2 Corinthians 6:2 (TNIV)

2 For he says,
“In the time of my favor I heard you,
and in the day of salvation I helped you.”
I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

In this verse from 2 Corinthians, we see what is clear in the way Paul lived.  He knew that now is the time of God’s favor and that now is the day of salvation. So wherever he went, there was an urgency in his heart and actions from which he boldly proclaimed and ministered in order that those who wanted to know God could believe.  From the Old Testament (through prophets like Isaiah) to the New Testament (through apostles like Paul), and to us today as His church, God calls, uses and moves through His people to bring about his saving work. This is who we are as His church, and in the places to where He has called us where there is idolatry, in brokenness and boldness let us proclaim the good news.  For now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.

Response:

For us, the time to act and respond to God’s word is now.  We live in the time of God’s favor, the time of God’s salvation that has come through Christ.  Let’s believe this for this world, for those around us and be encouraged and joyful in our hearts, and urgent and hopeful in prayer. Let’s pray that as the church we will earnestly pray and boldly minister and proclaim God who is near.  Let’s pray for God’s favor and salvation to come to those who we are ministering to and that they will worship and be brought into relationship with our God who is to be known.

Acts 17:29-31 (TNIV)

29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”

In Paul’s message in Athens, he quotes “Phainomena,” a poem written by the Greek, Aratus. “For we are indeed His offspring,” the poem says. Paul uses this pagan text to express his point to the people.
How can we as human beings–so complex in thought, emotion, expression and action–be born of a statue carved from gold or silver? As human beings, we are alive and breathing; we have complex lives and thoughts. Our lives are not birthed from some plain old statue or sculpture. God, who is also complex and very much alive and moving in this world is the one who created us. Paul’s message to the people of Athens is to know that God is the one who created them, and as ones who have been created and formed by God, he calls them to turn. He calls them to repent. Paul’s message of repentance was an urgent message. Paul lived in the reality that there will be a day when God will judge the earth, and those who do not belong to the Lord will perish.

Response:

Today, let us earnestly ask God for his heart and power; the same power that caused Paul to live, preach and pray in the way that he did. Let us be ones who live, preach and pray with that kind of urgency. Let’s continue to earnestly pray in God’s love and compassion for our coworkers, classmates and friends who do not yet know God as the one who created them. Let’s ask that the Holy Spirit will work in their lives and hearts that there will be a turning to the Lord by his grace.

Acts 17:22-23 (TNIV) 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

Walking around the Barnes & Noble, we see various sections for art, business, history books and many others. In the religious book section, there are even more categories for new age, eastern religions, Judaism, Christianity, etc.  It seems that people are interested in reading various religious books. As Paul was in Athens, he saw they were a very religious people.  They worshipped objects and had an altar to an unknown God. To Paul, their idolatry showed that the people had a desire to know God, but they were ignorant of the very thing that they worshipped. Paul, on the other hand, had a great security in knowing the Lord, so he was able to boldly proclaim about God who can be known to the people of Athens.  He told them of God who created all and was the source of life, who does not live in temples made by man, and who is near to each of them. For the God Paul worshipped, is the God who can be known.

Response:

Let’s spend some time drawing near to God and deeply knowing Him. Let’s thank God that He is a God we can know, and when we pray, sing, or read the bible individually and corporately, we can encounter God who is so much greater and more powerful than anything else.  May our faith be strengthened and built up as we meet with Him.  Let us also pray for the boldness and courage to proclaim in our hearts, words, actions who God really is.  In this world where other things and people around us are worshipping other gods–gods they do not even know–let us be the ones who speak the truth of who God is, a God we can and do know.

Acts 17:16-18 (TNIV)

16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

From ESV Study Bible:Athens was filled with examples of artistic beauty, particularly its statues of the Greek gods and the architectural magnificence of its temples.  Paul would probably have been speaking in the Roman Forum (used as a marketplace; cf.Acts 17:17) and in the Greek Agora (largely filled with civic structures). In Paul’s day Athens boasted a stadium, a large theater, and an odeion known as the Agrippeion. Some of Athens’s most prominent features were its numerous pagan temples. The great temple to Athena (the Parthenon), the Erechtheion (dedicated to multiple deities), and the temple to the goddess Roma and the emperor Augustus stood atop the acropolis overlooking the city. Many other pagan sacred sites have also been found, confirming Petronius’s satirical assertion that it was easier to find a god than a man in Athens. Paul conversed with representatives of two of the most popular philosophies of the day, Stoicism and Epicureanism.

