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Devotion.al

Tag: faith

  • A Little Tempted

    1 Samuel 25:36–42, Luke 22:39–46, James 1:13–15

    Temptation is a tricky thing. It can seem easy to succumb to, and it is. It can also be easy to beat yourself up should you fall to temptation. In many respects, after the failure, it is the mind game you play with yourself afterward that sets you up for future success or failure.

    The first response by many is…it’s God’s fault. That could be a twisted understanding of God made me this way (so, whenever I sin, It’s God’s fault). There is also a thought that God is the one tempting me (and he knows that I’ll fail, so it’s God’s fault).

    As David notes, God does provide a way (or more than one!) to avoid temptation. Sometimes we are blind to it. Sometimes we deliberately ignore it. We have free will. We do have a choice.

    Temptation will come. Jesus was tempted in all ways like us (not necessarily the same expression). You are not better than Jesus. It is what you do before and after temptation, and after failing that sets you up for maturing further in the Christian faith.

    1) Do you have anyone that holds you accountable? Are you holding anyone accountable?

    2) After a failure, how do you (or do you) confess? Do you include others in your confession?

    3) Before and after temptation, how do you bolster your strength to resist?

  • Deep Water Religion

    Matthew 21:23–27, 1 Thessalonians 2:1–12

    Religious figureheads are often accused (too often, correctly) of seeking their own gain, whether by influence or money. Even those with no Christian background see a problem with it. Truthfully, it is not just Christianity that has this struggle, not by far. As Christianity is the culturally “dominant” (though how dominant it truly has been is questionable), we generally see more of the Christian-flavored versions.

    What makes a religious figurehead true or false is a good question to have. The chief priests and elders weighed the cost of their answer. In their case, it was a matter of influence and power. They chose what they thought was the safe (or unanswerable) response. Yet, Jesus had a response for them. Their attempt to be safe did cost them, after all, though not for long.

    The ability of the American people to retain the collective antagonism toward religious figures was also played out in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians. Apparently there were some (likely outside of the Thessalonian Christian community) that were actively trying to discredit Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy. Somehow the mess at Philippi continued to (unjustly) follow them, which was being used to discredit them. They were being accused of being into evangelism and church leadership for the money (or for free room and board). It is actually the flattering speech that has caused many churches and leaders to fall.

    When hardships come (which they do) flattering speech does not produce deeply rooted disciples. It actually can create a mob of people who feel betrayed and will go after those that “hurt” them. As Christians, it is our responsibility to move beyond the shallows of faith and move to deep waters. The deep waters are scary, yet if we well anchored in our faith, we will not go—nor be lead—astray.

    1) Who are some people (not necessarily religious ones) that speak with flattering speech? Why do they do it? If they are successful in speaking that way, why do you think that is?

    2) In this day and age, business leaders and politicians seem more likely to greedy motives. What is the attraction to their many followers, do you think?

  • No Face Value

    Genesis 20:1–18, 1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 21:2, Romans 1: 18–25

    When you look at someone, can you tell they are a Christian? If you can, there are a few reasons why: (1) Pride…yours for God knows and weighs the heart; (2) Their life and spirit show Jesus; (3) is there a 3rd one?

    In the Scriptures, we are cautioned to not assume that a person is right with God. Abraham made that mistake and almost caused a man to commit adultery who was innocent. Abraham assumed Abimelech did not fear God. Abraham may have been right when it came to the surface. However, Abimelech listened to God.

    As a tradition, Christians have taken affirmations of faith at face value, for the very reason that we do not know the heart. Paul does note in 1 Corinthians 12:3, that no one can say that Jesus is Lord without it being of the Holy Spirit. However, in Romans 10:9, Paul also says that we are only saved if we believe in our hearts. One is an outward statement, and the Holy Spirit goes before all. The other is an inward statement that can only be between a person and God.

