The Living Word

Bible study on the set readings widely used by various churches and chapels and a weekly storytelling video. Also at www.medium.com/the-living-word and https://thelivingword.substack.com

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Dec. 12: A Call for Change

December 9, 2021 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

Winter evening sky over rooftop scene in Weobley, NW Herefordshire, UK
Winter evening sky over rooftop scene in Weobley, NW Herefordshire, UK

It’s a call to change and welcome the righteous Lord who will change us, gathering those who are estranged, baptising in the Holy Spirit and giving the joy of His salvation in place of anxiety

OT: Zephaniah 3:14-20 — God rejoices in gathering His alienated ones

With OT: Isaiah 12:2-6 — Song of Praise

NT gospel: Luke 3:7-18 — It’s a call to change for the righteous Lord who baptises in the Holy Spirit and in fire

NT letter: Philippians 4:4-7 — Let anxiety turn to rejoicing in the Lord’s goodness

Theme: Christ’s coming is a call for change

• See also this week’s linked article Willing to Change? and watch the introductory video All Change for the King of Kings!


OT: Zephaniah 3:14-20 – God rejoices in gathering His alienated ones

God’s wrath over man’s rebellion becomes mercy for all who turn to Christ

14-15 Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, He has turned back your enemy.

“Be glad and rejoice” — reversing the pronouncement of woe and wrath earlier in the chapter. A remnant arises again to find God’s favour.

The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.

“Taken away your punishment” – stated as if judgment day had already happened. God removes His wrath and lifts the curse of transgression through Christ.

• For further study, read Romans 5:9, Rom. 8:1, Gal.. 3:13-14.

“The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you” – for Israel, the true king was always the Lord, Yahweh. Other rulers were to represent Him. The NT uses this title of Jesus in John 1:49, Matt. 27:42 and John seems to apply this at Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, John 12:13.

16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.

“Hands hang limp” – do not be discouraged.

17 “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

“The Mighty Warrior” – Yahweh is the supreme Commander, Psalm 24:8.

“Will… delight in you” – like a bridegroom with his bride, Isaiah 62:4-5, Isaiah 65:18-19. Zephaniah was possibly a disciple of Isaiah who shared something of the same vision. His message is that when God’s people seek Him, Zeph. 3:12-13, and rejoice in their trust in Him, vv.14-15 above, the Lord’s delight resounds.

18 “I will remove [or gather] from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you.

“All who mourn over the loss” — a difficult verse. The context esp. vv.19-20 below suggests this is God’s promise to make things right, removing those who remain rebels to God’s truth, and also gathering and bringing back those driven from Jerusalem by oppressors. 

19 “At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you.

I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honour in every land where they have suffered shame.

20 “At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honour and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes [bring back your captives] before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

“I will rescue… gather… give honour and praise” — special favour for those who have held on to faith through the deprivation and shame of exile. Yahweh’s justice will shine on t6he very ones who the oppressive majority abused.

• For further study, read Zeph.1:9; 2:3, 3:1–2, 3:5, 3:12, Ezek. 34:21.

Reflection

SUMMARY This week’s theme of ‘Be Prepared’ starts with a passage that is set in the context of God’s wrath and judgment, intended to bring awareness and correction to Jerusalem, called “the city of oppressors”. Following the inevitable punishment, a refining takes place and God delights in those that remain, who have kept faith in Him.

APPLICATION In our world, we can see where God’s judgment for ‘doing our own thing’ has resulted in a dramatic fall in church attendance and prosperity. Perhaps it’s needed, so that we wake up and think again about whose church it really is, and whether it is God the Father and His Son Jesus that we love, or is it the form and tradition that we are attached to. The bottom line is that God is good, He loves us and He has a real purpose for all of us – and so some discipline is also a measure of His love.

QUESTION What does God want from us as a faith community, that might conflict with what we want?


Luke 3:7-18 – It’s a call to change and live by God’s good values

John calls for a new attitude before God at the coming of the righteous Lord

7-9 John said to the crowds coming out to be baptised by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe has been laid to the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

“Vipers” — in their attitudes and action the rebellious ones have become the seed of the Serpent, Gen. 3:15. These vipers are the ones who turned the Way of the Lord into crooked roads, Isaiah 59:5, 8.

“We have Abraham”— the erroneous and somewhat arrogant belief of some Jews who believed that descent from Abraham was their assurance of salvation, John 8:33-39, Acts 7:2.

“The axe… tree… good fruit” – genuine faith produces the good fruit of repentance to embrace righteous, just and generous-spirited living. 

10 “What should we do then?” the crowd asked.

11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”

“Shirts” – long tunic undergarments.

12-13 Even tax collectors came to be baptised. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

 “Don’t collect any more than you are required to,” He told them.

14 Then some soldiers asked Him, “And what should we do?”

 He replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely — be content with your pay.”

