Tag: change

Summary Path

Malachi 4:5–6; Matthew 17:10–13; John 1:19–28

Jesus said that John was Elijah. John said he wasn’t Elijah. Who was right?

The question is, who is Elijah? The other question is, who’s asking?

First of all, let’s talk about Malachi’s words. Malachi prophesied that Elijah would come back to Judah heralding a massive change. Malachi spoke to the Jews post-exile.

Despite the restoration of the temple, the people were overcome with despair and ennui. God didn’t meet their expectation of restoring everything to the way they perceived it having been before (even if its perfection was figurative). They were walking on the downward slope away from God, again.

Malachi didn’t let them off the hook. God was coming, in God’s timing. People would come to God, or they wouldn’t, but something momentous would happen. The Day of the Lord was often synonymous with the end of the world. It was also used to indicate a God-driven cataclysmic change.

Malachi’s words had transformed as the precursor to the Messiah. Elijah would come before the Messiah. This not a literal thing, as reincarnation was not part of Jewish thought. This “Elijah” would be “in the spirit of Elijah” meaning a prophet of God, but with a particular focus on restoring the relationship between the people and God.

So, why did John deny being Elijah? Probably because he didn’t see himself that way. The problem with being compared to a legendary figure is that you know you’re not the legendary figure. There was a lot of weight and expectation, and John probably didn’t want to bear that burden.

Also, as there was so much build-up regarding the Messiah, there was likely just as much build-up around Elijah, and much of it was probably wrong. Why would John want to be a part of that?

There is also the last part of it, which is who Elijah was really couldn’t be evaluated until the Messiah completed the return. John was dead before the fulfillment, and without himself seeing the fulfillment, he certainly would have questioned being “Elijah”.

Jesus, on the other hand, knew what was coming, and knew what had gone before. He had the perspective to be able to call John “Elijah”. In the spirit of Elijah, the Messiah (Jesus) did indeed reset the Day of the Lord. It was only through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that John could fully be called “Elijah.”

Often, our own perspective of our lives is twisted and/or minimized, for we (like John) cannot really see what came before and what will come after. We do not know the hearts we’ve changed, the paths we’ve diverted. Only at the end will God let us see it all from an eternal perspective.

That we are faithful to God. That we pursue God. That we follow God. That we try to help others follow God. This is what God will let us see at the end. For now, we can only put one step in front of the other.

※Prayer※

Father God, help us to accept that we cannot see the eternal effect of our lives. Lord Jesus, help us to follow you that the eternal effect brings you glory. Holy Spirit, guard and strengthen our hearts for those times when we are discouraged because we don’t see that we’ve made a difference. Amen.

※Questions※

1) There are 2 kinds of eulogies. One that is written by the deceased for reading at the funeral, and the ones that are written in the hearts of others. Which one matters most? In what ways does the eulogy matter for both?

2) What concepts and feelings come to mind when you hear the phrase, “The Day of the Lord”? Why might that be?

2020-08-03
Drink or Eat

Judges 6:25–32; Hebrews 5:11–6:3

Supposedly, the Israelites were the People of God. Their lives after their entrance into the Promised Land was certainly not a testimony to that. The worthless gods and idols of the land became the focus of their lives. God became a second thought, if that.

Weak Gideon (his own thoughts of himself) was being asked to stand up to his father (leader of a weak family), which would then stand up to the tribe around them. That sounds encouraging.

While we might knock Gideon for doing it at night, it does make sense. Gideon was first approached as he hid in the wine vat squashing grapes. Fear was ingrained in Gideon.

In the end, Gideon did what God required.

As we learn, however, Gideon did not have to fear his father. Even though Gideon had sacrificed two bulls (not a small loss) without permission, and incurred the wrath of the tribe, Gideon’s father stood firm. Despite the fact that Joash (Gideon’s father) had an altar to Baal and an Asherah pole, Joash still asked, “who defends Baal?” This implies that Joash may have been outwardly compliant to the culture, but was, in fact, loyal to God. This would explain why Gideon was chosen.

