“God’s Rescue Plan” (Mark 8:31-39) [1]

 

Who Do You Say I Am?

One day Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say I am?” One of them said, “John the Baptist.” Another said, “Elijah.” Another said, “One of the prophets.” “Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked. Peter answered right away, “You are the Christ, the Messiah!” Then, Jesus began to tell them openly that the Son of Man must suffer, be killed, then rise again. Of course, the disciples were shocked and dismayed. Who is this Son of Man? Why must he suffer and die?

 

Adam and Christ (Genesis 3)

In order to answer this question, we need to go back to the beginning of the story. The story begins in the Garden of Eden. In the beginning… everything was perfect. God gave Adam and Eve everything they needed. There was only one rule given by God: “Don’t eat the fruit on that tree. Because if you do, you’ll think you know everything. You’ll stop trusting me. You’ll try to make yourself happy without me.”

But one day the serpent approached and said to Adam and Eve, “You don’t need God. Just one bite, that’s all, and you’ll be happier. You’ll become like God.” Adam and Eve were deceived by this terrible lie. After they ate the fruit, they felt ashamed, hiding themselves from God for the first time. They were no longer able to stay with God. They had to leave, wandering as aliens and always yearning for home and God. But before they left the garden, God made clothes for his children. Then, God told them and the serpent his rescue plan for the first time: “I am declaring war between you Serpent and the Woman, between your offspring and hers; He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (v. 15, MSG) Here God was saying to his children, “I will come to rescue you! I’m going to do battle against the snake. I’ll get rid of the sin and the sadness you brought here. I’m coming back for you!” One day, God himself would come.

 

Abraham and Christ (Genesis 15)

The story continues. Now Abraham was far away from home. He was an alien. He had neither land nor children. But God made a covenant with him that he would have children as numerous as stars, and large land as inheritance, and blessings.

In Abraham’s time people make a covenant with blood. They would kill a heifer, a ram, a goat, a dove, cut them in half (except birds), and lay the pieces in two rows leaving a path through the center. Then two parties would walk the path as a way of saying, “May this be done to me if I do not keep my oath.” When the evening came, God put Abraham into a deep sleep. God appeared in the form of a “smoking fire pot and flaming torch.” Then God alone passed between the pieces. Here God was saying, “I would give my life if my promises were broken… You are wandering as an alien now. But surely, I will come to rescue you and bring you home. One of your descendants, the One from your body will come and rescue you by his blood.” Yes, the Promised One is coming.

 

Moses and Christ (Exodus 17)

God delivered his people out of Egypt with his mighty hand. Now the Israelites were in the wilderness. One day they arrived at Rephidim, meaning “Oasis,” but there was no water. “Give us water,” the people complained against Moses. God said to Moses, “Go on ahead of the people, take your staff, and take with you some of the elders.” God continued, “I will stand before you on the rock. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so the people can drink.” One of God’s names in the Old Testament is Rock – Rock of Ages, and Moses’ staff (rod) is a symbol of judgment. So What’s happening here? The people deserved to be punished. But instead, God took punishment, giving water (life) to his undeserved people. Here God was saying, “Today I am taking my stand on the rock that will give you life. One day I would stand in your place, taking your punishment so you can be healed.” Yes he would. One day God’s Son would come and stand in our place so that by his wounds we will be healed and forgiven.

 

The Cross of Christ (Matt 27, Mark 15, Luke 23, John 19)

Now we reach the climax of the story. People were gathered at the place called Golgotha (“Place of a Skull”). There the people nailed Jesus to the cross – the most shameful and painful death for the worst criminals. On the cross Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They don’t understand what they’re doing.” The people said to Jesus, “You say you’ve come to rescue us! but you can’t even rescue yourself! If you were really the Son of God, come down right now. Then we will believe!” Of course, Jesus was able to come down, but Jesus chose to stay. He must stay. He must suffer and die a criminal’s death on the cross, because that’s God’s rescue plan. It was not the nails that kept Jesus there. It was LOVE.

