Tag: Gospel

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 loved if for no other reason it was the place God put God’s name. 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 blessing away. While Jeremiah foretold hope, it wouldn’t be for a long time. It is also quite possible that Jeremiah wondered if Israel would really return.

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 forward 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 “death” of both cities was something mourned by God. God wants Creation to seek redemption and reconciliation. Eventually, Jerusalem (or those who descended from it) did. Babylon is in the last throes of the end 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 others 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.
2021-01-20
Burning Light

As the more reclusive type (i.e., sitting alone, or with my wife, quietly in a space without other people), it is easy to fall into a rhythm of not interacting with people. In fact, it’s too easy. These times of non-interaction, however, can produce new thoughts.

Joni, my wife, baked springerle this Christmas. Springerle is a traditional anise-flavored German cookie that has, for generations, been made by rolling dough into intricate hand-carved molds. She only found a “rolling-pin” style, but it got the job done.

Springerle molds often served the same purpose as stained-glass windows: telling the story of God through pictures to people who could not read. In preparation for next year (maybe I’ll help do something other than eat the cookies), I started looking for springerle molds.

One of the websites I found was in German (which makes sense). They had many molds. One of the ones I found was for a lighthouse. In German, lighthouse is “leuchtturm”. Look at that word for a moment.

Perhaps it is just my mind. I saw lectern. According to learned people, lectern’s root is the Latin word “lectus”. However, as the term lectern was (supposedly) only used for the reading of the Scriptures, perhaps leuchtturm is the true origin of our lectern.

Just as “Star of Bethlehem” drew Gentiles (the “wise” men or magi) from afar, so does the speaking and reading of the Scriptures bring light into the world that is in pain and dying. Similarly, a lighthouse casts its light into the dark seas, providing guidance and the promise of security to ships.

While writing devotionals can be difficult, I’ve now spent enough time with God’s word burning that I cannot help but write.

I will never be that “great” pastor/writer that people talk about. I am only beginning to understand God’s call on my life, knowing that it is still growing and changing. I’m okay to not be okay with not knowing, yet still trusting.

Those magi “trusted” that something amazing was going to happen. Paul “trusted” that God’s call on his life was to the Gentiles (people he himself once viewed hostilely). I “trust” that God is using me through these devotionals.

※Reflection※

What is God calling you to do more of? If you already have a ministry, what is God calling on you to change to fulfill His commission for you?

What new thing might God be calling you to this year?

※Prayer※

God, Epiphany calls upon us to remember that even Creation (a star) will draw people to you. Help us to remember that the Gospel is for all people, and that you desire that all people come to know you. Help us to be your faithful, trusting, and open servants. May we be ready and responsive to your call on our lives. Amen.

2021-01-05
Moving Stone

Mark 16:1-7; Ephesians 2:11–22

The Resurrection was an event. Obviously. Yet, in many respects, we miss the extending power of the Resurrection. Yes, the Resurrection shows that there is something after. It also shows us that there is something more.

The event itself begins with what cannot be done alone. The stone being rolled away. This is not a one-, two-, or even three-person job. The stone that would go in front were HEAVY.

The first “witness” to the Resurrection event was actually the stone being moved. An obstacle beyond a single human’s ability to bear was removed. Perhaps it is a stretch. Yet, the biggest obstacle for the Marys and Salome to be faithful was removed by God.

This truly might be reading too much into it. At the risk of that, though, think of Paul’s words to the Ephesians, “For he is our peace, who made both groups one and tore down the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14).

The dividing wall is not a small obstacle between two very different people groups who view the other as scum or dirty. The grace, mercy, love, and redemption of the Gospel are able to not just remove what separates them; it is able to join them together.

The significance is that while their obedience and work is part of the process, it is Jesus who has done the greater work. The primary effort is not that of humanity; it is of God.

When we are divided by seemingly impossible walls, we either try to stay on “our side”, try to scale the wall, or even try to destroy the wall. We often do this in our own power.

The secular world continues to try to do this by attempting to “adjust” thinking through programs, training, and peer pressure. However, this too is only a work of humanity. It is, as the secular world continues to learn and forget, doomed to fail.

For those of us who claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, however, we are called to something greater. Regardless of your political leaning, the church is to be an example of how to love. Currently, one of the biggest barriers in the US is political.

※Reflection※

What is one specific thing YOU can do to help heal the divide? Why is it critical to know that the Gospel is the way to remove the divide? How does secular society try to emulate the Gospel?

※Prayer※

Jesus, thank you for removing the wall that separates us from you, and us from each other. Help us to remember the grace, mercy, and love you have shown us, as we engage the world. Amen.

2020-11-14
Can You Relate?

1 Corinthians 3:5–9; Philippians 1:12–21

“It can never happen here.”

