Live the Word Bible Studies

Welcome to Live the Word

I am happy you have visited this site, where my goal since 2001 has been to help people all over the world understand and then apply the word of God in their lives. If you look on the right hand side of this blog site, you will see the name of each book in the New Testament, where you will find what I call a devotional commentary for every verse in those books. My goal was not to do a technical study, but rather a practical one that presented not only insights, but also questions and recommendations to help you apply or live the word. I have now published those studies in book form, but it's time to expand my work with something new (pictured here are two of my commentary covers, and they are all available in paper or Kindle format from Amazon).

For several years, I have had the idea to develop a Purpose Study Bible, similar to others on the market like The Spirit-Filled Bible, The Leadership Bible, The African Bible, and The Student Bible. Each one of those incorporates insights about a particular topic right in the Bible itself, like an easy-to-use commentary. I have been teaching on the topics of purpose and creativity since 1991, and have seen, gathered, and have often written about those topics from a biblical perspective. For the remainder of my days, I want to share what I have learned with my readers on these two topics, and this format seems like an economical way to do so (since I am not ready to undertake publishing a Bible).

I also want to learn from my readers, so I invite you to post comments to supplement, correct, or augment what I have written. My goal, however, is not to make us all experts on what the Bible has to say about purpose or creativity, but rather to help us become people of purpose, for as Jesus said, "Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:17). That is why my commentaries are called Live the Word, for that is what we are expected to do.

I hope you enjoy reading these studies as much as I enjoy writing them, and I hope you will be an active participant by sharing your own insight and testimonies. Thank you, and may the Lord bless the study and reading of His word!

Purpose Study Bible 46: A Dream Remembered

In the last study, we saw that Joseph was made regent over Egypt, second in command with only Pharaoh above him. According to Joseph's interpretations of Pharaoh's dreams, there were to be seven good years of plenty and then seven bad years of famine. Let's do some math to determine how old Joseph was during his Egyptian service and when he was reunited with his brothers:

• Joseph was 17 when he had his dreams that his brothers and parents would bow to him as their leader (see Genesis 37:1-2).
• Joseph served Potiphar and the jailer for 13 years, which made him 30 when he became Egypt's chief administrator (see Genesis 41:46).
• There were seven good years as Joseph had predicted, which means he was 37 when the famine began.

Then we read,

Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.” Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected" (Genesis 42:6-9).

We later find out that his brothers came to him the second time in the second year of the famine: "For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping" (Genesis 45:6). That means Joseph was 39 years old when he revealed himself to his brothers.

Go back to Genesis 42:8: "Then he remembered the dreams about them." Now, consider this question: How could Joseph remember the dreams he had when he was 17 for 22 years when you can't remember your dreams from last night? For 22 years, Joseph had to live in those dreams, hold on to those dreams, wrestle with those dreams, remind God of those dreams, and remind himself of those dreams when it seemed like all was lost.

If you are going to be a person of purpose who experiences success, you probably have some dreams, maybe even some big ones. You can be sure you will be tested to see if you can hold on to them and act faithfully when it seems like those dreams are as far away from you as the sun is from the earth. Joseph changed history and fulfilled God's plan because he held on to his dreams on the way down to Egypt as a slave, in his master's house as the man's wife urged him to enter into an illicit affair, in prison in his darkest nights, during the two years when the cupbearer forgot Joseph's kindness, and during seven years of plenty. Then one day, when he least expected it to happen, his brothers came into his presence and bowed down.

What are your purpose or creative dreams? What do you want to see accomplished in your lifetime? Are you being tested? Far away from their fulfillment? If you are discouraged or just need a reminder that God is watching, then consider Joseph, who held on to his dream for more than two decades, only to see it fulfilled in a matter of minutes. God is still orchestrating your destiny so keep those dreams alive by whatever means possible.

