Listening to the Word

Jeremiah 31-32; 1 John 4   “…God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:16-18 Are we afraid of the day of judgment? John’s word is to those who know Jesus. We don’t need to be afraid. Knowing Jesus means being filled with his love. If we don’t know the security of Jesus’ love, we have to honestly ask ourselves if we actually know Jesus or just know about him. John’s Revelation clearly outlines the day of judgment; yet, John just as clearly says those who know Jesus do not need to fear. Instead, we who know Jesus will have confidence on the day of judgment. Why? – Because we are in Christ. By faith, we have received the love and righteousness of Jesus. It is Jesus who is...

Jeremiah 28-30; 1 John 3   “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother…And this is how we know that he lives in us: we know it by the Spirit he gave us.” 1 John 3:9, 10, 24 How do we know we belong to God’s family? That is the question John is answering. Not, ‘am I saved and going to heaven’, which is the focus of some recent formulations of the gospel. John’s evidence that ‘God’s seed remains in us’ is that we no longer want to sin against God. Do we still sin? Yes, but we no longer indulge in patterns of sin because the Holy Spirit within us convicts us and draws us back into the love of God. We also know we belong to God’s family because we love our brother and sister (and our spouse) in Christ. Thi...

Jeremiah 21, 24, 27; Psalms 118; 1 John 2 “In my anguish I cried to the Lord and he answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? ...I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done. The Lord has chastened me severely, but he has not given me over to death. Open for me the gates of righteousness. I will enter and give thanks to the Lord.” Psalm 118:5, 6, 17-19 In our life, the tests of the Lord are not meant to destroy us; but rather, to both refine and promote us. Those who pass the tests do so in complete surrender of their will. In humility they cry to the Lord and wait for his deliverance. We testify to God’s presence in our lives through how we respond to these tests. The world fights, defends self, promotes self, and manipulates. The sons and daughters of God respond to his chastening with grace and humility. To them the gates of righteousness will open as the Lord welcomes them into glory. How are we responding to...

Jeremiah 48-49; Psalms 67; 1 John 1   “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 1:7 If we walk in the light as Jesus is in the light, do we have we have fellowship with Jesus or with one another? Why does John say ‘with one another’? Spiritually, our vertical freedom with God leads to horizontal freedom in our relationships with others. Living free from all known sin in the light of God’s presence will dramatically improve our marriage and our relationships at work, at home, and in every area of our life. If we harbour hatred toward another person we are in the darkness, unable to move forward and unable to discern right from wrong. Hatred and conflict blind us to the light. The good news is that the blood of Jesus which offers us forgiveness is also available in our relationships. We can choose to forgive and set others free as well as ourselves. Are we walking in the ...

Jeremiah 45-47; Psalms 105; John 21   “He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant: ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.’” Psalm 105:7-11 We serve and know a covenant-keeping God. If he can break his first covenant with Israel, then he can also break his new covenant with us. However, that is not God’s nature; while we are unfaithful, he is faithful. God’s covenants stand. He also disciplines us for our good. Just as Israel was disciplined, so also the Church is disciplined and we, too, experience God’s judgments. Our response must be to humble ourselves before the Lord and acknowledge our sin, seek his face, and give him glory by telling of his gospel and mercy to us in Christ. We trust in who God is because his...

Jeremiah 26, 35, 36; John 20 “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary’. She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher). Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’…” John 20:16-18 John recounted how he was the first to witness the empty tomb of Jesus. However, it was Mary Magdalene who was the first to see the resurrected Christ, to hear him, and to receive the command to ‘Go’. Why did Jesus choose to give Mary this honor, and not John or Peter? Why did Paul, overlook this important fact when he listed those who saw Jesus in his letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:5-8)? Paul claimed it was Cephas who first saw Jesus; however, Paul wasn’t present during those first hours and days following the resurrection. Could it be that Mary’s status as a...

Jeremiah 23, 25; John 19   “’But which of them has stood in the council of the Lord to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?’...’Therefore,’ declares the Lord, ‘I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me.’” Jeremiah 23:18, 30 Disciples of Jesus, filled with his Spirit, have the opportunity to discern the ‘mind of Christ’ in each situation. We have been given the “Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us (1 Corinthians 2:12).” Yet rather than spending time in the presence of the Lord, we would rather listen to podcasts of each other’s sermons and ‘steal from one another words’ which we can then use. This must grieve the Lord.   Will we receive our inheritance as sons and daughters of the King and seek his face? Will we choose to listen and obey, value purity and holiness, and honor the Word of the Lord? There is no shortcut to being genuine men and women of God. We must spend time i...