“No one respects God here.”

“How could God move in this [horrible] place?”

You can probably think of a number of questions or statements that give an excuse or justification for why you can’t be a missionary where you are. Let’s not devalue those statements. Let’s identify them for what they are…barriers to the Gospel.

Missionaries have gone to foreign countries for generations. The Church of the Nazarene [the “umbrella” denomination for this devotional] has missionaries in “Creative Access” areas. The denomination does not publicly identify them. When they go home, they are not recorded or associated with their missional area. For many of them, martyrdom (killed because of faithfully living the faith) is a real possibility.

In comparison, our hard to reach areas are not so hard.

Paul wrote the letter to the church(es) in Philippi from jail. Through a confluence of circumstances, he was able to share about Jesus, both directly and indirectly. One could think that jail could be a pretty hard place.

Yet, the Gospel is growing (yes, growing) in the prisons even today. Through methods such as Discovery Bible Study, cell groups (pun intended) are growing in the prisons. Some of the hardest prisons where the further separate inmates into pods are establishing groups.

Did Paul start immediately preaching the Gospel to the guards? Probably not. He developed relationships with them over time. Then as the Holy Spirit guided, he shared.

Where you are may be a place where you are called to only plant seeds. Perhaps you are in a place where you are called to water the seeds that others planted. It might even be possible for you to be in a place where you plant and water. Depending on the people, each person may be in a different place.

Relational Evangelism is the new buzz-phrase. It shouldn’t be. This is the most effective way, at this point in history, to reach people for Jesus and deepen their (and our) relationship with Jesus. Even 20 years ago, the most successful churches with the deepest discipleship were built on relationships.

※Questions※

1) What relationship is the hardest for you at the moment? How could/might the Holy Spirit use that to bring Jesus into the picture?

2) What kind of seeds are you planting right now? In whom are you planting them? What are some ways to plant seeds?

3) What seeds/plants are you watering right now? How are you watering them? What are some ways to water the seeds of faith?

4) How’s the weeding going? Are you having to pull some weeds in your or others’ lives? How might weeding work (or not) in the newly planted and/or watered relationships?

※Prayer※

Father, from the beginning you have used the picture of planting and watering to convey deep truths to your Creation. Please guide us into how planting, watering, and weeding needs to be lived out in our lives. Amen.

A quick summary and methodology outline for the Discovery Bible Study can be downloaded here, or you can go to the Discovery Bible Study site (not all views are necessarily the views of this site.)

2020-10-06
Message Over Mammon

Luke 10:1–9; 2 Corinthians 12:1–14

There are many people who attract attention naturally. Some do it with mere charisma. Some do it with money. Others do it with the words (positive and negative).

There are others that do it out of gain. Whether it is to gain the attention of people or to feel power, or success (all still people-based, really), gaining attraction to puff oneself up isn’t Christ-like.

When Jesus sent out the 72 disciples he gave an interesting direction: don’t change houses. In other words, if you were invited into a house in a town, stay at that house until you leave the town. As they were representatives of the famous prophet, they would likely be treated well. It might even mean that people would compete for their presence.

The concern with this is that the message would lose weight as the disciples would go from house to house. What gravitas would the “Kingdom of Heaven” have if its disciples (emissaries, ambassadors) traipsed from one place to another following the food and the sandal-licking (they didn’t have boots, then). If people competed over the fame and flattery of having one of the disciples, would they really care about the message?

The next concern would be the effect upon the disciples. Being “wined and dined” could have a potentially huge negative effect on their spiritual growth and their witness. It could even lead to some of the same bullying behavior of the Jewish religious leaders. That would have been very bad.

We see how it did evolve through Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. The “super” apostles were, it seems, spiritual abusers. They guilt-tripped people to give more money. Based on Paul’s language, the super-apostles used language that implied that the Corinthians were being spiritually blessed by giving them (the super-apostles) so much money.

When Paul apologizes that he didn’t ask for money or to be taken care of, there is a realization that the Corinthians had been hoodwinked. They had bought wholeheartedly into the swindle of the super-apostles. In so doing, they lost the vision of the Gospel.

By succumbing to the words of these super-apostles, they reattached the chains of bondage. Paul was heartbroken. The heart of the message of freedom in Christ had been lost.

2020-09-30
Sorté

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

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

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

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

Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

※Questions※

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

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

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

※Prayer※

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

2020-09-10
Kinda Stuck

Kinda Stuck

7 September 2020

Leviticus 4:27–31; Leviticus 5:14–16; 1 John 1:6–10

When we talk about sin, we often operate with the presumption of commission of sin. In other words, we did something. There is also the sin of omission. In other words, what we didn’t do.

