Devotion.al

Tag: faith

  • Wolves Invisible

    Wolves Invisible

    Psalm 62:5–12; Jeremiah 20:14–18; Luke 10:13–16

    Do you know the story of “The Boy Who Cried, Wolf”? The shepherd boy who falsely cried “wolf” so many times that after some time no one would come to his aid. Of course, as the case with moral tales, the real wolves came, he cried “wolf”, and no one came. He died.

    This could be a tale of bearing false (the 9th Commandment). It also could be because not everyone has the same vision.

    We see that all the time from politics, to businesses, to churches, to families. Each person has a slightly different “vision” of the future. Often, we criticize, minimize, denigrate, and insult those that have a different vision. It can be hard, especially if they’re , yet those differences are the “spice” and “flavor” of life.

     The 11 Apostles (remember, one of the original 12 died) received their commission, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the and of the , teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present .” [Matthew 28:18–20, CEB]

    Go into the [whole] world. Such a small thing. It’s kind of like a commencement address, full of a huge concept that sounds awesome and inspiring, then (just like commencement) on the other side, reality hits.

    It is what is on the other side that reveals the foundation of our life.

    The Psalmist that God is “rock and salvation”, a “stronghold”. If indeed humans are nothing but a , nothing but lies, and don’t even register on a scale (all from an “absolutist” infinite deity perspective), what little remains of a human’s worth is based upon their foundation.

    Jeremiah mourned the event of his birth. His grief was based on a couple of things. First, he was a “messenger of doom” for Israel. That was pretty rough.

    Second, he mourned the hardness of of the Israelites. He couldn’t understand how the Israelites could be so heart- and faith-less toward God. The entirety of the story of Israel revolved around what God did!

    ‘ reprimands to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum echo what Jeremiah said. “Doom is coming. The consequences of your decision to harden your hearts and reveling in that hardness is coming.” (Ian’s summation)

    The reprimand is a result of cities not welcoming the harbingers of the Kingdom of God (it’s more of an advance warning for when it happens). The disciples of Jesus were to be completely dependent upon the towns and people they would come to.

    They were not sent with massive amounts of money, food, clothing, or protection (no weapons). They were sent as they were. They might have had a drachma or denarius or a few. They had a pair of sandals (which they were wearing). They had the clothes (again, that they were wearing). That’s it.

    And off they went, the commencement of the first missionary event.

    Most of us are uncomfortable with being missionaries. Regardless, the Great Commission is still our mission. You are a missionary right where and when you are now.

    If you think there is no one that you are and are to be a missionary to, pray that God gives you the spiritual eyes to see who is before you. Perhaps why the is so weak right now isn’t because we are “set aside” or are “unimportant”. Perhaps we have long forgotten that we are to not just be missionaries to the world; we are also to be missionaries to each other (the “bible-ish” word is edify).

    Many of us are looking for that special answer or that perfect argument. Others of us want to be an example yet realize that compared to Jesus we are not much to look at.

    We are called to cry, “wolf”, and the world doesn’t believe us. It’s hard to explain the wolves coming that they cannot see.

    ※Reflection※

    • When we looking for the special answer, perfect argument, or being the example, what is the real foundation of that?
    • Why is it necessary to be missionaries to one another (to edify)?
    • The example of the disciples’ first missionary journey is not burdened with “stuff”. How can that be an example of our journey? What could be a wrong application of this lesson?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord Jesus, you have called us to go into the world. Help us be the encouragers of others, that all your church—your —will reach the world for your name’s sake. Amen.

  • Why So Serious?

    Why So Serious?

    Luke 18:15–17

    Faith is a serious business. It’s true. From an orthodox Christian , 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 /mind), “remember 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 isn’t so solemn. Thanks be to God!

    Awe and wonder are indeed a from God. The blessing 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 fear. 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 -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.

  • 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 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,  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 
                he came down from heaven,
                was incarnate of the Holy 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 Scriptures;
                he ascended into heaven
                and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
                He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
                and his kingdom will have no end.
 We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
        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 Church.
        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 of Jesus. We lose a lot of this story because so much of it is cultural. The bridesmaids are to escort the (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 .

    ※Prayer※

    Christ has died. Christ has risen. Christ will come again. May we be continually preparing for his return. Amen.