In our place, on the cross Jesus experienced the total separation from God, saying, “Abba, where are you? Why have you forsaken me?” The full force of God’s fierce anger at sin came down upon Jesus’ body, instead of ours. By this, God destroyed sin once for all. God destroyed the old temple, our old hearts filled with sin. Then, rebuilt it in three days. Jesus said, “It is finished!” And it was. He had done it. Jesus had rescued the whole world. That’s God’s rescue plan. Jesus is God’s method of salvation!

 

Follow Me!

Jesus, the Son of God, must suffer and die, then rise again. How do we then receive God’s gift of new life? In today’s scripture Jesus said to his people, “If any of you want to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me” (v. 34, NLT) Eugene Peterson’s Message Bible paraphrases this verse as follows: "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how.” (MSG)

So how can we receive God’s gift of new life? We can receive God’s gift by believing in this Jesus, who took on/ took away our sins, and who suffered and died in our place. We can receive God’s gift by embracing suffering humbly and following Jesus’ way. It’s a daily walk with Jesus instead of a one-time commitment. It’s a narrow path rather than a wide, comfortable road. I have to admit that recently I was distracted. I was envious of those taking a wide road and still prosperous. I was confused and discouraged for a couple of days, but when I did look to Jesus, particularly his cross, my heart was filled with new assurance, a new sense of direction and wholeness.

Come to Jesus. Come to the altar. Do you want to have a fresh start and be born into a whole new life? Come to Jesus. Do you want to discover your own true selves and the purpose of your life? Come to Jesus. Do you want to come back home and rededicate yourself to Christ? Come to the altar. Do you want to follow Jesus anew? Come to Jesus. Come to the altar now. The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, that person is a new creation; the old is gone, a new life has begun!” (2 Co 5:17) If you are ready and in agreement, please join me in the following prayer, “An invitation to Christ” (United Methodist Hymnal #466):

 

Come, my Light, and illumine my darkness.

Come, my Life, and revive me from death.

Come, my Physician, and heal my wounds.

Come, Flame of divine love, and burn up the thorns of my sins,

kindling my heart with the flame of your love.

Come, my King, sit upon the throne of my heart and reign there.

For you alone are my King and my Lord. Amen.

  

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[1] Family Sunday Message. Part of the message was paraphrased from The Jesus Storybook Bible written by Sally Lloyd-Jones (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zonderkiz, 2007).  

“Jesus, Our Wounded Healer” (Mark 1:9-15)

The Gospel of Mark

This Lent we will follow Jesus’ steps in Mark’s eyes (in the Year B lectionary cycle). It is believed that the Gospel of Mark was written for the gentile believers. It was written first among the four Gospels. The Gospel of Mark is an action-packed, fast-paced book, consisting of 16 chapters. In this week’s lectionary, within seven verses, we go from hearing God’s voice at Jesus’ baptism to the wilderness where Jesus is tempted by Satan to Jesus beginning his earthly ministry.

So who is Jesus according to Mark? Throughout the book Mark proclaims again and again that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah. In particular, Mark portrays Jesus the Messiah as God’s suffering servant or God’s wounded healer.

Jesus’ Baptism

At that time, all Israelites were expectantly waiting for their Messiah. A charismatic king, or an invincible general. That was their image of the Messiah. But God’s Messiah came as a totally unexpected figure. God saved his people in a completely unexpected way. God’s Messiah brings his healing and salvation by taking up our pain and carrying our suffering for us and with us.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Then Jesus, who had no sin, received the baptism of repentance by John. Pastor Gordon MacDonald invites us to imagine the scene of Jesus’ baptism if it took place in the twenty-first century. Gordon was a well-known, promising, beloved pastor at Grace Chapel in Lexington, MA for 12 years. In 1987 he admitted to an adulterous affair. He publicly repented. He experienced forgiveness of sin in a very personal way. In that context Gordon asks us to imagine John’s baptism occurs in our lifetimes, so we all go out to be baptized by John. Imagine someone decided to get organized, so they set up a registration table, handing out nametags for each person who wants to be baptized by John. When a person registered for baptism, the person working the registration would ask, "What’s your name? And what sins do you need to repent of?" You’d say, "My name is Gordon and I’m an adulterer." So each person to be baptized would have a nametag with their name and their sin written on it. My nametag would say, "Victor" and then underneath would be words like “judgmental spirit" or “unforgiving spirit.”

