Listening to the Word of God

Numbers 15:1-16:35; Luke 4:38-5:16; Psalm 37:1-9 In Numbers, we read much of the way of opposition to the Lord and His Word. It is a way that leads to judgment. There is, however, a better way. It is the way of “listening to the Word of God” (Luke 5:1). Which way are we to choose? …

Jesus still asks the question, “Do you love Me?”

Genesis: 29:1-30 The tables are turned on Jacob. The trickster is tricked! The 'trick' was according to the 'custom' that the elder daughter should be given in marriage before the younger one (23, 25-26). Seven years became fourteen years (18-20,27,30). Jacob did receive his heart's desire, but there was a lesson to be learned: Going …

Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin

Genesis 25:19-34 Esau was a fool. He chose his own way rather than the Lord's way. Jacob was a 'heel'! 'Born with his hand holding on to Esau's heel..., he was named Jacob (Heel)' (26). A crafty twister, a manipulating cheat, there was nothing about him that merited God's blessing. He was not superior to …

We are sinners. We’re called to be servants. Jesus is our Saviour.

"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). We read the words of Paul - and we look beyond him to …

We listen to Jesus, we learn from Jesus, and we worship Jesus.

"I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.  I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11-12). "By revelation from Jesus Christ": This was more than Paul's preaching. It was Christ's revelation. What a difference …

Through ‘the blood of Christ’, we receive the greatest ‘blessing’ of all – salvation.

Psalms 62-63 The Lord is ‘my Rock and my Salvation’(Psalm 62:2,6). As you read the Psalmist’s words, let your thoughts turn to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our ‘Rock’- the ‘Rock’ of our salvation. Through ‘the blood of Christ’, we receive the greatest ‘blessing’ of all - salvation (1 Corinthians 10:1-4,16). No other blessing …

God wants us to give ourselves to Him.

2 Kings 11:1-12:21 -  Let us ‘make a covenant’ - to ‘be the Lord’s people’, to ‘do what is right in the eyes of the Lord’ (11:17; 12:2). Part of this ‘covenant’ will involve our use of ‘money’. Real covenanting with the Lord will always mean much more than how much money we give to …

The Lord’s Return

"Now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2). In our thinking about the Lord’s Return, it is very important that we do not forget that the decision between salvation and judgment is one which must be made here and now. The Bible speaks of the Day of the Lord’s Return as a Day of …

I told you so.

I told you so ... Often, these words are spoken with the kind of pride that takes pleasure in putting other people down. How different are the words of Paul, "Pride puffs up. Love builds up" (1 Corinthians 8:1)! Where did Paul learn to love like this? He learned it from the Lord. Jesus loves …

There is more to life than life under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 8:1-9:10 ‘Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might...’ (9:10). ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart...’ (Colossians 3:23-24). These two verses seem, at first, to be saying the same thing - until we read the rest of each verse! The first is describing life ‘under the …

Amos 7-9 and Obadiah

AMOS 7:1-9:15  -  ‘That’s enough, prophet! Go back to Judah and do your preaching there... Don’t prophesy here at Bethel any more’ (7:12-13). Amos was a faithful preacher of God’s Word - but his hearers wanted to get rid of him! This was the beginning of a time of great darkness: ‘The days are coming …

The elder – Esau – will serve the younger – Jacob.

Genesis 27:1-46 This is a story of deception - things are not as they seem. What are we to say about this chapter? We must begin by saying that this family is a mess. There's something else that we must say - there is more to this story than what's going on in this family. …

“His Name shall endure for ever.”

Psalms 72:1-20- Read the words - ‘His Name’ shall ‘endure for ever’(17) - and think of Christ. His Name is ‘the Name above all other names’. He is ‘the King of kings and Lord of lords’(Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 19:16). Read the words - ‘all nations call Him blessed’(17) - , and think of Christ. ‘From …

Christ calls us to worship – and equips us for battle.

Joshua 5:1-15 As you read about circumcision (2-7) and the Passover (10), think also of Paul's words in Romans 2:29 and 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 - 'real circumcision is a matter of the heart', 'Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us, therefore, celebrate the festival...with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth'. 'The Commander …

How many will be saved?

Jesus was asked the question, “How many will be saved?” He gave this answer, “Strive to enter by the narrow door” (Luke 13:24). His answer is not based on the things we don’t know. It’s based on the things we do know. These are the things that we do know: (a) the fact of human …

Lord, Your blessing comes to us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

‘Blessed is the one who always fears the Lord. If you harden your heart, you will be ruined’ (Proverbs 28:14). Lord, Your blessing comes to us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Saviour: ‘The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes’. To those who refuse to come to Christ and …

The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.