The morning confession in the Book of Common Prayer reads
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

In many respects, this confession is hard, because in it we confess that we are not loving God and others as God has called us to do. On the other hand, this confession is freeing, as we aren’t required to go down all the items we messed up on (and some days that can be quite a lot).

When we read Leviticus, we can often get bogged down in all the rules. Yet, if you read the rules in today’s verses, there is grace in them. In them, while the rules regarding are stringent, at the same time there is the recognition that someone may not recognize the act while in the middle of committing it.

We all make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes are sins. Sometimes they aren’t sins, per se, but still hurt others. We aren’t supposed to beat ourselves up about it. We are supposed to confess, repent, and move on.

Even in Leviticus, barring a few acts, there isn’t a “no repeat” rule. This means that God will gracefully accept our confession and repentance. While we will often continue to sin (sometimes even the same thing), if we are truly repentant in our hearts and confess, God moves on, and so should we.

Yes, we are called to be better than we were yesterday. Being better than we were yesterday also means better to ourselves than we were yesterday. People will often continually condemn themselves about their failures. When we condemn ourselves, we are often closer to the enemy than God.

Through the Holy Spirit, God convicts. The purpose of that conviction is to free us from the guilt and reconcile us to God. The enemy condemns. That condemnation will often tear our hearts and souls into pieces, leading us to further separate ourselves from God.

This is not God’s intent. Yes, we are to be aware of what separates us from God. We are to confess and work on what separates us from God. It’s hard enough to improve our walk with God, let us not help the enemy take us further away from the reconciling heart of God.

※Prayer※

Lord, help us be true to you through our confessions and our reconciliation to you. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Is there a sin or struggle in your life that you can’t seem to get a handle on, and are concerned that God just won’t let it go? Is it God, or is it you that won’t let it go?

2) Why do we often let our mistakes and errors bind us?

3) One aspect of the Good News of the Gospel is freedom from chains. How will you share with others the chains you have been freed from?

2020-09-06
Good Bad Stuff

Good Bad Stuff

30 August 2020

Jeremiah 20:7–13; Ephesians 1:17–19

Have you ever felt deceived by God? How so?

Depending on the translation, Jeremiah opens today’s verses with deception. פָּתָה, פָּתָה [pathah /paw·thaw/] also means entice, persuade, flatter, allure. The non-deceptive understandings of the word better fit God’s character, though from Jeremiah’s point of view that may merely be semantics.

Jeremiah is driven to deliver God’s words. He says that God seized him, and later says that God’s words are like a fire burning in his heart. No matter how much Jeremiah would prefer that he would deliver God’s word, he doesn’t seem to be able to help himself.

If there is any sense of deception, it is the common assumption that following God’s words and speaking them means that only good things will occur. Jeremiah’s complaint is that he was faithful and a good steward, and yet nothing good is returned.

The concept of exchange (I do something faithful; God does something good) is one of those issues that has long been a problem in the church. Some call it the “health and wealth gospel.” Jeremiah seemed to have some sense of that as well. Jeremiah is faithful and gets the short end of the stick.

Do you think by doing something “good” you earn something from God? If you don’t believe it, do you ever act like it’s true? If you do believe it’s true, how do explain the bad?

Being “driven” for God would seem to be a good thing. It doesn’t always work that way. There are plenty of people in the world who are faithful, but are endangered (e.g., persecuted Christians) or are not “blessed” by material things or even good health.

The early church wondered these same things, too. Paul’s words about wisdom and revelation are not just to the Ephesians, but to all the church. Often it is only through wisdom and revelation do we see that the bad can bring God glory, and (over the long haul) bring us blessings.

In our culture, we can be blinding be wealth and health blessings, and be unable to discern the greatest type of blessing…spiritual blessings. Spiritual blessings may be as simple as joy or a deep as peace (that surpasses all understanding).

Think of a difficult time in your life. What was the spiritual result of that difficult time? Can you imagine a similar result through only positive things?

※ Prayer ※

Holy Spirit, help us to look for your wisdom and revelation rather than our own understanding. Amen.

2020-08-29
Even to…

Acts 11:1–18; Galatians 3:27–29

Depending on the translation, Acts 11:18 is phrased something akin to, “even the Gentiles got the gift.” It’s not exactly the most positive response. It shows us that at the beginning of the church the new reality of a faith that transcended Gentile and Jew still had to be learned.

We are still confronting this today. As of right now, the current cultural memes of concern are women and minorities (specifically, African-Americans). While there are understandable scriptural interpretations in other denominations and traditions not allowing women as leaders in the church, it often has gone hand-in-hand with demeaning women.

Even in the Church of the Nazarene (the denominational perspective from which I attempt to write), there has been the theological acceptance of women as leaders, but the cultural acceptance of such has been a significant issue.