Purpose Study Bible 45: No Big Deal

Once Joseph arrived in Egypt, he first served a man named Potiphar but found himself in jail after the man's wife falsely accused Joseph of sexual misconduct. While in jail, Joseph interpreted dreams for two of Pharaoh's officials, hoping his help would secure his release. Two years later, one of the officials told Pharaoh about Joseph when Pharaoh was looking for someone to interpret two of his dreams. We read,

So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought from the dungeon. When he had shaved and changed his clothes, he came before Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it" (Genesis 41:14-15).

In a matter of minutes, Joseph moved from the dungeon to the king's palace and was standing before the most powerful man in the world. First he had to be made presentable and then he was confronted with the command performance to tell Pharaoh what his dreams meant. How would you respond? Would you be nervous? Feel pressure? Wonder what would happen to you if you could not give the king what he wanted? How did Joseph respond?

He responded by saying in essence it was no big deal: “'I cannot do it,' Joseph replied to Pharaoh, 'but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires'" (Genesis 41:16). What courage! What faith! What composure and confidence! How did Joseph know God wanted to provide the meaning? How did he know he would hear and relate it properly? As Joseph stood before Pharaoh and shared the interpretation, he said, "It is just as I said to Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do" (Genesis 41:28). In other words, Joseph was saying, "I told you it's no big deal; no big deal at all to do this."

That is how purpose operates in your life as well. You do something and others may marvel, but you think, "That's no big deal; it was pretty easy." I had a friend who used to stand before a crowd of thousands and say, "Let's write a worship song." He would then ask for a passage, a key, a tempo, and have the band start playing. When he was done, he and they had composed a song! 

What do you do that's "no big deal"? What can you produce, create, or devise that would take others a long time—if they could do it at all? Where does God work with you so that others, like Pharaoh's official, remember you and recommend you to their friends or associates? The reason you can do this is for the same reason Joseph gave: "I can't do it, but God can." It's what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10: "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

Don't try to explain or ignore this phenomenon in your life. Just go with the flow and produce results just like Joseph did, whether you are doing it for a few people behind bars or the most important man in the world.  

Purpose Study Bible 44: Geographic Righteousness

Genesis Joseph had two clear dreams that indicated to his family, and probably to him, that his destiny or purpose was to rule over his family. I am sure they all had an idea of what that was going to look like, but always saw it in the context of their home territory in a way with which they were culturally familiar. Little did anyone know that Joseph's purpose would be fulfilled in a land far away as the vice president of the most powerful nation on earth.

When Joseph got to Egypt, how did he know he was in the right place and in God's will? How did he now it wasn't all over for him? The Bible tells us more than once that God was with him:

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned (Genesis 39:2-4).

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did (Genesis 39:20b-23).

Joseph had a purpose, but that purpose could only be fulfilled in Egypt, not in the place he called home. He could not be righteous in God's will in the land of his fathers when his purpose had to be fulfilled in Egypt. Geography came into play in Joseph's life and it may be a factor in yours, too. God confirmed where Joseph was to be. When he was at home, there was no favor of God—only turmoil. When he went to Egypt, God prospered and blessed him—even when he was serving time in prison.

Your purpose may also be clear but you are not experiencing God's favor. That could be because you are missing what I have labeled "geographic righteousness." That doesn't mean you have to relocate to another area (that's possible), but you may have to stop trying to make something happen where you are, and look for a new church, company, people group, city or nation where you will be welcomed with open arms. For me, that area was and is Africa and I always sense God's favor when I am there. When I am at home, I don't have near the impact I do when I am in Kenya or Zimbabwe,

Where are you supposed to be? Are you trying to make a go of it where you have been only to experience rejection and indifference? Have you visited someplace (for instance, a people group, folks with a physical or mental challenge) where you senses God's favor and help? Are you ready to stop trying to make something happen and to go where something happens? I urge you to consider this concept of geographic righteousness and look for a place where you are welcomed and celebrated and not just tolerated.

Purpose Study Bible 43: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Last week, we began to look at the life of Joseph and saw that his father had blessed him with a special gift, one that caused his brothers to envy and hate Joseph all the more:

Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him (Genesis 37:3).

Later, Joseph's brothers stripped him of the coat, soaked it in animal blood, and presented it to their father to cover their dirty deed of selling their brother into slavery. 