Proverbs 28:1-28 ‘Blessed is the one who always fears the Lord. If you harden your heart, you will be ruined’ (Proverbs 28:14). Lord, Your blessing comes to us through the Gospel of Jesus Christ our Saviour: ‘The Gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes’. To those who refuse to come to …

God sees us as we really are – and he keeps on loving us.

"For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others" (Ecclesiastes 7:22).  "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things" (Romans 2:1).  The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector "Also …

Peter preached Christ with great boldness.

Peter preached Christ with great boldness: ‘There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’(Acts 4:12). This boldness came from the Holy Spirit. Peter was ‘filled with the Holy Spirit’(Acts 4:8). Don’t say, ‘I‘m no Peter’. Peter failed his Lord …

Send Your blessing, Lord.

Acts 5:12-6:7 There was great blessing: 'More than ever believers were added to the Lord' (14). There was persecution (17-18). This did not hinder the advance of the Gospel (42). Satan was not going to give up easily. He came right back at the apostles (1). Satan was defeated. Through the Spirit of God and …

The Call Of Love

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... " (Luke 13:34-35) This is the call of love. In love, Christ is reaching out to us. In love, He's calling us to come to him.

In Your Word of warning, Lord, we hear Your Word of love – and we rejoice in Your Word.

Ezekiel 32:1-32 ‘Pride goes before destruction’ (Proverbs 16:18). ‘Pharaoh, king of Egypt’ was arrogant and ruthless: ‘You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas, thrashing about in your streams, churning the water with your feet and muddying the streams’ (Ezekiel 32:2). Soon, it would be ‘the day …

The wilderness – a place of testing – with the promise of better things to come (Deuteronomy 8-10)

Deuteronomy 8:1-9:21 -  The ‘wilderness’ was a place of ‘testing’.  God was ‘disciplining’ His people.  He was teaching them to ‘walk in His ways’ (2,5-6).  In the ‘wilderness’, we must remember this: ‘man does not live by bread alone… man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord’ (3).  Everything that proceeds …

Are we listening to the Lord – or are we listening to the world?

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to give me my share of the inheritance that our father left us.” Jesus said to him, “Who appointed me to be your judge or to divide your inheritance?” He told the people, “Be careful to guard yourselves from every kind of greed. Life is …

Matthew 12:38-50 – “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.”

Jesus did not 'mince His words' with the Pharisees. He described them as 'a wicked and adulterous generation' (39,45). They were men who, by their stubborn refusal to listen to Jesus, had placed themselves under the judgment of God. The Pharisees may have had no time for Jesus, but there were those who were eager …

Large Harvest, Few Workers

"He told them, 'The harvest is large, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord who gives this harvest to send workers to harvest his crops.'" (Luke 10:2).  A large harvest, few workers: what do we do? - "Ask the Lord ... " "Lord, teach us to pray" (Luke 11:1).

Christ saves to the uttermost.

Numbers 19:1-22  -  The sacrifice was to be ‘without defect’. There was to be ‘no blemish’ (2). Here, we have a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ - ‘without sin’, He offered Himself ‘for the sins of the people’ (Hebrews 4:15; 2:17). The gathering of ‘the ashes’ (9-10) speaks of the completeness of Christ’s work …

Lord, help us not to say, ‘I will follow You’, and then change our mind.

Jeremiah 35:1-19 ‘Will you not learn a lesson and obey My words?’ (Jeremiah 35:13) - ‘Jonadab, son of Rechab, ordered his sons not to drink wine and this command has been kept... I have spoken to you again and again, yet you have not obeyed Me’ (Jeremiah 35:14). Lord, help us not to say, ‘I …

The Love Of God

In the beginning, there is love, eternal love, the love of God. ‘Genesis’ means ‘beginning’. These opening verses challenge us to get our priorities right – (a) The priority of God (Genesis 1:1). God comes first. Before anyone else is mentioned, He is there. (b) The priority of God’s Word (Genesis 1:3). God is the …

God’s blessing is reaching more and more people.

Acts 4-6 God is at work, and so is Satan. The devil does all that he can to try to hinder the work of God. The victory, however, belongs to the Lord. His work is advancing: "Their proclamation of the Good News of Christ Jesus was never interrupted... the number of disciples was increasing" (5:42-6:1).