When Paul was by himself in Athens, he was exposed over and over again to the idolatry and worship of deities.  The author of Acts tells us that Paul was deeply troubled and stirred in his heart by all of the pagan worship he saw.  For us, what we experience on a daily basis is that things are not that much different in the world today.  Everywhere we go, there is idolatry.  It’s in our workplaces, university classrooms, shopping centers, and on our streets.  What is our response to the adoration of other gods like money, material things, sex, fame and status?  Are we distressed as Paul was distressed when he saw the city of Athens?

Response:

Today, let’s ask God to open our eyes and hearts to see the idolatry that is all around us, and to be moved by His heart and compassion. Let us ask and receive again God’s power to live as witnesses to the power of Jesus’ resurrection. Let us firmly believe again that we are called to be God’s witnesses in the places we live, eat, work, and study.

Acts 20:18-24 (NLT)

18 When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now 19 I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. 20 I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. 21 I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

In this passage, Paul shares that he is bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. The Spirit tells him that jail and suffering await him, but he continues to serve the Lord, pressing forward to Jerusalem and never shrinking back. Paul considers his life nothing unless he is finishing the work God has called him to do. Paul will go to the very end, enduring hardship and suffering, to complete the task.

We are also called to be bound to the Spirit, living out the life that God has called us to live and sharing the Good News about the grace of God. Though there will be opposition because of the incredible significance of the task, may we continue to press on just as Paul does.

Response:

Spend some time in prayer, asking God to direct our hearts so we as a church may be bound by the Spirit to press forward and not shrink back in sharing the Good News. Pray that we would persevere through any opposition so we may experience even greater joy in doing the work assigned by Jesus.

Mark 1:16-20 (TNIV)

16 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” 18 And they left their nets at once and followed him.

19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets. 20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.

Mark 2:13-15 (TNIV)

13 Then Jesus went out to the lakeshore again and taught the crowds that were coming to him. 14 As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at his tax collector’s booth. ”Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Levi got up and followed him.

15 Later, Levi invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. (There were many people of this kind among Jesus’ followers.)

As we heard this past Sunday about weddings back in the day, when the bridegroom arrives, that’s when the party begins.  All of the attention goes to the bridegroom.  From the passages above, we see example of the disciples and their responses when they met Christ.  At once, they left what they were doing, their occupations, their family, basically their old life and followed Christ.  It was an immediate, full response to Jesus’ calling and invitation for them to follow Him and His mission and heart for people.

So for us, when we first met Christ, there was this joyous, full response of giving our lives to Christ.  And this beautiful life is a life of continuing in that response of leaving behind things we used to live for, as we have been given a new life centered around God and His heart.  On the outside, our lives might look like we’re just going to work or to class, but our hearts and the focus of our lives is about the expanding, stretching heart of God to fish people, to invite people to meet Christ.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Let’s thank the Lord for the revelation we have received of Christ, the bridegroom.  Through this revelation, our lives that were headed in one direction were turned around now to follow Jesus and His heart.  Let’s spend some time letting go of old things we still hold on to or live for and once again, give our full attention  to Christ.  Let us be a people passionate in our following God.

Mark 2:18-22 (TNIV)

18 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”

19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.

21 ”No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If they do, the new piece will pull away from the old, making the tear worse. 22 And people do not pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.”

The older you get, you learn the importance of stretching before exercising; our bodies just are not as flexible as we get older.  And by stretching, our bodies are more able to fully engage physically.  This past Sunday, we received a message from this portion of Mark 2 about the life of beautiful.  It is this life that has responded to the bridegroom (Christ) that has become a new wineskin.  And God has deposited His new wine into these new wineskins, His disciples.  What is this new wine?  It is the heart of God for the nations.  The only thing that can contain the new wine is a new wineskin that stretches in response.

