One secret to perseverance

Illustration from Lyman Abbot Commentary on Acts

Oriental Prayer Meeting

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 13-14; Psalm 125

TO CHEW ON: "So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus." Acts 13:4

What strikes me about the disciples here is their lack of personal agendas. They have no five-year plan to evangelize the world. There seem to be only two items on their to-do list: hear and follow God's instructions.

When those instructions come via the Holy Spirit saying "Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" there is immediate obedience. No hanging back with—'Well, we had planned to visit our families, take a vacation, write a book…'

Their sense of being appointed and sent by God Himself on this mission was, I think, key to how they would handle what was ahead on this, Paul's first missionary journey (called Saul here, but his name was later changed to Paul). They didn't know it yet, but they would face opposition from a sorcerer, city-to-city hassling by the Jews, the desertion of a team member,  the threat of stoning in one place and actual stoning in another (Acts 13 & 14).

The lesson I take from this is  that I too need to listen to God's voice when I see opportunities to be sure that what I take on is by His leading and not my own idea. I need to be open to new tasks in areas I hadn't even considered. And when I don't hear anything specific, I need to be content to carry on faithfully with what I'm doing, knowing He is perfectly able to let me know when it's time to change course.

This sense of God's call is important because it is sure that I, that you, will face opposition, discouragement, misunderstanding, maybe even threats and physical danger while on Kingdom assignments. The knowledge that God has called us to any specific task will help us to persevere.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this clear picture of how You worked in Bible times. Help me to be as available as Paul and Barnabas were, and to follow Your direction, knowing that if You call me to a job, You will see me through it no matter what comes my way. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 125

The Bible Project VIDEO: Acts - Part 2 of 2 (Ch. 13-28) Read Scripture Series 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Is it time for a change?

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Genesis 29-31

TO CHEW ON: “Then the LORD said to Jacob, ‘Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.’” Genesis 31:3

Here at the beginning of the year, it’s not unusual to think about changes we would like to make in the coming 12 months, or that seem inevitable by the way they insert themselves into our awareness.

The latter was Jacob’s experience.

He had lived near Laban, his father-in-law for twenty years (Genesis 31:41). It was certainly longer than his mother had anticipated (she talked about an absence of “a few days” - Genesis 27:44).  But now change was in the air. Several things alerted Jacob to it:

1. His brothers-in-law, Laban’s sons, were restive and talking about how he had stolen their father’s wealth (and thus their inheritance) - Genesis 31:1.

2. Laban no longer seemed favourable to him either - Genesis 31:2.

3. God spoke to Jacob (the Bible doesn’t say exactly how) and told him what the change was to be. He was to return home.

It’s interesting to see what changes God told other Bible characters to make.

• God spoke directly to Abram (later Abraham) telling him to leave home and and old associations for points unknown - Genesis 12:1.

• God engineered a bush fire out of which He told Moses to lead Israel out of Egyptian slavery - Exodus 3:10.

• God told Joshua to move forward - Joshua 1:2.

• God came to Gideon as the “Angel of the LORD” and told him to fight against Israel’s oppressors, the Midianites. To start that process he was to destroy his family’s idols - Judges 6:14,25.

• God gave many directives to Elijah. He told him where to find supplies (1 Kings 17:3-4,9), when it was time to come out of retirement and get back to work (1 Kings 18:1), who to anoint as ruler and prophetic successor (1 Kings 19:15-16) and what judgments to pronounce on evil King Ahab (1 Kings 21:18,19; 2 Kings 1:3).

In the New Testament

• God told Ananias to go and pray for Saul—a seemingly dangerous assignment because Saul was legendary as a persecutor of Christians - Acts 9:10-16.

• God told Peter to go to the house of Gentile Cornelius - Acts 10:19,20.

• God told the early church’s prophets and teachers who to appoint for special assignments - Acts 13:1,2.

• God told Paul and Silas to avoid certain places (Asia and Bithynia) and to go to others (Macedonia), on their missionary journey - Acts 16:6-10.

We see that God communicates directives about many things in a variety of ways. What is He whispering (or shouting) in your ear? Let’s be open and obedient to His directions for change this year.


PRAYER: Dear Father, help me to catch Your signals about the changes You are asking me to make in 2018. Amen.
 

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 9

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Thanks for reading! This year we are using The Bible Project "Timeless Reading Plan" to read through the Bible in 2018. If you'd like to read along in your own Bible, you can download a pdf of the reading plan HERE.

Spiritual hearing

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: John 10:1-10

TO CHEW ON: “‘To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him for they know his voice.’” John 10:3,4

Jesus is here setting the scene for one of His iconic “I Am” statements—actually two: “'I am the door of the sheep'” - John 10:7 and “'I am the good shepherd'” - John 10:11.