Then comes Jesus who doesn’t need a nametag, and he asks each of us to take off our nametags. As Jesus prepares for his baptism, he puts all our nametags on himself, mine and yours, my name and your name, my sins and your sins. And then Jesus goes into the waters of baptism, identifying himself with our sins. That’s what was happening here. That’s why Jesus was baptized by John. Jesus became our sin, and we became his righteousness (2 Co 5:21). By his wounds we are healed. Jesus is the wounded healer.

 

Jesus’ Testing

From the Jordan River, Jesus is now led by the Spirit into the wilderness. The first Adam was tempted by Satan in a bountiful garden and miserably failed. The second Adam, Jesus, is now tempted by Satan in a desolate wilderness and wins. It is necessary for Jesus to be there in the wilderness because that’s the very place where Adam failed. That’s the very place where we failed. In the wilderness, Jesus was tempted like Adam, but did not sin (Heb 4:15). The Bible says, “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb 2:18, NIV). Jesus is the wounded healer.

Year 1527, in intense turmoil Martin Luther wrote his greatest hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” That was one of the most trying years of Luther’s Life. He was forced to stop preaching in the middle of his sermon. And for 10 years, since publishing his 95 Theses against the abuse of indulgences, his life had been in danger. He also had to suffer from depression and illness. To make it matters worse, that year in August, the plague had erupted in his town. His son became ill. The battle with Satan was so fierce. During that horrific year, Luther noted the deeper meaning of his trials: “The only comfort against raging Satan is that we have God’s Word to save the souls of believers.” Sometime that year, he expanded that thought into the hymn he is most famous for: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”[1] And particularly verse 2 beautifully and powerfully proclaims Jesus as the second Adam who wins the battle by his suffering and death and resurrection.

Did we in our own strength confide,

Our striving would be losing;

Were not the right Man on our side,

The Man of God’s own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth is His name,

From age to age the same,

And He must win the battle!

 

Jesus, the Wounded Healer

Jesus is the Man of God’s own choosing, the Wounded Healer. In one of the Talmud stories, Rabbi Yoshua ben Levi came upon Elijah the prophet… He asked Elijah, “When will the Messiah come?” Elijah replied, “Go and ask him yourself.” “Where is he?” “Sitting at the gates of the city.” “How shall I know him?” “He is sitting among the poor covered with wounds. The others unbind all their wounds at the same time and then bind them up again. But he unbinds one at a time and binds it up again, saying to himself, ‘Perhaps I shall be needed: if so I must always be ready so as not to delay for a moment.’[2]

In this story the Messiah, the Wounded Healer, is sitting among the poor, binding his wounds one at a time, so he can look after his own pain and suffering, and at the same time, he can be prepared to heal the wounds of others, while the others are preoccupied with their own wounds and problems. Jesus is God’s wounded healer. By his wounds we are healed. Jesus’ suffering and death brought joy and life. His rejection brought a new beloved community, the church.

 

Life as a Wounded Healer

As followers of Jesus we are called to be wounded healers. If we only see our wounds, we will burden others with our pain. But when we bind our wounds one at a time, we will see our own brokenness and stay humble, and with that humility we can allow our wounds to bring healing to others.

Henri Nouwen beautifully said this way, “Nobody escapes being wounded. We all are wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not “How can we hide our wounds?” so we don’t have to be embarrassed, but “How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?” When our wounds cease to be a source of shame and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.”

There is a world of difference between “open” wounds and “healed” wounds. Open wounds say, “Don’t worry because I suffer from the same depression, confusion, and anxiety as you do.” But it is of no help to anyone. Open wounds stink and do not heal. But healed wounds say, “I have been there. And I still see my pain and suffering from deep within today. But God has been gracious to me. I feel your pain.”

