Devotion.al

Tag: comfort

  • Surpassing Peace

    Surpassing Peace

    “So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and ponder them in her . The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”
    —Luke 2:16-20 (NRSV)

    News about a baby is excitement meets . Hang with me for a second here. First let’s talk about excitement. Has anyone ever told you they were expecting and you almost leapt out of your skin?! It is just so wonderful when someone you is expecting a baby! You almost feel like you need to go out and tell everyone. But, usually it’s not your news to tell.

    In this case of baby …The shepherds got to go and tell everyone! How fun would it be to go and tell literally everyone you wanted and knew that your friend or relative is having a baby?! The excitement of baby Jesus was just too much for the shepherds to contain. They ran to go see the baby and then they left and told everyone and anyone!

    Okay. Now the peace part. As a mom to three (one of them being a newborn) I know that babies aren’t always the most peaceful. They are up a lot at night which is supposed to be a peaceful and restful time. But. Have you ever held a sleeping baby or a baby? Are they not the most peaceful things you ever did see?!

    Jesus brought peace. Jesus brought excitement meets peace.

    Do you need peace in your ? Or rather – do you know someone in your life that needs the peace and of Jesus? Will you go and with excitement tell them of the news of Jesus and what Jesus has done in your life – what Jesus can do in their life?

    I encourage you to find one person you know that needs peace this season – this COVID season. Tell them about the peace you have experienced. Peace that surpasses all understanding.

  • Sorté

    Sorté

    “And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the , you’re just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn’t get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you’ve kept up the family —traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God’s Law handed to you by angels—-wrapped!—and you squandered it!”

    At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the of Man standing at God’s side!”

    Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them.

    As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, “Master Jesus, take my .” Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, “Master, don’t blame them for this ”—his last words. Then he died.

    Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.

    That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day!

    And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s , they hung on his every . Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what in the city!” —Acts 7:54–8:8 (The Message)

    Normally, I would quote a longer piece of the Scriptures, but the way The Message conveys this is too important to leave it to our preferred translations, for it speaks in our everyday language. Two sentences in particular:

    “Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus.”

    This whole COVID/Corona season we’ve had “home base” completely disrupted. Whether it’s working from home, not working, or other “homes”, such as the church building, and the friends’ living rooms being prohibited, it has been quite a time.

    As things have progressed, working from home for many became a prison rather than an escape. Not being able to go places became its own struggle. Even those who consider themselves homebodies want to get out.

    The reality is that we all seek a “base”. We want a place to feel safe. We want a place to be “home”. We want a place to be “normal”.

    In this case, however, perhaps “base” is actually what we don’t want. A better way to say it might be that for us to grow in gifts and graces we need to step off (or out of) the “base”.

    Notice that it was after being cast out from Jerusalem (home base), Jesus was being preached. After leaving the safe confines of “home” they began to preach. Something about being out of their comfort zone caused them to share about Jesus.

    ※Questions※

    1) What might the lesson be for us regarding “home base” and the world in this time we find ourselves in?

    2) Why did losing “home” seem to loosen tongues and hearts for Jesus?

    3) How does comfort or normal inhibit sharing the Gospel?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord Jesus, we offer our comfort to you that we might use it, or lose it, to fulfill your will. Amen.

  • Nope. I’m Good.

    Nope. I’m Good.

    Nope. I’m Good.

    2 September 2020

    John 8:31–41; Philippians 3:1–11

    What are you relying on? This is a question that we each need to ask ourselves on a regular (if not daily) basis. It becomes easy to slip into relying on something without realizing it.

    In industries such as manufacturing, timber, construction where safety is a big issue, it can be easy to fall into ease. As organizations create stronger safety programs and better safety equipment, workers can into a sense of . Then they may overly rely on their safety equipment. Then they make mistakes that endanger themselves, , and the successful completion of their jobs.

    This can also be seen when people spend lots of money (often more than they make) to have a good life. This somewhat works when the economy is going well, but things happen, and economies weaken.

    This can also be seen in , from local to international, as people make assumptions about their supporters or even their countries as they around and make deals.

    It is also seen in the church. While the apparent dominance of the Moral Majority of the 1980s–1990s indicated that the “church” was strong, it showed that the church had lost its way. The church relied on politics and to make a difference, rather than the love and grace of . As the church becomes culturally sidelined, there is a growing awareness of not just the earthly power lost, but also the gained and the power from on high that comes with it.

    The Jews understood and venerated their ancestors, particularly Abraham and Israel. They venerated Moses as the Prophet of the Most High. They had the Law.

    They had become reliant and comfortable. It seems strange for them to be comfortable with the Roman occupation. It was just the status quo, and no one wanted the boat to be rocked.

    Then along comes Jesus to rock the boat, and all the complacency came to a head. For too long the Jews had taken their (very) special place for granted. It was time for them to wake up.