  • Not Yours, But God’s

    Not Yours, But God’s

    Psalm 69:1–5, 30–36; Genesis 17:1–13; Romans 4:1–12

    “Abram” translates to “exalted ancestor”. “Abraham” translates to “ancestor of a multitude”. While Ismael was Abraham’s (the son he had with Sarah’s servant), it didn’t quite connect with Abraham as Ishmael wasn’t a result of him and Sarah (his wife and ).Both names had their own sting. “Exalted ancestor” requires more than just the son of a servant, but grandchildren. “Ancestor of a multitude” probably stung worse, for that would seem to imply even more. He had only one.

    Yet, as Scriptures attest to (and Paul recapitulates) Abraham trusted God, and Paul notes that God “attributed” to Abraham righteousness. The strong implication for many commentators was that God “considered” Abraham because of his /, not because of his actions. In addition, many infer that it also means that God viewed Abraham as righteous in spite of any possible failings or sins that Abraham had.

    Circumcision was the that in some respects “remembered” the covenant that God made with Abraham. One could view it as God choosing Abraham’s descendants, setting them aside, and treating them as righteous, even when they weren’t. The Israelites were set aside for God. The males bore the mark.

    The similarity between circumcision and are often drawn. Especially in the Christian traditions that baptize infants, it is quite simple. Even in the traditions that perform believer’s baptism, the imputation of righteousness is still there.

    When we are baptized (as infant or believer), the righteousness we receive is that of . It isn’t ours. Just as in circumcision, or even infant baptism, the promise is performed before the child has a choice.

    The reality is that almost the entirety of our relationship with God…the entirety of our becoming more like God…is because of God.

    Paul draws baptism and circumcision together. Paul needed his Jewish brethren to understand that baptism was a valid entrance into the family of God. He also needed the Gentiles to understand that baptism was part of tradition that went back in time, tying them to a tradition and people and God they were only beginning to understand.

    ※Reflection※

    • What traditions family, cultural, and/or religious tie you to the past? Why is being rooted in the past helpful when going ?
    • The majority of traditions/theology (there are outliers) believe in only one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. Why do you think that is?

    ※Prayer※

    God, your word goes to a past we do not fully know. Your word also goes forward to a time we cannot see. Thank you for the guidance that your word provides us, and may we share the gift of your word to others. Amen.

  • Inconceivable!

    Inconceivable!

    1 Samuel 16:1–13; 1 Timothy 4:11–16

    In the movie, The Princess Bride, Vizzini the Sicilian (trust me, it’s part of the plot) faces against the supposed Dread Pirate Roberts. The Dread Pirate Roberts defies Vizzini’s plans and expectations. Each time, the word, “Inconceivable,” escapes Vizzini’s lips. Finally, the “dumb” “brute” (again, a tongue-in-cheek part of the plot) looks at Vizzini and says, “I do not think that word means what you think it means.”

    In stories of God, “inconceivable” is often the underlying . Even to this day, “inconceivable” is that thought that God would become a being (we all know how bad of an idea that is) and then die for them. It’s, a Vizzini would say, inconceivable.

    That God would promise a mere a place and a massive group of descendants, it’s well…inconceivable. That God would these (now) slave descendants from the most powerful military in the world, walk them through standing water, create a covenant with them and, call them God’s people. It’s inconceivable.

    If we Christians, our Jewish predecessors, and even our somewhat related (though tenuous at best) Muslim fellow Monotheists were really honest regarding the that we have been handed, we should be able to sympathize and even empathize with those who do not believe that God would do this. To them it makes no sense! It is inconceivable!

    That’s part of our problem. We are so close to the issue (not, sadly, necessarily God) that we are often unable to see just how inconceivable our faith is. This is especially true for those who claim to only hold onto the “” they can see before them.

    For Samuel, it had been inconceivable that people would not choose God. The reality was that the people themselves, had insight that Samuel may have forgotten. People are fallen, and even those bestowed with the duties (e.g., priests, seers, etc) from God can be bad people. Their choice of King was logical (to a point).

    King Saul was, really, a valiant king. He did a few unwise things. He did play “priest”, which was a career (i.e., king) limiting move. God called the next one. The next one? Was a shepherd boy sent out to the far fields and not quite forgotten by his . The selection of David was…inconceivable.

    There is a reason why God talks to Samuel about seeing as God sees. Samuel thought it was inconceivable that the sons of Jesse who were present were not satisfactory.