For whatever reason, the people of Israel became lazy in their faith and followed the easy path of the people that remained. They followed the idols. Despite the forging of the Israelites in the desert, and even their forging in war to take the promised land, the heart of their culture had not yet turned to God.

The author of the Hebrews is facing a similar situation with the recipients of that letter. The lazy way of the “rules of the ancestors” rather than the harder Way of Christ was still not being overturned.

The author of Hebrews was, in some ways, mocking the recipients by calling them unweaned children. They weren’t even receiving pre-chewed meat from their “parent”. Of course, the author of Hebrews implied that this was an active choice of will. They chose to set aside the good “meat” of Christ for the milk of the Law.

This was a cultural momentum that needed to be overturned.

Whether it was the stories in Judges, to the reforming of the Law into the way of grace and mercy, to today as people are not even interested in God, it all revolves around the same issue/concern: self over the revealed ways of God.

While we are often quick to point the finger at the culture around us, it must not be denied that “Christian” culture is actually very similar to the culture. In fact, it can be reasonably argued that the culture we see around us is a result of the Christian culture of years past.

As we experience the disruption of COVID, perhaps we can see where the cultural Christianity, of which we are a part, can and must be changed to change we Christians and to bring people into the Kingdom of God.

※Prayer※

Jesus, help us to walk your path and not our own. Holy Spirit, nudge, and convict us to put our feet where Jesus walks. Father God, thank you for your mercy and grace as we all too often think of ourselves first, others second, and you third. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What similar scenarios might be happening around the world right now for Christians that are similar to Joash?

2) What does Joash’s example teach us about what we see about others?

3) What milk are you seeking rather than meat? What might the meat of today be?

2020-08-02
Too Small

Deuteronomy 7:7–11; Judges 6:13–16; Matthew 13:31–33

One of the best scenes in the movie, The Princess Bride is when Princess Buttercup and (the Dread Pirate Roberts) Wesley are about to enter the Fire Swamp. Buttercup looks at Wesley and asks, “what about the R.O.U.S.s?” “The Rodents of Unusual Size? I’m sure they don’t exist.” He says the as an R.O.U.S. makes an appearance, and Buttercup’s back is to it and is oblivious.

Size makes a difference. Often, we are overwhelmed by a problem. As a child, we could have been overwhelmed by something being so much bigger than we were.

When we hear about the monumental amount of money some people have, and compare our meager bank accounts, size makes an impact. If you’ve ever been in a small car with a big semi coming up quickly behind you, size can be terrifying.

On the other hand, ants can carry 10–50 times (depending on species and gender) their weight. Humans can indeed lift such weight, but not actually walk and carry over long distances. Grasshoppers can jump 20 times their length from standing. The world record for human running long jump is not even 5 times.

Size does matter, but just not always in the way we think.

The people of Israel were not a powerful people. They had no physical place to provide them strength. Yet, this weak people God would take and overturn the ways of the world.

After years of oppression, God took the weakest man of the weakest family of the weakest tribe to remove the oppressors from the land.

Jesus uses a mustard seed to show the power of the Kingdom of God but notice that it is not a power of domination. It is a place a habitation and a place of new life. Yet this place of life and birth starts very small.

The Kingdom of God starts small in each of us. We often look at the tiny thing in us and wonder how we can make it through.

Yet, we must always keep in mind that it is God’s seed in us. The smallest thing of God is larger than the largest thing of humanity.

Oh, and the R.O.U.S.’s were defeated by using the power of the mind, not strength.

※Prayer※

Jesus, thank you for the seed of faith. Holy Spirit, thank you for the nurturing of the seed in our souls. Heavenly Father, thank you for being the tree that gives us home and life. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What is one of the first memories you have of your size in comparison to another’s? What was the feeling like? Did it cause you to change focus or intent?

2) Why is it important to understand the imagery of the Kingdom of God in the image of the mustard seed?

2020-07-25
Red or White?

Genesis 18:16–33; Jeremiah 5:1–9; Romans 3:5–24

God hates me. God would/could never love me. God doesn’t care about me. No one can measure up to that standard.

