Tag: darkness

Sharpening and Armor

Matthew 15:10–20, Luke 6:39–42, Ephesians 6:12–18

In our current political and cultural climate, there are plenty of sharp barbs being thrown out. If we wanted to, we could say flaming arrows, which is metaphorically accurate. It’s pretty nuts, and certainly unloving, unpeaceful, impatient (i.e, doesn’t bear), unkind, bad (i.e., not good), unfaithful, ungentle, and lacks a lot of self-control (see Galatians 5:22–23, for what it should be). The sad part? That’s what we see from Christians. Christians are placing themselves firmly in the world on one “side” of the (left/right) political aisle. It’s very sad.

While much of it is happening over social media (written), it really is more akin to speech (i.e., coming out their/our mouths). Jesus calls us to task, saying that these words are coming out from our hearts. Ouch! What you write on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or what you “like” comes from your heart? What does that tell you about what is inside your heart? What about that question that you posed about the other “side” of the political aisle? Was it honesty inquiry, or was it spite-filled rhetoric?

It is so, so very easy to respond. It makes us feel better. Yet, is that the right response? Sadly, the rush (and rash) response is not conducive to sharpening one another. It actually hardens hearts for all involved. How is this living a Christ-filled, -following, -honoring life?

Of course, the problem often is that those that need to hear and take the lesson to heart will often use the splinter and plank story to justify disregarding the lesson. There is some wisdom in that. This is why both of these parables should be taken as a pair, to prevent either from being taken too far, one way or the other. The other necessary part of this is community, true community (i.e., not Facebook). Facebook and other social mediums are quick to call their platforms a community, but community is only formed when doing life together continually, not just highlights.

Often the reason we respond the way we do is that we feel threatened. This is where the final tool in this comes out. The Full Armor of God passage can be used in many ways. Why not take it a different way? “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full clothing of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like a strong shirt on your chest, and your feet booted with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the gloves of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the hat of salvation and the book of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:12-18 (CSB with Ian’s revisions).

We are so accustomed to the war-like clothing that Paul is talking about that we can miss the intimacy of it all. Changing the armor to something we actually wear these days—rather than what the Ephesians were accustomed—may help you better understand the Armor of God. The pieces may be different but have the same result. Imagine as you are putting on your shirt saying, “I am putting on God’s righteousness.” As you put a belt on saying, “I am putting God’s Truth on.” Gloves may not work when it’s not Winter, so choose something else. The Full Armor of God is an allegory. Reframe it in modern terms to help you when you feel attacked, or even better, feel “armored-up” before you walk out the door.

1) When you trust the armor-maker (yes, armorer), can you calmly trust the armor to take the hit for you? Do you?

2) How should you respond when someone attacks (whether actual or perceived) a firmly held belief? Do you?

3) How do you handle people when they honestly come to a different conclusion on what the Scriptures say than you do? What happens when the resulting behavior from those different conclusions appears to be in conflict?

2019 07 25
Heart and Purpose

Psalm 20, Isaiah 50:7–11, John 3:16–21

“May he give you what your heart desires and fulfill your whole purpose.” Psalm 20:4

What does your heart desire?

What is your WHOLE purpose?

Those are two questions that humanity has wrestled with since the eyes/hearts/minds of Adam and Eve were opened in the Garden of Eden.

What we often do, however, is try to fill our hearts’ desires with things and activities that do not fulfill our whole purpose. In so doing, we are confused and disillusioned. We look to other people (who are just as confused and disillusioned) and try to find fulfillment based on what they say is the “right” way to be fulfilled.
Isaiah could have chosen the easy road, and probably had an easier time of it. However, he understood that often even while the heart is in pain (as his was), his heart desired God and Isaiah was fulfilled by following and obeying God.

“…people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:19)

This is the harshness of trying to be fulfilled by our own efforts.

“But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be showed to be accomplished by God.” In the Greek, accomplished strongly implies comprehensive, or fulfilled.

Chasing the light can be hard, but if fulfillment is truly what we seek, it is worth it.

As the world’s state generally improving, the immediate need and drive of survival come against purpose. As the awareness of purpose comes out, the lack of fulfillment becomes a threat to life: drugs, addictions, suicide, theft, violence. While throughout human existence, some of this has always existed, the levels are increasing rapidly.