While the Church of the Nazarene has been effective in other nations and cultures, within the confines of the US, the denomination has been predominately white. Both situations leave the Church of the Nazarene in conflict with itself.

The blessing of the cultural memes that have been disrupting our society is that the Church of the Nazarene just might be confronting the incongruities with a plan to fix it. Just as in society-at-large, the fix will be slow and hard.

The denomination is trying to fully live out what it does believe but has been mired in the culture from which it came.

What does this have to do with, “even them”? One of the founding churches of the Church of the Nazarene (it was a number of churches that decided to band together) was in the “skid row” area of Los Angeles. Alcoholism, drunkenness, prostitution all had a prominent and visible place there.

“The least, the last, the lost” were those served by that church, and who the church sought to bring into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

This comes from the older “Wesleyan” tradition, where John Wesley preached outdoors to the miners who were often banned from church as the coal dust would follow them. They were a new kind of “unclean.”

Even they were called into relationship with Jesus Christ. Even to them was the Gospel message sent.

“Even” sounds so belittling, yet we use similar language and constructs when we talk about “Democrats” or “Republicans” or “Trump-ers” or “Never Trump-ers” or immigrants (documented or not) or Muslims or Hindus or…you name them.

Why do we try to limit the Gospel? What is it we hope to achieve?

We often think we don’t limit the gospel, but what about that different person who walks through the door at church (if you’re worshiping there)? How about that person walking down the street talking to themselves?

To even them…

※Prayer※

Jesus, thank you for your Gospel. Holy Spirit, guide to those you have for us to share the message of Jesus with. Amen.

※Questions※

1) Can you think of a people group that you are inclined to think of as “even them”? Why do think that is?

2) Why do we often think in terms of us and them?

2020-08-12
The Sent

Jeremiah 1:4–10; Matthew 9:35–10:1; Romans 15:14–19

When confronted by a calling on our lives, often anything but, “yes,” will cross our lips first. This doesn’t mean, “yes” doesn’t come later. If you’re reading this, in some way you’ve already said, “yes.”

The question then is, what’s next? That’s often an uncomfortable, life-changing, or even dangerous question to ask. Will you be told to cross the globe, or to go next door?

The revered prophet Jeremiah didn’t say “yes” to God, at first. We read the Scriptures and assume it was immediate, but it’s also quite possible that God took a few days. We don’t know.

We can see from others’ lives though that God works on hearts for days, months, and even years. God nudges, cajoles, encourages, sends others to talk sense into us.

God basically informs Jeremiah that his arguments are groundless. God had already set Jeremiah as a prophet. Jeremiah only had to be faithful. That is a big only, by the way.

Jeremiah believed he was unqualified for the duty. He was probably right, from a human perspective. God’s perspective was different.

In many respects, prophets were “sent ones”. They were sent to the people of Israel by God.

Shortly after the birth of the church, the 11 disciples (and later Paul) were called Apostles. Apostle just so happens to mean, “sent one”.

Jesus had the 11 for up to 3 years. They weren’t prepared for what it meant to follow Jesus (especially after the crucifixion). They certainly would have said, “Us lead a religious organization?”

We look at the Disciples/Apostles as uniquely called and qualified people. In many respects, they were. They had unique callings, for sure.

Yet, today the entire church is filled with apostles. We’re not talking the Apostles (as the specially defined ones), but apostles…the universally “sent” ones.

Some might use the word “missionaries.” The issue is that “missionaries” are often consciously and unconsciously presumed/assumed to be the apostles (sent ones) to other countries.

Most are not called to another country, and maybe not even another state. They are called and are being sent into coffee shops, restaurants, laundromats, and every other workplace.

The apostles—the sent ones—are you.

There continues to be a presumption that missionaries, pastors, and other “called” people are the ones to reach the world. Were that the case, then why did the Holy Spirit fall on more than just the 11 (original) + 1 (Matthias, added later)?

Pastors are called specifically to equip the apostles to reach the world. The church (as a whole) is having to rediscover that. We, as Christians, need to not just assent to it. We need to embrace it.

Paul encourages the Romans with the words that they are equipped! So are you!

Does that mean that the equipping stops? Of course not. There is just the reality that no one, not even pastors, will be perfectly equipped for every situation and person.

If you believe that you are unequipped, seek help! Yet, be aware that just because you believe that you are unequipped that God won’t still use you, or that (more importantly) it excuses you from your calling.

※Prayer※

Lord, may we acknowledge the call you have made upon our lives, and share the self-sacrificing love that you give. Amen.

※Questions※

1) What keeps you from sharing about Jesus?

2) Which is scarier, sharing the gospel with someone 15,000 miles away, or the unbeliever next door?

3) Why do you think the church, pastors, and everyone else often believe it is the “professional’s” responsibility to share about Jesus?

2020-07-09