And so as the new wineskins, what are we to do?  Old wineskins harden, are not flexible, and will burst if new wine is poured in.  But as new wineskins, we can stretch, flex, bend, adapt to the bubbling, potent wine that is fermenting.  And this new wine will ferment, will grow, and will expand as the fermentation process is longterm.  Similarly, God’s heart and kingdom is expanding and on the move and will come to fruition.  And just as we physically stretch to stay flexible, as new wineskins we are to keep on stretching by fully responding to God and His heart.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

We as disciples of Christ, as part of His church are the new wineskins.  Let us come again agreeing and believing this is who we are.  For as we take this truth in, the way we live will change.  Let’s also thank the Lord for the new wine that is already in us, this heart of God for the nations and for His kingdom to advance.  Let’s also spend some time in prayer that we would stretch as this wine ferments, expands, and bubbles through responding to the Lord and His heart.

Mark 10:46-52 (TNIV) 46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” 50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

Often when we really want something, we make it known sometimes until we get it. We comment on how cool something is, or how it will benefit us. When Blind Bartimaeus hears that Jesus of Nazareth was walking by, he begins to shout “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy of me!” He knew his need and knew that Jesus Messiah could do what he needed. People around him are yelling at him to be quiet, but he shouts all the more, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy me!”

Bartimaeus does not let anything get in the way of him receiving blessing. He wasn’t going to give up until he received what he needed, healing so he could see. Through his encounter with Jesus, Bartimaeus receives what he wanted, something so incredible, so beautiful. Had he stopped shouting, he would not have this life changing moment with Jesus.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Let us come before the Lord with that shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” As you shout, receive blessing, healing, what you really need from Jesus. Let’s also pray that we would persist in our seeking Jesus and live this life of each day realizing our need for Him.

Luke 7:36-50 (NLT) 36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. 37 When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. 38 Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them.

39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!”

40 Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.”
“Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied.

41 Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver to one and 50 pieces to the other. 42 But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?”

43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.”

“That’s right,” Jesus said. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.
47 “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” 48 Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”

49 The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?”

50 And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

How often do you go through the week everything just being the same ole, same ole? In this section of Luke, we see what seems to be a regular meal, but when this sinful woman hears that Jesus is there, she busts onto the scene. Her response was to go where Jesus was. Through her physical act of washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and hair, we see this extravagant act of worship. She knew what kind of woman she was; she knew she was a sinner. But she also knew Jesus and his forgiveness.

This act of great love we see shows that she had received forgiveness from Christ before. As Jesus explains, “[her many sins]…have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love.” And once again as she worships Jesus in this way, she hears that her sins have been forgiven and it’s a fresh blessing.

For this sinful woman, it was not a one time act, but a life of devotion. The life she was living was a life of drawing near to Jesus and receiving the ‘beautiful’ again and again, the forgiveness she needed. And it’s such fresh encounter with Christ she has. God’s forgiveness is not stale to her but instead receiving blessing from Jesus continues to deepen her love and devotion to Christ. What a beautiful life!

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Spend some time thanking God for the beautiful, the new wine that He pours into our lives. Let us receive afresh today this new wine. Let’s also pray that we would live this life of beautiful having regular times where we receive fresh blessing from Jesus again and again deepening our love and passion for Christ.

Luke 10:38-42 (TNIV)

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

“Plates, check. The silverware still needs to be set up. The food should be done soon. Ok, what else do I need to do? Ahh, there’s just so much to do. Where is Mary?” Picturing this scene, you can just see the frustration on Martha’s face and imagine the thoughts running through Martha’s mind as she’s frantically getting things ready.
And in this passage, we see the contrast between two sisters, Martha and Mary. Jesus and his disciples were guests at their home and so Martha was busy at work preparing in the kitchen. Mary, however, simply sat at Jesus’ feet and listened. In the midst of all the things she could have been doing, she chose what is better and discovered the one thing worthy of being concerned about. Martha became distracted, worried, and upset about many things, but Mary chose to be in Jesus’ presence and have relationship with Him.

