Devotion.al

Year: 2019

  • Significance Over Wealth

    Psalm 49, 1 Chronicles 29:16–22, Acts 3:1–16

    Wealth and prosperity have long been a source of strife, envy, pointless striving, overwork, and abandonment of others. In an achievement-driven culture, it became an even greater issue as an “achievement” of wealth is measured against those whose wealth is an astronomical amount (i.e., a person valuated higher than many countries). With the 2007/2008 bust, wealth was replaced by influence and likes (wealth was still significantly important). Then Generation Z comes along, and wealth and likes are important, but significance and satisfaction have started to override the others. Many are saying this is a of a “spoiled” and too wealthy generation, and a generation doomed to self-inflicted misery. What if, however, it is instead the greatest hope of the church in the United States?

    Without question, each succeeding generation has had a “higher” starting line than the previous generation. Yet, the likelihood that the next generation will “upward” financially is far less likely. This is not as bad a thing as many think it is. Due to this, the next generation is looking at what they can do to make a difference, and feel as if they are leading a of significance, and the difference and significance can be as small as their neighborhood or their job. This generation is also more aware of the impact their lifestyle has on the world around them. Being aware of your impact (both positive and negative) is very healthy.

    Solomon was a wealthy king. His had set a very good solid base financially and militarily. In the beginning, at least, Solomon had a very good understanding of the wealth and success…God had given it, and in and thanks, Israel returned in worship. Stuff is always God’s, and God gave us the to choose what to do with it.

    Sometimes it isn’t just and power, it is our bodies. Just like the coming generation, there wasn’t much upward mobility in most of the Jewish context. You were at the place your parents were, and that was the way it was. If your body was broken, you “earned” a living for your by begging. The man who was healed was one of those.

    It is more than the that the man got (though it was great) or the financial and material state of the United States (though it is significant), it is the words of Peter, “…why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk…,” or Solomon’s “…all this wealth…comes from your hand…your people who are present here giving joyfully and willingly to you…”

    1) What area of your life do you struggle “giving” to God versus “earning” it?

    2) How do achievement and influence affect your with God? How do you see it affect others’ relationship with God?

  • Placing the Message

    Joel 2:18–32, Acts 2:29–40,2 Peter 1:16–21

    Joel is an interesting book in that there are no definitive elements to place. There are many events and practices that put it within a few centuries, but that the prophet does not define himself, nor does he seem to be responding to a particular king, it becomes open to interpretation.

    Since it has withstood the test of time, however, we can presume that those that followed after the time of Joel recognized his words as and . As with many quotations of the Old Testament used in the New Testament, there were some liberties in context that were not out of the norm, nor was it viewed as inappropriate.
    Much of what we read from Joel was repeated by Peter to the Jews present at . Joel’s words were intended to reassure the Jews that God was not gone and that God would come in a new (and old) way. It’s pretty clear that Peter felt the event of Pentecost qualified. Peter utilized the stories of to tie in David (the precursor of the new) to the Messianic reality that he (Peter) and the disciples had been experiencing.

    There were obviously many hearts already softened to the , as the response of, “what do we do,” led them repentance and . Again Peter’s message to the Jews already had the hint of going beyond the Jews. “All who are far off” “As many as the Lord our God will ” It was enough, however, for Luke (the writer of Acts) to stop repeating Peter’s words, for the message had been heard and responded to.

    Peter himself reflected on prophets. While he may have thought of Joel or David, he probably didn’t think of himself. This despite his own words being prophetic regarding to whom the would preach and reach.

    1) Why was Peter’s message so effective to the Jews who heard it?

    2) If it is the same message delivered today (which we it is), why has it become so ineffective?

    3) What are the similarities between the Jews hearing the message, and Peter delivering the message? What characteristic(s) might be the same?

  • Barriers to Sharing

    John 20:19–23, Acts 1:4, Acts 2:1–36

    The short vignette in the locked upper room after the seems as if was a snippet of a memory that was lacking something. Yet, John felt it was important. As a precursor to Pentecost, Jesus’ statement/blessing about receiving the was an important thing. Jesus had already told the disciples that they would only fully be what they were called to be when the Holy Spirit came and that Jesus would have to not be present. Jesus directed them to .
    They waited, prayed, worshipped.
    The Festival of First Fruits (Pentecost) was a Jewish major festival to celebrate the first of the harvest and to and worship God. Probably not as full as it was during Passover, Jerusalem was still a significantly full. In addition, there were likely many people who lived far away but remained for both. Was it as packed? Probably not. Were the spectacle of Jesus and his story still floating around? Probably. They, the disciples and the people of Jerusalem, were not for what came next.

    The spontaneous sermon by Peter probably shocked him and the other disciples. While his sermon fell on fertile ground, it is probably not just the words. Any charlatan or false teacher or false prophet can preach a good sermon. The miracle of people of different countries hearing the sermon in their native tongue showed God’s supernatural approval and participation in this.