Any of those sound familiar?

When we read stories such as Sodom and Gomorrah it is easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer immensity of destruction. Yet, there in the story there something important to read.

Abraham’s questions about the 50, 45,40, 30, 20, 10 and the response to the question gives us some insight. From all appearances, there was one righteous man…Lot. Even Lot’s “righteousness” might have more to do with Abraham’s and not Lot’s (see Genesis 19:29).

From our human perspective, what happened seems out of proportion. The ways of Sodom and Gomorrah were obviously long wrong. God did not do this on a whim. Yet, in the middle of all the wrong, 10 righteous people would have prevented disaster.

As the end of the glory of Judah approached, there, too, was an opportunity to change everything. All it would have taken is one righteous person. As the Scriptures show, however, that was not to be.

What does this say about us? Paul tells us that it is the very unrighteousness of humanity that displays the righteousness of God. Even in that, there is grace.

There is a long list that is part of Paul’s words. It is a list (Romans 3:10–18) condemning humanity for its response to God. Why would God want such creatures?

If you had someone who constantly said bad things to you, tossed your gifts at your feet (or the garbage), and gave credit everyone but you about the good things you’d done for them, what your response be?

God’s answer was through the cross. Truth? We aren’t worthy by any measure of that sacrifice. Truth? God did it out of love.

※Prayer※

Jesus, thank you for the cross. Father God, thank you for your mercy on us. Holy Spirit, thank you for drawing us to you. Amen.

※Questions※

1) When you read Paul’s list, how does it feel? To you feel condemned or judged? Or, do you feel something else?

2) How does grace and redemption feel in the face of that list?

3) What do you think your ongoing response should be as a result?

2020-07-18
Passionate Rightful Love

Luke 11:14–28; Romans 12:9–21

Can you think of a house that is divided? It shouldn’t be hard at this point. It is displayed for the whole world to see.

The United States has a motto: E pluribus unum. It means, “Out of many, one.” Yet it seems that instead, it ought to be, “E pluribus chaos”.

There is little that appears orderly at this time. While the US looks first to itself, and other countries, too. Even the countries that ridicule the current US situation have their own divisions to deal with.

Within our states, cities, and even homes, the division has increased. Unity seems further away and harder to grasp. Regardless of which person wins the presidency in 2020, they will have the unenviable (and likely impossible) task of trying to reunite a divided nation.

The church is not any better at this point. The church is divided, too. An even harder task will be the church trying to be united after it is over.

What will happen? Only God knows. What will the church do to reunite?

The church has forgotten, in many ways, what it means to be the church. Jesus is first. Earth (and its powers) are maybe second. Perhaps second is rating it too high.

Romans 12:9 starts out with “love unhypocritically” or “love without dissimulation”. At this point, the people of the church are not doing this very well. Political allegiances or motives come before loving one’s brothers and sisters in Christ.

So-called “Christian” Republicans and Democrats espouse love of fellow man and yet castigate one another in hatred. Perhaps it’s not “real” hate, but the hardening of hearts is undeniable.

Let us call on one another to have a Romans 12:9–21 political season. Imagine what would happen if the world saw that.

※Prayer※

Lord, your follower Paul gave us wisdom from long ago. Help us to apply to all we meet and especially all with whom we disagree. May your love flow more strongly from us than our worldly beliefs. Amen.

※Questions※

1) If you don’t know the word, look up dissimulation. How might dissimulated love be different than hypocritical love? How are they the same?

2) How does following the guidance in Romans change how you will interact with others?

3) How does following the guidance in Romans show the world Jesus? Is that important to you?

2020-07-16
An Abomination

2 Kings 25:8–21; Matthew 24:1–22

The fall of the First Temple had far-reaching consequences. It was the end of the glory of Jerusalem. Granted, the Temple had long been stripped of its gold, yet the Temple was still central to Jerusalem

With the burning of the Temple, the cultural center was gone. The religious center was gone. Even though they were unfaithful the Temple was still the religious center; it was just used to honor other gods.

