’s temptation in the wilderness: ”man does not live on bread alone” followed by: “but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.” Jesus listened to his Father every day and obeyed the assignments, not just the moral laws that his Father gave to him.   Are listening t...

Deuteronomy 5-6; Psalms 43; Mark 14   “Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey. ‘…I have heard what this people said to you. Everything they said was good. Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!’” Deuteronomy 5:27-29 From Moses until Jesus Christ, God’s relationship with his people was mediated by the Levites as priests. The commandments required Israel to listen and obey, and that would be their righteousness (Deuteronomy 6:25). It would be in relationship with God that Israel would learn to fear the Lord and obey him. They were to be holy as God was holy. We know that was a very difficult requirement. Jesus came to bring fulfillment to God’s plan to save and redeem his people and bring them into intimate communion with himself. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit the Church was birthed. ...

Deuteronomy 3-4; Psalms 36; Mark 13   “…How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men [people] find refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” Psalm 36:7-9 David found everything he needed in the presence of the Lord. Unfailing love, refuge, protection, provision, pleasure, life, and revelation are all found in the presence of the Lord. Why are we looking for those things in all the wrong places? The river of “delights” is the Hebrew word for “Eden,” the same word as the Garden the Lord planted as a home for Adam and Eve. God is the source of pleasure! It is his idea. He is the source of life in all its fullness. In God’s presence we experience peace as his light illuminates us from the inside out. Through Jesus Christ, we are invited into the Lord’s presence. So few people value and pursue the Lord’s presence li...

Deuteronomy 1-2; Mark 12   “Then I said to you, ‘You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the Lord our God is giving us. See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.’ Then all of you came to me and said, ‘Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.’ The idea seemed good to me...” Deuteronomy 1:20-23 Not all ideas come from the Lord. The “good idea” to send spies into the land came from the fear of the people, not from wisdom. Moses affirmed the idea and gave operational authority to it. The bad report brought back by ten of the twelve spies led to rebellion, grumbling, and God’s judgment. What ideas or plans are we carrying that are similarly birthed in fear rather than faith? The Lord continually calls us away from fear and discouragement for a reason. We...

Numbers 34-36; Mark 11   “Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’...On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers…” Mark 11:8-10, 15 The disciples of Jesus and the crowds in Jerusalem welcomed Jesus as a king in the lineage of David. What kingdom will Jesus be bringing? By overturning the money exchange tables in the temple, Jesus signaled that his kingdom would be different than the sacrificial system enforced by the chief priests and teachers of Moses’ law. Jesus’ kingdom invited influence through prayer and a personal relationship with our Father God. “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours (Mar...

Numbers 32-33; Mark 10   “’I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it …no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and with them, persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’” Mark 10:15, 29-31 Jesus described receiving the kingdom of God as a child receiving a gift. The faith, dependence, and humility of a child mark those who receive the kingdom of God. They freely give God their lives and all their relationships because he has given them life in his kingdom. When we focus on the cost of giving up everything for the kingdom of God and eternal life, the focus is still on us. God’s children don’t think that way. We have been given the kingdom! Any price is small co...