Listening to the Word

1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalms 98; Romans 2   “You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth…Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you to repentance?” Romans 2:1, 2, 4 Justice and righteousness are the foundation of God’s throne. After outlining God’s judgment of our rebellion, perversion, and sin in Romans 1, Paul warns us not to play god and judge others. We are all guilty of violating God’s ways and we all fall short of his holiness; yet, we know our desperate need for God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness should fill us with compassion and mercy toward others. When we judge others, we show contempt for the riches of God’s kindness, tolerance, and patience toward us. It i...

1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalms 97; Romans 1   “God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness…For I am not ashamed of the gospel…” Romans 1:9, 16 What do we think of when we think of the word “gospel”? Do we focus on the mechanics of our sin-separation from God and the atonement of Christ for our sin, reconciling us with God and the world around us? It is possible to focus on the various parts, aspects, steps, or laws in the gospel, forgetting that the heart of the gospel is God’s love for us in Christ. Jesus Christ our Lord is the gospel in summary. Paul preached the gospel of Jesus, Son of God, Lord of heaven and earth. Paul was not ashamed of Jesus Christ or of speaking about him to anyone whom he met. Are we? How confident are we to live and share the gospel wherever we are? “Lord Jesus, you are the good news which has transformed my life. You alone are the hope of the world, for your glory.”

1 Kings 4-5; 2 Chronicles 2; Psalms 101; 2 Thessalonians 3 “I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise. I will be careful to lead a blameless life – when will you come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile thing...” Psalm 101:1-3 David enjoyed the presence of the Lord so much that he was willing to avoid and resist the presence of sinful behaviors wherever possible. When our focus is on ourselves, we try to approach God on our terms. When our focus is on God, we approach him on his terms. David knew the holiness of God and he resisted sin in the power of the Spirit. David’s standard was to be blameless. We know he often failed in that effort; but when he failed, his cry of repentance was focused on restoring the presence of the Lord in his life (Psalm 51). What is our standard of behavior? We live in a sin-sick generation that celebrates and promotes that which God hates. Are we choosing to be friends of God...

1 Kings 3; 2 Chronicles 1; Psalms 78; 2 Thessalonians 2 “…and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s Tent of Meeting was there, which Moses the Lord’s servant had made in the desert. Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place had had prepared for it…But the bronze altar…was in Gideon in front of the tabernacle of the Lord;…” 2 Chronicles 1:3-5 The ark represented guidance and blessing, but had often been used as a ‘good luck charm’. The Tent of Meeting (or tabernacle) and the bronze altar built by Moses represented repentance and true relationship with God. Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice before the Lord and to seek his face. The Lord honored Solomon’s heart-intent with an amazing question, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you” (2 Chronicles 1:7). When we seek God’s presence and relationship, we also receive counsel and provision. When we just seek direction (the ark and ephod), we can approach God like a vendin...

1 Kings 2; 1 Chronicles 29; Psalms 95; 2 Thessalonians 1   “But who am I, and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.” 1 Chronicles 29:14 At the close of David’s life he led a worship service of incredible generosity for the future construction of the temple. This final act of worship acknowledged that everything David and his people had, came from God. The capacity to give generously is itself a gift from God. It was with this final act of worship and generosity that David passed on the leadership of the kingdom to Solomon. Are our families and churches known for generous worship? Are we freely acknowledging to the generations that follow us that everything we have and are comes from God? Are we modeling generous giving and worship for the next generation, or are we modeling selfish hoarding and self-centered honoring of what we have accomplished and accumulated? “Lord ...

1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 28; Psalms 91; 1 Thessalonians 5   “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence…You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday…For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;” Psalm 91:1, 3, 5, 6, 11 Where do we find our security - in a good security system, a firearm, a great job, or a stable country? Moses testified that security is found in the presence of the Lord. Giving our lives to the Most High is the key to finding rest and being free from fear. Moses watched firsthand as the Almighty destroyed the most powerful kingdom on earth. Moses chose to switch his trust from Pharaoh and his power, to the Most High God. Moses witnessed the mighty angels whom God assigned to deliver Israel and guide the...

