Devotion.al

Tag: change

  • What’s In A Name?

    What’s In A Name?

    Genesis 16:7–15; Mark 8:27–30

    Relational abuse is not something we should tolerate. This is with the understanding that abuse is the regular, deliberate intent to harm or diminish another. It’s important to address this based on Hagar’s statement to the Lord’s messenger.

    Based upon the , Hagar presumed too much. As the first (Sarah being the other) person to conceive a child of Abraham, Hagar no longer viewed Sarah as deserving her . Culturally, this would be the “second wife” taking over the place of “the first” wife in the family. That would have been a of significant dishonor. In a culture that highly values , it’s almost like killing Sarah (yes, that would be the significance of dishonoring). Sarah would not have taken that well.

    Hagar, on the other hand, would have likely viewed her (Hagar’s) place as being of greater honor due to conception. From Hagar’s viewpoint (honor and respect being integral), anything that Sarah did that “kept” Hagar in “her place” as second wife (even though a servant) would be insulting and harsh. From her perspective, Hagar “earned” her new place as first wife.

    We have a hard time understanding this, as our enculturation includes monogamy.  It is critical when reading the Scriptures to understand where our culture (and thus understanding) doesn’t mesh with the culture(s) portrayed in the Scriptures.

    From a cultural standpoint, Hagar had betrayed the family. The messenger made no such accusation. The messenger just said, go back. The messenger also gave a name to the to be born…Ishmael (he hears). God heard Hagar and the son was named to bear witness to this truth.

    Assigning names is not a small thing. Names are both a beginning and an . Multiple times in the Scriptures, a person gains a new name after a significant (God) event. Thus, when Jesus asks his disciples (his friends) who do they say he is, Jesus is being vulnerable.

    We look at this passage knowing that Jesus is the Messiah, but when we think about it, when Jesus puts this question before the disciples, he is opening himself up to many things. The names/identities that the disciples say are saying would not have the full effect or import.

    One of the things that any of the identities/names that the disciples had put forth would, in some respects, diminish Jesus’ ministry. All of them were those that came before Jesus, so Jesus would have been “just” a repeat. They even brought up John the Baptist! Talk about a misunderstanding of God!

    Jesus’ vulnerability to being misnamed is significant on multiple fronts. It showed his effectiveness. The disciples (or at least Peter) correctly identified Jesus. This provides a greater perspective regarding what Jesus did before, and what he did after.

    “You are the Christ,” is similar to getting a new name. Something happened. In at least one disciple’s eyes, Jesus wasn’t just a good religious man. Jesus went from friend to the for and rescue. For Peter, it may have also been one of the hardest things. His friend became someone undeniably more than ordinary.

    ※Reflection※

    • What does your name mean to you? What did your name mean to your parents (if you know)?
    • What nicknames do you have for people you know? How about for people you don’t know (like that driver who encroached or cut you off)? What do these names mean?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we have many names and titles in this world. Thank you for the one the surpasses them all, Child of God. Amen.

  • So Over It

    So Over It

    Psalm 25:1–10; Daniel 9:15–25a; 2 Timothy 4:1–5

    For nearly a year, we’ve had COVID. For nearly a year, there have been limitations in gathering and movement. Finally, 9 months in, there was news of a vaccine. Then there were multiple vaccines. Now we .

    Still, though, we often catch ourselves asking, “when will this be over?” Or the question that many are asking, “when can we get back to normal?”

    Daniel’s words really aren’t that different than ours. Yes, he’s talking about the Israelites. Yes, he’s talking about Jerusalem. “When can we go home?” “When can we return to the new normal?”

    Just as the generations that passed in Egypt, breaking free of the practices left behind. Then leaving Egypt with new practices to and form. Those fleeing Egypt, “when can we go home (Egypt)?” “When can we go back to normal (slavery)?”

    The words that Daniel received, “yes, Israel will go back.” “Thinks will seem to be positive and even (the new) normal.” “Then disruption again.”

    The promise of return for the Israelites (though not really for Daniel) was not exactly all positive. There would definitely be . There might be gains. They just couldn’t judge the return to the before, because they were different.

    Many people have spoken words similar to Daniel’s about “the people” not listening to God, and not following God’s commandments. The words were often spoken against the US culture as it appeared to diverge from its so-called Judeo- roots. Whether it was a particular disease primarily affecting a “different” culture/people, or whether it was COVID or some other virus, or the , or rock music, or free love, or what have you.

    Those who often spoke those words forgot important words: , , .

    When we read the words of Paul to Timothy, many often conclude with something like communism, capitalism, consumerism, any of a number of things. “They” don’t want to hear the “”. These words weren’t Paul’s to Timothy for the world. They were Paul’s words to Timothy about the .