Martha missed that the whole point of Jesus coming to her house wasn’t so she would be flustered doing all this stuff, but it was to spend time with Jesus. Perhaps then, her attitude in all that had to be done would have been radically different because her priorities were in the right place.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Let’s pray that we would be more like Mary having our priorities right and that our lives wouldn’t be so much about all these things we need to do, but a life oriented around meeting with Jesus and receiving from Him. As the lyrics in the song Beautiful go, “We would rather be in that place, sitting at your feet/Listening to every word, ready to follow where you lead,” let us come before Jesus with that heart attitude and desire seeing how much we need Him. Let’s also pray that we would have daily times of pulling away from the things we get so worried and distracted by and instead choose what is better, the one thing needed.

Mark 6 (NLT)

45 Immediately after this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and head across the lake to Bethsaida, while he sent the people home. 46 After telling everyone good-bye, he went up into the hills by himself to pray.

47 Late that night, the disciples were in their boat in the middle of the lake, and Jesus was alone on land. 48 He saw that they were in serious trouble, rowing hard and struggling against the wind and waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. He intended to go past them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the water, they cried out in terror, thinking he was a ghost. 50 They were all terrified when they saw him.

But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!” 51 Then he climbed into the boat, and the wind stopped. They were totally amazed, 52 for they still didn’t understand the significance of the miracle of the loaves. Their hearts were too hard to take it in.

53 After they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret. They brought the boat to shore 54 and climbed out. The people recognized Jesus at once, 55 and they ran throughout the whole area, carrying sick people on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went—in villages, cities, or the countryside—they brought the sick out to the marketplaces. They begged him to let the sick touch at least the fringe of his robe, and all who touched him were healed.

The disciples had seen Jesus perform many healings, multiply food to feed thousands, and calm a raging sea, but despite this, their response to this miracle was fear then amazement.  These 12 individuals who were closest to Jesus and perceived to be “in” with Him, still did not understand the full extent of who He was because of the condition of their own “hard” hearts (v. 52).

Yet, he amazingly continued to have them with Him!

Jesus understood the condition of their hearts, and later, through His death, resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit, the disciples received soft hearts that bore incredible fruit- the fruit of the church, which we are still a part of today.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

This passage gives us hope because we are just like the disciples. Whether we’ve been “around” Jesus for a while or not, we can sense that our hearts may be harder than they should be.  But Jesus does not abandon us for he desires for us to be close to Him and to live in what He is doing.

Let’s spend time today thanking the Lord for His inseparable love towards us, and then pray that He would continue to do his work of softening our hearts, so that we can live in what He is doing, and become his effective workers for His Kingdom.

Luke 8 (NLT)

1 Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Told you everything loud and clear (But nobody’s listening)- Linkin Park

In telling this parable, Jesus invites all the people to “listen and understand.” But Jesus also knew that not everyone who heard Him speak would listen and understand, referring to a different kind of hearing, a deep listening associated with a soft and open heart with spiritual understanding.  Jesus’ words, like the farmer’s seed, fell on various types of hearts.  Even though many in those days would hear His words, most would not be able to understand, respond and turn to Him because their hearts were hardened; but a few would listen, turn from their sins, and believe.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

As we reflect upon this passage, let’s also consider the condition of the soil of our own hearts.  When the soil is fertile in our hearts, there will be a wonderful harvest that grows from our lives!  Let’s spend time in prayer asking the Lord for ears to hear and fertile hearts that will quickly receive, understand and respond to His Word.

Hosea 10 (NLT)

1 How prosperous Israel is— a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit.But the richer the people get, the more pagan altars they build.The more bountiful their harvests, the more beautiful their sacred pillars.2 The hearts of the people are fickle; they are guilty and must be punished.The Lord will break down their altars and smash their sacred pillars.3 Then they will say, “We have no king because we didn’t fear the Lord.But even if we had a king, what could he do for us anyway?”4 They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep.So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.5 The people of Samaria tremble in fear for what might happen to their calf idol at Beth-aven. The people mourn and the priests wail, because its glory will be stripped away. 6 This idol will be carted away to Assyria, a gift to the great king there.   Ephraim will be ridiculed and Israel will be shamed, because its people have trusted in this idol. 7 Samaria and its king will be cut off; they will float away like driftwood on an ocean wave. 8 And the pagan shrines of Aven, the place of Israel’s sin, will crumble. Thorns and thistles will grow up around their altars.   They will beg the mountains, “Bury us!” and plead with the hills, “Fall on us!”9 The Lord says, “O Israel, ever since Gibeah, there has been only sin and more sin!   You have made no progress whatsoever.  Was it not right that the wicked men of Gibeah were attacked? 10 Now whenever it fits my plan,I will attack you, too.  I will call out the armies of the nations to punish you for your multiplied sins.11 “Israel is like a trained heifer treading out the grain— an easy job she loves. But I will put a heavy yoke on her tender neck.   I will force Judah to pull the plow and Israel to break up the hard ground. 12 I said, ‘Plant the good seeds of righteousness, and you will harvest a crop of love.  Plow up the hard ground of your hearts, for now is the time to seek the Lord, that he may come and shower righteousness upon you.’

