Devotion.al

  • Ruling Tradition

    Psalm 79, Romans 15:1–13, 1 Corinthians 8:1–13, Galatians 2:11–15

    Yesterday we talked about rules. Today we’re going to talk about rules.
    One of the first rules of is to build up one another. We have all done this well. We have all done this horribly. Another rule is to live in harmony with each other. Yet another is to accept one another. These rules are incredibly important when we (see Thursday’s, 23 May, devotional). Doing all of these well is hard, and it is well doing.

    One thing that always ends up with some kind of tension is and misunderstanding. When Paul discusses food offered to idols, his perspective is it’s fine, since they aren’t real idols anyways. The meat was sold at a discount since it was “used” at pagan temples to “feed” their gods. Paul was saying it was food. He was supporting the practice, except that there were new or struggling or misunderstanding members of the who saw the buying and eating of this meat as participating in and agreeing with . Paul didn’t agree with them, yet still instructed the more mature believers to avoid the cheap food so that those struggling wouldn’t succumb to the old ways.

    Paul is not shy in taking on fellow leaders, like Peter, who quickly yield to tribal (i.e., Jewish) pressure to not be contaminated by . What makes this even more interesting in regards to tradition, it was Peter who led the charge against it. Even the leaders fall back into old habits.

    1) What is the difference between traditions and rules?

    2) How do they function differently in your ? How about your life?

    3) How do we confuse rules and traditions with our faith?

  • Frameworks and Consequences

    Acts 10:9–35, Acts 15:5–34, Romans 14:13-23

    Rules are everywhere, aren’t they? Rules are a good thing. Often rules us the freedom to for we have a pretty good idea what will do (assuming they know the rules). This is true in examples such as driving. We know (we ) what the other person will do, as they should have learned (and been tested) the same rules.
    Rules are often also put into place to better level the playing field. These rules are often disliked, not because the concept is bad, but because the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

    Another set of very important rules are those for leaders or in other responsible positions. People, for example, who are in charge of educating, children, and should all follow rules, so that everyone knows what their obligations are. Often, sadly, the rules are put into place after someone else has done something wrong, so the “good” folks don’t like to be treated like the bad ones. That is the whole rotten apple ruins it for everyone concept.

    Peter was schooled on the rules. In this case, these rules were put into place for the Israelites (then Jews) to follow. The problem was that God wasn’t just calling the Jews. The official reach had expanded. The rules that Peter lived by had outlived their usefulness, and now were a barrier to the world.

    After his and experience with the , he then had to remind his fellow Jews (whom he had previously told this story to) that they couldn’t live up to the rules either. They certainly had a quick revision of “the rules”.
    Yet, even in Rome (the “home” of the Gentiles) the rules were still an issue and were a hindrance to the and the hearts of its people. Rules are a framework of behavior. They should not crush spirits, or seek to destroy lives. Yet, the consequences of breaking the rules are not the same as the rules themselves. Consequences are the result of our choices, yet we often blame the rules.

    1) When have you found rules to be helpful at work, at home, at church?

    2) When have you found rules to be more crushing of , rather than a framework of guidance/protection?

    3) When do you find rules to be a problem? Have you ever analyzed your to the rules to see if it is your pride or the effect of the rule that you are reacting to?

  • Lead In Love

    Mark 9:33–37, Acts 15:36-41, 1 Timothy 6:3–11

    It is an amazing fact that you might have learned yourself: people are different, and don’t always agree.
    There are various kinds of disagreements, and it is not necessarily bad to disagree. In fact, it is often through disagreements that better solutions, not just compromise, can be found. In our current political environment, compromise is now a bad thing, as members of both Republican and Democrat parties entrench themselves. While the President may be the focal point, the reality is people seem to have lost the ability to discuss hard things without devolving to calling and pointless posturing.

    The disciples argued with each other regarding who was first among Jesus’ disciples. Two of them, Peter and John, probably had the strongest claim (from what scripture tells), but that this argument appeared to be amongst all of them indicates that Peter and John’s “ranking” was not as prominent as we think. This would be a pointless argument. While figuring out who is the is often a good discussion at other times, their little group had a leader…Jesus.

    The “sharp disagreement” between Paul and Barnabas is one of the biggest examples that not everything went perfectly well and peaceful all the time in the church. John Mark was the point of contention. What the exact issue was, both past and possible , we can guess. Neither leader (for both were leaders) felt they could compromise regarding John Mark. They separated after being so long. They had some sort of later. This shows us that we can disagree well, and part ways. It doesn’t seem that either held it against the other for long.

    Paul understands that there will be conflict and arguments. In his letter to his protégé, Timothy, Paul doesn’t say don’t , but that people who seek argument are to be corrected. We all want to be right (and viewed that way), but most of us are aware of our limitations. We are able to be humble when wrong.
    As the world starts to stop talking and only yell, the church (with its many failings) should show the way. As the church deals with uncomfortable topics, it should lead in . This starts right here with our .

