Devotion.al

  • A Different Journey

    Psalm 85, Numbers 33:1-56, Galatians 5:16–25

    We are born. We die. The beginning and then .

    In between the beginning and the end there are many steps to take.

    The Israelites were finally at the end of their wandering in the desert. They had taken many steps in the desert. With God’s and care, clothes and footwear did not wear out. They were at the end of their journey was at an end.

    That journey ended, and a new one was about to begin.

    The Israelites were not always good at following the path that was laid out for them. They certainly messed up a lot, sometimes out of pride, sometimes out of strong emotion. It’s not as if we, too, have not stumbled on our journey.
    In many ways, the new journey the Israelites were about to start was far more dangerous. Moses, their great , would not be with them. It was not that Joshua was a bad leader, he just wasn’t Moses.

    In the desert, they were tempted but relatively isolated where their sins and failures were relatively (note the relatively) harmless to the whole. However, now they were entering a place of permanence. Isolation would no longer be a form of security. They were entering the land where other gods were worshiped. They would be sorely tempted by people who were their neighbors.

    A different journey indeed.

    We have a single long journey to walk. It has many stages, each them a journey unto themselves. Walking by the is the way to walk our journey in a way that brings and to God, and to find the True path to the Good .

    1) What major changes in your journey do you ?

    2) How did each of those changes affect your walk with ?

    3) Both the journey in the desert, and the journey at home had dangers. How were they the same, and how where they different?

  • Sin In The End

    Psalm 25, John 19:28–30, Hebrews 10:1-14

    The . It’s the end.

    has declared it so.

    What is the end? The remembrance of your sins.

    The beauty of the cross is that the record of our sins has been amended. While some say that they are wiped out completely, it is probably better to say they have been struck from the record. It’s not as if they didn’t happen (and God doesn’t forget); it is as if they didn’t happen. Is this a nuance, yes. Does it, at the end, mean the same thing? Yes.

    Yet, understanding that they have been struck-out helps us better understand some things. The measurement of the and the consequences in our lives of that sin remain. When we stand before the throne of God, sin after sin is struck through by the blood of Jesus. We still have to deal with it now. The penalty of separation from God is removed.

    There is another important piece, which is alluded to in Hebrews. The sins are gone (from a legal ). Stop guilting yourself about it. You confessed them (right?). You asked for God’s forgiveness (right?). Done. No longer carry the burden. Does this mean that there are not things you have to do? Sorry, you will still have some to do with , but with God you’re good.

    and shame can be the biggest barriers to the Very Good . Jesus got it.

    1) Have you ever had unrelenting guilt or shame? Are you still burdened with one today? Why have you not released it to God?

    2) There is a concern that we can keep committing a sin because God will always forgive us. How does a personal with God keep that from becoming an issue?

    3) Why is it important to understand that with God a sin’s penalty is taken away, while the earthly penalty remains?

  • Unity Dream

    Psalm 100, Ezekiel 37:15–28, John 10:14–18, Galatians 3:28

    is a powerful message, and it calls to the deepest parts of us. E Pluribus unum—Latin for “Out of many, one”—is the motto of the United States. In this motto is the desire that no matter where people came from, and what differences they might have, they can be united in the United States. This is a great motto and a great goal. However, it’s easier (but not always easy) when the people come from the same general area (Northern Europe, for example) than when they come from diverse places (like anywhere in the world). Finding unity in such diversity is a struggle at best. It is it though.

    When Ezekiel is speaking, he is speaking to a people that were now divided. No longer were the tribes of Israel under one banner. As a result of the , animosity developed between people groups that at one time viewed themselves as one. Military and political conflict was occurring. That God led Ezekiel to preach this message shows us that the division of Israel was not what God wanted. It wasn’t the goal. A united Israel that worshipped God—and God alone—was what God wanted. David’s line would also again be king over this united land, which was a tie back to the height of Israel and a tie to the coming of , of Joseph of the line of David.

