Devotion.al

Tag: Epiphany

  • Wall Fall

    Wall Fall

    Jeremiah 19:1–15; Revelation 18:11–20

    Whether big or small, the demise of a city is no small thing. It could be because of failing to respect God, or if it’s because of mismanagement, or if it’s because of something out of the city’s control.

    A city is a home to many people, and its demise should never be glossed over. Often, especially in the Scriptures, the fall of the city is the larger picture of the fall of humanity.

    Imagine Jeremiah prophesying the demise of Jerusalem, a city he if for no other reason it was the place God put God’s . There is a reason why Jeremiah is often called the weeping prophet. He mourned the loss of Jerusalem.

    The heartbreaking part is that the loss and fall of Jerusalem meant that God was taking God’s name and away. While Jeremiah foretold , it wouldn’t be for a long time. It is also quite possible that Jeremiah wondered if Israel would really .

    The fall of Jerusalem was because of the unfaithfulness of the people. That unfaithfulness was in the Promised Land and in the City of God! It is quite possible that he was afraid that they would fall so far when they were in exile, that they would defy God again.

    Babylon could be considered symbolic of that exact scenario. The time for possible redemption had long since passed. Babylon had knowingly and willingly gone against God. It became a place of abandonment. Even those allied to it, and who benefitted from it stayed away as it fell.

    Those around Jerusalem would celebrate its fall as they looked to benefiting from its demise. On the other hand, Babylon was mourned as it fell, not because of the people, the depravity, or the lack of God, but because people would no longer benefit (especially make money) from it.

    The “” of both cities was something mourned by God. God wants to seek redemption and reconciliation. Eventually, Jerusalem (or those who descended from it) did. Babylon is in the last throes of the of times. There is no turnaround for it.

    While time flows, there is always time for redemption and reconciliation. However, at some point, time will end, and redemption and reconciliation are no more.

    ※Reflection※

    • Just as people’s ability to reconcile to God has an end, so does our time on earth (death). Is there some reconciliation and redemption that you need to seek or grant?
    • With the painful throes of politics, economies, lives, and viruses, have perceived the end of time, yet? If so, what has changed in how you approach regarding the Gospel? If not, why do you think you haven’t been impacted?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we see the end of things as imminent, no matter how far away they are. Help to feel the urgency and importance of sharing the Gospel. Help us to partner with you to reconcile and redeem the world. Amen.

  • Why So Serious?

    Why So Serious?

    Luke 18:15–17

    Faith is a serious business. It’s true. From an orthodox , it has an impact. So, it is serious.

    Serious, though, doesn’t mean solemn.

    A few years ago, I experienced a -changing question: what is your first experience of God? I was flummoxed. I had no idea. I knew my (relatively) more recent experiences, but my first?

    I was grateful that I would be answering the question last. I sat and prayed. “God, when was it the first time I encountered you?”

    God responded (to my heart/mind), “ the scar?”

    The scar is right below my right eyebrow. After so many years, it wasn’t important.

    God reintroduced me to the memory of a hike with my and some of his acquaintances.   I was 4 or 5, I think, and the only kid. We were walking up a hill on a trail/road. I had looked out to the valley below and “it” hit me. I then tripped and fell. I now had a bleeding gash. My dad cleaned me up, put a butterfly bandage on it, and off we went.

    The people in my group were a little puzzled. How could that possibly be a God encounter? Part of my spiritual wiring is trees and mountains. For me that’s almost an automatic response…God is here.

    That feeling of awe and wonder isn’t so solemn. Thanks be to God!

    Awe and wonder are indeed a gift from God. The of children is that they can still have simple awe and wonder.

    If we cannot wonder, then what kind of relationship do we have with God? If we have no awe, we are often only filled with . That isn’t a good relationship either.

    This passage is often brought up as an encouragement to raise children in the faith. I wonder (I had to), though, if this was the first or only time this happened.

    Children often know a person who authentically loves them. They like hanging around such a person. Often, they are louder, more joy-filled, and just want to have fun!

    What if the adults were so solemn, they saw a prophet and were afraid? What if the children saw a friend, and were full of joy?

    ※Reflection※

    When was the last time you just wondered at, with, and about God?

    ※Prayer※

    God, may we wonder in your and see all of through your eyes. Amen.

  • We Love Talking About It

    We Love Talking About It

    1 Samuel 15:7–15; Acts 5:1–11

    Every pastor’s favorite sermon topic is tithing/. Every pastor absolutely loves talking about you are to give freely to God by giving to the church and other missional activities.