2 Kings 24; Jeremiah 22; Psalms 112; John 18   “Jesus commanded Peter, ‘Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?’…Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.’” John 18:11, 36 During the arrest of Jesus, Peter’s violent act of defense against Malchus, the high priest’s servant, sparked an immediate response from Jesus. Peter’s sword was interfering with the cup of deliverance and redemption Jesus was about to drink as he fulfilled the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. Jesus had just offered that Passover cup to Peter at the last supper they had together as disciples, but now Jesus would fulfill that Feast’s purpose for all time. Peter didn’t understand why Jesus would allow himself to be arrested because he didn’t understand yet that Christ’s kingdom was not of this world. Many disciples still don’t understand this reality and like Peter, def...

Jeremiah 18-20; Psalms 93; John 17   “…’Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son that your Son may glorify you…I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one. I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.’” John 17:1, 22, 23 Do we know the time in which we are living in God’s salvation history? Jesus knew that the time had come for him to give his life for the sin of the world. His obedience to the will of the Father released the glory of God (i.e. God’s presence), into the lives of his disciples. It is God’s presence which brings us into unity with one another, not in negotiating our confessional and doctrinal statements down to the least common denominator. Jesus and the Father, indwelling his disciples through the Holy Spirit, fill us with the Father’s love, so that unity becomes our reality. This is the time for the Church to open wide to G...

Jeremiah 16-17; Psalms 96; John 16   “’I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.’” John 16:20, 21 There are different kinds of pain in our lives as disciples of Christ. Often pain is caused by sin in this world and in our lives. We reap what we sow and it hurts However, there is another pain: the pain of birthing a work of God in and through our lives. This pain, like a woman in labour, leads to a new beginning. We might not understand why God is releasing us from a ministry, an assignment, or a location, but the pain of letting go, surrendering, and dying leads to new life. When the new life that God is birthing is being formed, we must cover it in prayer and wait on the Lord’s timing. We cannot rush a birth no matter how painful. ...

Jeremiah 13-15; John 15 “’You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.’” John 15:16 Many respond to a presentation of the gospel which focuses on how they can get to heaven. With this perspective, salvation becomes a solution to their sin-problem. However, Jesus’ last words to his disciples reminded them it was he who called them, not to solve their sin-problem, but to bring glory to his Father. We were called by Jesus into a loving relationship of listening to and obeying him so that we, too, would bear much spiritual fruit. It’s not about our eternal security; it’s about knowing Jesus and evidencing the reality of his presence in our lives through much fruit - fruit like the Spirit produces in the lives of those who are filled with love, joy, peace, patience, etc. - fruit like that attracts spiritually hungry people who also desire life. If this doesn’t describe our exp...

Jeremiah 10-12; John 14 “’All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’” John 14:25-27alone, we are known and loved by our Father God. “Father God, The peace that Jesus promised his disciples is not the peace the world gives. The world’s peace is at best the absence or minimizing of conflict. The peace of Christ is the presence of the Holy Spirit who reminds us of the promises and principles of Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace… (Galatians 5:22). Fear and a troubled heart can steal our peace by attempting to separate us from our awareness of the Holy Spirit’s presence. If we call on the Lord, rebuke fear, and invite Jesus to fill us with his peace, we will find the wonderful pr...

Jeremiah 7-9; John 13   “He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, ‘Lord, are you going to wash my feet?’ Jesus replied, ‘You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.’ ‘No,’ said Peter, ‘You shall never wash my feet.’” John 13:6-8 What didn’t Peter understand about why Jesus was washing his and the other disciples’ feet? Luke’s gospel records that at the Passover supper the disciples were arguing among themselves “as to which of them was considered to be greatest (Luke 22:24).” The disciples understood and debated positional authority, but they did not yet understand spiritual authority. After receiving a seminary degree or many years of faithful church attendance, would we understand spiritual authority in the way of Jesus? Jesus had all authority yet he washed his disciples’ feet. Soon after this, he died for them and all who would choose his offer of salvation. Spiritual authority is given to those who humble themselves, deny themselves, take up their cr...

Jeremiah 5-6; John 12 “’To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.’” Jeremiah 6:10 “’There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; the very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.’” John 12:48 There are few more important disciplines for disciples of Christ than listening to and obeying Jesus, the living Word. ‘Are our ears open to the voice of our Shepherd? Do we know his voice? Are we quick to repent when convicted by the Holy Spirit? Is the Word of the Lord offensive to us when we are rebuked, or do we still find pleasure in knowing the Lord loves us enough to discipline us? When listening, obeying, communing, and worshiping become our most life-giving practices, we live out of that sacred inner space in a world that is externally conditioned and focused on the approval of others; we live for the approval of the...