The famous saying that “you reap what you sow” is actually based in the Bible (Galatians 6).  Here in the book of Hosea, God is telling Israel that they too will one day reap what is being sown.  Israel was planting seeds of double-mindedness, idolatry, injustice, and persistent sins that God says will one day lead to destruction and judgment.  But, in the midst of His proclamation of judgment, God also reminds them of His previous invitation and promise (verse 12) that the people have been invited to “plow up the hard ground” of their hearts by first seeking Him, so that He may come and shower good seeds into their lives.  God’s true heart for His people is that they would one day reap a harvest of love and righteousness.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

The way we live and the seeds that are planted each day will one day have a consequence.   Let’s spend some time in prayer today, first seeking the Lord, and then asking Him for the seeds of his righteousness and truth to be deeply planted in our lives.  Our Father desires that each one of us would one day reap a harvest of love and righteousness!

Ezekiel 36 (NLT)

22 “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. 23 I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. 24 For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

28 “And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God. 29 I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior. I will give you good crops of grain, and I will send no more famines on the land. 30 I will give you great harvests from your fruit trees and fields, and never again will the surrounding nations be able to scoff at your land for its famines. 31 Then you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did. 32 But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have done!

33 “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I cleanse you from your sins, I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt. 34 The fields that used to lie empty and desolate in plain view of everyone will again be farmed. 35 And when I bring you back, people will say, ‘This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden! The abandoned and ruined cities now have strong walls and are filled with people!’ 36 Then the surrounding nations that survive will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruins and replanted the wasteland. For I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do what I say.

God desires to bless us with much fruitfulness in our lives.  In order to accomplish this, He promises that He will make us clean, and that we will receive a new heart, tender and responsive, enabled to obey.

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am ready to hear Israel’s prayers and to increase their numbers like a flock.  They will be as numerous as the sacred flocks that fill Jerusalem’s streets at the time of her festivals. The ruined cities will be crowded with people once more, and everyone will know that I am the Lord.”- Ezekiel 36:37,38

As we persevere to live in obedience to his Word and cultivate a life of prayer, God will hear us, and lead us into a life of fruitfulness, not only for ourselves but also for others. This will bring Him much glory.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Spend time in prayer today thanking God for giving us a new heart, and proclaim His promise of fruitfulness over our lives.  As God to continue to change us and empower our new hearts to live in obedience to Him, that He would receive much glory.

Ezekiel 11 (NLT)14 Then this message came to me from the Lord: 15 “Son of man, the people still left in Jerusalem are talking about you and your relatives and all the people of Israel who are in exile. They are saying, ‘Those people are far away from the Lord, so now he has given their land to us!’

16 “Therefore, tell the exiles, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Although I have scattered you in the countries of the world, I will be a sanctuary to you during your time in exile. 17 I, the Sovereign Lord, will gather you back from the nations where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel once again.’

18 “When the people return to their homeland, they will remove every trace of their vile images and detestable idols. 19 And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart, 20 so they will obey my decrees and regulations. Then they will truly be my people, and I will be their God. 21 But as for those who long for vile images and detestable idols, I will repay them fully for their sins. I, the Sovereign Lord, have spoken!”

For the exiles who would return, the problem is not so much what others are saying, or where they will live, or where they will worship (although God also promises to take care of these things). God gets to the core of their issue. In order for them to live as God’s people, they will need to have a tender, responsive heart that is obedient to Him.