We are called not just to walk in the light. We are called to be the light, and to carry the light of Christ into the darkness.

1) Why do you think suicide and addiction are often a person’s response to purposelessness?

2) What are new ways (or old ways in a new costume) that can bring hope and purpose to a world that doesn’t believe?

2019 07 13
Being and Becoming the Bridge

Isaiah 30:18–26, Isaiah 61:10–11, 1 Corinthians 3:5–11, 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

We are the bridge between the past and the future, with one foot in the past and one foot in the future.

The past of glory was gone, a faded memory. Perhaps to some it was just an old tale that was from the crazy aunt. David and Solomon? Sure. Whatever you say, Auntie.

Into hearts that resided in darkness, Isaiah spoke light and life. People who felt oppressed were promised the freedom of planting crops and harvesting them on their own behalf, not under the rule of foreigners. Not only that, Isaiah told them that they would turn their backs on their treasured idols. They were being told that the little gods that had protected them would be thrown away. That’s crazy!

Isaiah later talks about the earth and garden producing as they should, because God has provided salvation and blessed them. Not their idols. The promise of God’s blossoming righteousness in the hearts of people who had abandoned their God who had chosen them to bear his name.

Death to life. During this series of devotions, we haven’t spoken much on Lent, but with this last devotion for the Legacy series it seems appropriate. Lent comes from Old English and German, meaning spring. Spring comes at the end of Winter (the land almost “dead”, but waiting to come alive). Just like the Jews, who were in their “Winter”, so are we before our salvation.

Paul and Apollos worked on ground that wasn’t yet “alive”. Yet, they planted the faith and watered it. Eventually, new growth in dead ground came alive and blossomed. While others were fighting over who they followed (Paul, Apollos, or others), these coworkers in Christ looked ahead to see a crop that God empowered them to see, even if they did not see it now.

Our bridge from death to life and from past to future is the legacy of our faith. Paul proclaims it best, “…as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” The past and future. While we remember and honor the past, we must look to the future of ourselves, our family, our church, our faith, and the world.

1) What do you think the future of this church should look like? What can you do to help that vision come to pass?

2) Often, we are blinded to our vision of the future, and thus tear down the future visions of others. What can you and we do to embrace the visions of others for the future?

3) Paul’s concluding statement covers both past and future. How can Paul’s conclusion empower and educate your vision and how to make it come to pass?

2019 04 07
Salvation of Becoming
Psalm 2; Isaiah 2:1-4; Isaiah 56:1-8; Luke 2:41-52

Many people have taught and believed that once a person prays the Sinner’s Prayer that they are safe from Hell. The most famous one was used by Billy Graham to lead people to Christ. It is:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name.

Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) has a slightly different version, which is:

Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be.

And there are plenty more. While Billy Graham led people to Christ through this prayer, something is missing. The Cru version both simplifies and expands on the famous Billy Graham version. Do you see the biggest difference? Look to the end. The Billy Graham version goes, “…I want to…” The Cru version says, “…Take control…Make me…” Billy Graham firmly believed that relationship with Jesus was not, “say the prayer, and you are done.” Yet, many Christians, using Billy Graham’s prayer, believed exactly that. Many responded (related) to Jesus and lived (or live) a life of daily transformation. Others, sadly, said the prayer, did not change (nor submit to being changed), went on the way they already lived, but assumed they were saved.

The Cru version is better in that there is an identification that God will be doing the work, and the person will be doing the submission/inviting/surrendering. The Cru version gets closer to the heart of the matter. Salvation isn’t just a series of words, it is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

In Psalm 2 we read, “You are my son; today I have become your Father.” This a relational transformation. This is the next step of salvation. Both passages of Isaiah consist of relational transformation, you were this, you are now this. Relational transformation is not new to Christ. Through the prophets, God was saying it constantly. It is not the rules, it is the living.

This past Sunday, we heard about Jesus having difficulties of being a 12-year old boy, and doing things as a 12-year old boy would do. Part of the teaching was how after the event of being lost (okay, left behind) and found (at the Temple), Jesus was obedient, and increased in wisdom and stature. This too is relational transformation. There is a tidbit that wasn’t discussed, as it would have distracted from the message: the question of Jesus’ response.