    We often get tied up in methods and modes of communicating. There are longtime disagreements about modes and methods. Far too many confuse mode and methods with the message. God made no distinction between languages. It was the message that mattered. On the other hand, we could be so concerned about the language (“did they miss the nuance?”) that we forget the effectiveness of mode and message.

    What matters is that the message was heard. The people didn’t God’s message in some tongue that they were not native to, they heard it in the tongue where they knew the nuances. God did not do a poor translation, God did a great one. More than that, hearts were transformed, and those transformed hearts went back home. Of what value is a Jew whose first language isn’t Hebrew? They took home the message that God loves them so much, that he sent his to die for them.

    Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. The whole church. While it took Peter and the other disciples time to recognize what the first sermon was saying (all nations and people can come to God), it was the heart of the Church at birth. The Jewish Pentecost was a celeb.ration of the first fruits of the harvest. The Church Pentecost is about the first fruits of the of God

    1) The initial response to the supernatural of hearing things in one’s own language was met with skepticism. Why do you think that is?

    2) Speaking in Tongues is considered a of the Holy Spirit. What is very unique about this specific display of Speaking in Tongues? If you need a hint, who is missing?

    3) Even today people hold on to methods and modes as essentials to sharing the Good News, rather than the Good News itself. Why do people hold onto such things, often to the detriment of sharing the Gospel?

  • Land of Blessing

    Isaiah 24:4–13, Zechariah 14:8–11, Revelation 22:1–5

    The . As we read about the curse in Isaiah, we can easily read into it the current fears, concerns, and observations regarding our environment. be told, if we are called to be stewards—rather than dominators—of , we can see our responsibility regarding Creation. The context of this passage is indeed the damage done to Creation as a result of humankind’s behavior. It is not the “fouling the nest” concept that is the origin, but that hearts were resolutely turned away from God. The land, ultimately, was a symbol of God’s blessing (the “land of milk and honey”) or the removal of it. While it is cursed land, it is not God’s desire that it occurred, but the natural result of hearts’ desires for something wholly other than God.

    As the social/religious/political center of Israelite and Jewish , Jerusalem was the most cursed of all. Yet, Zechariah provides a of a healed city whose healing waters will flow into the world. Jerusalem would be transformed from a place of desolation and to a place of and life.

    In Revelation, the image takes on greater depth as the water imagery of the Water of Life that flows from God the and the Son. It also revolves around the opposite of the curse…God is the center of their lives.

    1) If “the land” is still a symbol of God’s blessing, what does that mean for us?

    2) How do you see God as the center of your life? How does that differ from the vision of Zechariah and John’s Revelation?

    3) What is it about the Water of Life flowing from the throne of the Father and the throne of the Lamb that is important? What is the “hidden” image?

  • Restoring Broken Bones

    Deuteronomy 30:1–6, Matthew 18:15–20, Galatians 6:1–10

    In his commentary on this section of Galatians, Earle Wilson wrote, “The is a family, not a civic or social club. As a family we are knit supernaturally by the in common fellowship of . It is in this context that admonished us to carry one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

    At Generations Community Church, we talk a lot about —friends who are like family. The question then becomes, is that who we are? Is this how we are really identified? Is this how we live out the to be framily? How do we as individuals and collectively truly begin to internalize and live it out fully?

    is an essential piece of living as framily. However, for something to be restored, something has to be broken and acknowledged as broken. We are all broken in some way. We can be too confident in our learning, too confident in our family, too confident in our state, too confident in our country, and definite too confident in ourselves.

    Are we still keeping up appearances? Are we still putting on our “church” face? Are we working so hard that we are blind to where the is actually working?

    We are each too scared at times to be truly transparent and vulnerable. Oversharing can be chaotic and emotionally draining, so we cannot take it too far. However, sometimes a broken bone needs to be re-broken so that it heals correctly. Are there bones in our framily that need this?

  • Finding Faults

    Psalm 104, Ezekiel 18:1-32, John 9:1–11

    Original is the corruption of the God-given original nature of all the offspring of Adam. This corrupted base has an aversion to God, has no spiritual , and is inclined to . Until the fully cleanses us, original sin continues to exist even in the new life of the regenerate. Original sin differs from actual (i.e., personal) sin as it is an orientation to actual sin for which no one is accountable until they have reached a morally aware state.*

    This is an important concept to have in mind as we read this passage in Ezekiel. We can gather a couple of things here, (1) that people were blaming their parents (and ancestors) for their troubles, (2) that is was a corporate responsibility, not a personal one, and (3) that people were not taking responsibility for their actions. What is troubling is that this developed outside of the Law. Whether it was a cultural thing or something that developed over time is not all that clear, but what is clear is that there needed to be a significant spiritual shift among the exiles.