These verses speak so powerfully to me that I’ve chosen them as my 2017 verses of the year to accompany the word “Listen,” my word for the year.

Two things stand out about the shepherd-sheep relationship from them: 

1. The shepherd knows his sheep individually and intimately: “…he calls his own sheep by name.”
2. The sheep follow him because they recognize and know his voice and obviously trust him.

This is what I want above all—to hear the voice of my Shepherd, recognize that it’s Him, and that I can confidently follow. How does this happen? We find some clues as we look at other places in the Bible that talk about spiritual listening and hearing.

• We discover that it may involve tuning our ears to listen, and watching and waiting. In one of his Lady Wisdom poems, Solomon, speaking as wisdom personified says, “Blessed is the man who listens to me / Watching daily at my gates, / Waiting at the posts of my doors” - Proverbs 8:34.

• It is listening to rebuke: “The ear that hears the rebukes of life / Will abide among the wise” - Proverbs 15:31.

• It is going to church with a receptive attitude: “Walk prudently when you go to the house of God; and draw near to hear rather than to give the sacrifice of fools” - Ecclesiastes 5:1.

• It is recognizing that spiritual truth and wisdom may not always come from the places we expect: “Words of the wise spoken quietly should be heard / Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools” - Ecclesiastes 9:17.

• We can pray to have renewed hearing even if we’re getting on in age: “O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known” - Habakkuk 3:2.

• It involves acting on what we’ve heard—obedience for the long haul, as Jesus taught: “‘But the ones (seeds) that fell on the good ground are those who having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience’” - Luke 8:15.

• God’s words to and in us can flourish when we live with an attitude of saying less and listening more: “… let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” - James 1:19.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for Your words as recorded by the apostles, as well as all the words of the patriarchs and prophets in the Bible. May You, by Your Holy Spirit, help me to hear, understand, know how to apply, and then obey what You say to me through them. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Four Elijah lessons

Elijan hears God's still small voice - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Kings 19:1-18

TO CHEW ON: "Then a voice said to him, 'What are you doing here, Elijah?' He replied, 'I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty...' " 1 Kings 19:13,14.

I can understand Elijah's total exhaustion and discouragement. Even three years of famine and defeating the prophets of Baal hadn't won the people over to God. Now he was on the run from Jezebel again. Despite his 100% commitment to God the results were zero and he felt like a total failure.

Elijah's story and the way God dealt with him have lessons for us to learn when:

- We've completed a project.
I'm sure Elijah was glad the three-years of no rain was over and had ended in the grand climax that it did. He'd finished his assignment and finished well. But, as often happens when a project is finished, he experienced a big let-down—especially when the results were not what he'd hoped for.

Lesson: We need to anticipate the let-down that's typical after a project is done.

- We're physically exhausted.
Elijah's run from Jezebel sapped any remaining energy he had. Utterly depleted, his attitude was affected by his physical state of hunger, thirst, and fatigue. Sleep and the bread and water the angel served perked him up considerably.

Lesson: We need to take care of our bodies, eating, drinking, sleeping, and taking work breaks to stay physically and emotionally healthy. Knowing the body's vulnerability in this area also helps us be empathetic with others when they're feeling ill or just tired and hungry.

- We need to hear from God.
Elijah most likely expected to hear from God in the fire, wind, and earthquake. He didn't Instead God spoke in a "still small voice."

Lesson: We can have our ears tuned for that "still small voice" too. Perhaps we'll hear it in the lyrics of a children's song, the kind gestures of a friend or insights from a book we're reading—especially if that book is the Bible.

- We feel our lives have been a failure.
Twice when Elijah talked to God he expressed disappointment in the results of his life (1 Kings 19:4,14) God didn't contradict him or list his successes. Instead, He gave Elijah new assignments, assignments that told him the story wasn't finished and wouldn't be finished with him.

Lesson: We need to remember that we too are only a short chapter in God's story. It didn't start with us and won't end with us. We need to be okay with writing our chapter and leaving the continuation and ending to Him.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to use common sense to care for myself physically, and to judge my life's success by my obedience to You, rather than outward successes. Amen.
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Unless noted otherwise, all Scriptures quoted in this meditation are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Holy Spirit controlled

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 13:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'" Acts 13:2

In Calvin Miller's book - That Elusive Thing Called Joy, one of the things he emphasizes is how letting God control our lives through the Holy Spirit is a key component of the joy we all so desire. This comes about, he says, as we live in communication with the Holy Spirit:

"Spiritually speaking, the Christian is in exile. We are one world out of phase with our home. When we first received Christ we were set on a high-frequency humanity. Our communication, like our interest, shifted plateaus: "Our conversation is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20). Indeed, except for the special communion provided by the Father, our exile would be oppressive.