    By the time of Jesus, the dream of unity was long gone, so it seemed. Samaria (formerly the Northern of Israel) had lost most of its Israelite-ness but retained enough to know where it came from. The bloodline was corrupted from a Jewish perspective, but the ties were there. Into this Jesus—who was speaking to Jews—spoke of those that were in another flock. Jesus said he was gathering them, too. No longer would there be multiple flocks. There would be only one flock.

    “There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male and female; since you are all one in Christ Jesus.”—Galatians 3:28

    Time and time again God speaks to unity across all the human boundaries that we have made.

    1) Where is God calling you to be a unifier, and not a divider?

    2) Why is the so strong to ourselves from ? When is it good, when is it bad?

    3) What behaviors, tendencies, or beliefs cause others to separate themselves from you? What of those things are God-oriented, and what are self-oriented?

  • Not Regardless

    Psalm 116:12–17, John 6:54–69, Acts 9:31–43

    Yesterday, we briefly touched on the reality that the world doesn’t like the entirety of the message of Jesus. It struggles with nice and submission. Add on the whole life piece and the world casts it off. Other beliefs that the has wrestled with and argued over often confuse people (believers and non-believers alike), providing an additional excuse to ignore the message. This is not to say that having an excuse means that everything is just fine. On the contrary, it often means that the is hard toward the .
    When Peter asks to whom will they go, Peter could be really asking a number of things. First, he’s (they’re) all in. Second, no one else speaks/convinces like Jesus. We about the hard sayings of Jesus. It is that Jesus declares himself the True Bread of Life that his disciples (both intimate and extended) hard. Peter doesn’t say that it isn’t hard. He isn’t saying he understands. He is saying (effectively), “I you, Jesus, regardless of what I understand.”
    Regardless. As inheritors of the Enlightenment, we don’t function well with “regardless.” Add onto the Enlightenment inheritance our “hard” science outlook, “regardless” is even harder. This is not to say that the Enlightenment or science is all bad. It is to say that neither is all knowing.
    “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in our philosophy.” —Hamlet (from the play Hamlet, by William Shakespeare)
    Hamlet, speaking to his friend, Horatio, is referring to all the knowledge and learning that he (Horatio) has gained through his education (which was significant for the time). The world hangs its hat (so to speak) solely on the philosophies of the Enlightenment and science. The irony is that the Enlightenment and science came out of religion and a desire to understand, and yet many claim that religion has nothing to do with either.
    We will always struggle with reaching the world. How could Jesus be the only way to eternal life? The world does not understand.
    Peter, on the other hand, understood the best he was able. He was knee deep in theology or philosophy. He was neck deep in following Jesus the best way he knew how. Peter was, through faith, able to heal the paralyzed. Peter was, through faith, able to raise the dead to life. Was it his ? No, and he knew it. Did he , how does this work? No. He just accepts. That is one of the secrets of the Very Good Life, God despite one’s own lack of understanding.

    1) Why is Jesus being the Bread of Life a hard saying? If we don’t think it is, what are we missing?

    2) How do you work through the tension between science and religion? What do you think of the choice being science or religion?

  • Not-So Great Expectations

    Psalm 43, Jeremiah 38:1-28, John 15:17-16:2

    is not always easy. There are those that just seem determined to oppose you even if it is to their advantage to support you. Pride, jealousy, greed, and envy can lead anyone to make poor decisions regarding others.

    King Zedekiah was not a particularly strong king. His advisors pushed him to punish Jeremiah’s words (from God) because they feared (reasonably) that if the soldiers and people heard the words, their resolve would weaken or collapse. Truly, we should be able to understand their point. Nations that do not understand a democratic republic see the political posturing of our political parties as weakness (mostly because they are all of an authoritarian mindset). The officials of Jeremiah’s day were of the same authoritarian mindset. In addition, Jeremiah’s role as prophet meant that his words had significant weight. In other words, they had a point.

