Devotion.al

  • God and Relationships

    God and Relationships

    1 Corinthians 7:25–40

    God and Relationships is a pretty big topic. First of all, we have to set our starting point. God is a relational God. God created humanity in with God.

    The first human was Adam. One thing to keep in mind with Adam is that according to some translators and some Jewish traditions was without gender upon initial creation. It wasn’t until the “rib” was removed from Adam that the division of gender came about. This flies in the face of much of the , I understand, but it further emphasizes “two shall become one” and that it occurs (with the realm of Eden, before the fall) between man and woman.

    This seeming aside is also important as God declared that it was not good for humanity to be alone. This is peculiar in that if God is in a relationship with them, then the human wasn’t alone. Even at the point of Eden (again, before the Fall), God understood (even created) the situation that a human would need human fellowship. It’s odd to say that God wasn’t enough, yet human history shows that there is something fundamentally different in human-to-human relationship versus human-to-God relationship.

    Therefore, with all of this before us, there is a tension from the beginning of man and woman, their relationship with God, and their relationship with each other. The inherent need of humanity for relationship also extends, eventually, to fellow humans. God desires a relationship with humanity. Humanity needs relationship with humanity (even we strong introverts).

    This may seem to be a lot of preamble. Human relationships are at the core of Paul’s message to the .

    We primarily focus on marriage because it is culturally (and often personally) significant. There is good reason to focus on it. There is also good reason to ignore it in these verses.

    Paul makes it clear that while he is spiritually led regarding the church and the (more at the of these verses), he also has no clear direction from the (at the beginning of the verses). This means that these verses, in particular, need to be viewed in context. Paul’s perspective is that Jesus would be returning shortly (days, weeks, months, maybe a year or so). Paul has an end-times view. Why, from Paul’s perspective, would you confuse the little remaining time in your with that kind of intimate and focused human relationship?

    Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16–17, “All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in , 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” When we take context into consideration, we must also keep this passage in mind.

    Paul’s highest concern is the Corinthians’ (and our) relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Paul recognizes that often our human relationships hinder our relationship with God. This can be a result of trauma from childhood to the spouse who has changed (or us who changed). Even healthy relationships may distract or interfere with a relationship with God. An unhealthy relationship will hinder it even more.

    Our relationships with fellow humans really do deeply affect our relationship with God. One could even go so far as to say that if your relationships with humans are broken, so is your relationship with God. Yep, that one stings.

    ※Reflection※

    • What human relationships did you think of as being damaged? How might those relationships inhibit your relationship with God?
    • What human relationships can you think of that are good or great? How might they inhibit your relationship with God?

    ※Prayer※

     God, we often say you are first in our lives, but the human relationships in our lives sometimes say different. Grant us discernment, healing, and to make them be what is best regarding our relationship with you. Amen.

  • What A Sight

    What A Sight

    Numbers 22:1–35

    Moab feared Israel. Israel “just” had a military victory against major forces around Moab. Israel had marched around Moab and yet hadn’t done anything directly against Moab. Moab was deeply concerned that they were next.

    According to Moses (in Deuteronomy 2:9), God had directed him to leave Moab alone.  There is no record of “official” interaction between the Moabites and Israel, so it would seem that Moab’s fears were based on assumptions rather than experience. Which leads us to Balaam.

    The King of Moab called upon Balaam to curse the Israelites. Accusing the Israelites of being, basically, locusts seems to be a case of hyperbole. Yet, there was unsurety in Moab. It’s safer to wipe out the “other” than to communicate with them.

    At first, it seems that Balaam was a God-follower. As we continue the story, it seems that perhaps it was not quite so. There is an implication that God condescends to Balaam going to prophesy on King Balak’s behalf. The “go” seems to be more along the lines of, “You can go. You’re going to anyway. So, I will use your human desires to bring to me (God).”

    And then we come to the famous part of the story, which recently came up in a conversation. The entirety of the conversation was about a talking animal. Which I get it. None of us have had an animal speak to us in human speech.

    While human speech is important, our dog communicates just fine: whines, stares, growls, barks, licks, gnaws, pounces on, and so forth. She generally is successful in communicating her needs without human speech. A human baby communicates. It’s usually the parents who get the subtle differences between, “I’m hungry” cry, and “my stomach hurts” cry.

    We could blame children’s Sunday School for the emphasis on a talking beast of burden. The adults are just as nonplussed as the children, though. The talking animal wasn’t the point of the story, not even close.