    Part of ‘s awakening was through this as well. While he still proudly proclaimed his Israelite heritage, he set it aside for the greater identity of being a follower of Jesus. While he didn’t toss his heritage out (for it gave him the framework to understand the work of Jesus), he recognized it for what it was…a foreshadow of what was to come…the Body of Christ.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Jesus, may we be shaken daily by who you are so that we are never complacent. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) Where is your life of too complacent?

    2) Where do you see the life of the church too complacent?

    3) Where else in life (outside of faith) are you seeing complacency?

  • An Abomination

    An Abomination

    2 Kings 25:8–21; Matthew 24:1–22

    The fall of the First Temple had far-reaching consequences. It was the of the 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 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 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 ) 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 . 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.

    ※※

    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 play out in our lives: , professionally, , church? What are the positive and negative results of familiarity?

  • Animate Clay

    Animate Clay

    Jeremiah 18:1–13

    The story of Jeremiah visiting the potter’s house is probably quite familiar to you.

    In many respects, it is an odd sort of story. That is the way it is often used. We are in the hands of God. It sounds good, but that’s not really the point.

    Like most of the prophets of whom we have record, Jeremiah wasn’t exactly delivering to the people of Israel. Much of his message was dark and about impending doom.

    Like people today who impending doom and disregard the message so too were the people of Israel. They didn’t really want to hear the message. They didn’t really want to pay attention to the world-changing around them.

    The greatest deceit and greatest cruelty of the false prophets were that they told the people what they wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear. They became a “drug” of a sort, dulling the senses to both the Israelite to God and the significant changes (world-conquering kinds) around.

    These false prophets fed the desires of false hearts. They told lies that because they were God’s people, nothing bad would happen. They told lies that God really doesn’t care that they pagan gods.

    They believed because they wanted to. God tried a different method.

    When God talks about treating Israel as a potter treats clay, it is an ultimate question. What is the purpose of Israel in regards to God?

    God’s purpose was not to make Israel equal to clay, but to point out that God is…God. God was and is capable of doing so. God is Creator. God is capable of destroying .

    God doesn’t. God won’t. Some would say, dangerously, that God can’t because to do so would mean that God denies God’s own (self-giving and -sacrificing love).

    When God brings Jeremiah to the potter’s house, it is not to say that God can and will, but that God can and doesn’t want to.

    What was going on around Israel would eventually cause Israel to fall. Israel was spared, for the moment, due to God’s saving hand. Israel could make a different choice.

    We know their choice. Our choice is before us.

    ※※

    Spirit, may our hearts, minds, spirit and habits be open to your molding work of us. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Do you tend toward the complete potter (destroy/reshape/mold/control) thinking, or more toward the “could, but won’t” understanding of God? What shaped that thinking of yours?

    2) Clay does not reach it’s final form (pottery) until it is fired in the kiln. How might the of the kiln provide insight into the Holy Spirit?

    3) If (big if) the potter were to destroy his craftwork, how might the pottery be reused to make something beautiful? How might (big might) this provide insight into God

  • Shear Time

    Shear Time

    Psalm 122; Isaiah 61:1–9; John 15:1–8 (read online ⧉)

    The year of the Lord’s is probably not this year. The ever-changing nature of this year, and all the odd and bad things that are going on would in no way seem to be the harbinger of the Lord’s favor.

    What if, however, we are looking at it wrong? Perhaps instead of looking at the disasters and troubles, we should be looking for God. Who or what is God stirring around us? If we become too obsessed with the world, we could miss God.

    This is not to say don’t pay attention to the world. In fact, part of the words of Isaiah is exactly why we should be looking for God in : good news, heal, liberty, , (even) vengeance, comfort, crown, festive.

    This is not to say that God desires bad things. God will use the bad things (whether natural or depravity) to mold and shape if we seek God. If we are not seeking God in these things and through these things, we are far more likely to have hearts that become harder and more resistant to , whether it is being loved or loving .

    Isaiah’s words aren’t necessarily comfortable, either, especially to those who are in or who have advantages (even if they are unaware). God doesn’t seek, necessarily, to make us comfortable (though God will comfort us). God seeks to us from the inside out. Often, though, we only change (or seek change) under stress. Well, there’s plenty of stress now.

    Rejoice in suffering because God is with us. Not because it’s fun.

    When we are part of the vine (Jesus Christ), we’re going to be pruned. Whether it’s our biases, our fears, our (non-Godly) allegiances, God will prune them. We will often try to graft them back on, and in so doing we are susceptible to diseases of the soul. A diseased branch will be tossed into the .

    It is beyond our capabilities to see what fruit we could bear once God is done pruning us. God, though, is the great vinedresser and will seek the maximization of fruit, not our destruction. We just feel that way sometimes.

    There is a running joke out there…what was the worst purchase in 2019? A 2020 planner. There is so much going on that is unexpected, and for which we are unprepared. Instead of groaning or burying our head in the sand, let us embrace the opportunity to be formed by God into his image of us (our unique expression of the ).