1 Chronicles 25-27; 1 Thessalonians 4   “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother [or sister] or take advantage of him...” 1 Thessalonians 4:3-6 Why do our bodies matter to God? For those who have a living relationship with God, our bodies are the temple of the dwelling place of God through the Holy Spirit. We are the gatekeepers of the temple of our body. Avoiding sexual immorality in entertainment today is challenging, but that’s the will of God. Addictions we think are personal and private are seen by the Lord and defile our body. They also distort and damage our families with generational sin-patterns through the influence of lust rather than love. Sin affects our body in many ways. Sanctification is a process of yielding con...

1 Chronicles 22-24; 1 Thessalonians 3   “But this word of the Lord came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and have fought many wars. You are not to build a house for my Name, because you have shed much blood on the earth in my sight. But you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies on every side…’” 1 Chronicles 22:8, 9 The building of God’s house required hands that were clean and free of bloodshed.   Has God changed in this regard as he looks for people to join his mission of bringing salvation to the nations? We live under the atoning sacrifice of Christ’s blood for our sin. This blood speaks a better word than the cry of innocent blood for justice. Those who know Christ’s forgiveness are ambassadors of reconciliation to the nations. We are peacemakers because we have experienced peace with God through the Prince of Peace. We choose to forgive our enemies and do good to those who persecute us because we are representin...

2 Samuel 24; 1 Chronicles 21; Psalms. 30; 1 Thessalonians 2   “David built an altar to the Lord there and sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering. Then the Lord spoke to the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath.” 1 Chronicles 21:26, 27 God’s judgment of Israel through a plague (pandemic) cost 70,000 lives. It was only as David repented before God that the Lord commanded the angel who stood over Jerusalem to put his sword back into its sheath. What is our response before the Lord during the plague in our day? What if we could see the angel of the Lord with a drawn sword? How would we respond? As David cried and repented before the Lord, his intercession was heard and the Lord’s mercy and compassion were stirred. It is the Lord who is our Saviour - more than science or the wisdom of man. Jesus has paid the price for the sin of the world; however the Lord stil...

2 Samuel 21-23; 1 Thessalonians 1   “During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, ‘It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.’…David asked the Gibeonites, ‘What shall I do for you? How shall I make amends so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?’” 2 Samuel 21:1, 3 Blood-guilt from the reign of Saul affected rainfall many years later during the reign of David. The healing of the land which God promised Solomon was conditional on the Israelites humbling themselves, seeking God’s face, repenting, and turning away from their wicked ways (2 Chronicles 7:14). God is still grieved with blood-guilt. The shedding of innocent blood defiles our land as well. David asked the Gibeonites, “How shall I make amends”?   Are we willing to ask the same question? The atonement of Jesus’ blood is our covering from God’s wrath against sin. However, Jesus t...

2 Samuel 19-20; Psalms 55; Matthew 28 “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20 These final words of Jesus to his disciples in Matthew’s gospel follow a period of incredible trauma and pain. The betrayal of Jesus, his tortuous death, and the shocking resurrection had deeply shaken the disciples, so much so that as these words were being spoken by the resurrected Christ, some of his disciples doubted it was really Jesus. Jesus didn’t engage the doubters; instead, he refocused the attention of his disciples on their collective mission. Jesus’ call to make disciples, baptizing them into a new identity, and teaching them to obey all that Christ had commanded, focused the disciples on the future. Are we focused...

2 Samuel 18; Psalms 56; Matthew 27 “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?” Psalm 56:3, 4 David valued the presence of the Lord and listened to his word. When surrounded by danger in the Philistine city of Gath, David trusted in God’s promises to him which called for faith, not fear. When we feel surrounded, discouraged, or full of fear, in whose word are we placing our trust? The enemy of our soul accuses, lies, tempts, and distracts us from the truths of God’s Word. Are we listening to the Word or to the enemy? Will we reverence and fear God by honoring his promises and Word to us, or will we fear man? David realized that the Philistines could only kill his body; but, the Lord had watch over his body, his soul, and his spirit. Many years later the Lord used Ittai, the Gittite from Gath, along with 600 men to strengthen David’s leadership as he overcame Absalom’s rebellion. The Word of the...