    The talking animal was more along the lines of, “Yes, you (Balaam) said you heard me (God), but you need to understand how important it is that you actually listen to me!”

    In the church, preachers/pastors/teachers will often say something along the lines of, “Yes, this hard, but the say…” Part of this is the reality that preachers/pastors/teachers don’t want to deliver hard . It’s hard, and we all want to be liked. In a community that respects the of God, that can work.

    Balaam probably doesn’t have that particular protection. Like many people of , and especially with the gods of that era and place, they thought with the right amount of money or right they could “” gods to do their will. God doesn’t work that way, and Balak would likely have little in being thwarted.

    However, that talking donkey and then the vision of the sword-bearing angel? That imagery was probably quite strong in Balaam’s eyes and heart. Likely, it was that which gave him the strength to deliver the oracles for Israel despite Barak’s insistence on curses.

    A vision/experience like that would many of us the strength to face the world.

    ※Reflection※

    • When you recall the talking donkey, what else do you recall? Do recall the rest of the story?
    • Why is important, especially with stories like this, to understand that the Scriptures use imagery?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we have the strength of your vision as we navigate the chaotic waters of this world. Amen.

  • Heart of God, Speak

    Heart of God, Speak

    Deuteronomy 18:15–20; Mark 1:21–28

    is not unique to the Judeo-Christian , not by a long shot. In the current world, there are many forms of prophetic voice.

    A short list (i.e., not exhaustive) of prophetic voices: environmental collapse; sustainability (related, but not the same as environmental collapse); gender identification; minority redress (including, but not limited to, white privilege); economic growth; and so much more.

    From a Judeo-Christian standpoint (and certainly from a number of political points within the church), it might seem dangerous to call these “prophetic.” The Global Wesleyan Dictionary of Theology says that prophecy is, “…an urgent message from God to an audience.”

    That being said, the only similar words with the same underlying (i.e., surpassing the condition) meaning are revelation (firmly culturally tied to Christianity), apocalypse (mostly having turned into meaning the fall of the modern world), oracle (too new--y even for many new-age-ers), and vision (which has too many meanings to be useful).

    The reason this is important is that for many of these “prophetic” voices they are sharing the urgent message from their “god”. In some of these cases, it should be understood that we are not talking about gods as if they were God. We are talking about a world understanding framework that for Judeo-Christians we would think God. This means that is as much a part of their prophetic voice as God is part of ours.

    On the other hand, there are many prophetic voices in these areas that are believers in and followers of Jesus Christ. For them, there is a direct tie between God, their voice, and the issue. As with many important human issues, it’s quite a mess.

    The great sage, Ben Parker, once said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Christians have been given a unique power, that of the Spirit. In combination with the Word of God (the Bible), we have the ability to influence , and thus must be very careful in using what we have. This is especially true when used with other believers.

    What has become also very evident is that people are disregarding prophetic voices that don’t agree with their line of thinking. This is the most dangerous. When we disregard the prophetic voices solely because they do not align themselves with our brand of Christianity (including denomination, political-alignment, lifestyle choices, or national origin), we are in grave danger of repeating the patterns of the Israelites…casting out the voices into the , while condemning ourselves.

    ※Reflection※

    What prophetic voices have you been hearing? What makes them prophetic? What, if any, change in your life have they prompted?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy Spirit, you are living and active in this world right now. Give us the heart, wisdom, and discernment to the prophetic promptings of your people called by your name. Amen.

  • Prophetic Testing

    Prophetic Testing

    Deuteronomy 13:1–5

    Prophetic words are very common in times of unrest. Much of the Old Testament are prophetic words during times of unrest. The times of unrest were because the people of Israel didn’t follow God. Since their focus was on the world, God became a bit player in their lives.

    This should sound familiar. The last decade or so has had many “prophetic” words spoken. Most of the ones given attention were of the white evangelical variety.

    Whether they were racist diatribes against Obama, misogynistic diatribes against Hillary Clinton, or (really) attempts at assassinations of any so-called “liberal” , it was out-of-hand. It also shows how much the white evangelical /culture was in “the hands” of a singular political party.

    However, despite the “airplay” of much of this, there was just as much towards whichever “” Republican or “conservative” that was the focus of the day. It just wasn’t publicized.

    Perhaps, someone reading this will say, “See, it’s because ‘they’ are biased!” That isn’t the issue for Christians. The real issue is that the church thinks that it is effective by walking hand-in-hand with earthly power.