    There is a lot of finger-pointing in the world, and some of it involves avowed Christians (i.e., people who say they are Christians and/or follow Jesus Christ) pointing at other avowed Christians, and accusing them of apostasy (i.e., false teaching and/or walking away from the faith) or not being Christian. If we take the Scriptures seriously, then accusing another of not being a Christian because they don’t agree with us on certain issues (especially non-salvation issues) is not in line with what the Scriptures say becomes a very dangerous road to walk.

    1) Have you ever accused (whether out loud or in your mind) another person of not being a Christian, when they state they are one?

    2) What are some good ways to engage other Christians regarding important topics on which we disagree?

    3) When should disagreements be brought up, and when should they be left alone?

  • Pagan Response

    Ezekiel 27:1–36, Ezekiel 28:20–23, Luke 10:13–16

    To understand Jesus’ “woe” statements, one needs to understand history. While Tyre and Sidon were now (in Jesus’ time) prosperous cities, their pride, pagan behavior, and anti-Israel behavior had gotten them a lot of punishment. After Ezekiel’s prophesy, the cities weren’t washed clean, but wiped-off-the-map cleansed. Because of their geography, those locations would recover (and even retain their name), but the penalty received had been severe.

    In the time of Jesus, Tyre and Sidon were still very pagan, Las Vegas and New Orleans (during Mardi Gras) pagan. Devotion to gods or God was perfunctory at best. Money was the ruler. Yet…
    Jesus stated that those cities would have responded (positively) to the Kingdom of God, while the so-called devoted of Judah were apathetic or antagonistic!

    We look at our culture and often sadly proclaim that if they could just see Jesus, they would convert. Or if they joined the church, everything would be fine. Or (yes, foot-stomping ahead) if only prayer and the Bible would be allowed in schools again…

    The Jews had prayer. They had the Scriptures. They had “the church” (i.e., the temple and synagogues). It was all tightly integrated into their culture and their politics (more foot-stomping). Look where that got them! Chided and lectured by Jesus!

    1) Truly…are we all that different now than the Jews were then?

    2) Politicians—of all stripes—are rightly pulling and poking at our religious- and faith-strings. They see what we aren’t good at seeing…our inconsistency. They use it to bolster their kingdom. How can you separate the religious and faith truths from the political lies? How will you do that as each political group takes some, but not all, of the Christian ideology for political talking points?

    3) If the world is like Tyre and Sidon, and we are like the Chorazin and Bethsaida (the unrepentant Jewish cities), what do they (the world) see that we don’t about Jesus and the Kingdom of God?

  • Unpolishing the Church

    Haggai 2:1–9, Matthew 16:13–20

    There is a lot of hand-wringing about the demise of the church. To put things in perspective, it is often better to read the Old Testament than the New. Yet people often skip all the prophets because it appears so dark and heart-wrenching. It is.

    God’s sadness, anger, jealousy, loss are all there in those pages. The hearts of the prophets are there, too. God and prophets yearning for the people to fully return to God.

    As the church looks around and sees its influence diminishing, and churches closing, and people leaving the church, and then the faith, it would seem that all is lost. The shininess is all gone, now.

    The temple was once big and shiny. It had lots of beautiful things. It had lots of worshippers and visitors. It had lots of priests. It didn’t last long. The church, on the other hand, has had a long run of it. Perhaps, just perhaps, it’s time for us to dispense with the shiny.

    Haggai’s message was that a shiny temple didn’t mean that God wasn’t present. In fact, God’s presence has nothing to do with the shiny temple.

    Jesus’ disciples didn’t have a shiny place. While they were tolerated, they were allowed to worship at the temple, but eventually (over time) that became dangerous. They couldn’t gather at they synagogues, either. They could only gather in private homes. The gatherings were about Jesus, not the place, just as the Jewish gatherings should have been about God, not the place.

    1)When you think about the “state” of the “church”, what do you feel?

    2) When others comment or make a declaration about the “bad” state of the church, how do you respond?

    3) Do you think your responses are based more on you, or on God?