There are 2 common translations of Jesus’ words, “…being about my Father’s business…,” and “…be in my Father’s house…” There is a continuity in Jesus’ words, and that is the relationship to God the Father. While we might take it for granted (especially, since it’s Jesus), in the context of the day, Jesus was connecting his identity (and his inheritance) to God the Father, not Joseph his father. Culturally, this is similar to saying, “you’re dead to me,” to Joseph. While this, of course, wasn’t Jesus’ intent, we can take a lesson from it.

When we pray the sinner’s prayer, make the commitment to allow ourselves to be transformed, and choose to be in relationship with God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), we are telling the death, the powers of darkness, the world, and our sin, “you are dead to me.” We then take on the mantle of a child of God.
1. If Jesus is the Savior, the Lord, why is the temptation so strong to just “get it done” with a prayer? How should the knowledge of that temptation inform your life with Jesus?
2. Regarding your spiritual life (church, life groups, devotional reading, bible reading, prayer), are you tempted to just, “get it done,” so that you can check it off the list?
3. Why does “get it done” work against a relationship?
4. [FD] Why do you want a relationship with Jesus? What is a relationship?
2019 01 11
Joy in Redemption

Genesis 25:25-34, Exodus 15:12-18, Psalm 23

The family life of Isaac and Jacob—the patriarchs of the tribes of Israel—is not ideal. Favoritism of love is shown. Despising of family and property is displayed through hunger. This is not a family form to follow. God’s Word often shows that the people that God chose to carry his name and blessing weren’t perfect. In fact, some of them seem to have very few redeeming qualities. In other words, God chose to carry his name and blessing through people just like us.

Moses’ exultation of God in Exodus can seem overbearing toward people who don’t follow God. The entire purpose of that overbearingness is to show God’s power and glory through a people despised and rejected. In fact, this is an echo of the passage in Genesis, for some of the people who are opposing of the Israelites return (coming into their inheritance) are the descendants of Esau who despised his inheritance. God leads and loves those on the outside.

Psalm 23 is probably the best-known Psalm, even outside of Christian and Jewish circles. In it, God’s care of his people is first presented in the role of a shepherd. As the shepherd, God makes the sheep lie down and rest. When the shepherd (God) does lead the sheep, they are so confident and trusting in God, that they followed through darkness and fear.

The Psalm then transforms from sheep to a person for whom the table is set. In other words, the sheep has now become the guest. That is not a small transformation, to go from stubborn (won’t rest), to following (through fear and death), to guest.

1) The family in Genesis is not great. How are the relationships shown between people: Isaac, Rebekah, Esau, Jacob? Think of how scripture shows and doesn’t show those relationships.

2) Redemption is one of the biggest ways God shows his love. How is redemption shown in each of today’s passages?

3) What imagery attracts you most in Psalm 23? What do you think that shows you about a need in your life that should be filled by God, rather than the world?

KD) Why do you think that God uses the image of sheep when he talks about his people?

2018 12 20
Trusting Joy

Psalm 37:3-6, Joel 2:12-13, Isaiah 12:2-6, James 1:2-4

Integrity, so it is said, is doing the right thing when nobody is watching. It can be tempting to do the wrong thing when no one is watching. It is often easy to do the right thing when everyone is cheering.

It’s when no one is cheering, or people are even grumbling or threatening those who do right, that we come to the hard part of living out our faith.

“Trust in the LORD, and do what is good…”
Psalm 37:3

“…I will trust [the LORD] and not be afraid…”
Isaiah 12:2

When it gets tough to do right, all we can do is trust God. Sounds easy, but how often do we fail to trust God, and instead trust ourselves, others, or things?

James calls on us to be filled with joy in these situations. Joy? Yes, even in these situations. Perhaps, joy is most critical in these situations. The freedom to feel joy is fully reliant on trusting God.

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, we know with our heads that we need to trust you. As we are frail human beings, help our hearts to trust you further than yesterday, and even more so tomorrow. Grant us the peaceful assurance of your grace, compassion, patience and love. Help us to continue to seek the coming Messiah, and to be filled with joy of knowing you.

Holy Spirit, be with us through the remainder of the Advent season, stirring our hearts to not take Christmas for granted, but to be stirred into action of joy-filled praise of the Father, Son, and You. Continue to quicken our hearts and aid us in our journey of faith.