    The prophetic testing in this passage in Deuteronomy is interesting. One of the biggest tests of a prophet is, do their words come true? Another part of the test, do miracles happen? The church has done okay on the first, and not-so-good on the second.

    It is the third test, however, that is the crucial one, does this draw us away from God?

    By far, it isn’t solely an (US) American issue. It is an earthly powers issue, and the church is tempted around the world to succumb.

    How’s this for a test? Does the person seek to make the “other” the enemy? Not their struggles, their opinion, even their sins…the person themselves.

    If there really is an (the Image of God) in every human being, then is defining the “other” as “the enemy” is defining God as the enemy? This is how earthly politics work.

    The third test, then, becomes does this “prophetic” turn people against the Imago Dei?

    Over the last 4 years, much attention and vitriol have poured out in the US (and then overflowed into the world). Most of it was based upon and (and here’s another test: did you say to yourself, yes, “their” pain and fear, and not acknowledge yours?).

    Without question, there was a lot of Godly anger. Without question, there was a lot of earthly self-righteous anger. Amid it all, there were Godly prophetic voices and earthly prophetic voices dressed in holy guise.

    ※Reflection※

    What “voices” do you (really) listen to in your life? What is the spiritual background of those voices? What is the spiritual expression (how do they live out their lives, versus words) of these “voices”? Do the voices ever challenge your way(s) of thinking?

    ※Prayer※

    God, forgive us for not actively listen for and to your voice. Forgive us for not testing the words of against your Word. Amen.

  • In All Things

    Revelation 2:12–17

    A that I have had many times, and you may, too, is why are there so many denominations? Aren’t we all one? Don’t we all believe the same thing?

    There are some things that are common among Christian denominations: God “the Father”, Jesus Christ (God “the ”), the Holy , the Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) that is One God, the fallen state of man, Jesus came to pay the penalty, Jesus came to reconcile man to God, Jesus died (penalty paid), Jesus resurrected (eternal ), by Christ we are adopted into the eternal family of God through repentance, Christ will come again, Heaven and Hell (though understandings differ). Not exhaustive basics, but you will find that Christians agree to these. If you want the full list, the Apostle’s Creed and Nicene Creed summarize this well.

    So, again, why all the denominations?

    Well, because we’re . Some would say pride divided the . Others would say divided the church. Others would say nationalism divided the church. This is not an exhaustive list…not by far. The letter to Pergamum actually helps provide light.

    Pergamum was a city of many gods. The two prominent temples were one to Zeus (with supposedly 24-hour a day sacrifices) and one to Caesar (the emperor). Within the context of Revelation, it would not be surprising that Caesar is the primary focus, however, the regular sacrificing to Zeus is definitely important in this letter to Pergamum.

    Who the Nicolaitans were is unknown (plenty of speculation, though). From what can gather, however, they were a group of “fallen” Christians who were as much in and of the world as they were of the church. As they had not denied Christ, they weren’t too far gone. One can readily conclude that it’s close.

    While we don’t know the end result, recent (the last few hundred years) church history shows us what can happen…denominations. We do not want to dismiss the Nicolaitans, but if we re-read the , we can see wording that is often used the separate ourselves from others.

    In the time of the writing of Revelation, the food sacrificed to idols was a serious issue. While (in  1 Cor 8:1–13) allows for eating such, it is with the expressed requirement that it not be a snare to those weak in the . In Pergamum, it was a problem and thus not to be done.

    What happened in Pergamum is the failure of discipleship and discipline. This same charge can be levied at the church universal today.

    The flip side of this is making sure one disciplines (or divides, if necessary) for the correct reasons. There are far fewer reasons to separate than the many denominations provide witness to.

    In addition, there is the failure to disciple. Discipleship is divided into the why (theology, philosophy, information) and how (living life together). One without the other is only half-discipleship, and Pergamum is an example.

    Honestly, discipleship has become a buzzword and discipline…well, nobody likes it. The only problem? God requires them.

    ※Reflection※

    • What does “church” discipline mean to you? What would it mean to you if a friend “disciplined” you?
    • What does discipleship mean to you? What does it mean to disciple another? What does it mean to be discipled?

  • Promises of Grace

    Psalm 111; Romans 9:6–18

    Promises hold a significant place within the stories in the . Much of this has to do with having to the fulfillment of a promise that people would not see.

    Abraham is one such example. He was given a short (one year) promise as a “down payment” for the long term one. God had made large promises, and had definitely taken care of him, but the promise of not “just” a son of the woman he , but also countless descendents.