  • Believing Dress-Up

    2 Corinthians 6:3–18, 2 Corinthians 11:12–15, 1 John 4:1–6

    Paul is not a happy camper. The Corinthians appear to be pulling away from him for 2 reasons. The first is that he sent a letter that hurt (or offended) them. It seems likely that it wasn’t the letter we call 1 Corinthians, but a different one that we don’t have. The other reason was they were being drawn in by “super” apostles or other charismatic leaders that guided them away from Paul and likely the other elders of the church.

    While many people have concluded Paul’s statements about being unequally yoked with unbelievers as being focused on idol worshippers and Judaizers, in the context of this letter it isn’t about the obvious unbelievers. It’s about the unbelievers “dressed-up” as Christians! When we think about it, it is those unbelievers “dressed-up” as Christians that can pull people away from church, faith, Jesus, God.

    The world around us often uses the old Satan imagery to offend and desensitize us. The so-called Satanist religion tries to present itself as normal. Pagan folklore and witchcraft (druidic and other types) have also become more common. These are relatively easy things to see. That is what makes them scary. What if they are no different than they were in Paul’s day (?)…a distraction.

    As John admonishes us, test the angels. Paul says that Satan dresses up as an angel in white. This is not to say, kick out everyone that doesn’t believe exactly what we (or the Church of the Nazarene) believe. It is to say that all angels (maybe especially angels?) and prophets and pastors and elders and teachers and everybody else are to be tested against scripture.

    1) What are your thoughts about the dangers of “dressed-as” Christians versus believers in other religions?

    2) How do you train yourself to test angels?

    3) Angels are culturally popular. They are also often misunderstood. What do you think of being charged to test angels?

  • Staying Behind

    Ezra 1:1–6, Hebrews 13:9–15

    Imagine being one of the children or grandchildren who had only heard of the homeland. Imagine having only the legends to live on. Your family told you of a place where you actually belonged, instead of being an outsider among other outsiders. Even those who had come from the land had probably lost heart that God would restore them (what few of them remained).

    Then a declaration from Cyrus was probably first a shock. All of sudden, things were different. For many, it was a sign that God was indeed faithful. For others, sadly, it was more a sign of Cyrus’ manipulation or pity (the cynics). There there was the last group. This group is the ones who cast aside the land and their heritage.

    The scriptures don’t really talk about them. Many concern themselves with the “lost” 10 tribes of Israel. Those that returned to the Promised Land didn’t concern themselves with those who remained (too much, rightly, concerned about restoring the people and the land).

    Those that remained integrated into Persian society. They had become Persian. They had chosen to set their future in a foreign land. Who knows what the motive was? Was it finances? Was it security? Was it a lack of faith in God? Their motivations and histories can only be guessed.

    What we do know is that they succumbed to the world. That is why we need to keep the words in Hebrews in mind. The Hebrews that remained (i.e., became Persian) forgot their place in the world was not set by the world, but by the Creator of the world.

    1) Why is important to keep the concept of our “real home” in mind as we walk through this life?

    2) What is the danger of keeping our “real home” too much in the forefront on our minds?

  • The Duty to Pass On

    1 Timothy 4:13–16, Romans 12:3–8, Acts 20:22–32

    Teaching is a core function of passing on the faith. There have been plenty of stories (and continue to be) of people coming to Jesus without being taught about Jesus. The Holy Spirit moves as God wills. By and large, though, people need to be taught about Jesus.

    Teachers of the Word, as some like to say, are very important to the passing on of the faith. They are not parents (in this context), they are not spiritual mentors (again, in this context). They teach the parents and the spiritual mentors in their faith so that they will pass it on. Preaching and teaching are the primary modes of this teaching.

    What also was tied into teaching, was care. In today’s age, we call it being a pastor (or pastoring). It is not just the domain of Pastors, it is also the responsibility of elders (wisdom and duration, not age) in the faith. The reason this is part of it is in hopes to prevent people from introducing false beliefs and pulling people away from the faith.

    The reason all of this is important is that there really is a call in scripture for there to be pastors, leaders, and elders. The purpose is for any to lord over other power and authority, but to help prevent people from adding and taking away pieces of the faith.