Jesus, Son of God, thank you for becoming like us. Thank you for experiencing a life like ours. We are thankful that you know temptation, yet did not sin, giving us strength to choose the God-lit path of faith that goes through the darkness.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we lift you up on our praise. Help us to joyfully sing your praise, for your glory.

Amen.

2018 12 14
Light Walking

Psalm 4, Isaiah 26:1-13, Matthew 5:13-16

“Many are asking, ‘Who can show us anything good?’ Let the light of your face shine on us LORD.”
Psalm 4:6

“I long for you in the night; yes, my spirit within me diligently seeks you…”
Isaiah 26:9

Yesterday, we read about being the light of Christ. In the context of yesterday’s reading, it is the light of Christ that shines peace onto and into a world of darkness. Today is Monday. People went to work or school or out into the public. Did you? Did you remember that you are a bearer of Christ’s light of peace? Or were you the person that hid the light underneath the basket.

Have you ever walked around with a lit candle (or candles, if we’re talking birthday cakes)? Think about walking and the flame. If you walk too fast, the candle goes out. If you put your hand in front of the candle, the light going ahead of you is blocked. Lastly, if you stare at the candle while walking to watch and make sure the candle doesn’t go out, your eyes begin to hurt, and you can temporarily blind yourself.

Too fast? In this day and age, it is far too easy to go too fast. Too fast driving, too fast living, and, most importantly, too fast to have deep relationships.

Hand in front? If you prevent the light from guiding and informing your path, you will end up someplace other than Jesus wants you.

Staring at the candle? Too focused on doing “all the right things” (the light is good) causes one to focus not so much on something bad. It also blinds us to what is around us and the need to do something about it. What’s the point of bringing the light without sharing the peace?

1) We each have one of those areas where we are focused on doing stuff and forget people. Where are you being too fast in your life?

2) We all struggle with weakness and temptation, and so try to protect the light of Christ we have. Yet, if we spend all our efforts protecting it, it does not serve its purpose. How are you trying to control things that is keeping God from working through you?

3) Focusing on the flame? Being like Jesus, is not staring at the light that he gives, but doing what he did. You are not Jesus, however, you’re going to make a mistake. You’re going to make a mess. Focus on carrying the light into the mess of your life and the lives of others. Where do you need to spread the light, rather than focusing on your understanding of the light?

2018 12 10
Quenching Our Light

Isaiah 9:6-7, John 8:12-19, Philippians 4:4-9

We are sheltered from the dark. For the most of us, light is but a moment away, whether it is the dining room light or a flashlight. If you’ve ever spent a night out in the wilderness with a new moon (i.e., completely shaded by the Earth, and not giving off light), you experienced a wild darkness. In darkness, even in the “safe” darkness of our homes, our hearing becomes more sensitive, and we have a tendency to jump at noises that we don’t even notice in the day.

“It is better to light the candle than to curse the darkness,” said William L. Watkinson in his sermon, “The Invincible Strategy.” The Christian doesn’t turn a blind eye to the darkness that covers the world. Instead, the Christian chooses to bear the light of Christ into the world. In a dark room, a candle can shed enough light to make us feel more comfortable. When confronted by darkness, light brings us peace.

In a similar way, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, brought light into the world, and our lives. The light of Christ, if we allow it, burns away the darkness inside of us that often seems to overtake us. When the light of Christ pushes away the dark, we can rest in the warmth of Christ and find peace. How this works is a spiritual mystery. That it works is testified to by generations of Christ followers.

Yet, we often are the worst quenchers of Christ’s light in ourselves and others. Whether it’s through envy, greed, pain (physical/emotional/spiritual), accident, or error, many things can quench the light of Christ in others. We can quench our own light by putting too much emphasis on the ways (and errors) of the world and others, and continually looking left, right, backwards, forwards, instead of looking up to Christ.

1) How is our comfort in the dark at home, similar to the struggles we have living a Christian life?

2) We often compare ourselves to others, or hold ourselves to a very high standard, when carrying the light of Christ. How is that good? How is that bad? What is the dividing point between good and bad?

3/KD) Being the light can be quite simple, but we often make it hard for ourselves, and for others. What is something simple that you will do today to be the light of Christ for someone else? What will you do tomorrow?

2018 12 09