    In case you’re wondering, that was sarcasm. Most pastor’s hate it. And, most people hate hearing it, because they often feel guilty about it. Hatred of the topic may be a veneer over the fear of Christianly dealing with money.

    John Wesley had a famous sermon on money. From it was gained a saying, “…Gain all you can… all you can…Give all you can….” Part of the problem with this saying is all the “…” that are part of it. They show that there is far more than just these 12 words. The context of each set of 4 words makes a lot of difference in how one interprets them.

    “All you can” is the real crux of the issue. “All you can” at what cost? John Wesley had a distinct moral code regarding “Gain all you can.” Some of today’s business owners might be okay. Others might not. Still others would not be able to figure it out.

    John Wesley was concerned that people who sought to gain would do it at the expense of others. In many respects, we could capitalism with a heart. On the other hand, we could view it as capitalism with a long view for the benefit of humanity.

    If the long view of a business, and its profit, is for the benefit of humanity, that’s a good start. Destroying the environment would be harming God’s , so it would fail Wesley’s test, too. Much of our modern profiting, though, is a lot grayer.

    Saving is the next thing. Saving is not hoarding. Saving is more along the lines of protection of the wellbeing of one’s and self. Hoarding is gathering as much as one can and preventing others from gaining.

    In John Wesley’s era, far too many people owed money. It was a way of life. For some, it was the only way to feed their families. Today we think of credit card debt, home mortgages, student loans, and car loans. The amount of most of those loans could have been greatly reduced with good planning and a willingness to delay gratification. This is (for example) one area that the Church could be both a better of action and of prophecy.

    “Give all you can” can be a trip. Often, even those of us in the Wesley tradition use it or perceive it as more of a guilt scale. Wesley, while big on charity, didn’t seem to be particularly guilt-driven. However, by some accounts, he failed the “save all you can” for his family, for he gave all he could.

    Gain(earn)/save/give is a balancing act.

    Many Christians are like Saul. “Oh, I’ll give the difficult or unwanted stuff to God.” Sounds like many people who give broken stuff to a church. The church then often must pay to dispose of it. Saul turned a commandment from God into we’ll benefit, oh, and maybe God will like a little bit, too.

    The path of Ananias and Sapphira was “look at what we did. We gave everything (oh, except that part we kept back).” They wanted the accolades about the total sacrifice, rather than just giving freely and joyfully. If they’d given 90% and kept 10% and were honest about it, everything would have been fine.

    Far too many preachers (and non-profit type) folks about a person’s checkbook as the litmus test. It isn’t. It would be nice if the 10% rule (from the time of Israel) had been sufficient. It wasn’t. When a person has a rule (10%), the heart doesn’t have to go along.

     It is the motive behind our use of money that is the point of tithing and giving.

    God created the world. God already has the money (as if God needed it). God wants our heart.

    ※Reflection※

    • When a church or non-profit person starts talking about money, what’s your first response? How about an entrepreneur, investor, banker, or politician?
    • What is so captivating about money and stuff?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, may you be the Lord of our heart. May the of mammon in us be overwhelmed and transformed by the sanctification of Spirit. Amen.

  • Breaking Ties

    Breaking Ties

    Psalm 86; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1

    “But thank God, who is always leading us around through Christ as if we were in a parade. He releases the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere through us.” —2 Corinthians 2:14 (CEB)

    I have to admit, I tried to be optimistic that I would be able to stop alluding and directly addressing US after the election. Bluntly, it gets rather tiring. However, as I see my brothers and sisters in Christ responding to the world, it may well be that politics is the greatest worldly vice that the church needs to confront. As a pastor, I cannot help but believe that addressing church politics may be a call for a while.

    Much of the reason is that the church is hurting. As much as certain people would like to blame the current president for the situation, that is really denying reality. The blessing (yes, blessing) of the current (yes, soon to be former) president’s time in office is that the church, in particular the white evangelical brand, has had to confront how much it has been in the pocket of politics.

    What has followed quickly behind, is the awareness that the so-called liberal (not sure the label applies) “side” of the church (universal) is equally in the pocket of politics, just a different side’s. We, as the church, need to confess that we are in bondage to sin…political power.

    The Corinthians have been turning away (or withdrawing their affection) from Paul, as local influencers are successfully convincing them that Paul is a sham. Who these influencers are exactly is open to interpretation, but much of the challenge is due to the apparent difference in Paul’s tone and “presence” when he is away versus when he is physically present. Paul calls out the Corinthian church for being “yoked” to these unbelievers, rather than Christ.

    The church has been unequally yoked with US politics and has seemed to cast off the yoke of Jesus Christ.