This special communication is made possible by the Holy Spirit. Without Him your happiness is impossible, for He is your one life with Christ and the Father. Blot Him out and not only is the Trinity a distant duality, but God and you are no longer on speaking terms. He is your sole communication on your journey through the long night into day, the only companion for the pilgrimage that must otherwise be passed in silence." pp. 74-75

An example of the Holy Spirit's communication and companionship is the story in our reading today. It's a continuation of events in Antioch from yesterday. Then Barnabas fetched Paul to work alongside him. Now the Antioch Christians are absorbed with "ministering" to the Lord when the Holy Spirit speaks. It's so clear the exact words are in quotes in my Bible: "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

They obey. And the Holy Spirit's activity continues as they go to the island of Cyprus to tell the good news about Jesus.

In the city of Paphos, the pro-consul Sergius Paulus asks to hear their message. But his spiritual adviser, a sorcerer named Bar-Jesus opposes them and their message. Then Paul "filled with the Holy Spirit" confronts him. Notice his boldness, evident in both his body language and what he says: he "looked at him intently' and said: "'Oh full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness.'" (Yikes! No political correctness here!) Paul pronounces blindness on him and it happens. That sign brings the pro-consul to faith and probably a lot faster than if there had been no opposition.

As amazing as this story sounds to us, in the history of the early church it's just another day orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Which makes me ask myself - have I offered Him such carte blanche to myself? Do I expect to hear His instructions, get his moment-by-moment leading, witness the startling results in my life?

PRAYER: Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for being my liaison with God. Help me to understand this better and to become a better listener. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Talebearing—is it a big deal?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Leviticus 19:1-19

TO CHEW ON: "You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people." Leviticus 19:16

In the middle of Leviticus (a book we tend to ignore because we think it's mostly a set of dry instructions for Old Testament Israelites), comes a down-to-earth chapter on practical holiness. In it are several guidelines about the use the tongue: against lying (Leviticus 19:11); against using God's name in oaths and profanity (Leviticus 19:12); against cursing the deaf (Leviticus 19:14); against being partial in judgment (Leviticus 19:15) and then something we might consider almost too trivial to include in this list of grave sins—against being a talebearer (Leviticus 19:16).  What is this, and could God's ban on this activity for the Israelites be relevant for us today?

What is talebearing?
[Talebearer = rakiyl  is also translated slander, slanderer and informer.]

Talebearers are characterized by activities that include:

• Revealing secrets (Proverbs 11:13).

• "… idle wandering about from house to house … also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not," Paul says in describing their activity to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:13.

• They concern themselves "… in other people's matters," says Peter - 1 Peter 4:15.

Talebearing is hard to resist, though.

• The writer of Proverbs describes talebearing words as "tasty trifles" - Proverbs 18:8.

• It's also a social activity that may fill a need. The people Paul described as talebearers were young widows. We can easily see how doing the gossip circuit could fill a hole in their lonely lives, getting them out and circulating "house to house" with something important to pass on.

The effects of this type of talk are devastating.

• It can impact hearers at a deep level. Those tasty morsels "… go down into the inmost body" - Proverbs 18:8.

• Talebearers and their words separate friends - Proverbs 17:9.

• They cause strife in the larger community - Proverbs 26:20.

I would submit that those talebearing words that God told the people to avoid thousands of years ago are just as dangerous and destructive today—to both spread and hear. How can they be avoided?

• Don't associate with people known for any sort of insincere speech advises the writer of Proverbs (Proverbs 29:19).

• Stamp it out (by not listening to it and not spreading it) and thus calm strife in the larger community - Provers 26:20.

• And we could pray this prayer that David prayed, sincerely and often:

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
And do not let me eat of their delicacies. - Psalm 141:3,4 (emphasis added)

PRAYER:  Dear God, I admit, I have at times been a talebearer. Please forgive me. Set that watch in front of my mouth and prick my conscience when I entertain talebearing thoughts, so that I can stop them at their source and they never get as far as crossing my lips.  Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Are you an unmarked grave?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Luke 11:37-54

TO CHEW ON: "'Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them'" - Luke 11:44


My Bible's footnote explains the cultural context of this macabre picture:

"Since stepping on a grave was defiling to a Jew (Numbers 19:16) unmarked graves were a menace. Usually tombs were whitewashed in order to identify them (see Matthew 23:27). The attractive outward display of religion concealed the deadness within the hearts of the hypocrites" - J. Lyle Story, commentary on Luke, New Spirit-Filled Bible, p. 1412.

What Jesus was saying, in effect, was that people who allowed themselves to come under the teaching and authority of the scribes and Pharisees were exposing themselves to defilement. Ouch! No wonder these religious leaders "… began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him … lying in wait … seeking to catch Him … that they might accuse Him (Luke 11:53, 54).