The title of this study is not original. In fact, it is the title of a musical comedy with lyrics and music written by the famous Broadway team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. In 1972, Rice and Webber premiered their show based on the story of Joseph from Genesis and it became a hit. Estimates are that more than 20,000 schools have presented their version of the production since then and that was after the show had a successful run in New York and London. It is fascinating that Rice and Webber produced a show based on a Bible story and never mentioned God's name in the music or dialogue, but that is not the point of this study.

The point is that Rice and Webber had a creative idea and they acted on it. They produced something that became known the world over, a show that is still being staged in many places. The show was made into a movie and the musical has experienced numerous revivals where it first played. 

Rice and Webber did not invent the Joseph story; they did not invent the musical or comedy; they did introduce the world to stage productions. They simply acted on a creative impulse, did creatively adapt the story for modern, mass consumption, wrote the music, and found the investors. The result was something that thousands enjoyed, perhaps not realizing they were being presented with one of the most captivating stories in all of Scripture.

Do you have any creative ideas? Do you think they have to be ideas or concepts that the world has never seen or heard? Do you have a dream to present the word of God to others through a creative expression like this show did? The only difference between you and the Rice/Webber team is they acted on their ideas, but you have not. It's time for you to stop talking yourself out of your ideas and to start taking steps to make them happen. There is no promise that your ideas will become as popular as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, but who's to say they won't? The only way to find out is to do it. The rest is up to Lord, but it all starts with you creating something God can use to touch the lives of others.

Purpose Study Bible 42: A Clear Purpose

As we continue our study of purpose and creativity in Genesis, we look this week at the young life of
Joseph:

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, “Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.” His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said. Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. “Listen,” he said, “I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.” When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, “What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?” His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind (Genesis 37:5-11).

Here are some purpose points and lessons to keep in mind as you pursue your own purpose:

1. Joseph's purpose came looking for him. God wants you to know your purpose more than you do. He often sends clues and signs for which you are not seeking but would do well to heed and interpret.
2. Joseph was young when he discovered his purpose. Joseph was to be the ruler in his family even though he was the next to youngest. Your childhood often holds indicators of your purpose. In a sense, you are never too young for purpose—to find, prepare for, or fulfill it.
3. Joseph's purpose was confirmed in two dreams. Joseph was going to need that reassurance and confirmation because of what he was about to go through. The clearer your call to purpose, the more you will need to hold on to that clarity in uncertain times.
4. His brothers and his father understood what the dreams meant. Often others can see your purpose more clearly than you can, so listen to what others say—but use that as a confirmation not as the final word. People can try to keep you from your purpose, just like Joseph's brothers did, so it's best to listen to others to hear purpose clues, but not to rely on their endorsement.

Have you had a purpose revelation? Has it been confirmed? Are you thinking you are too young (or too old)? Are others being supportive or oppositional? Does it seem like you have been in the preparation process to express your purpose for a long time? We will study Joseph for the next few weeks so learn from his example and determine you will be a person of purpose, just like he was, no matter how long it takes or what it costs.

Purpose Study Bible 41: More Altars

We have seen in past studies that Abraham built more than a few altars during his pilgrimage to and from his land God gave him. We did not look at Issac's altar in Genesis 26:25, but we did examine the wells he dug, which were at the same venue where his altar was located (Rehoboth). Jacob followed more in his grandfather's footsteps and built multiple altars, as well as gave names to a few areas important to him on his journey home:

1. Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim (Genesis 32:1).
2. So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth (Genesis 33:16-17) (note: he did not build an altar here).
3. After Jacob came from Paddan Aram, he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. For a hundred pieces of silver, he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel (Genesis 33:18-20).
4. Then God went up from him at the place where he had talked with him. Jacob set up a stone pillar at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering on it; he also poured oil on it. Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel (Genesis 35:13-15).

Please note that the Lord did not tell Jacob what to name the areas, which resembles the story of Adam naming the animals. This indicates Jacob acted through his own free will, using the creativity and ability to think God gave him—just as Adam had done. It does not seem God was offended when either of them acted in that manner.