    It is how they dealt with the point that was the issue that is the issue. There was a general distaste, distrust, and disrespect from these men towards Jeremiah, and thus God. It is a sample of their attitude that got the people of Israel in this situation in the first place. The words from Ebed-Melech to the king (they do “”) show us that perhaps their hearts weren’t as heartfelt for the people as it seems. This easily leads one to conclude that they—and those like them—were at least a source of Israel’s downfall. That God would offer King Zedekiah a way out, without , and not these leaders, shows that God was also still honoring his to David.

    While Jeremiah wasn’t killed, much of his life was not all that comfortable. Imagine being the doomsayer that was right. Often the doomsayer who is wrong is mocked, but the one who is right? Jeremiah was probably not everyone’s favorite, and obviously many of those in power were less than pleased. Often power doesn’t like , and often God’s Truth speaks to power in ways it doesn’t like.

    When Jesus speaks about the world hating us, there is (sadly) truth in that. We should be clear, though, that there are plenty of Christians (on either side of the political spectrum) that take great pride in being persecuted “for the ,” when it is really their approach (most often) or politics (theirs or others’) that is the problem. Compare “persecution” here in the US with true persecution in places like China, North Korea, Iran, then adding on non-systematic persecution such as the bombings that happened in Sri Lanka on this recent . Not that we don’t feel put upon living out our faith, it’s just that we still have power, even if it is equal to the non-believer next door (the ballot ).

    The reality is that there is something about the message of Jesus that both attracts and repels those of the world. It’s easy to say everyone. It’s hard to do it. The world is mired in , and the concept of victory over it offends many. Granted, Christians are often not the best messengers of Jesus. However, even those who are great messengers still have to deal with animosity and persecution. It is a dark—yet, still hopeful—truth, if the world killed Jesus, can we really expect anything less?

    1) Have you ever felt persecuted? If so, how? When you look around the world, what is the difference between your experience, and that of others?

    2) Do you feel as if you are more often having to apologize for other Christians just so you can talk about Jesus?

    3) God and earthly power exist in tension, with earthly power often pretending to be Godly. Where do you see that at work in the US, and in the world?

  • Let Them Loose

    Psalm 105:1-22, Romans 1:18–32, Ezekiel 20:39–44

    They were given over. God let them loose. Whether it was the Israelites or , God let them loose.

    The world is a very bad place. People hate. People steal. People lie. All sorts of things and behaviors are just wrong. God let it be.

    When writes to the Romans there is obviously an echo of God’s words to the Israelites (via Ezekiel). “Okay. Have it your way. There is an open offer of the good , just come with me.”

    In our current culture, there is a heightened to Romans 1:26—27. However, the True and harsh reality is that this is only a piece of the puzzle. It only a square on the twisted and -filled quilt that makes up humanity. Look at all the other issues. Are you guilty of none of these?

    Yet, despite being freed to do wrong (to ourselves, , and God), there is still an open door. Even when God tells the Israelites, “fine, go,” there is something more. They—not bulls, not goats, not sheep, not lamps, not doves, not wheat, not wine, not —will be God’s pleasing aroma. So much of the sacrificial system had “pleasing aroma” attached to it that this is not insignificant.

    The Israelites would one day to God in , even though they willingly walked away. God calls each of us, too, the same way.

    1) Why did God let people go do what they wanted?

    2) Most parents would not willingly allow their children to go astray. Why do you think God appears to? Does God really willingly allow this?

    3) In general, is poorly misunderstood and poorly used. How do you see that reality around you?

  • Such Saving

    John 6:40-44, 1 John 5:13-21

    ‘ words in John can be limiting if we let them be. For example, if we were too literal in seeing or not seeing Jesus (John 6:40), most of us would not have much for eternal . There are many who have visions and dreams of Jesus, they might count. This one of those language problems. The Greek lends itself to beholding and experiencing. This is not to take away the responsibility of physically seeing Jesus, but to add onto it.

    This does lead well into the next slight challenge of verse 44. From the Wesleyan point of view, God did the calling (prevenient grace), we do the responding/accepting. Why is this a challenge? Many would (have and do) this means we have no role in this business. Yet, while God acts first, God gives us the and ability to choose to accept.