We would never be guilty of such a thing as these scribes and Pharisees were, would we? But we often are, maintains Michael D. Sedler, author of Stopping Words that Hurt. His thesis is that we defile our listeners when we gossip and say slanderous, hurtful things about others. But he goes even further, insisting that we contribute to our own defilement when we so much as stand by as silent listeners to such words. Here's a bit from his introduction:

"The Bible refers to negative comments or stories regarding other people as 'evil reports' …. A careful search through the Scriptures shows that our gossip and truth stretching … carries with it far-reaching ramifications that affect not only the life of the speaker but the life of the listener …. It is not only 'speaking evil' that fosters sin in our lives, listening to evil reports defiles our spirits and creates a wedge between friends, family and colleagues" - Michael D. Sedler, Stopping Words that Hurt, Kindle Location 42.

Let's be on guard about letting our mouths, or our ears, become unmarked graves of defilement to others and ourselves!

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, what a sobering thought—that I might be the cause of someone else's defilement. Please help me to guard my mouth and my ears against giving and hearing 'evil reports' about others. Amen.

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The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. - Used with permission.

Samuel's obedience

"Saul meets Samuel" - James Tissot

TODAY'S SPECIAL: 1 Samuel 9:1-27


TO CHEW ON: "And Samuel said to the cook, 'Bring the portion which I gave you, of which I said to you, "Set it apart."'" 1 Samuel 9:23

Consider all the incidents that had to dovetail in order for Saul and Samuel to come together: donkeys lost, Kish sends son Saul to look for them, no success, Saul and his servant decide to go see the prophet (Samuel), the servant finds payment for him, they come to the city just after Samuel has arrived. That's quite an impressive string of "coincidences."

However, one detail of the story at least is a matter of faith followed by obedience on Samuel's part. Our focus verse highlights it. Samuel has a special kingly portion of food ready for Saul because he has earlier instructed the cook to set aside a special cut of meat for the guest of honor, and this before he knows who that guest will be or has even met him. In fact, it appears the whole sacrificial banquet is arranged in anticipation of Samuel meeting Israel's first king before their paths ever cross (1 Samuel 9:22-24).

Such stories of the faith and obedience of biblical characters always sober me. I ask myself,

• Do I have ears attentive to hear God's voice and discern His instructions?

• Do I obey promptly, even when my obedient course of actions doesn't make sense?

PRAYER: Dear God, please tune my ears to Your voice and help me to respond with the faith and obedience that acts even when it does not see. Amen.

MORE: The importance of listening

"But the important thing in doing any ministry ... is to make certain that you are doing what you are supposed to do. And above all, you need to listen to the Shepherd. Never go where he does not lead, and never fail to go where he does lead" - Dr. Steven Stiles, Journey on the Hard Side of Miracles, p. 179.

Communicate!

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Joshua 22:21-34

TO CHEW ON: "When Phinehas the priest and the leaders of the community—the heads of the clans of the Israelites—heard what Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had to say, they were pleased." Joshua 22:30 (NIV)

Someone heard, and told someone else. Soon the scandalous news was all over the land west of the Jordan River: their Israelite brothers had erected an altar on the east bank.

Because Moses' law forbade worship anywhere but in the tabernacle at Shiloh, the outrage was palpable. This disobedience, this cult, must be stopped! Soon men from across the country had gathered at Shiloh. They would go to war and halt the sacrilege!

Fortunately saner heads won the day. "Maybe we should send someone over there to see what they are thinking..." someone suggested. So before they marched en masse against their kin, they sent Priest Phinehas and ten of their leaders.

Good thing they did! Because when the west-siders met with the folks on the other side, they discovered the motives were not at all what they had thought. The people of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had built the structure not to offer sacrifices on it, but to act as a reminder. They called the altar "Witness." It was meant to signify to them and their descendants that they were Yahweh worshipers, like their brothers on Jordan's other side.

How easy it is for us too, to attribute motives, to jump to conclusions, to act on half of the information. This little incident teaches us the importance of communication. Before we spread stories, besmirch someone's reputation, launch an all-out war, we do well to seek out and listen to the other side of the matter.

PRAYER: Dear God, please give me wisdom and discretion when I encounter things I don't understand or agree with. Help me, when at all possible, to be a peacemaker. Amen.

MORE: Quotes about communication

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after." - Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"No one would talk much in society, if he knew how often he misunderstands others." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true." - Charles Dickens

"To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others." -  Anthony Robbins

"If you start a conversation with the assumption that you are right or that you must win, obviously it is difficult to talk." - Wendell Berry

"You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist." -Indira Gandhi.

Do your 8-12-year-olds have daily devotions? Point them to Bible Drive-Thru.