Yet there was one instance where God did tell Jacob to go back and build: “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau" (Genesis 35:1). God wanted Jacob to build an altar so he would be sure to commemorate the encounter with God on his way to see his brother after a separation of many years. Jacob obeyed, built an altar, and had another encounter with God that led him to build the altar mentioned in number four above.

 

What we see in these examples is Jacob freely expressing his worship and creativity in each instance except for the one where God clearly directed him. What are the implications of this pattern for you? It seems that you may have more freedom to express your purpose than you have previously understood. Are you waiting for God to direct your purpose and creativity, otherwise you refuse to do anything? Do you see God can and will direct them, but not necessarily on every occasion? How will this impact your strategy and approach to your creative expressions and how you fulfill your purpose? Does this give you more freedom to be who God made you to be?

Purpose Study Bible 40: God Is in the Fruit

Last week, we looked at the unusual strategy Jacob deployed to ensure that his severance pay from his  uncle would be sufficient to make him a rich man. Let's look at the strategy again:

Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which was in the rods. He set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the gutters, even in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink; and they mated when they came to drink. So the flocks mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with Laban’s flock. Moreover, whenever the stronger of the flock were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the gutters, so that they might mate by the rods; but when the flock was feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s. So the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys (Genesis 30:37-43).

Commentators and scientists are at a loss to explain how this process could actually be effective and I will not try to explain it from a physiological point of view. We learned in Genesis 31 that God gave him this strategy as a means to compensate him for Laban's labor abuse. What was God doing or thinking when He showed this to Jacob?

It seems that God had Jacob show the sheep a clear picture of what he wanted from them. Is that biblical or even practical? it is if you consider these truths:

1. A role model is a powerful teaching tool. Didn't Paul say to follow him as he followed Christ (see 1 Corinthians 11)? With his positive behavior in his followers' minds, there was a greater chance they would reproduce that behavior.
2. Paul quoted Jesus to have said, "Bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Corinthians 15:33). If that is true, then what does good company produce? It should reinforce and reproduce good moral behavior.
3. In Philippians 4:8-9, Paul wrote, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." Notice that if the Philippians would set their minds on pure, right, and noble things—all things they had seen in Paul—and would then practice those things, they would have peace in their lives.

Once Jacob had done what he could do, then it was up to God to do His part, and that was to make the sheep fruitful so they would multiply strong, healthy sheep. Once you do what you can to set before you what you want or what God wants to produce through you, you have done your part. Then God has to be in the fruit or else there will be no fruit—but we know He wants you to be fruitful.

Are you spending time with people who are productive and have worthy behaviors worth imitating? Are you around people who are ethical and are not looking for shortcuts to financial or ministry success? Is your mind focusing on what it should, the pure, good, and righteous thoughts that will lead to peace? The steps above are not a magic formula, but rather conditions that must be met before the Lord will act on your behalf. If you are doing those things, then you can rest assured that God will do His part and ensure success, for God is indeed in the fruit.

Purpose Study Bible 39: Follow Through, Cash In

When Jacob was preparing to leave Laban, his conniving father-in-law, Jacob proposed a plan that he would take all the spotted and speckled sheep as his payment for years of service. To Laban's surprise, Jacob proposed that all the existing spotted and speckled sheep be taken from the flock and only the yet-to-be-born spotted and speckled be Jacob's.

What a strange plan, for how could Jacob expect to gain any non-solid colored sheep if they were all removed before they could mate and reproduce? Laban was all too happy to comply with the plan and put a three-day's-journey distance between his flocks and Jacob's so there would be no possibility, or so he thought, of Jacob getting any of his sheep.

But Jacob had a divine plan, a flash of brilliance and creative insight, that made him a wealthy man. We read in Genesis 30:37-43:

Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane trees, and peeled white stripes in them, exposing the white which was in the rods. He set the rods which he had peeled in front of the flocks in the gutters, even in the watering troughs, where the flocks came to drink; and they mated when they came to drink. So the flocks mated by the rods, and the flocks brought forth striped, speckled, and spotted. Jacob separated the lambs, and made the flocks face toward the striped and all the black in the flock of Laban; and he put his own herds apart, and did not put them with Laban’s flock. Moreover, whenever the stronger of the flock were mating, Jacob would place the rods in the sight of the flock in the gutters, so that they might mate by the rods; but when the flock was feeble, he did not put them in; so the feebler were Laban’s and the stronger Jacob’s. So the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks and female and male servants and camels and donkeys.