When we share our healed wounds with others, they become a source of healing. But, when we share our wounds with others, it has to be done out of humility. It has to be beggar to beggar, patient to patient. In order to cultivate humility, we need to have a constant willingness to face our own pain and brokenness. This past week Joyce had a follow-up appointment after her surgery and heard disappointing news that she would need more tests – bloodwork, MRI, Ultrasound, etc. Sitting in the hospital waiting room, hearing test results from a doctor, comparing the pricing of MRI and Ultrasound, and all this help Joyce and me to see our own wounds and stay humble. My unexpected hearing problem, though it’s painful and frustrating, is a great constant reminder that I don’t hear well spiritually as well as physically. That makes me humble and fully rely on God. All our sufferings and wounds can be great opportunities to be a little closer to our Wounded Healer.  

We cannot save anyone. We cannot heal anyone. Our life, as a wounded healer, is simply to invite people to the Light where their wounds can be seen and healed. Our calling is to guide wounded people to the Healer as we humbly share our pain, our brokenness, our hope with them.

The time of God’s healing is always here and now. Today is the day of healing. Today is the day of salvation. Whatever you are going through, wherever you are, today is the day of liberation. The Messiah is near. The Wounded Healer is here with us today. Come to Jesus. Come, let us be healed and help others heal. Amen.

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[1] “The Week Man Behind a Mighty Fortress,” Christianity Today, http://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-39/weak-man-behind-mighty-fortress.html

[2] Henri Nouwen, The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society, (The Crown Publishing Group), 81-2.

“Eyes on Eternity” (Nehemiah 10:30-39)

Liberating Joy in Christ

Once Rick Warren interviewed Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. Warren asked, “Your life and ministry have been so blessed and fruitful in many ways. What is the secret?” Then, Bright told his story. He was living without God and without hope in his early 20’s. But through his pastor, he received Christ. And he just fell in love with Jesus. One Sunday morning, led by the Holy Spirit, he and his wife literally wrote out a contract of total surrender of their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they signed the contract to become Christ’s slave. During the interview, Bright said, “My wife and I have been slaves now for 50 some years, and I must tell you it's the most liberating thing that's ever happened to me… My life's message is to be a slave of Jesus. And all that involves. Love your master, trust your master, and obey your master. Obviously, I'm a son of God, heir of God, joint-heir with Christ, and if Jesus was described as a slave… this to me is the highest privilege anyone could know. I evaluate everything I do in light of what He wants me to do. I try to relate every move, every day, in light of how I can help fulfill His Great Commission and fulfill His commandments.”[1]

In today’s scripture the Israelites once again fall in love with God and renew their covenant with God, particularly in three areas of their lives – marriage relationship, sabbath-keeping, and giving. Actually, many churches today operate under a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. “How is your marriage?” “How do you keep the sabbath?” “How much are you giving to the Lord?” We normally dare not ask those questions to each other. It’s as if we have an unspoken agreement: “I won’t talk about it if you won’t, so we can go right on living as we are.” But in fact, these three are the very areas that we must talk about and make it right for our spiritual growth. The Israelites promised to restore their marriage relationships, sabbath-keeping, and giving, not out of guilt or dutiful drudgery, but out of joyful exhilaration! 

 

Two Types of Joy

There are basically two kinds of joy found in the Bible. In John 2, Jesus performed his first miraculous sign at Cana’s wedding banquet in Galilee. He turned water into wine. All the people there enjoyed tasting the best wine and rejoiced! But the joy they had was different from each other. The first group of people, including the host and many other guests, they rejoiced because of the good food and the premium wine. But the second group of people, including the servants and Jesus’ disciples, they rejoiced because they had found the Messiah, the Master of their lives. So what made these two different groups of people have different degrees of joy? Because the degrees of commitment were different. The Bible says that the host tasted the water that now became wine but did not know where it came from. However, the servants did know because they themselves had filled the jars with water and took it to the master. Many Christians are invited to the wedding banquet of the Lamb. They rejoice over many blessings from God. They enjoy them. But, this joy is the joy of the host. Jesus turned water into wine, not just to entertain people, but to reveal His glory and show us that He is the true Master of the banquet and our lives. Only when we dedicate ourselves to Jesus Christ, we are then able to have greater joy that the servants had.