While the King’s palace was administratively important, and the homes were individually important, the loss of the temple was a loss of identity, even if they did not faithfully follow God. This is a conqueror mentality. Break down their identity, and build them a new one (military basic or boot camp has the same principle).

As the Jews came back, they established a God-honoring life. No, it didn’t last long. It did, for a time, re-form them around God in a good way. However, over time human power and authority threw their earthly weight around, and there were a lot of overthrowing and wars.

Eventually, the drama surrounding the Maccabean “revolt” and recovery of “right” worship in the Temple occurred. However, all the interplay amongst various Jewish actors and other parties (i.e., Romans, Syrians, etc.) eventually led to Roman rule.

Finally, Jesus predicts another fall, with the implication of it being more permanent (though that could easily be being read into it). When Jesus talks about the abomination of the desolation, there was one before the Maccabean “revolt”, and there was one after the death of Jesus.

Some Christians and Jews believe that the “true” desolation was when the Dome of the Rock (as Muslim mosque) was built on the site. It could be a third or fourth desolation or none at all.

Regardless, after each desolation a significant change occurred. Historians and theologians may argue whether these changes were good or bad or just were.

The “hidden” reality is that the desolations were merely signs of a preexisting problem…an ineffective or nonexistent relationship with God. This might seem overreach, especially to modern ears and hearts. Yet, both the Old Testament and Jesus (at least for the two desolations of which they speak) tie that in.

If any subsequent “desolations” were that, we don’t have a revelation about that, but it seems to fit.

Perhaps we should also draw parallels between this temple history and the church. The church—especially in the US, yet also in early 20th Century Europe—has been comfortable for too long.

Familiarity, as the saying goes, breeds contempt. Contempt toward and in the church is running rampant. It’s not new. The tipping point is coming, it seems.

Yet familiarity can also breed safety, security, and love. These are not something the church and Christians are stereotyped as. Right or wrong, this is the reality of the church.

The abomination of the desolation is not (yet) the buildings. It is that the world does not know the church by its love.

※Prayer※

Lord, you have called us to be known by our love. Lord, help us love as you love. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Besides the snow one, what do you think of regarding “abominable”? How about “desolation”?

2) How else might an “abomination of the desolation” look today? Would it be country, state, church?

3) How do familiarity and comfort play out in our lives: family, professionally, community, church? What are the positive and negative results of familiarity?

2020-07-08
A Little Prophesying

Deuteronomy 13:1–5; Deuteronomy 18:20–22; Jeremiah 28:1–9

Doomsday prophets are certainly a thing. There are a lot of them, and of varying kinds: epidemiologist (disease), environment, morality, political, sexuality, education, freedom, financial, and so on and on.

Doom sells. Doomsayers may also be helpful to guide us toward some sort of preparation or change. At this point, however, there are so many doomsayers that there are only two logical conclusions: we’re doomed or they’re wrong. That is really the two paths regardless of which or all the “dooms”.

What is interesting about “prophesying” in the Scriptures is that not all prophesying is alike. Some prophesying is more akin to teaching, lecturing, discipling. That generally would fall under church categories as preaching, pastoring, and life groups.

Other prophesying is more like visions, dreams, and euphoric states. This is what we, as a tradition (versus language), understand as foretelling or forewarning that is spiritually driven, and is our default interpretation when reading the word in the Scriptures.

The struggle is discerning whether the prophecy or “prophetic word” is from God, from other spiritual forces, or is it of self appearing to be “spiritual”. Especially (but not exclusively) with the internet, there are plenty of videos, blog posts, web sites all claiming some sort of divine connection.

Sadly, there is no way to tag “fake prophesy”. That takes wisdom, discernment, and positive Christian relationships.

※Prayer※

Holy Spirit, strengthen your discerning gift in us. Father God, help us to look through your word so that we can see when someone is using your word falsely. Jesus, help us to keep in mind that you told us that there would be many false prophets before your return. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Have you had someone deliver a prophecy or “prophetic word” to/about you? How about as part of a public declaration (with or without you being the focus)?