    This is also the underlying message of Paul to Timothy. Paul told Timothy that while it may be culturally and religiously inconceivable that such a young man (scholars put him at around 35-40, at this point) should be the “pastor-in-charge”, it was Timothy’s charge to fulfill.

    While Paul supported the presbyters (we’d say elders, and Paul really did mean AARP elders who were deep in the faith), Timothy’s call was not to be taken lightly. In fact, what we know of Timothy was that he was likely a little sickly, and almost definitely the “quiet as a church mouse” type who avoided conflict. Paul was telling him that these people were his responsibility. He must not hide away from it.

    Think on that. Paul, who was not shy about conflict, had “raised up” a person to fill his shoes who was not like him. Paul who got in the proverbial face of Peter, who had to have dramatic confrontation with to take the right path…Paul “chose” that timid guy? It’s (yep) inconceivable.

    ※Reflection※

    • Why is it important to not only recognize, but to also embrace, the inconceivable-ness of God?
    • You might be offended (or know someone who is) that thinking about God as inconceivable. Why would such be offensive? Why might it help to understand God’s inconceivable-ness when it comes to explaining your faith?
    • If you were to take “the brute’s” words of, “I do not think that word means what you think it means,” and apply it to the inconceivable-ness of God, what happens?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, there is something to be said and to be grateful that we are finite. We cannot understand the depth of your or love. We also cannot understand the depth of your sorrow, loss, and mourning that you have experienced. Help us to be grateful for the that is the inconceivable-ness of you. Help us to be grateful for what we do know. That you love us so much that Jesus came to die for us. Amen!

  • You Want Me to do What?

    You Want Me to do What?

    1 Samuel 3:1–21; Acts 9:10–19a

    One of the biggest memes currently floating around is basically “forget 2020”. The gist of it is that it was such an upsetting year (politically, culturally, environmentally, health-wise, etc.) that we should just put it behind us. Is that, though, what we should do?

    Eli was not the head priest that he was called to be. Earlier in 1 Samuel 2, we read that his sons took their place as priests as a license to do as they wished. Their practices regarding the sacrifices and toward the women serving in the are noted. We can safely assume that if they were willing to do that, the undocumented part of the lives wasn’t any better.

    Eli’s admonishment of his sons was weak at best. He did not utilize his authority nor exercise his responsibility to “de-frock” (as we would it today). Eli wasn’t evaluated based upon his sons’ behavior, but based upon how he practiced his role as head priest. There is a strong inference to make that it was the combination of Eli’s lack of effective and his sons’ ongoing behavior that the family would be doomed going forward, as they were mentioned together (in 1 Samuel 2) in the resulting consequence.

    To be clear, the character of God, and the bear out, that God would have restored Eli’s family had they repented (concluded with action, not just words). Instead, as Eli’s response to Samuel shows, they (as a family) took a fatalistic view. “The Lord wills it.”

    The between Eli and God (and probably Eli’s sons and God) seems less of a friend and more of a taskmaster. What is even more telling is something we read in 1 Samuel 1; Eli is more than will to correct the perceived behaviors of others (Samuel’s mother). Eli’s sons, as priests, are left alone without consequences.

    Ananias also received bad news from God. He was to go to the man who lead the uprooting, exiling, and even killing of other followers of The Way (the name of the sect prior to being called Christian). Ananias viewed it as a death sentence.

    Ananias’ response was quite different to Eli’s. Ananias was scared. While we could interpret it as a “fatalistic” (i.e., if I die, it’s God’s will), that does not really appear to be Ananias’ heart. Ananias was obedient and trusting that God had a plan. Ananias trusted that he would survive the “” encounter, for God did not send him to die (he believed). That’s not fatalism.

    Ananias chose to face reality. Ananias chose to walk ahead in faith, trust, and . He made this decision while knowing the past.

    Looking back at 2020 and looking toward 2021, we can either be Eli or Ananias.

    ※Reflection※

    The “ of the Lord” is part of the mature Christian walk. How could those be expressed through Eli and Ananias?

    Why is “facing reality” as much a part of looking back and looking forward, as faith, hope, and love are?

    Facing reality often includes facing . What changes are you facing in 2021, and how will you live them out faithfully before God?

    ※Prayer※

    God, as we look to the , while not forgetting the past, help us to be faithful and trusting people. Deepen our understanding of what it means to live out your will in our lives. Amen.