    There are a lot of things the church is hearing, but doesn’t want to. While the church has been huddled in homes and buildings, God has been moving. While phrases such as, “the new normal” are becoming, well…normal. Everybody wants whatever the new normal is going to be to happen already.

    ※Reflection※

    What if God doesn’t want us to “normalize”? What if God wants to shake us free of our (the church’s) complacency? What if we have 70 more years to go? What will you do?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we don’t know what is coming. In Lent we are called upon to strip away that which is not for you. Help us, Lord, to follow your will in this. Amen.

  • Beyond Confessing

    Beyond Confessing

    Psalm 25:1–10; Daniel 9:1–14; 1 John 1:3–10

    “But if we confess our sins, he is and just to forgive us our sins and us from everything we’ve done wrong.” —1 John 1:9

    Have you said those words to yourself lately or ever? The and grace in those simple words are awe-inspiring.

    Daniel understood this. He analyzed Jeremiah’s words and recognized that there was no quick way back to the way things were. Daniel, being the faithful God-follower that he was, likely wasn’t eager to the way things were, as they hadn’t been working, especially in regard to Israel’s with God.

    Daniel recognizes—confesses—that Israel went its own way and purposefully ignored the of God through the Scriptures and the prophets. Unlike many people, whether Jeremiah’s,  Daniel’s, or our day, Daniel notes that it is not the fault of God that Israel (or anyone) wanders away from God. Especially in the case of Israel, there was no blaming God. The penalties and (ultimately) exile were the result of the path Israel chose to walk in spite of God’s persistent voice calling them to repentance.

    Repentance may be a bigger stumbling block than confession. The Roman Catholic practice of confession could lead to a confession of words without repentance of the . Roman Catholicism isn’t the only one. The opening words of 1 John are stated weekly in the Lutheran churches. Other words of confession are spoken in other liturgical traditions (Orthodox, Episcopal, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.). People say these words, but they may not actually repent of that which they confessed.

    Most Evangelical traditions, like the Church of the Nazarene, don’t have a confessional creed. The confession has moved into specialized small groups (general Bible studies not fitting that mold), where people actually live . Here repentance has the opportunity to occur in ways other methods often don’t. In these groups, we can be shaped personally and be held accountable.

    Regardless, if we are not willing to confess, repent, and change, we should really question if we are Christ-followers. Being a Christ-follower means being willing to be changed.

    ※Reflection※

    • Thinking about your confessional, repenting, and changing activities, where can you improve?
    • How would you rate the difficulty of each: confessing, repenting, changing? Why in that order?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy , guide our hearts to confess and repent all that we have done against your will for our lives. Work in us and through in our lives so that we are shaped from the inside out into Christ-shaped people. Amen.

  • Heart of God, Speak

    Heart of God, Speak

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

    speech is not unique to the Judeo- community, 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 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 human condition) meaning are revelation (firmly culturally tied to Christianity), (mostly having turned into meaning the fall of the modern world), oracle (too new-age-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 faith 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 , comes great responsibility.” Christians have been given a unique power, that of the Holy . 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 darkness, 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 , wisdom, and discernment to the prophetic promptings of your people called by your . Amen.

  • 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 individual to something else. Others were shortening of a proper 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 , 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 normal 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 power 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 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.

  • Off To Where

    Off To Where

    Psalm 46; Genesis 12:1–9; 1 Corinthians 7:17–24

    A number of years ago, Randy Craker (our District Superintendent), shared a message with the college-aged students of our ministry. He talked about how their time, whether being in college or not, was their time before going out of the “land” they knew.

    One of the hardest things about leading college ministry wasn’t the students. They were a . The frustration was with people who didn’t understand why we (whether us as leaders or the in general) would invest time and effort in people who weren’t going to stay. It was hard to understand that the entire point of the ministry was to launch the students and to “take” God with them wherever God would take them.

    DS Craker understood that these young people were already called out of the places they called home and would be headed into the world. Air Force Officer, teacher, nurse, pastor, mom, dad are some of the titles/responsibilities of these students. Who were we to question where God was sending them?

    One of the misleading aspects of this is that the “calling out” is done at that point. Many people as if the call will only come when we’re young. Abram wasn’t a young man. The call disrupted his life.

    There is no “magic” age or place when God calls you. If we learn anything from the Old Testament, God will call a person regardless of age.

    Often, we want God to call us out of the place we are in. At other times, we want God to keep us where we are at. Often, though, God calls us exactly where we are.

    Imagine how those who heard ‘s letter read out loud (that’s how these letters were originally shared) felt. “If you’re a slave, while you’re free in Christ, you’re still a slave. Be happy.” If you were a slave, celebrating your in Christ, and then this.