2) What are you actively doing to protect yourself from false prophesy or “prophetic word”?

2020-06-28
Money Change

Luke 7:36–8:3; Luke 24:1–12 (read online ⧉)

In Jesus’ day, women held a “lesser” societal role. It’s not that they held no role. In Roman culture, women’s roles were actually in somewhat of a cultural disarray as “free” marriage was opposed by Augustus Caesar who wanted a “traditional” male-dominant marriage. Marriage differed between “noble” and “common” people, too.

In Jewish culture, women did have a lesser role, but today rabbinical tradition holds to matrilineal which is estimated to have begun in Jesus’ lifetime! In other words, “the fathers” that were held in apparent esteem, would no longer be the “line”.

This means that in the time of Jesus’ ministry, there was likely a lot of turmoil regarding women’s roles in both Roman and Jewish societies. Having named (versus anonymous) women listed as Jesus’ followers could either have been a cultural shock or no great surprise.

Currently, the general consensus has been that the women’s presence with Jesus would have been a shocking thing. Yet, even the words of the Sadducees and Pharisees don’t mention the women as followers. In the first of today’s verses, the scandalous (“sinner”) woman was pointed to. Jesus was questioned for pardoning her sins. Her presence didn’t seem overly surprising.

As Jesus continues his story of the debtor, the gender is irrelevant to God’s grace and mercy. We go from hair being used to wipe feet, a parable of the debtors (money), then the jump to the financing of the mission of Jesus. We learn that women appeared to be the financial backers (or at least the mentioned ones) of the mission. Judas Iscariot may have “held” the purse strings (John 12:6), but he obviously was not the fundraiser.

These women had all had (apparently) miraculous healing encounters with Jesus, so they supported Jesus’ ministry. Joanna is culturally the most interesting, as her husband was Herod’s household manager. In some respects, her presence may have caused some to be more hesitant when it came to dealing with Jesus, for who knew what Joanna could have had happen. Perhaps not in reality, but people will invent large stories in their fear, to justify their inaction.

According to Luke, Mary Magdalene and Joanna were two of the women (Mary at the grave of Jesus on the Day of Resurrection. That these two women showed up, which means that they viewed Jesus as family, for they were taking on the role of family caring for the dead.

The transformation of these 2 women, in particular, is a good lesson. Jesus saved them. They responded in gratitude (giving) and following (discipleship). Then they became family (possibly sanctification). What their role was after that is, sadly, unclear. It may not matter in the end. That they allowed Jesus to continue to upend their life is what matters.

※Prayer※

God of our transformation, help us to have hearts of peace as you upend our lives. May our lives be continually transformed so that they can display your light. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Other than COVID-19 itself and the general upending of all our lives, what is the biggest thing being challenged and changed in your life?

2) How have you experienced the Holy Spirit initiate, transform, and sustain life change?

2020-06-25
Ready! Set!

Luke 5:1–11; Luke 6:12–16; Luke 9:1–6; Luke 9:28–36; Luke 24:44-49; Acts 2:14 (read online ⧉)

What’s your 6-month plan? What’s your 12-month plan? What’s your 3-year plan? What’s your 10-year plan?

Some variation of this question is often asked of high school students, college students, recent graduates, job interviewees. In this particular time of COVID-19, it seems a little far-fetched to even make a plan.

Depending on your personality and training/learning, you may have a plan laid out for even 10- or 20-years. Others look at their past life and the future, and say why bother? Who knows what the next monkey-wrench will be.

Businesses have begun to learn, thanks to the start-up culture, that rigid plans are deadly. There is a term for it, agile. Businesses are now called to be agile by their stockholders. It’s a necessity as the next technological disruption is just around the corner. Other disruptions, like COVID-19, are much harder to be agile toward, however, companies that already had some agility were better able to respond.

If you look at the verses from Luke in sequence and ending with Acts, you see a change in plans. Peter is a major focal point as he moves from fisherman, to acquaintance, to follower (i.e., disciple), to inner-circle follower, to faith healer and herald, to an even smaller inner-circle, to transformed (by the Holy Spirit), to preacher and leader. This was not part of Peter’s plan.