    Many Christians now look at the church as an ancient tie that needs to be tossed away. Scripture does not give us that freedom, nor does human nature. In Robert Robinson’s hymn Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, he writes, “…Let thy goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee…” It is nature of fallen humanity to wander away from God. Without accountability to something greater to ourselves, we will wander away. It may be with good intentions, but those intentions need to be tempered.

    1) Whether teacher, pastor, “shepherd”, elder, parent, mentor, how is your passing on of the faith held accountable? If it is not, what can you do bring such accountability into your life?

    2) What are some bad reasons, do you think, that people want to throw “church” into the trash bin? What are some good reasons?

    3) What do you find beneficial in regards to church? What can you do to build that up with others?

  • Grumbling and Arguing

    Philippians 2:12–18

    The Philippians may be slacking off in Paul’s absence. At least that seems to be Paul’s concern. When Paul speaks about “working out” salvation, a better way to phrase it may be, do the Christian life in all that you do. Don’t just sit there. He notes that God works through them, but that doesn’t spare them from doing something.

    Step 1 (left): Don’t grumble

    Step 2 (right): Don’t argue

    Step 1 (left): Don’t grumble

    Step 2 (right): Don’t argue

    How are you doing? We all need to grumble and argue less. That’s us “working out” our faith.

    It’s Paul’s small promise tucked in the midst of this which should provide some drive. “…You shine like stars in the world, by holding firm to the word of life…”

    We are all overwhelmed by the barrage of negativity. We are all overwhelmed by strident voices that are more about making a point, rather than a difference. When we look to the kingdom, we are called to make a difference, not a point. That’s really hard though.

    When talking about slacking off, it means that we are arguing and we are grumbling.

    1) When you have argued recently, was the Kingdom at the forefront of your mind, or was it you?

    2) When you last grumbled, how was the Kingdom affected?

    3) A star of the world, what effect do grumbling and arguing have on your light?

  • Fruitful Unboxing

    Galatians 5:22–26, 2 Peter 1:5–11, 1 Corinthians 12:4–11, Romans 12:9–21

    We are all familiar with the list of the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians. Hopefully, you even have them memorized (If not, there’s your challenge of the week). It is an impressive list. If we are honest with ourselves, were we to be full of these, life as friends and framily would be wonderful.

    We are often less familiar with Peter’s list, as it just doesn’t have the pull that Paul’s has. While Paul has his list as a result of the Spirit indwelling (being inside of us), Peter has us adding them to our very faith. Paul and Peter are similar but different. They also have a different emphasis. Paul’s list seems more focused on the evidence of a holy life. Peter seems more concerned that followers of Jesus aren’t “useless” or “unfruitful”.

    The problem (yes, problem) with Paul’s list is that many people few it as exhaustive (i.e., those are all the fruit). Paul, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be as concerned with how the Holy Spirit works. While in 1 Corinthians Paul is more concerned about “gifts”, rather than fruit, his opening point is that there are different gifts and they are all gifts from the Holy Spirit. Who says, then, that the “fruit” in Galatians or in 2 Peter are it?

    It has been amazing over the years to witness heated and heart-felt conversations regarding the Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit. It becomes amazing how people see these lists as the only way of things when the Holy Spirit is someone you put in a box. Paul certainly didn’t. The sad part then becomes that people are so focused on the Fruits and Gifts they forget about the why.

    Life together is hard. We all have different stories. We all have different pain points. Some have experienced significant life events that we cannot ever fully understand. We may have something that another cannot fully understand. That’s okay. The Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit ultimately are to not only a progressively increasing Christian life on our own. It is also to be for life together as framily.

    The last piece is the framework that we are to operate from as framily. A lot of times the wording that is used for those outside of the framily (persecution, for example) often feel as if they come from within. Live at peace.

    1) What other “Fruit” of the Spirit might there be? Why do you say that?

    2) What are some other Gifts of the Spirit that you can think of? Where do you see them being lived out in the framily?

    3) How do you see the Fruit and Gifts of the Spirit working out in and building up the church body (the framily) in light of the framework of Romans?