This strategy seems a bit bizarre, but it worked. Later when Jacob was talking to his wives who were Laban's daughters, he said this about his plan in Genesis 31:10-13:

And it came about at the time when the flock were mating that I lifted up my eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the male goats which were mating were striped, speckled, and mottled. Then the angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob,’ and I said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Lift up now your eyes and see that all the male goats which are mating are striped, speckled, and mottled; for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”

God gave Jacob a creative strategy and prospered him with an idea. Jacob had to follow through on the idea to get his financial blessing. You can pray for money and when God answers, He may give you an idea. You have to convert that idea into action and only then does the money come. There are no shortcuts and no winning the lottery. Jacob got the creative inspiration, had to implement and follow through on what he saw, and over time he became wealthy. Do you have any creative ideas you need to convert into action and then into cash and wealth? Are you following through on your heaven-inspired creativity? Do you even believe that God may want to prosper you through the business or creative ideas you have?

Purpose Study Bible 38: Love

Once Jacob left his homeland for his uncle's territory, he fell in love with his cousin Rachel and wanted to marry her. We read,

Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her (Genesis 29:16-20).

Seven years went by quickly for Jacob because he was working for something he really wanted, something (or in the case someone) he loved. If and when that happens to you that you find time going by quickly because of the joy you have in your activity, you can be sure that you have found something connected to your purpose as you lose track of time, absorbed in doing what you love.

God is love so the best motivator for doing anything is love, whether it be love for another person, for God, or the joy of the activity itself. What is it that you do that when you do it, you can easily lose track of time? Playing the piano? Playing a particular sport? Studying? Helping the poor? That love is an indication that you are in the will of God at that moment and in a sense enter into a piece of eternity while you are engaged in that thing you love, for you were engaged in a timeless period that had no prescribed end. The only love that does not work out so well is the love of money for we read in First Timothy that it is the root of all evil.

Are you doing what you love as often as possible, or do your days drag on? Do you welcome Fridays and dread Mondays or whatever day it is you must return to you work? Do you really believe that is God's plan, God's best, for you to hate your work? Find out what you love to do and then do it as often as possible and you will find the joy that Jacob had when he labored for 2,555 days but they seemed to pass as quickly as two or three. That's the kind of relationship you want to have with your work and that is the kind that God wants you to have as well. 

Purpose Study Bible 37: Vivid Images

After Rebekah and Jacob tricked Isaac into giving his blessing to Jacob instead of Esau, Jacob had to leave town and take refuge with his Uncle Laban to escape his brother's wrath. While on his way there, we read

Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you" (Genesis 28:10-15). 

Jacob realized that the Lord was with him on his journey and made a vow to give God a tenth of all his increase if and when God brought him back to his father's household.

God painted a vivid picture to represent His presence in Jacob's life in a dream that featured the ladder with the angels ascending and descending. He had given metaphors and similes to his grandfather that described his descendants as numerous as the sands on the shore and the stars in the sky. God often communicates through images and pictures to impart truth and values, and Jesus did the same through His parables and creative responses to questions.

What's more, when Jacob was asleep, he experienced one of our most fascinating human creative exercises: dreaming. When we sleep, there are aspects of us that are still awake and they generate and produce symbolic images, most of which we don't even remember. Yet research shows that dreaming plays an important role in our psychological equilibrium. 

Knowing that God paints word pictures that create mental images, and keeping in mind that our dream machine functions every night, then can you see the importance of using art to communicate and transmit what is important to us? Also can you see that your creativity, like your dreaming, plays an important role in your sanity and harmony? Where can you tap into this aspect of your being to vivid images in word or action that produce art, help share your testimony, or teach others life lessons?