“Soldiers” – not Roman but guards employed by Herod Antipas to protect the tax collectors. John preaches honesty in place of the extortion that was routinely practised.

15-16 The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptise you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

“The Holy Spirit and fire” – a holy ‘drenching’ that will transform and purify, as fire exposes what is insubstantial and ‘combustible’. The Holy Spirit also reveals what is not of God including our self-deceptions.

17-18 “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.

“Wheat… chaff” – the righteous versus the unrepentant. John’s theme throughout is on the need for a humility before God which brings with it a sincere dependence on God and a lifestyle of willingness to recognise and deal with everything in life which is not God’s way. “Winnowing fork” – John makes clear that judgment will come on all who do not repent, not just pagans.

“Proclaimed the good news” – John’s message heralded both the coming of a Saviour with joy and justice for all who would receive Him, but also a stark warning for those who would not. 

Reflection

IN PRACTICE The Jews were confident that they deserved favour from God because of their heritage, rather conveniently overlooking their Scriptures (Old Testament to us) speaking of rebellion and unbelief and the consequences which they suffered in exile. The hated (but for the most part, just and professional) Roman rule was just the latest of a number of occupations.

APPLICATION We live in a so-called Christian country and we might be part of the tiny minority who attend a Christian church and perhaps play our part in keeping it going. But has that given us a false sense of entitlement? This “be prepared” season is a good time to ask if we are holding on to what God actually wants us to let go of, so He is able to “do a new thing”, Isaiah 43:18-19. To be humble enough to let go of any sense of entitlement is definitely a good way to “be prepared”.

QUESTION  What ‘new thing’ might God be doing? How are we holding back the change?


Philippians 4:4-7 – Where anxiety stalks, praise finds God’s peace

Knowing God through Jesus, brought near by the Holy Spirit, is to rejoice

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: rejoice!

“Rejoice… always” – the back-story here is a disagreement — we might say, a church split — serious enough for the parties to be named in a letter. The enemy’s strategy is always to find ways to cause disagreement and division, and the God-given remedy is the capacity that Christians have to extend grace, and find agreement. Rejoicing affirms that our focus is on God, not circumstances, and in that relationship His way becomes clear.

5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

“Gentleness” – the quality of Christlike generosity of spirit, especially required of church leaders, 1 Tim. 3:3, Titus 3:2.

“Near” – a reminder repeated elsewhere in the NT that the next great event in God’s salvation schedule is Christ’s return. The whole timespan from Christ’s coming at Bethlehem to the final consummation of the kingdom is “the last time”. For God, a thousand years are like a day, 2 Peter 3:8. “Near” or “at hand” also speaks of the Lord’s nearness in the prayer relationship, the presence of One poised to return.

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

“Do not be anxious”— because the Lord is near. Prayerful thanksgiving in every situation is the antidote to anxiety which makes way for God’s peace.

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

“The peace of God” — the assurance of those who know their sins are forgiven and, receiving God’s love, can trust Him over and above their circumstances.

Reflection

SUMMARY An exhortation to keep our relationship with the Lord, and our trust in Him, at the centre of what we express. The context is how to work through a dispute. Being conscious of the Lord nearness and expressing it in thanksgiving is a way of intentionally pledging agreement with heaven, against the enemy’s attempts to cause conflict and anxiety — and securing God’s peace and direction.

APPLICATION Anxieties abound in our complex and conflicted world — and everyone is looking for the people who can deal with doubt and fear by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. A tall order? God has called us, as Christians, to live differently and has given us His Holy Spirit to empower us to do it. If we are known as those who “Rejoice always” because we know that God is good and near at hand, even when things are challenging, then that is a very attractive proposition.

QUESTION In difficult times, do I follow my feelings and opinions, or pray with thanksgiving that God’s perspective is higher and His goodness present?

PRAYER Lord, as I draw near to You in this season of preparation, I recognise that preparation involves change. 

You are asking all of us to check our thoughts, consider our priorities, review our responses – and give them all to You! 

Help me to let go of all that hinders, so I can grasp with both hands all You have for me that is life-giving.

In Jesus’ name and for His glory, Amen.


Also: Isaiah 12:2-6 – Song of Praise

2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.

The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defence [or song]; He has become my salvation.

3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

4 In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted.

5 “Sing to the Lord, for He has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world.

6 “Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

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Filed Under: Advent to Christmas, Year C Tagged With: change

Bringing it together – the emerging message

April 6, 2018 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

FRIDAY, APRIL 6
Tests of true believers

RECAP

Exodus 14:10-30, 15:20-21 – The test of faith for the impossible

Psalm 133 – The test of togetherness

John 20:19-31 – The test of believing without seeing

1 John 1:1-2:2 – The test of those who are walking in relationship with God

How ordinary Christians’ faith changed the course of history

The first passage, Monday, April 2 – Exodus 14:10ff, told how Moses and his large and at times opinionated and difficult group faced a test of faith in a situation that looked hopeless – although God had spoken previously, and given them a clear promise of passage to the Promised Land to hold on to.