How wonderful our God is to promise to take care of the greatest need.  He will continue to “prune” our lives by cutting away the ugly bushes that cover the lovely roses, so that we can develop stronger branches and produce larger, more beautiful roses.  His pruning is needed in our lives to bring forth an obedient, responsive heart.  How can we do this?  We can’t do it ourselves, but because the Spirit lives in us, God will get to the “core” issue by removing our stony, stubborn heart, and giving us a heart of flesh, a tender heart that responds to Him.

Responding to the Transmitted Message:

Take time today reflecting on how you have been responding to God with your heart.  Pray and ask God to bring forth a tender heart of flesh that you may live in obedience to Him alone.

Zechariah 8:14-17, 20-23 (MSG)14-17“In the same way that I decided to punish you when your ancestors made me angry, and didn’t pull my punches, at this time I’ve decided to bless Jerusalem and the country of Judah. Don’t be afraid. And now here’s what I want you to do: Tell the truth, the whole truth, when you speak. Do the right thing by one another, both personally and in your courts. Don’t cook up plans to take unfair advantage of others. Don’t do or say what isn’t so. I hate all that stuff. Keep your lives simple and honest.” Decree of God.

20-21“People and their leaders will come from all over to see what’s going on. The leaders will confer with one another: ‘Shouldn’t we try to get in on this? Get in on God’s blessings? Pray to God-of-the-Angel-Armies? What’s keeping us? Let’s go!’

22“Lots of people, powerful nations—they’ll come to Jerusalem looking for what they can get from God-of-the-Angel-Armies, looking to get a blessing from God.”

23“At that time, ten men speaking a variety of languages will grab

the sleeve of one Jew, hold tight, and say, ‘Let us go with you. We’ve heard that God is with you.’”

After being in exile for 70 years, the people of Jerusalem and Judah received a promise of God’s incredible blessing: God will be with His people!  But also along with (and because of) that, people from many powerful nations will come from all over to receive God’s blessing through them.  But there is a condition; they are to live as His people in truth and honesty.

Today, we are able to live in a greater realization of that blessing through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through His work on the cross, we have the Holy Spirit living in us!  But we are also called to live as God’s people.  And as God’s people, we are called to worship Him with the whole of our lives. This is then reflected in our relationship with others.

Responding to the transmitted message:

True fasting and worship will naturally result in hearts that are close to God. It will also result in healthy, joyful, and abundant communities, where people will come because they hear that God is with us and with us, they are loved and taken care of.  Let’s pray that God will continue to give our communities hearts that desire to worship Him with the whole of our lives let’s ask Him to continue to build our communities into places where people are loved and taken care of.

Isaiah 58:6-12 (MSG)6-9“This is the kind of fast day I’m after:
to break the chains of injustice,
get rid of exploitation in the workplace,
free the oppressed,
cancel debts.
What I’m interested in seeing you do is:
sharing your food with the hungry,
inviting the homeless poor into your homes,
putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad,
being available to your own families.
Do this and the lights will turn on,
and your lives will turn around at once.
Your righteousness will pave your way.
The God of glory will secure your passage.
Then when you pray, God will answer.
You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’9-12“If you get rid of unfair practices,
quit blaming victims,
quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
make the community livable again.

We all want the latter half of the above verses, lives that are full of God’s blessing, prosperity, and abundance.  But as we try to live out the verses, we discover that having the blessing of verses 9-12 requires more than just knowing, agreeing, and doing verses 6-9.  The LORD desires ALL of who we are.  The above verses mention the workplace, how we handle finances and possessions, how we live behind closed doors, how we spend our time.  True fasting doesn’t stop at correct behavior or actions, but requires all of our lives, hearts, thoughts, ways, and desires.  We were created to worship Him and this is how He created us to do that.

We can live this way because He has already given us ALL of who He is and His Holy Spirit.  The LORD is so generous with us.  We are the apple of His eye, dearly loved by Him, and He withholds no good thing from us.  Our natural response to this truth, and to His Spirit who lives in us, is to sing, pray, and declare “LORD You can have ALL of me, I’m yours.”