    To be clear, I follow many Christians on both “sides” (which in and of itself is a sad of the church) of politics. The general lack of grace given to Christians and leaders of opposing political views breaks the of God. Whether we’re talking about splinters and logs (Matthew 7:2–4), abortion, the death penalty, homelessness, unemployment, COVID, we are called to one another…ESPECIALLY our brothers and sisters in Christ.

    In a republic, but even in a dictatorship, the church should use what influence it has to make the world look just a little bit more like the of God. That can be a tall order. The world, however, has been successful in turning the Church into a loyal voting block rather than a prophetic witness against the ills of the world.

    Being “unequally” yoked is an odd turn of phrase in this context. Yet, it is due to one thing…the world’s power is not the Church’s. The Church’s powers are not the world’s. The world seems to know that its power is not the same, so tries to convince the Church that the world’s power is the best way to “reach” the world. The ? The Church cannot successfully wield the world’s power and remain the Church.

    Paul’s admonition to the Church of Corinth is regarding the church allowing unbelievers to tell the church how to treat and behave toward fellow believers. That admonition stands today.

    ※Reflection※

    • What do politics and politicians tempt you (personally) with? How might that interfere with Jesus’ call on your ?
    • As harsh as it sounds, why might political power be a sin? How might it not be?
    • As Christians, we are called to God’s Kingdom. As earthly citizens, we are called to exercise our right/responsibility to vote. How do we balance the 2 powers, and be to being salt and light?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, forgive us. Help us have the , endurance, love, and grace to be healers of our homes. Amen.

  • Live Freely

    Live Freely

    1 Corinthians 6:12–20; John 1:43–51

    In the US, is a significant cultural . Often, we use language such as “free country”. The Declaration of Independence is quoted most often with, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are , Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

    The problem with such an ideology has been shown in the context of liberty. We are currently watching political extremes play out in the public “square” where one person’s pursuit of happiness in in direct conflict with another’s.

    The US Constitution is an imperfect document. It cannot deal with the myriad of people who want to rewrite it in their own image (equally an issue in the 2 primary political parties).

    The US Constitution is, in many respects, a contract. Far too many people read it just like the read the terms and conditions on credit cards, mobile phones, internet agreements, account usages, etc.. In other words, there are too many people (politicians, media hosts, regular people) who haven’t read the constitution.

    Yet, many people believe they have “rights” based on the tendency to misunderstand that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are not the same document and have completely different intents.

    So, what do “rights” and “freedom” have to do with Christ? A whole lot and very little.

    As a Roman citizen, Paul had rights and privileges that many people didn’t. Since he was born a citizen (see Acts 22:28) and was a Jew (a Benjaminite), at a minimum his had bought rights or was granted them. Thus, at birth, Paul was a citizen.

    Paul’s privilege may have well put him in a place of societal and political superiority of the Jewish world. He was an official part of Roman society and had special legal protection. From a legal standpoint, Paul’s privilege was not “white privilege” (as we hear today). From a functional viewpoint, however, it may not be far off.

    When Paul talks about freedom, therefore, we must understand that he knew quite well what his freedom was in comparison to many (even most) Christians. He could do things, own things, influence things in ways could not.

    Recently, an acquaintance—George Holleway—wrote, “Christians, you may have freedom of speech constitutionally, but you don’t have it biblically.”

    The immediate was an argument that combined scripture with US culture and (and the constitution fits into both). It showed an ignorance of scripture and a presumption of culture that should deeply concern the .

    Paul’s words are slightly different than George’s, but both Paul and George have the same presumption…Christ comes first. Even the secular constitution has something with Paul’s words, others are important to our freedom.

    For the constitution, it was to protect the people from the overreach of government (remember, we elected them). For the church, and Christ, it is to protect people from Hell.

    Christians, we aren’t free to do whatever we want. We are free to do the will of Jesus Christ who came to earth to live and die, that we might be children of God.

    ※Reflection※

    • Why is it important to understand the difference between constitutional freedom and freedom in Jesus Christ?
    • To you, what does “freedom in Jesus Christ” allow you to do? What does it—if anything—prevent you from doing?
    • What is the difference between “freedom of” and “freedom in”?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, we call you Lord and Savior. In our world, Lord doesn’t have the impact it should. Help us to truly understand what it means that you are the Lord of our lives. Amen.