    While , understandably, focuses on Isaac, Ishmael is a different kind of promise. While Isaac is the promised line of , God still promises Abraham that Ishmael will live and have descendents, too.

    God didn’t have to make this commitment to Abraham, yet chose to. This speaks to God’s character. God understood that while Isaac was the “child of the promise”, Abraham still loved Ishmael and wanted him to do well and be well. Abraham, just as Paul, would not have questioned the wisdom of God’s will, neither would have Abraham.

    Unquestionably, God’s commitment towards Ishmael reassured Abraham that he (Abraham) had made the right decision. Decisions are part of the struggle that the has a problem with this passage. As has been preached on (at Generations) and addressed here in the devotionals, is that the ancient world understood God differently than we do.

    Paul’s words prompt many to reflect upon God’s mightiness and glory. In the face of such, how could any person not believe, follow, and trust God? That’s Paul’s . How could anyone not believe in God and God’s promises?

    That same logic is carried forth to today within certain strains of Christianity. Those strains of Christianity, understandably, are of the same mindset as Paul. It’s not that they are wrong, per se, but as theology as aged and matured, the understanding of God’s has transformed thinking from the “chess player” God who chooses certain pieces to die or live to the guiding hand of God, which still allows humanity the ability to choose their path.

    promised to be with disciples and us by extension. If God is as capricious as many modern theologians presume, then a promise from God is cold . On the other hand, if God makes promises through guidance and love, then the comfort of a promise warms the soul.

  • No Name

    No Name

    Proverbs 8:1–2; Mark 3:13–19

    Many people have had nicknames growing up. Some of them were insulting. Some of them were just strange. Others were relating an to something else. Others were shortening of a proper name of the person.

    “Captain” was sometimes used in my childhood (thank you, Star Trek). Ian is pretty hard to make a nickname out though (except with rhymes, which aren’t quite the same) . I was (to my face) spared nicknames. It probably also had to do with doing my best to blend in the background.

    A new name was an ancient concept. Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Israel. Both received new names as they crossed a certain line of faith in and with God.

    Simon (Hebrew)/Peter (Greek) /Cephas (Aramaic)  received a name. As near as we can tell, he was a passionate follower of . Would the comparison of Abraham or Israel apply? It didn’t seem so immediately. Upon the resurrection, though, it seems that Peter did indeed cross “the line”.

    James and John were given a joint nickname. Their name has been hypothesized in many ways. My favorite is the easiest. Their was a very LOUD man.

    I shared an office with such a person. If he entered the office, I didn’t answer the phone or got off the phone, because it was hard to hear another person when this man talked in his tone. Imagine him yelling then (that happened…in the office…many times). That’s how I see Zebedee.

    What does that tell us about James and John? They were probably loud, too. Maybe not quite to their dad’s level, but close enough! That’s my thought, anyway.

    Have we forgotten the of names? The Harry Potter series had a villain “who must not be named.” In the “world” of Harry Potter, names had power.

    As a rule, Christians no longer write G-d, or Y-H, or something else. Many reverent Jews still will not write the name of God, or even the title. “Lord” is the translated euphemism for names of God.

    Yet, in other ways, we recognize and abuse the power of names: Trump, Biden, Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Conservative. Often names are used to quell dissension and discussion.

    Other emblems of courtesy, such as “Mister, Missus, Miss, Ma’am, Sir” are falling into disuse. While these are titles, more than names, yet these too are power. That is actually part of the reason they have fallen into disuse. They grant power to others.

    That is the odd thing about names. They provide power and for ourselves. They can also provide power to others. They can also destroy. Like many such things, the power to destroy is very easy.

    The power to destroy seems to give us power. Yet, by tearing another person down, we often display the very weakness we are trying to hide.

    ※Reflection※

    • Have you ever had or given a nickname? What was the reason behind it? What was the feeling behind it?
    • Have you ever wanted to (or did) your given name? Why?
    • What name of yours defines you best?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, the Name Above All Names, thank you for drawing us into your . May we be of your name. Amen.

  • Trail Blaze

    Trail Blaze

    Psalm 46, Genesis 45:25–46:7

    The King James Bible is arguably the single most significant book of the English language. Because of its centrality to the British Empire and the Church of England, the King James Bible had the unique placement to be the primary English language teaching and book for centuries, including all the colonies that the British Empire launched.

    What people may not realize is that the King James Bible was the fourth English translation of the Bible. In fact, some of its language and interpretation is owed to the previous translations that were banned for a time. You might recognize the of the predecessor translations: Tyndale, Wycliffe, Cloverdale.