    1) Have you ever had an argument which has been left unresolved, and thus straining or destroying a relationship? Was it friends, immediate , or was it framily? What can you do to resolve things?

    2) Why is it so important to understand that we don’t always agree and that it is okay?

  • The Other Side of Work

    Psalm 33, Numbers 12, Luke 6:37–42

    The Bible doesn’t say what event or interaction incited Aaron and Miriam to openly oppose Moses. Whether the Cushite woman was Zipporah—who Moses married prior to Israel’s exodus from Egypt—or another woman (Jewish and scholars are unclear) it didn’t really matter (to God, at least). Aaron and Miriam were looking for a cause to sow discord and take the mantle of leadership from Moses. Some scholars believe that by calling Moses humble leadership had been a long-simmering issue, and Moses had kept his mouth shut (publically, at least). The “sudden” interjection by God tells us that something had to happen. God saw that things were going awry.

    As only Miriam received the penalty, we could that she was the instigator. One could , though, that if Aaron was no longer clean, who would intercede for him. Moses? There is another lesson. Miriam was put outside the camp. The camp waited for her. After she was determined clean, she was brought back into the .

    Often people will use petty, visual or emotional things to tear another person down. We see it daily in . If, for example, the wife of Moses in question was Zipporah, God called Moses after he married her. That should have been an indicator. If there was some other question, then it should have been more specific. Cushites weren’t a banned people. A phrase that we would be familiar with is “a red herring” or “a straw man”.

    While the case against Aaron and Miriam would seem to be rather strong, why tie ‘ words regarding judging into this? Often we judge based on less knowledge and more feeling. We are often told to our gut when avoiding things or situations. However, we are still bound to test ourselves to make sure we are not judging others. Judging is a hard word that is often misused. Judging is specific regarding making critical analysis and condemning the person to the penalty ( or excommunication, predominately). Judging is not comparing behavior to scripture, yet one has to be careful in making assumptions regarding the heart, for that is God’s domain.

    1) Have you ever experienced a situation like Moses? What do you think were the motivators in that situation?

    2) In your own words, how would you define discernment and judgment?

    3) Why is understanding discernment and judgment essential to having a fully functional Very Good with others?

  • Unknowing Knowledge

    Psalm 118, Romans 5:1–5, Hebrews 12:7–13

    . The old quip, “don’t pray for patience, for then God will provide circumstances that require it.”
    Endurance and patience. One is primarily a verb in scripture (Endure), while the other is a noun. In other words, they are different (scripturally) only in so far as how they are used in language.

    In English, endurance if often associated with training and stamina. Patience is more often associated with a state of mind. When we endure, however, we are actively withstanding and holding firm.

    Both Paul and the author of Hebrews associate enduring with suffering. Paul states that endurance promotes , while the author of Hebrews views suffering and .

    It often when we endure that we are toned, whether it be physical, mental, or spiritual. Physical endurance may be because one is an athlete, or because one has a physical ailment that makes physical activity harder. Mental endurance can be school tests, task focus, or project focus. Spiritual endurance, however, is a little harder to explain, and even harder to live.

    For many, spiritual endurance is when the world attacks your , or your own inner attacks your faith. Spiritual endurance may be praying for years for the salvation of a one that appears to be bearing no . Spiritual endurance may be that you feel disconnected from God, and cannot figure out how to restore things.

    Regardless, endurance only shows its on the other side of the work.

    1) There are many kinds of suffering. What kinds of suffering have you endured? Did it strengthen or weaken your faith? Why?

    2) Hope often seems to be the opposite of enduring suffering. Why do you think hope is the spiritual fruit of suffering?

    3) How does enduring suffering help build the Very Good ?

  • Measuring Value

    Acts 3:1–26, Acts 14:8–18

    All of us have experienced—or know some close who has—a significant health issue, whether going on for years, or for a short time. Often those health issues come with significant costs, too, making a bad situation even worse. It also isn’t necessarily a matter of good or bad health care insurance. It is all the stuff surrounding the issue that often has the greatest cost.

    In the era of Acts, and even as recent as today, people who are disabled (physically or developmentally) are viewed as a waste. What the crippled men experienced is, sadly, no different than what many experience today. Outcast. Forced to beg. Their families brought them to beg. people into . That was their value.

    We all have a to judge people on the value they bring to us. Do they make us happy? Do they take care of us? Or the flip side, what does this continuing doing to me? How is this keeping me from what I want to do?*

    When we judge people by value, we judge people just as if they were things. People are not things. They have God’s image in them ().

    Peter, John, , and Barnabas could have allowed themselves to be valued by the results of the healings. Had they done so, however, they would have not been acting within the framework of God, and it’s questionable how effective they would have been afterward. Instead, they pointed to . They could have allowed themselves to be used, as many of us do to “friends” and influence. They pointed to God.