    ※Prayer [Billy Graham]※

    Lord, whatever I have to face, through it let me learn more of Your love and compassion. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Is anything new being added to God’s pruning list for you? If not, why do you think that is?

    2) What is the best side-effect when looking for God’s movement in times of suffering and trial?

    3) How does suffering lead to a “Year of the Lord’s Favor”?

  • Forward

    Forward

    Job 1:1–5; 2 Corinthians 1:8–14 (read online ⧉)

    The story of Job is a famous story. It seems to be a story of a man going through unjust trials and misery. Job is often used in times of trial as a sort of encouragement, as if to say, if it could happen to Job, it can happen to you.

    Job, depending on translation, was a person of complete or blameless and upright. Either one is hard for us to measure up to. How many of us, truly, would think of ourselves as being of complete integrity?

    During an interview, the question was asked of the interviewee, “are you honest?” The interviewee said, “yes.” The interviewer then asked, “have you ever lied or stolen?” The interviewee answered, “yes.” The interviewer then asked, “are you honest?” The interviewee again answered, “yes.”

    The test was not whether the person was honest, per se. Rather, it was if they had the integrity to answer the “ever lied or stolen” question with a “yes.” If they had answered, “no” to that question, the interview would have been over, for no one (other than Jesus, and perhaps Job) was that good of a person.

    When we read the story of Job, the story isn’t about Job’s “greatness” or “righteousness”. The story is about Job’s to God. Despite all his troubles, he never gave up on God, even when his wife told him to.

    While God is always faithful, we often are not. It is our faithfulness, though, that intimately affects our . When Paul and Timothy were going through a period of affliction, Paul noted that they received comfort from God. Note the language that Paul used; overwhelmed beyond their own strength. By whose strength, then, could they succeed? God’s, of course.

    Paul’s faithfulness to God was rewarded with the strength to carry on. Except, reward is not exactly correct. We all have this exact strength available to us, too. Through our trials and tribulations, through COVID-19 and riots, we have the strength to persevere.

    However, many Christians do not believe they have that power. That is the work of the adversary. The adversary isn’t necessarily the Devil either. The world, in this instance, can be the adversary, too. As the world (all of ) languishes in the results of broken (), it cannot understand how to overcome. It is lost in despair.

    Christians often succumb to that despair. Instead of faithfulness to God, they attribute to themselves (and often to God) the faithlessness of broken relationships.

    ※Prayer※

    As a mother bird gathers her young in her wings, so you do for us, oh, God. May we trust the warmth and of your wings, as they gather us , and help us to trust that you are for us. Amen.

    ※※

    1) What are symptoms of despair that you see in the world? How about yourself?

    2) What are ways that we can help others strengthen their hearts against despair?

    3) How does despair affect things like hatred, discord, and the like?

  • Only the Beginning

    Only the Beginning

    Psalm 104:24–35; Joel 2:18–29; Romans 8:18–24 (read online ⧉)

    We have lost a lot in the modern . One of the things is awareness of the land. In the current COVID-19 situation, we may be regaining some of that, as prices go up with agricultural workers being unavailable due to illness.

    The health of the land was deeply tied to the health of its people. We’ve seen some strange perspectives of that with both environmental activists and blind corporate juggernauts.

    For many the environmental ties to a flourishing people are obvious. To , not so much. In the era of and even today, when nature has severe weather, agriculture often takes the brunt of it. In Paul’s age, they were very much aware of that, especially as there were a series of famines. Thus the land needing healing was quite obvious to any person.

    The land was tied to prosperity. An unhealthy land made for unhealthy people. It was also the case, which was Joel’s point, that an unhealthy people made for an unhealthy land. Paul noted that it was just humanity that longed for a Savior…the rest of Creation longed for it, too.

    Pentecost wouldn’t seem to have much to do with that, yet, it is the empowerment by the of the people of God, that would be the new shepherds to heal the land. Justice and were not just to be attributes of God, they were to be attributes of his people.

    The land isn’t just the physical land and the animals, it is the heart of the people in it, too. The land, our land, is very sick. It is not just COVID-19, it is something far deeper and even more ill. There is an illness that is infecting the souls of the people of our nation and even the people of the Body of Christ.

    We may not be able to fix it all, and we certainly cannot heal it all. We can be the messengers of love, , and mercy. In so doing, as we guard our words and actions, we will be different than the world that seeks to attack and destroy others.

    The love of Jesus Christ cannot back down, and the Body of Christ cannot just let the vileness that pervades continue to build and lash out. We are not called to lash out as the world. We are to say that Christ died for them to heal their pain. We can only walk them on the journey.

    ※ Prayer [BCPOnline] ※

    O God, who on Pentecost taught the hearts of your people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy ; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    ※ Afterward ※

    Questions seem superfluous. The recent death of George Floyd has taken an anxiety-ridden world and launched chaos. The rise of mayhem and violence will not heal or reconcile. It will only harden hearts. We are called to be the for such times as this. How we can and will respond in this and in all such, we can only pray that we bring honor and glory to God.