At the point we meet Peter, his lifetime plan is fisherman. Three years later he’s the leader (of leaders) of a religious movement! Peter met Jesus, and the plan…it was gone.

It’s not that plans are bad. Jesus even praised planning (Luke 14:28-32). However, we have to be ready and willing to toss out our plans when Jesus calls.

Plans are our way to control our circumstances. This is why we have planning departments. This is even how we have modern agriculture. Planning is good.

Planning still has to yield to Jesus’ call. That’s where we often fail.

There will be many churches, businesses, cities, and even families that will not recover from COVID-19. In many cases, no amount of planning will prevent that. On the other hand, churches (especially) chose to not be agile, because that is not the way we’ve done it before.

Churches chose to die, rather than respond to Jesus Christ’s call for them to be agile in how they performed their mission. It could be, sadly, that they forgot the only mission that they had, “Go and make disciples…baptizing them…teaching them…”

On a personal level, just like an organizational level, we need to be agile. Our plans (as much as we want them to be) cannot be rigid and inflexible.

Whether it was the leaders (it was) or the people (it was) forgoing the mission for the sake of “the plan”, it means that “the plan” became the mission, and Jesus became a mascot.

※Prayer※

Lord, give us your plans. Help us to release our plans. May we be the salt of the earth that you have called us to be. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What would be your response if God were to turn your plans upside down? What in your current life would you be willing to give up to follow God’s plan?

2) What are your plans right now? If you have none, why not? Should you? If you do have plans when was your last time to renew/refresh it?

3) Why do you think churches have a hard time changing plans?

2020-06-17
How We Live

Galatians 3:1–9; Galatians 5:16–18; James 2:18–26 (read online ⧉)

Is it faith or works? What saves you? That’s a pretty important question.

From a historical Jewish perspective, it was works. The entire sacrificial system seemed to be about works. This meant that from their perspective, salvation (and the Messiah) would only come through perfectly performing the Law.

Christians tend toward the faith side. In fact, while Martin Luther struggled with this exact passage in James. He wanted to toss out the book of James because it seemed contrary to grace. Martin Luther chose to respect the “doctors” of the church and kept the book of James even in the first Lutheran bible.

As the doctors of the church discerned that James was an inspired book of the Bible, we cannot ignore it, either. Nor should we fall into an extreme view of works.

Martin Luther struggled with how the Christian life was often lived out among Roman Catholics. They would perform acts (such as penance) without change. He saw a conflict there. It was a significant point to Luther as during his monastic years he was known for returning back to his confessor moments after he left due to some errant thought that might be a sin.

Imagine living that way! The reality is that many Christians did and do live that way. This even among those who would hold Roman Catholicism as a bad way to live, especially in Evangelical circles. The constant weight of guilt kills hearts and souls!

Most of James’ concerns were with consistency between espoused faith (what we say) and a lived-out faith (what we do). In James’ time, some believed that they could have faith, but that works were unimportant. The private faith was what mattered. The public faith was nice, but not necessary.

Paul, however, was concerned with people trying to be like the Jews, and doing all these “things” to get their salvation. He drove the point with grace, not works. Paul’s constant push on it often causes the church, as a whole, to put it first (which it is) and only (which it isn’t).

James didn’t want people to emulate the Jews, he wanted them to live out their faith. Live like your faith means something and has transformed you. Paul didn’t want actless Christians. In his letters, there was quite a lot about behavior. Works (or faith lived out) were important to Paul, too.

For both Paul and James, works were lived out as a response to God’s grace and movement in the lives of believers. Works were what got you saved. Works are a result of you being saved.

※Prayer※

Lord, by grace you have called us into your family. By grace, we are called Childen of God. By grace, let us act like it. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What acts show the world that you are saved? How do they do so?

2) If a person does not display (via acts) a so-called Christian life, are they saved? Why or why not?

3) How do you balance question 1 and question 2?

2020-06-15