The lesson about the power of unity (Ps. 133) also bears on this story; so does Thomas’s lesson, after he declared “Unless I see…” He followed the old adage that seeing is believing, but faith turns that on its head to say that believing, is seeing.

A generation or two ago the future of this country was in the praying hands of ordinary but true, believing Christians – the ones who were too young or too old to be called up for war service. And we can assume that the majority were women.

Like the Israelites at the Red Sea there was a pursuing army and a strategic stretch of water. This is about the two dramatic and otherwise inexplicable reversals that took place in 1940 following a national call to prayer.

May 1940 was a desperate time; the entire retreating British Army was trapped at Dunkirk. King George VI (who, like Moses, found public speaking difficult) called the nation to turn back to God in a spirit of repentance, and plead for Divine help.

On the day appointed by the King, which was Sunday May 26, the country responded. Millions of people flocked into churches. A memorable photograph of the time shows a long queue outside Westminster Abbey; church bells were rung and others filled churches across the UK, and also in the Commonwealth nations.

There were two immediate results: a violent storm arose over northern France, grounding the Luftwaffe which had been attacking the troops on the beaches. And then a flat calm, a calm that had not been seen for a generation, descended on the Channel,  allowing hundreds of tiny pleasure boats to cross and enter the shallows to allow men to board. Rather than the anticipated 20-30,000 hoped for, 335,000 were rescued.

Another National Day of Prayer was called on Sunday, September 8, 1940, while the Battle of Britain was being fought out in the skies. RAF fighter command was close to being wiped out and its airfields destroyed; preparations for the invasion could be seen, looking across the channel from the Dover cliffs. Inexplicably the Luftwaffe suddenly switched tactics to bombing London, giving time for fighter squadrons to re-group and re-equip, and the invasion plans were finally abandoned.

True believers, acting together, can bring godly change, to the wonder of politicians.

 

Filed Under: Easter Tagged With: change, history, king, prayer, repentance, Second World War

Catching God’s heart through teaching of spiritual authority

January 26, 2018 by Ian Greig Leave a Comment

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26
The emerging message

Reviewing again the four readings for Sunday, January 28:

Deuteronomy 18:15-20
One day, God says, He will raise up another prophet who will speak truths from the heart – His heart.

Psalm 111
The Lord’s precepts are not just trustworthy, but His heart is constancy and covenant – “for ever and ever”.

Mark 1: 21-28
Jesus taught from the heart rather than from the mind, and impure spirits recognised the authority of the heart of the Father in Him.

1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Mere knowledge can be arrogant and putting down of others, while the love that is at the heart of life in Jesus builds people up.

The heart of God changes our hearts

Moses was someone who had a very close walk with God. Not so close that he didn’t make mistakes and not so protected that he didn’t make God angry on occasion. But close enough to learn, and listen, and to be able to speak to the Israelites out of the heart of God which had captured his heart.

Jesus was, on one level, another prophet or spokeman for God, whose character and call had similarities to Moses. This was what Moses saw in the Spirit and spoke about. Of course, Jesus Christ was more than that – He was the only and unique Son of God, involved in the original creation, part of the godhead of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, so close in relationship that they are not three gods but joined as One, although presenting three points of access for us. Whether we come to the immense and all-encompassing love of the Father’s heart, or encounter the love of Jesus as One who has lived our life and overcome, or received the loving encouragement of the Holy Spirit’s leading and prompting and empowering – our heart is transformed once we catch God’s heart.

That heart connection is what He desires from us in praise and in more intimate worship. As we draw close, we find that God has a very different character value from our human way of being. We blow hot and cold, quickly ‘move on’ and forget, and make promises which are situational. They might be quite sincere at the time but as situations and relationships change, the heart of the promise or intention… kind of fades. And we think that is normal.

With God, His heart and promise never changes or faces. He sees situations with us change and our relationship with Him draws close and veers off wider again, however His intention, His covenant undertaking to love us, does not change at all. And He says, that is His ‘normal’!