Then, what is the essential difference between those two types of joy? One is temporary, and the other is eternal. Solomon said, in Ecclesiastes 1:2, “Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!” But here, the Hebrew word Habel also means “temporary.” So, this verse can be translated in this way: “Temporary! Temporary! Everything is temporary!” And Solomon used the rhetoric on purpose, especially irony and paradox to emphasize the truth. In 2:24, he said, “A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God.” To eat and drink, to work, to spend time with friends and family – surely these are blessings from God. They are good. But, here Solomon is saying, “All of them are temporary.” Our physical health and strength will fade away. Our family and friends will pass away. Our children will leave us. To find our joy in them is not the point of Ecclesiastes. Instead, in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Solomon concludes this way: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” The point is this: Choose for yourselves today whether you will live for temporary things, or for eternity. Solomon exhorts us to live for everlasting joy rather than temporary one.

 

Eyes on Eternity

The people of Israel, in the past, rejoiced because of the “blessings” from God – their possessions, health, family, and friends. But now, they rejoice because of “God” Himself. And they now rededicate themselves to the Lord, and God gives them even greater joy. This is a virtuous circle of joy. When we dedicate ourselves to the Lord, He gives us greater joy. Nehemiah 12:43 says, “And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy.”

In my early twenties, my bucket list was to travel around the world. I saved all my wages, and right after being discharged from the army, I went to Canada. I went to Europe. I went to Thailand. At that time, my purpose for saving money was to travel as much as I wanted. It was good. I really had a wonderful time with friends and enjoyed nature and people. And I still do love to travel, but it is not my bucket list anymore. If the Lord wants me to, I would be willing to stay in the same place for life, because I’ve found greater joy in my heart. Now I still save money, but I do it with a different purpose. Now my joy is to give to God’s missions as much as I can. Because now I know which one is temporary and which one is eternal.

Would you want to care more about eternal things? Then reallocate some of your money, maybe most of your money, from temporal things to eternal things. A.W. Tozer said, “As base a thing as money often is, it yet can be transmuted into everlasting treasure. It can be converted into food for the hungry and clothing for the poor; it can keep a missionary actively winning the lost to the light of the gospel and thus transmute itself into heavenly values. Any temporal possession can be turned into everlasting wealth. Whatever is given to Christ is immediately touched with immortality.” Our earthly treasures can become heavenly ones.

 

Training Wheels of Giving

Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt 6:21). Here Jesus is saying, “Show me your checkbook, your bank statement, and your tax statement, and I will show you where your heart is.” Where is your heart? Let us set our hearts on the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us gain an eternal perspective.

Then, how can we gain this eternal perspective and not be entangled with temporal things? Both the Bible and church tradition say “tithing” can be an excellent way to cultivate the eternal perspective. In Leviticus 27:30 the Lord says, “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.” Some people argue that tithing is an Old Testament practice. Tithing is legalism. But Jesus Himself reaffirmed tithing, but he emphasized that we have to do it with acts of love and justice. He rebuked the Pharisees’ hypocrisy and said, “What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things” (Luke 11:42, NLT).

The early church fathers, such as Origen, Jerome, and Augustine, taught that the tithe was the minimum giving requirement for Christians. Tithing is not the finish line of giving, but it’s just the starting blocks. In this sense, Randy Alcorn rightly said, “Tithing is like training wheels of giving.” It helps us to learn and cultivate the “mindset of eternity.” In all ages, the tithe is the powerful antidote to materialism. It is our visible affirmation of faith, “I own nothing; Jesus owns everything!” It is a visible symbol of putting first things first.