Jeremiah 3-4; John 11 “Jesus said to her, ‘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?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she told him. ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’” John 11:25-27 When a pandemic sweeps the globe, people look for a vaccine that will protect them through developing immunity.   But, what will protect us from the consequence of our sin? The consequence of sin is death. Jesus came into the world to save us from our sin and to bring us into the life-relationship we were created to enjoy with our Creator. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Do you believe this? Martha said yes! At the command of Jesus, her brother Lazarus walked out of the tomb despite being dead for four days. There is no other salvation from sin and death except the name of Jesus Christ.   If we know this life-saving answer, will we share it...

Jeremiah 1-2; John 10 “’The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.’” John 10:2-4 As we consider what it means to be a disciple of Christ, we can learn from Jesus’ analogy of a shepherd with his sheep. Our shepherd speaks to us through his Spirit indwelling us and through his Word. Our shepherd calls us by name. He knows us personally and often gives us a name which represents our calling or best contribution in his kingdom. Our shepherd leads us by example. He won’t ask us to do something he himself wasn’t willing to do. As sheep, we learn to follow our shepherd, not debate other sheep! As sheep, we learn our shepherd’s voice by spending time with him, listening, and obeying. As sheep, we follow our shepherd before we follow other sh...

Zephaniah 1-3; John 9   “’But I will leave within you the meek and humble. The remnant of Israel will trust in the name of the Lord.’” Zephaniah 3:12 “Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” John 9:39-41 Jesus healed a man who had been blind since birth; yet, it was the Pharisees who could not see the hand of God at work.   Why? Spiritual pride had blinded them to their need for God. Humility is the gateway quality of those who see God both for salvation and ongoing revelation in the kingdom of God. Anything that grows humility in our lives should be welcomed not resisted. We both humble ourselves before God, and we are humbled. The man born blind endured much humbling in his life; yet, that...

Habakkuk 1-3; John 8 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord. I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:17-19 In the midst of war, pestilence, and plague where do we turn for hope and perspective? Habakkuk found joy in the Lord, not in his circumstances, vacations, possessions, and recent purchases; but, joy in the Lord our Savior. Why? Because the sovereign Lord was Habakkuk’s strength and he can be our strength as well.   Our strength does not come through our retirement investments, health plans, or group of friends; our strength comes through our relationship with the Lord. Joy, worship, and gratitude in the midst of very challenging circumstances are weapons of battle. We cho...

2 Kings 23; 2 Chronicles 35; John 7   “Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, ‘Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” John 7:28, 29 Jesus’ truth-claims and authority-claims were unprecedented. He was either delusional, or he was God. Yet this same conviction about being “sent” has marked disciples of Christ who live on mission with him.   Sure, “you know me and you know where I am from”; but, do you know the One who sent me?   Without clarity and conviction about our call, ministry is just another religious job focused on pleasing people. However, knowing who is sending us each day changes our work as Christ’s ambassadors in the marketplace, in the classroom, in our community or across the globe. Apostles or missionaries (sent ones) are defined more by who sent them than by what they are doing. Either the whole churc...

2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34; John 6 “Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you…Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.’” John 6:53, 56 This radical call to eat Jesus’ body and drink his blood makes more sense after the final supper with his disciples. Jesus repurposed the Passover cup and said, “This is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). We understand the communion elements to be representations of Christ’s body and blood and a reminder of our covenant with him.   However, are we regularly taking communion? We will never be worthy of this sacrifice by Jesus for us. To take communion is to be reminded and renewed in our love and life in Jesus. Neglecting communion affects our heart’s communion with Jesus. Remaining, or abiding in Christ is the key to fruit-bearing in our spiritual life.   When wa...

Nahum 1-3; John 5 “Jesus gave them this answer: ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does…How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?” John 5:19, 20, 44 Jesus promised his disciples that both he and the Father would come and live inside of his disciples by the indwelling Spirit and be at ‘home’ with them (John 14:23). Why? So that we would live the life Jesus lived, in union with his Father.  We, too, can now through the Spirit learn to obey the Father by doing what our Father is doing. Few desire to live in this way of surrender and obedience to the will of the Father. Instead, we benchmark our discipleship against the behavior of other disciples and seek the praise of one another. We can win the favor of the Church and be out of st...

2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33; John 4 “In his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.” 2 Chronicles 33:12, 13 No one would wish distress, hardship, or pain on someone; yet, this painful discipline was God’s grace in Manasseh’s life. His capture by the Assyrians who put a hook in his nose was a particularly humiliating outcome of Manasseh’s rebellion against the Lord. After all his demonic worship, including human sacrifice, Manasseh “humbled himself greatly” before God. How has the Lord disciplined us in his love for us? How have we responded? This event of humiliating discipline was the turning point in Manasseh’s life. As we intercede in prayer for our prodigals and unsaved family and friends, are we aware of the lengths the Lord will go...