Jesus came into the world as the Son of God but born or man, to live a human life but also a perfect life, and as one in whom was no sin, to pray the complete price for all our revellion and selfishness and independence. Along the way, He “taught as One with authority” and everything spiritual, whether dark or light, knew that. Why? Because what Jesus said came from the heart, and it wasn’t just any old heart – His heart was also the heart of the Father. He gave up His divine identity to live on earth as one of us, but He was also doing that living as one fully and perfectly filled with the Holy Spirit – so no wonder His heart was so closely connected to the Father’s heart. However perfectly or, more likely, imperfectly filled with the Spirit we think we are, Jesus modelled a relationship and way of being that we can grow into. And we, too, can speak and serve with the authority that comes from the Father’s heart by the same connection, the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

The outworking of this comes in the witness we give to others who may not be at our place of faith. They may be some way off, spiritually – but they see us and watch us, how we are and how we handle life. They recognise something of the life of God in us, and that is a hallmark, a holiness or setting apart. They watch to see how our interactions with the unholy and unseparated ways of the world play out. Are we so separated and strict that they feel judged, or religiously obligated to be the same? Or are we so good at being accommodating to people of different values, that we are not actually very different or godly? Paul goes to what is in our hearts – is it a pride in knowing who we are in Jesus, so we can do what we want without fear of God’s judgment? Or is it the love that is in Jesus, that gets alongside others wherever they are on the journey, with His encouragement and understanding even though we personally have had an encounter with Him that has changed our hearts?

Filed Under: Epiphany Tagged With: change, God, heart, mind, Truth

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  • About…
    • The pros and cons of the lectionary format
    • A personal guide through the maze of Bible versions
  • About TLW print edition
  • Explaining…
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    • Explaining… How too easily we can be frustrating God’s plan
    • Explaining… Our assurance in the kingdom of God
    • Explaining… Revitalisation — God’s kingdom vs our control
    • Explaining… the ‘review and renew’ that God is doing
    • Explaining… Why the good news is good
    • Understanding… The danger in our complacency
    • Explaining the kingdom of God 1
    • Explaining conflicts that arise as a result of our faith
    • Explaining Pentecost
    • Explaining the Trinity
    • Explaining our identity as Christians — royal priesthood
    • What Jesus’ mountain top encounter with God means for us
    • Explaining the covenant with Abraham
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    • Understanding… Holiness and the Great Commandment
    • Understanding… how deception undermines God’s truth
    • Understanding… How we raise our expectation
    • Understanding… Revival
    • Understanding… Stepping out in faith
    • Understanding… the difference between reacting and responding to God
    • Understanding… The freedom that is ours in Christ
    • Understanding… the generosity of God
    • Understanding… The invitation we must respond to
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TLW49A-Dec-11.final-Booklet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to The Living Word

You get a lot more out of the Sunday service readings if they are already speaking to you. TLW is about reading and re-reading these Scriptures with some commentary to bring out what is hidden and make connections with cross references. This is different from liturgy because it is a Bible study, putting the Bible passages in sequence from OT, through the NT gospel era, and then through the lens of the post-resurrection, early church in the power of the Spirit. Enabling this progressive revelation points to a theme.  The translation used is the readable and widely-used 2011 edition of the New International Version (NIV) Bible. Commentary is drawn from a wide range of sources and is Bible-centric and theologically neutral. As we read and reflect and allow the Holy Spirit to help us hear God through His word during the week, we prepare ourselves to hear afresh and receive the Sunday sermon in church or chapel.

For convenience, use the ‘Subscribe’ box below to receive a short email with the Bible passage and notes for each weekday (and that’s all!).

Unsubscribing is just as easy.

A little about me and my vision for The Living Word

I live in the Marches, a green and beautiful expanse of hills between England and Wales where churches and chapels share duty to the Christian faithful in every valley, and churchgoing is still part of the community life. However, there are few Bibles to be seen in these buildings, and home-based groups for fellowship and Bible study are rare.

I want to encourage Sunday worshippers in churches and chapels to enjoy reading the Bible during the week, to get used to hearing God for themselves through His word, and to be  spiritually prepared for the message they will hear on Sunday from the lectionary readings they all share. It is no substitute for meeting and worshipping together, nor for Holy Spirit-inspired preaching. It supports both by encouraging the personal growth of church and chapel members of any denomination. It offers faith encouragement for those no longer able to, or no longer wanting to take part in, formal physical church.

My background is not in churches that use the lectionary and I bring a breadth of tradition and spiritual understanding to the writing.  I have pastored a number of churches and been involved in a variety of other missional initiatives with a ‘kingdom of God’ agenda.

As well as The Living Word and its weekly video I also post regularly on www.freshbread.today and www.thelivingword.substack.com with a podcast as well as video and written content. There is also a Facebook page at fb.com/TLWbiblestudy

Revd Ian Greig BD (Hons), DPS

SEE ALSO other Living Word Publications

Substack newsletter and podcast (free subscription) — audio podcast, video and written content all in one place

Fresh Bread Today — the freshest bake, with a bit of a tang, unpackaged and uncut. His word to live by, today.

Believe the Good News – finding the good news and encouragement all through the Bible

GLOW – God’s Love Over Weobley, encouraging prayer and spiritual fellowship. With a local flavour for this NW Herefordshire village.

 

 

 

 

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