  • Believing Love

    Believing Love

    “For God so the world that He gave His only , so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have .”
    —John 3:16 (NRSV)

    God loves you! Did you know that? Okay – if you are reading this…chances are that you did know that. But do you believe it? There is a possibility that at some point, or another, you have questioned if a certain person in your life loves you. A parent, your spouse, a grandparent, your kid, etc. Personally – I have questioned this a handful of times in all four of those areas mentioned. It’s not a good feeling to question if someone loves you. Maybe we logically know they us, but we don’t feel it or see it very often – which leads to the questioning. We can also have a hard time loving ourselves even.

    This can lead to questioning God’s love for us at times. But. I want you to really know, and believe that God has a deep love for you. It’s the reason that He sent Jesus – His one and only Son – to come to the earth as a helpless baby only to grow up and us all. So if you believe in Jesus you should also believe the love that comes from God. If you believe you have eternal life because of the you have in Jesus, then you should believe in the love that comes from God.

    God loves you! God’s love is the never failing kind of love. When earthly love can fail us – God’s love never fails. When you fall short as a grandparent, parent, sibling, parent, child – God’s love never fails. When you feel unlovable – God’s love never fails and He demonstrates that love through Jesus. that this Christmas season. You are loved. And because you are loved you can love .

    Maybe you are like me and have given yourself a hard time or two about how you have showed your love to your kids, spouse, parents, grandparents, friends, or people you don’t even know very well. yourself a break and then remind yourself that you can love others because you are first loved by God. Then go out and try to show that love again and again and again. Love others the way that Jesus loves you.

  • Prepare to Prepare

    Prepare to Prepare

    Psalm 80; Zechariah 13:1–9; Revelation 14:6–13

    If you’ve ever watched a professional chef (besides the competition ones), they will often have pre-cut and -measured ingredients so that when a customer orders a dish, most of the time-consuming work is completed. If you’ve ever ordered a sandwich at Subway, the meat and cheese are already pre-portioned. Ingredients have been prepared to better prepare your meal when you want it.

    Today is Thanksgiving (in the US, at least). A holiday that is culturally identified as involving overeating and family gatherings. COVID has changed that. Many, if not most, families will not be having extended family gatherings.

    Thanksgiving has also been the “gateway” to the Christmas season. It used to be that mere hours after people recovered from overeating, all the malls would turn everything over, and the Christmas (shopping) season would begin.

    Not every Thanksgiving, but this Thanksgiving is the beginning of the Advent season. In the church year, one prepares for the Sunday to come. As this Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent, so it is time to prepare for Advent.

    What is Advent? We often shortcut it to mean the days before Christmas. This is certainly true. It is also incomplete. For the ancient church, Advent wasn’t just about the birth of Jesus; it was about the return of Christ. Depending on the era, there would even be an emphasis on the Return rather than the birth.

    There hasn’t been a year like 2020 in decades. This might be the time to look at Advent as something far more than Christmas.

    Asaph (the Psalmist) wants God to come back (not that God really left). Asaph is looking for a of the between the people and God. Asaph recognizes that it really is that the people turned their backs on God, and yet he has in the faithful God. As Asaph was part of David’s retinue, we can imagine what must have still been going on around David, as David chose to follow God, and not the unknown gods.

    Zechariah’s words are strong, too. In them we see that the place of prophets and seers is nothing when it does not honor God. In fact, the implication being that the prophets and seers might even be “” idols, rather than faithful followers of and speakers for God.

    Zechariah’s and Asaph’s words still trust in God and expect God’s restoration of the people.

    While the Asaph’s and Zechariah’s words are full of trust in God, neither avoid a harsh reality. The people need . They needed to be the people of God again. In Zechariah’s time, the temple was being rebuilt. However, the people whose ancestors had lost their way (with God) were just as lost and needed something greater.

    Regardless of your of who the Beast is, the in Revelation is that the people of God, the church, will go through trying times. The implication is of pain, being outcast, and even . All because they believe in Jesus.

    Whether you believe that Jesus is coming back tomorrow, or you are just waiting for 2020 to , expectation is part of that. Advent is the anticipation of something new, whether it is the birth of a child or the return of the King.

    ※Reflection※

    How do you prepare your and heart for Advent? If you knew Jesus would come back on Christmas Day, what would you do?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, as we prepare our hearts for this Advent season, may we look to the innocence of a baby and to the righteousness of the King. Amen.