    It is those 3 English translations that are the real launching point for our visit with the .

    When we read this passage from Genesis, we are missing a few important pieces. First, the Hebrews had a long history with Egypt. Abraham and Isaac sojourned there for a time (also during famines). The one time Jacob was about to enter Egypt, God stopped him.

    In a very unorthodox way, Joseph was sent before his . Joseph’s faithfulness, , and managerial skills allowed Joseph to be second only to Pharaoh. And, really, if you read that part of the story, it seems that even Pharaoh only kept a little for appearances sake.

    Now, however, Jacob was to go! God promised him as the God of his (Jacob’s) predecessors. This is God’s testimony to Jacob that God continues to be to the first , and that this is part of the fulfilling of the promise. What is striking is that God uses the promise of many promises to echo the previous ones, making it all but assured. It only required that Jacob go.

    Tyndale, Wycliffe, and Cloverdale were not universally loved for their translations. Part of the King James’ directive for the “Authorized” version was translating the scriptures so as to justify the Episcopate (Archbishops and bishop hierarchy of the Church of England) and the “Divine right” of kings. That’s pretty self-serving for the translation of Scriptures. This would override some of what Tyndale, Wycliffe, and Cloverdale had done.

    Tyndale, Wycliffe, and Cloverdale would have likely (mostly) supported the KJV because it did what they had wanted. It brought the Scriptures into the language that the people actually used. Despite the less than happy ending of their translations, it seems likely that without them going before, the importance of an English Bible would not have been seen or understood until much later.

    Who went before us we may never know. We may never know who we went before.

    It not for us to know. It is for us to .

    ※Reflection※

    ※Prayer※

    • Who went before you?
    • Who follows behind you?

Devotion.al

God and Relationships

1 Corinthians 7:25–40

God and is a pretty big topic. First of all, we have to set our starting point. God is a relational God. God created humanity in relationship with God.

The first was Adam. One thing to keep in mind with Adam is that according to some translators and some Jewish traditions was without gender upon initial . It wasn’t until the “rib” was removed from Adam that the of gender came about. This flies in the face of much of the Christian , I understand, but it further emphasizes “two shall become one” and that it occurs (with the realm of Eden, before the fall) between man and woman.

This seeming aside is also important as God declared that it was not good for humanity to be alone. This is peculiar in that if God is in a relationship with them, then the human wasn’t alone. Even at the point of Eden (again, before the Fall), God understood (even created) the situation that a human would need human fellowship. It’s odd to say that God wasn’t enough, yet human history shows that there is something fundamentally different in human-to-human relationship versus human-to-God relationship.

Therefore, with all of this before us, there is a tension from the beginning of man and woman, their relationship with God, and their relationship with each other. The inherent need of humanity for relationship also extends, eventually, to fellow humans. God desires a relationship with humanity. Humanity needs relationship with humanity (even we strong introverts).

This may seem to be a lot of preamble. Human relationships are at the core of Paul’s message to the .

We primarily focus on marriage because it is culturally (and often personally) significant. There is good reason to focus on it. There is also good reason to ignore it in these verses.

Paul makes it clear that while he is spiritually led regarding the church and the gospel (more at the end of these verses), he also has no clear direction from the (at the beginning of the verses). This means that these verses, in particular, need to be viewed in context. Paul’s is that Jesus would be returning shortly (days, weeks, months, maybe a year or so). Paul has an end-times view. Why, from Paul’s perspective, would you confuse the little remaining time in your with that kind of intimate and focused human relationship?

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16–17, “All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” When we take context into consideration, we must also keep this passage in mind.

Paul’s highest concern is the Corinthians’ (and our) relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Paul recognizes that often our human relationships hinder our relationship with God. This can be a result of trauma from childhood to the spouse who has changed (or us who changed). Even healthy relationships may distract or interfere with a relationship with God. An unhealthy relationship will hinder it even more.

Our relationships with fellow humans really do deeply affect our relationship with God. One could even go so far as to say that if your relationships with humans are broken, so is your relationship with God. Yep, that one stings.

※Reflection※

  • What human relationships did you think of as being damaged? How might those relationships inhibit your relationship with God?
  • What human relationships can you think of that are good or great? How might they inhibit your relationship with God?

※Prayer※

 God, we often say you are first in our lives, but the human relationships in our lives sometimes say different. Grant us discernment, healing, and grace to make them be what is best regarding our relationship with you. Amen.