 

Five Minutes after We Die

Probably, some of you have seen the film, Schindler’s List. German businessman Oskar Schindler bought from the Nazis the lives of many Jews. At the end of the film, there’s a heart-wrenching scene in which Schindler looks at his car and his gold pin and regrets that he didn’t give more of his money and possessions to save more lives. Schindler had used his opportunity far better than most. But in the end, he longed for a chance to go back and make better choices.

Five minutes after we die, we’ll know exactly how we should have lived. John Wesley said, “I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.” Missionary C. T. Studd said, “Only one life, ’twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, “There is a time for everything.” And in verse 11 Solomon comes to a conclusion, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart.” Here he is saying, “There is a time for everything. So, seize the day! Redeem the day! Live for eternity that God had put in your heart!”

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field” (Matt 13:44). My prayer is that we may find this hidden treasure, and in our joy go all in and live for eternity. Amen.

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[1] “Rick Warren Interviews Bill Bright,” http://www.nppn.org/InnerViews/Innerview011.htm

“Revival” (Nehemiah 8:1-8)

The Word and Revival

How many languages are there in the world? There are about 7,000 languages spoken all over the world. Wycliffe is a mission organization. Its vision is to translate the Bible in every language. Once a friend of mine working as a Bible translator at Wycliffe explained how it works. It basically takes several years. It’s a long, tedious process. And it also takes a team effort. I asked, “Why Bible translation?” She answered, “Because where there is a Bible translation, there is a revival. That is why I devote my whole life to this work.” The Word of God is the center of revival.

Revival is a sovereign work of God. We cannot make it happen. But, when the ground is prepared, then revival will be there. Pastor John Barach tells the following illustration. Imagine two men living in a parched area of the world. Rainfall has been scarce. The need for moisture is intense. On the horizon, dark clouds are gathering. Rain seems to be inevitable. Both men are overjoyed at the prospects. One man is busy with preparations for catching the water. The other man does nothing but wait. Suddenly the rain pours down; the ground is soaked. This time, the action of the men is reversed. The man who has done so much preparation now stands in the rain with his face to the sky because he knows that his barrels will be filled. The other man, who had made no preparation, rushes about here and there scooping a handful of water to his mouth –  too frantic to really enjoy the rain. In a little while, the rain is gone, the little streams are dried up. One man was able to drink the handfuls of water, and he is thirsty again. The other man now has plenty to drink. What made the difference? The difference was in the preparation. Yes, Nehemiah’s revival was totally God’s sovereign work. But there was much preparation beforehand. At the heart of Nehemiah’s revival was the exposition of the Scriptures. Today we will explore how God initiates revival and how God’s people respond to it and prepare the groundwork for greater revival.

Come, Listen to the Word (8:1-6)

First, the people come and listen to God’s Word. The wall reconstruction project had been successfully completed in fifty-two days (6:15). And now the people moved into their own dwellings. At this time there was a spiritual vacuum in the city. Although the people had nice new homes and good jobs and were well protected, there was still something missing on the inside. There was a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man and woman of Israel. Nehemiah sensed this spiritual vacuum. The elderly sensed this spiritual vacuum. The young sensed this spiritual vacuum. This is the first sign of revival. God made his people aware of spiritual hunger and thirst.

How did the Israelites respond? They did come and listen to the Word. When the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people gathered as one man in the square. And they asked Ezra to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses. It was not Ezra but the people who called a meeting and wanted to hear God’s word. In the square there were all kinds of people - men and women, young and old. The NLT version translates verse 2 in this way: “The assembly included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand.” There were even many children who were eager to hear God’s Word! When Ezra opened the book, all the people stood up. They could not remain seated because of the overwhelming reverence for God. All the people listened closely to the Scriptures from daybreak till noon, about 6 hours. And when Ezra praised the Lord, all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” And they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. The first groundwork for revival is to come and listen to the Word of God. Do you sense a spiritual vacuum? Do you feel empty and thirsty? Come, listen to God’s Word. Come to your prayer closet in the morning and listen to the Word there. Come to small groups, come to public worship, and listen to the Word. And you will be amazed how the Word of God can revive your soul.