    However, this does help us with the first phrase, for when God calls us and we , we are able to see Jesus for who he is…our savior.

    That “” provides us the assurance that we have eternal life. Yet, the world is constant calling us back to it, and away from God. When we are as fellow believers, we are able to intelligently, understandingly, and compassionately pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. As John points out in his letter, God hears us when we pray according to his will. God’s will is that not should be lost.

    1) What is your reaction to knowing that you have a part (response) in your salvation?

    2) Why do you think it is important to understand that God did the saving before you did the responding?

    3) The sin that leads to is ominous. What do you think that might be?

  • Being Someone for Someone

    Daniel 5:1–31, Isaiah 6:1–10

    Belshazzar didn’t from the stories of Nebuchadnezzer.

    Yesterday, we read about how Nebuchadnezzer didn’t really seem to learn the lessons that were in front of his face. On the other hand, there seem to have been a few things that he respected, one of them being the things from God’s . It is very interesting to recognize that. As the story of the unfolds, we learn that Nebuchadnezzer had an itemized inventory of the items from the temple. In his own (wrong) way he honored the God of the people he had captured.

    Belshazzar learned nothing, and understood nothing. Nor, does it seem, that he cared. Some scholars have declared the story of Belshazzar to be a fictional tale due to a couple of issues. The first is being King. He wasn’t. His was by sitting in the royal seat, but his father was not a descendant of Nebuchadnezzer. Except, melek [meh·lek] is also used as royal. Belshazzar was also the guy-in-charge when dad left. So, “King” perhaps not, but Belshazzar’s behavior does remind me of an unruly spoiled child who threw a party when the parents were out. Another poke at the story, is that Nebuchadnezzer was called Belshazzar’s father. Yet, if you read other parts of the Old Testament, this isn’t necessarily a genetic parent statement, but a statement of a lineage of . Regardless, though, Belshazzar messed up, and a big disembodied hand came and wrote on the wall.

    Belshazzar is not unique to the world, or to scripture. Far too many people dismiss God, because they cannot perceive God, they think. Instead, like Belshazzar and his courtiers, they gods of metals, whether it be homes, cars, gold, phones, computers, etc.
    Isaiah provides the counterpoint to such. While he had a mystical experience, his was already pre-oriented to God. Visions such as he had could be understood because of that. On the other hand, people who turn away from God have an experience and no transformation.

    1) There are plenty of people like Belshazzar in the world. Will you be a Daniel to them?

    2) There are plenty of people like Belshazzar in the world. Will you be Isaiah for them?

    3) There are plenty of people like Belshazzar in the world. Will you be to them?

Devotion.al

A Different Journey

Psalm 85, Numbers 33:1-56, Galatians 5:16–25

We are born. We die. The beginning and then .

In between the beginning and the end there are many steps to take.

The Israelites were finally at the end of their wandering in the desert. They had taken many steps in the desert. With God’s and care, clothes and footwear did not wear out. They were at the end of their journey was at an end.

That journey ended, and a new one was about to begin.

The Israelites were not always good at following the path that was laid out for them. They certainly messed up a lot, sometimes out of pride, sometimes out of strong emotion. It’s not as if we, too, have not stumbled on our journey.
In many ways, the new journey the Israelites were about to start was far more dangerous. Moses, their great , would not be with them. It was not that Joshua was a bad leader, he just wasn’t Moses.

In the desert, they were tempted but relatively isolated where their sins and failures were relatively (note the relatively) harmless to the whole. However, now they were entering a place of permanence. Isolation would no longer be a form of security. They were entering the land where other gods were worshiped. They would be sorely tempted by people who were their neighbors.

A different journey indeed.

We have a single long journey to walk. It has many stages, each them a journey unto themselves. Walking by the is the way to walk our journey in a way that brings and to God, and to find the True path to the Good .

1) What major changes in your journey do you ?

2) How did each of those changes affect your walk with ?

3) Both the journey in the desert, and the journey at home had dangers. How were they the same, and how where they different?