    And there was such a shift among many. They returned, confessed, repented, and mourned. Despite having the prophet’s words, is confronted by the exact same thought process. Now, we understand that the blind man was born blind. He was not responsible for his blindness. So, the default setting has become (again) the parents (or ancestors) fault.

    1) One of the common tendencies of people is to look for blame or fault. Why do you think that is? What does blame- or fault-finding result with?

    2) Authenticity is a big buzzword these days. When confessing sins or errors, though, do people really want to be authentic? What would it mean to you to have a safe place (and people) to ?

    3) How does always looking for fault work against us? What is the opposite of fault-finding?

    *Yes, that is a whole lot of theology (sorry), and if you want to see what the practiced theologians say, see Article 5 of the of the Nazarene’s Articles of . I I summarized it adequately.

  • Hearing Truth

    Psalm 25, Jeremiah 7:21–34, John 16:7–15, Ephesians 4:15–16

    The wounds of a friend are trustworthy,
    but the kisses of an enemy are excessive.
    Proverbs 27:6

    can be a painful thing. If delivered in the context of true friendship, the of the truth is shared by both. One of the hardest things to do is to be honest with truth, and to be humble and to accept it.
    Jeremiah delivered God’s message to the Israelites. It was Truth. In their pride and arrogance, they disregarded it. Instead of properly viewing Jeremiah as God’s prophet—the messenger of God’s seeking of their redemption—they viewed him as an irritant, and someone not to be listened to. Of course, they really chose to not listen to God. It’s not as if God hadn’t already tried. It wasn’t as if God hadn’t already set the expectations. It is not as if God didn’t, even now, continue to try convincing them to . Raise a sad song of mourning (a dirge). God wasn’t happy. God was mourning. The Truth delivered caused at least as much pain to God, as to God’s people.

    We have been called to Truth. We have to unwind ourselves from the lies, however, and the number of lies are overwhelming. Perhaps we shouldn’t them lies. Many are truth and facts. However, throwing truths and facts out in an attempt to bury the Truth, makes them all lies. While Christianity feels as if it is against the world (and it is to some degree), the world instinctively understands that it opposes the Truth. As the Holy Spirit fills all of , one cannot help but if the struggles of the world are not sin, per se, but that the Holy Spirit has been very successful in convicting hearts.

    We are called to speak Truth, not just truth. We are to use love to convey Truth. The concept of God as gentleman fits here. God isn’t beating on them to their ways. The Holy Spirit is alive in them quickening their hearts to the truth, but as humans often do, when confronted by a look in the mirror, they break the mirror, hide the mirror, cover the mirror, anything but look into the mirror. One of the hardest parts about framily is the Truth. We need to be in the kind of relationships where truth can be shared in love, and accepted in . Sadly, far too many of our relationships—parental, child, sibling, spouse, friend—do not allow for that kind of truth.

    1) What are some reasons, you think, that sharing truth is so hard?

    2) What are some reasons—other than pride—why people don’t want to hear or hurt when hearing truth? What are God-related reasons? What are -related reasons?

    3) When sharing what we think is the truth, why is it so important to use Ephesians 4:15 as a litmus test for your words?

  • Blessing of Enemies

    Psalm 3, Genesis 14:17–24, Exodus 23:20–33, John 16:1–11

    Enemies are a thing. Sometimes the enemies are more in our head than outside in the world. Sometimes enemies are those that do us harm when they are supposed to be striving for our good. Other times, and currently the most seen, the enemies are those not like us. In , they are not our enemies, they are just different, and difference can be perceived as dangerous.

    Abraham’s victory over those who kidnapped his family was attributed to God by Melchizedek. The enemies of Abraham may not have even known they were the until Abraham came to Lot. For Abraham’s sake, God gave them to Abraham, who was to God.

    As the Israelites have left Egypt and are headed to the Promised Land, they are told that there are enemies. These are the enemies they will have to defeat to recover the Promised Land. God promises them victory over their enemies…as long as they follow his ways. And there is the rub. They didn’t do a very good job of that. Under only a few leaders, and only for a limited time, did Israel actually follow God’s ways. However, the of the time God allowed their enemies to be victorious, and it is directly tied to their orientation toward God.

    So, if things were to continue, one could reasonably draw the conclusion that once we have a and reconciliation with Christ that our enemies would be . Yet, Jesus says the opposite. “You’re mine, and the world hates you because of it. Therefore you are surrounded by enemies.”

    Granted, the enemies that surround us are actually those that have often put themselves against God (whether they are aware of it or not). It still doesn’t make it sound much better.

    1) If indeed we are now surrounded by enemies, how is that the Good ?

    2) There are many kinds of enemies: national, religious, political, general life. Think of those that you know that fall under each of these categories, and what can you do to shine the light of Christ into their lives?

    3) Thinking of as enemies can be a beneficial starting point because then you can more easily see the barriers that need to be worked on prior to sharing Christ with them. Why is it important to recognize the barriers that separate? What should we do with those barriers?