  • Flame Bright in the Dark

    Flame Bright in the Dark

    Matthew 25:1–13

    The Creed (one of the statements of belief that cross all Christian denominations) is as follows (maybe even read it aloud):

     We believe in one God,
        the Father, the Almighty,
        maker of heaven and earth,
        of all that is, seen and unseen.
 We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
        the only Son of God,
        eternally begotten of the Father,
        God from God, Light from Light,
        true God from true God,
        begotten, not made,
        of one Being with the Father;
        through him all things were made.
        For us and for our salvation
                he came down from heaven,
                was incarnate of the  Spirit and the Virgin Mary
                and became truly human.
                For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
                he suffered death and was buried.
                On the third day he rose again
                in accordance with the ;
                he ascended into heaven
                and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
                He will come again in  to judge the living and the dead,
                and his  will have no end.
 We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of ,
        who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
        who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
        who has spoken through the prophets.
        We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic .
        We acknowledge one  for the forgiveness of sins.
        We look for the resurrection of the dead,
                and the life of the world to come. Amen.

    In the Church of the Nazarene, we don’t say this creed much. Which really is too bad. It is the basics of the universal Christian faith.

    In the light of today’s Scripture, it is “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end” that is our focus.

    Today’s Scripture is a warning to be ready for the return of Jesus. We lose a lot of this story because so much of it is cultural. The bridesmaids are to escort the bride (and essentially the ) to the groom’s home for the marriage ceremony.

    There would be dancing and singing along the way. Sleeping was wise. However, part of the situation is that there was often last-minute negotiations between the families of the bride and groom.

    So, the announcement of “the groom comes” could be done, and then something else would come up, and the whole thing would begin again. The reality was that “the groom comes” could be said many times without a groom actually coming.

    The coming of Christ has been that way for 2000 years. “He’s coming…oh, wait…He’s coming…oh, wait…” That cycle has been repeated for generations. Many of us recall multiple times in our lives when people have been convinced that Jesus was coming back.

    We are the bridesmaids. We are the bride (the church). It’s weird, I know. We are both bridesmaids and bride and yet still ourselves.

    Christmas wasn’t that long ago. Part of the story is the glory of Heaven that shined down and declared the birth of the Savior. (less than 2 weeks ago, and still the church season) is about a star that led unbelievers to venerate the new King.

    Whether a thief in the night, a baby in a manger, a choir from Heaven, somehow Christ will come in glory. We are called to be prepared.

    ※Prayer※

    Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. May we be continually preparing for his return. 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 , 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 , 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, Jesus the Savior came.

    ※Reflection※

    Have you ever had a big struggle trying to solve a problem or meet 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.

  • Mighty

    Mighty

    Judges 2:6–15; 2 Corinthians 10:1–11

    At this point, there are a lot of stirred up people. You might even be one of them. The question is, what really is stirring you?

    Is it a belief that the current president is a lunatic and must be destroyed (metaphorically or in reality)? Is it a belief that the current president is the leader that will lead the country to some sort of ?

    In the middle of this mess are Christians. Some are confused. Many are disgusted. Some champion the president. Some champion the president-elect. Theoretically, all treasure Jesus Christ as Lord.

    That’s the rub.

    One of the constant mutterings of the church (on myriad “sides” of many issues) is about a . A real Christian nation wouldn’t [fill in the blank]. What if we never knew what a Christian nation was? What if, there has never been a “true” Christian nation in history?

    When we look at what happens after the death of Joshua, it’s easy (and understandable) to put much of the blame on Joshua and that’s generations’ leaders. On the other hand, no one forced the Israelites to pick up the patterns of the defeated people, especially the Baal and Astarte’s worship.

    In far too many respects, the mythos of a Christian nation is as spiritually deadly as the mythos of an Israelite nation upon the death of Joshua (and his peers). “We are a/the [religion] nation.” It can become a great deceit.

    Thus, God’s is sharper than any sword. Paul’s words in letters were far sharper than his presence. Why? Often a letter is missing so much of the feeling and emotion of presence.

    There is a reason why emojis and emoticons have become such a part of the digital world…text only goes so far. However, sometimes the lack of emotion in the text makes it the very thing we need.

    Just as Paul’s letter to the Corinthians was one of , his previous letter(s) had apparently earned him a reputation.

    God’s letter, the Bible, is much the same. It is God’s story to us. We do miss a lot of God’s emotions. Yet perhaps we need a lot of sharpening.

    It was my that we would be beyond this. It was my hope that we would be stepping toward . That is not the case.

    While it will be easy to point at one president or one political party, the is that we are as much the issue as anyone else. The truth is that we are in as great a need of God’s word shaping and sharpening us as anyone else.

    ※Reflection※

    What is something in your that needs sharpening by God’s word?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, let your word shape us, and your love strengthen to be your hands, feet, and words in this world. Amen.