Responding to the transmitted message:

Let’s spend some time offering all of who we are once again to the LORD.  If there is an area in our lives (workplace, finances, possessions, etc.) that hasn’t been surrendered to Him or that we’re have difficulty with, let’s offer it to the LORD, trusting in His truths and promises over us.  Let’s pray for our missional groups, campuses, and churches that He would continue to help us and bless us with “well-watered gardens” and “springs that never run dry”- communities that are full of His Spirit, presence, and love.

Matthew 7:21-23 (TNIV)

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

Our culture seems to be enamored by the lives of the “rich and famous.”  Websites, magazines, articles are all dedicated to inform us on details of our favorite athlete or actor’s accomplishments and everyday lives.  We can know all we want about that particular person: their stats, what kind of car they drive, even their favorite foods, etc.  And with all the wealth of information about that person, we could fool ourselves in thinking that we really know them.  But the question we really need to be asking is, “Do they know us?”  In this passage, Jesus talks of those who think they know Him.  They seem to know the right prayers to pray, and the right things to do, but once they meet him face to face, Jesus will reveal that they were never known by Him.

Responding to the transmitted message:

As we continue to work hard for the Lord’s kingdom, the temptation is to carry along in light of what we think ought to be done or what we think may seem right in the Lord’s eyes.  But we need to ask ourselves, are the things we’re doing of/from the Lord?  Where is His heart in the midst of these things?  Are there things He’s asking of us that we are not surrendering/obeying?  Spend some time reflecting on these questions.  Ask the Lord for His passion, courage and love to live in the obedience that He’s calling us in our churches to for this generation.

Zechariah. 7:8-14 (TNIV)8 And the word of the LORD came again to Zechariah: 9 “This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. 10 Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’

11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the LORD Almighty was very angry.

13 ” ‘When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,’ says the LORD Almighty. 14 ‘I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.’ ”

The above verses come immediately after the Israelites asked the Lord if they should continue to fast or not. The LORD answered them with a question: “Was it really for Me…?” and then told them what He was really looking for.  For the past seventy years as the Israelites fasted, the LORD wasn’t looking for those who could simply faithfully execute a religious activity.  He was looking for a fast that resulted in true justice, mercy, and compassion for others.  Their ancestors paid no attention to what the LORD wanted.  Their stubbornness resulted in judgment and desolation.  These verses are a warning from the Lord for the Israelites to learn from their ancestors’ bad example and that He means what He says.  His word is true and all that He says will surely come to pass.  For us, His children, this truth gives us great hope and comfort.

Responding to the transmitted message:

Let’s spend some time declaring that the Lord’s words are true.  His promises and truths over our lives, missional groups, campuses and churches are “yes” and “amen”.  With thankful hearts, declare to the LORD our trust and belief in who He is.  Pray that we would quickly and continually turn from any stubborn ways, thoughts and habits and instead be filled with love for Him and mercy and compassion for His people.

Zechariah. 7:1-7 (TNIV)1 In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev. 2 The people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-Melek, together with their men, to entreat the LORD 3 by asking the priests of the house of the LORD Almighty and the prophets, “Should I mourn and fast in the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?”

4 Then the word of the LORD Almighty came to me: 5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves? 7 Are these not the words the LORD proclaimed through the earlier prophets when Jerusalem and its surrounding towns were at rest and prosperous, and the Negev and the western foothills were settled?’ ”

In this culture full of staged advertising and marketing, we are bombarded with a strange notion that flowers can fix almost any problem in a relationship.  That if we say something wrong or may have messed up along the way, a fresh bouquet of roses will do the trick to repair the damage.  Of course, the reality is not this simple.

As outrageous as the bouquet of roses may seem, the people of Bethel had a similar idea in their minds.  They were seeking the Lord’s favor, so it seemed the obvious thing to do was to fast since that was always their solution.  What they didn’t understand was that God was after their hearts, not their seeming acts of devotion.

Responding to the transmitted message:

The Lord knows everything that we are doing for Him, but more than the mere act of doing, He desires our hearts.  Take some time to think about all the things that the Lord is allowing us to take part in: prayer, fasting, missions, ministry, etc.  In all these things, spend some time asking the Lord if your heart is where He desires it to be.  As the Lord speaks to you, ask Him to fill you and our churches with His joy and love as we live out His calling together as His church.