    The Greeks likely still felt a bit “second” to the Jews. They were probably relieved (especially the men) that circumcision was discouraged.

    Paul’s comment to the Jews was interesting. Apparently, there were Jews that were now trying to be Greek (or Gentile). How that was happening is unclear. There is some mocking as it was, at that time, impossible to become uncircumcised (theoretically, it is possible with today’s medical technology).

    Paul’s words are somewhat prescriptive. We should not expect that choosing to follow will change our circumstances, nor might it change the where and when of our lives. The biggest change, of course, is the we take with us.

    ※Reflection※

    • Why do you think that some people are called out of their circumstances/places, while are called to remain?
    • Why is it important to understand that both calls are equally valid?
    • Looking at Paul’s letter, what is common among believers? Why is that important?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we follow your calling on our lives. Grant us the discernment whether we are called to stay or called to move. Regardless, us the to know that we rest in your will. Amen.

  • You Want This?

    You Want This?

    Psalm 62:5–12; Jeremiah 20:7–13; 2 Peter 3:1–7

    I love Jeremiah’s to God. “Lord, you enticed me, and I was taken in.” It can sound weird and somewhat creepy. On the other hand, it is also the sound of being overwhelmed by the love and presence of another. That’s a pretty neat way to think of God.

    When my father and my (to-be) stepmother got , I was a teenager, and the public displays of affections were nauseating (I don’t spare my kids). For whatever reason, the movie Bambi came to me where Friend Owl explains to Thumper that Bambi and Faline are “twitterpated.” I used that for a number of years.

    Imagine being “twitterpated” with God. Just like Bambi who was (momentarily) mocked because of his behavior, you, too can be mocked when you become twitterpated with God.

    You, like Jeremiah, can be quiet for a time. If you’re like me (as , not pastor), however, “there’s an intense fire in my heart…” I have found odd and different ways to into people’s lives, and it certainly never falls in line with “traditional” evangelism.

    Just like Jeremiah experienced, and Peter forewarned, a passionate God-follower will be mocked and scorned. Of course, there is a different kind of mocking and scorn when one is rude, belligerent, unloving, unkind, and so forth. That kind of mocking and scorn is earned and should not be a of your with God. That kind is not be worn as a badge of ; it is more of a cone of shame.

    We could, from the last few months, focus on the Christian cone of shame. There have been a few (too many?) devotions covering that. It is time to not be the bumper sticker, “Lord, me from your followers.” I it’s time to move on.

    ※Reflection※

    • Is there a burn inside of you? Why or why not?
    • Can you imagine not wanting to talk about God? Why would that be? What might you do to ?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we be the cold water to the thirsty and the hot and healing water to the hurting. Amen.

  • Change of Plans

    Change of Plans

    Judges 2:16–23; Acts 13:16–25

    There is a saying that you are probably familiar with: repeating the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. When it comes to practice, that isn’t the case. When it comes to many other things in life, though, it is very true.

    In manufacturing (where I work for pay), there is an that we will always strive for continuous improvement. Continuing the same process, material size, tooling size, program configuration will not result in improvements after the first few runs. It is only when one analyzes and changes things there are improvements (and plenty of failures, too).

    The Israelites, post-Joshua, were not continuously improving their with God. They were a wrecking crew. God’s grace, however, was significant.

    When things were really bad, God would send a judge. Just as when Joshua was alive, they would be “good” God-followers (somewhat)…until that judge died. The process repeated itself, again and again. Sounds a bit like insanity.

    God changed it up. He let them succumb to the external forces (and internal ones, too). He wasn’t done with them. He just let them be free.

    Then God called Samuel. Samuel was, in many respects, the next judge. However, his was definitely a different kind. There really wasn’t a military side to Samuel.

    This time, the people might have learned something. They seemed to understand that they needed someone. With Samuel’s , they would be right back to where they were.

    God was mad (and hurt). Yet, God used this tiny turn in the hearts of Israelites, to bring, ultimately, the line of David into preeminence. From that line of David, the Savior came.

    ※Reflection※

    Have you ever had a big struggle trying to solve a problem or a goal, and continued to fight it? And, then, taken a pause (even a nap!) and the solution came?

    The rudder of a ship is small in comparison to the ship. Yet, this small thing guides the ship’s direction. What small thing, that seemed so small in comparison to the big things, changed your life completely? If you can’t think of anything, pray to God for a revelation (it’s amazing what that little can do).

    Is there anything in your life right now that seems to be on an endless loop that’s driving you crazy? Have you asked God for clarity/ in the situation? Have you sought wise and/or different council to ?

    ※Prayer※

    God, you have done big and small miracles in our lives, whether we see them or not. Even some of the smallest have changed our lives. Help us to be responsive to your nudge to be the agents of change in the lives of . Amen.