Know the Word (8:7-12)

The second groundwork for revival is to understand the Word. In today’s scripture God’s Word was explained by the Levites so that all who heard could understand. Verse 8 says, “[The Levites] read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage” (NLT). God prepared one person, Nehemiah, for rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and the nation. And God also prepared another person, Ezra, for rebuilding the spiritual wall of His people. Ezra 7:10 says, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (NASB). Please notice the order of it. Ezra did study the Word, obey the Word, and teach the Word. There are many preachers, including myself, who study and teach the Word. Too often they skip the second step. But Ezra taught the Word to his people after he himself had practiced it first. That was why his teaching was so powerful and transforming.

Ezra was an outstanding spiritual leader, but he was not an isolated hero. He had a good number of fellow workers who knew the Bible and were able to teach. So when Ezra read the Scriptures, the Levites explained the meaning and helped the people understand each passage. This is my prayer for you: that each of you will be a Levite, spiritual leader at home and at work, who is godly, knowledgeable, and teachable so that many will understand the Word and come to Christ. John Wesley said, “Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin, and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on Earth.” Amen to that! Let us pray for each other. Let us pray that God will prepare us, shape us, use us as His divine channel of revival.

Live the Word (8:13-18)

First, God’s Word is heard. Second, God’s Word is understood. Third, God’s Word is applied. This is the third groundwork for revival. In verse 13, the next day the leaders of the people came to Ezra again to study the Word in greater detail and apply it to their lives. They asked Ezra, “Please teach us more details, that we may do the Word.” They found that it was just time to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. What is the Feast of Tabernacles? It is one of the three major Jewish feasts. It lasts for seven days, and during the days of the feast all Israelites built their temporary booths and lived in them to remember that God delivered them out of Egypt. During these seven days, they read the Scriptures and worshiped God the Savior. Verse 17 says, “The whole company that had returned from exile built booths and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great!”

Here we find a very important biblical principle: Applying God’s Word is not a complicated process. Applying God’s Word is to go back to basics. In order to apply God’s Word, the people did go back to basics. They observed the feast of their forefathers as it was written. And when they did it, there was great joy. Genesis 26:18-19 says, “Isaac reopened the wells that had been dug in the time of his father Abraham… Isaac's servants dug in the valley and discovered a well of fresh water there.” When Isaac went back to basics, he found a well of fresh water. When the Israelites went back to basics, they were filled with great joy. Nowadays, many Christians are looking for fresh insight to apply the Word. Many churches are looking for newer and better programs for spiritual growth. But what we need most today is to go back to the Bible and do the Word as it is written. What we need most today is to go back to basics and dig again the well of our spiritual ancestors, and we will find a well of fresh water there.

Domino Chain Reaction

Perhaps you may have heard of “domino chain reaction.” It is known that a domino can knock over another domino up to one and a half times larger. If we put a domino, 5 mm high and 1 mm thick, the 13^th domino would weigh about 100 pounds and be more than a meter tall. In theory, the 29^th domino would be as tall as Empire State Building.

In some respect, revival is like a domino chain reaction. Revival written in chapter 8 is only a beginning. We see greater surprising work of God and spiritual awakening in the following chapters – 9 through 13. At that time the enemy built several spiritual strongholds in Israel, particularly three areas of their lives – “relationship” (intermarriage), “time” (sabbath-keeping), and “money” (tithing and offerings). Over these three areas, the people did what was right in their own eyes. But, when revival came, all of the strongholds of their lives fell down flat just like dominos!

We too have our own strongholds, particularly in terms of our relationships, our time, and our money. The enemy tries hard to build strongholds in those areas. And it’s impossible to demolish those strongholds with our own strength. We desperately need God’s help and intervention. We need revival. So, Let us return and listen to the Word humbly. Let us study and understand the Word clearly. Let us apply the Word to our lives faithfully. When groundwork is done, then revival will come in his time.