2 Samuel 17; Psalms 71; Matthew 26   “Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone. For my enemies speak against me; those who wait to kill me conspire together. They say, ‘God has forsaken him; pursue him and seize him, for no one will rescue him.’ Be not far from me, O God;…Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come.” Psalm 71:9-12, 18 Some of David’s greatest tests came in his old age. His sons feuded with each other and Absalom led a rebellion. The whisper campaign against David sought to undermine people’s belief that the Lord was still with David. Everyone knew that it was the presence of the Lord that gave David his strength. His age was secondary. Do we, too, feel forgotten or undermined by others? The world counts beauty, physical strength, or our earning power as the source of our value. David would tell us our value comes from the Lord. As we g...

2 Samuel 15-16; Psalms 32; Matthew 25   “For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ – and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found;…” Psalm 32:4-6 Godly people sin regularly! The guilt of sin weighed heavily on David’s soul, sapping his physical strength. The hand of God through the conviction of the Holy Spirit was like a hand on his chest. Instead of running the other way, or hiding his sin, David chose to acknowledge and repent for his sin. Freedom within comes through confession and repentance. The Lord does not despise the sacrifices of a broken and contrite heart. Godly people learn to keep short accounts with God and value their inner freedom of communion with the Holy Spirit. Are we free today, or are we resisting the convicting work of ...

2 Samuel 13-14; Matthew 24   “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time, many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:9-13 Jesus wanted his disciples to be ready for the significant tests they would need to endure before his second coming. He promised us persecution, martyrdom, betrayal, deception, and a great falling away from the faith. This candid description of what to expect is quite different from how we prepare disciples today. When our focus is on meeting the needs of disciples, rather than on the cost of living on mission with Jesus, we develop self-centered, weak disciples. Jesus taught that knowing the cost of spiritual warfare was the key to not losing our first love ...

2 Samuel 11-12; Psalms 51; Matthew 23 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:1, 2 Every person knows the stain of sin on their own heart. No amount of contrition, repayment, remorse, or even avoidance, can cleanse our hearts. Only God can forgive, heal, and renew a sin-sick heart. Many turn to distractions in entertainment, or relationships, or self-medicate through alcohol or drugs, in an attempt to numb their pain. Jesus alone offers his blood poured out on the cross to cleanse our sin-sick, wounded heart. It was unfailing love for the Father and for us that took Jesus to the cross to pay our sin-debt. It is Christ’s blood which can blot out transgressions, wash away iniquity, and cleanse us from our sin. Will we bring our sin-sick heart into the light of God’s presence and repent for all that grieves God? In repentance, we agree with wha...

2 Samuel 10; 1 Chronicles 20; Psalms 20; Matthew 22 “’Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40 Love by its very definition cannot be forced. Love is a choice, an expression of free will. God’s commandment to love him with all our being must be our choice or it is not love, but rather, duty. The choice to love our neighbour as we love ourselves is different than living on mission because it’s the right thing to do. Love is birthed in a freewill choice and is expressed sacrificially without consideration of the cost. Love is not contractual or reciprocal favors; love is generous and free in its   gifts, attention, and affection. Does this describe how we love God and our neighbours? ...

2 Samuel 8-9; 1 Chronicles 18-19; Matthew 21   “In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Gath and its surrounding villages from the control of the Philistines. David also defeated the Moabites, and they became subject to him and brought tribute.” 1 Chronicles 18:1, 2 When David fled from Saul he found refuge in Gath and then negotiated with the king of Moab to shelter his family. When David became king he defeated both Gath and Moab. Both the Philistines (Gath) and the Moabites were threatened by David’s leadership and represented compromise with his past. As we come to Christ, we, too, must break with that which seeks to weaken our spiritual authority in Christ. Habits and relationships in which we formerly found refuge are not going to help us going forward if they are not reflecting God’s ways. Paul reminds us to “put to death” whatever belongs to our earthly nature, including sexual immorality, lust, evil desires, and greed (Colossians...

2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17; Psalms 2; Matthew 20 “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” Psalm 2:8 “…’Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’” Matthew 20:6, 7 Have we been “hired” in the Kingdom, or are we still “standing around”? God gives both the call and the willingness to serve. God invites us to “ask of me”. Our will must be engaged. We have not because we ask not. However, the Lord of the harvest must also “hire” us and send us. What are we asking God for? Does our asking mostly focus on our needs and wants, or God’s glory and kingdom mission? When we align our hearts with God’s kingdom priorities and values we can ask whatever we desire. God values people, created in his image, covenanting their lives to him. This mission to “make disciples of all nations” can be our life-mission as well. “Lord Jesu...