    1) Have you ever found yourself evaluating people on their value to you?

    2) Have you ever believed that someone pretended to like or even you because of what you could do for them?

    3) Do you think God values you because of what you can do for God, or is there something else?

    *This, of course, does not mean remain in an abusive relationship.

  • Relating Love

    Matthew 5:17-20, Matthew 22:34–40, John 13:31-35

    It is not a minor thing for to affirm the Law and the Prophets. It is an essential fact to understand. Jesus in no way denied being a Jew, nor did he say being a Jew is bad. Over the course of history, it was bad theology that led people to think that Jews were worse than . They weren’t, and aren’t.

    In fact, if we do not recognize the Jewishness of Jesus, we deny him in many ways. For him to fulfill the prophecies of the Old Testament, he had to be Jewish. This is incredibly important to understand as the Old Testament is critically important to understand Jesus, , God, and the New Testament.
    In many respects, the Law and the Prophets never pass away, they become something far greater. Through their fulfillment, we are able to go beyond their immediate and earthly meaning and find something far deeper and greater…the depths of God’s .

    Love is supposed to be the motivator, whether it is our with God, or with other people. When other emotions are a significant portion of our , we should recognize that that is not God’s intent. Emotions such as , desire to control, hatred, animosity, sadness. These are not the emotions that are healthy for our relationships, especially if they are the primary emotion we feel.
    This is also the case in our relationship with God, yet many people (Jewish, , Muslim) are taught that we are to fear God. Not the “He is God, the all-powerful, Creator-of-the-Universe” fear; the abject fear of someone who is afraid of another in such a way that loving is not possible.

    1) If a person’s primary relating emotion is not love, how would they understand Jesus’ on the cross?

    2) Many people state and even believe that their primary motivation and behavior toward others is love. How does one validate or invalidate that?

    3) How do you a person more toward love, and away from other emotions?

    4) What emotions (other than love) do you struggle with the most?

  • Among Crowds

    Psalm 26, Matthew 21:42–46, Acts 13:43–52

    Crowds are a powerful thing. They can be a source of powerful . In the current , people are helping to launch products they want by putting some of their into it. By doing so, people go around the big companies that controlled how new things came to market. Yes, there have been massive failures. There have also been fantastic successes. On the other hand, crowds often act like unrestrained monsters, attacking people, destroying property, killing, looting.

    What motivates a crowd is the most interesting, as it will vary person to person. For example, there were people who just followed . There were people who followed Jesus because other people followed Jesus. Then there were those who sought to control Jesus (including making him their king). There there were those who were jealous of his innate popularity in comparison to the false fawning they experienced due to their positions in Jewish society.

    and Barnabas also drew crowds. Through their words they drew Jews and to Jesus. Yet, there were those who were jealous of the crowds and stirred up trouble forcing them to leave.
    This is still going on today. The draw of social media has been that it is where everything is happening. The problem is that it is where everything is happening. People are becoming fatigued with it all, yet are now so conditioned to live with it.

    Then there are all the “happening” places. Even churches and their leaders succumb to the crowd-. Churches and leaders look to see what the “popular” churches and leaders are doing and often try to copy them. However, just like going along with the crowd, what is good for the crowd may not be good for you. The flip side of that is what is good for you may not be good for the crowd, or at least many in it.

    1) How do see yourself when looking at who appear more successful or happy than you?

    2) Why are crowds a bad barometer for choosing the right path? Why are crowds a good barometer for choosing the right path?

    3) Whether we acknowledge it or not, we watch the crowds. What is the right way to to and view the crowds?

Devotion.al

Ruling Tradition

Psalm 79, Romans 15:1–13, 1 Corinthians 8:1–13, Galatians 2:11–15

Yesterday we talked about rules. Today we’re going to talk about rules.
One of the first rules of is to build up one another. We have all done this well. We have all done this horribly. Another rule is to live in harmony with each other. Yet another is to accept one another. These rules are incredibly important when we (see Thursday’s, 23 May, devotional). Doing all of these well is hard, and it is well doing.

One thing that always ends up with some kind of tension is and misunderstanding. When discusses food offered to idols, his perspective is it’s fine, since they aren’t real idols anyways. The meat was sold at a discount since it was “used” at pagan temples to “feed” their gods. Paul was saying it was food. He was supporting the practice, except that there were new or struggling or misunderstanding members of the who saw the buying and eating of this meat as participating in and agreeing with . Paul didn’t agree with them, yet still instructed the more mature believers to avoid the cheap food so that those struggling wouldn’t succumb to the old ways.

Paul is not shy in taking on fellow leaders, like Peter, who quickly yield to tribal (i.e., Jewish) pressure to not be contaminated by . What makes this even more interesting in regards to tradition, it was Peter who led the charge against it. Even the leaders fall back into old habits.

1) What is the difference between traditions and rules?

2) How do they function differently in your life? How about your life?

3) How do we confuse rules and traditions with our faith?