Devotion.al

Tag: holy

  • Funny Smelling

    Funny Smelling

    Exodus 30:22–38; Acts 22:2–16

    Have you ever had the experience of a particular smell, either good or bad, that triggers memories? There are a number of smells that will trigger memories of my grandparents’ house. My daughter has also shared experiences where certain smells trigger her memories, and they are often of her grandma’s house (my mom).In many respects, the smells from my childhood create almost a homesickness. There was something deeply contentful about those smells and the feelings invoked. I can’t imagine not having them.

    God provided a recipe for a very special—a —. So special that it’s only time of use was in the . It was just incense. Incense is nothing special.

    God made it so. Likely, it was set apart so that the smell became associated with the God and being in God’s .

    Imagine a rough, horrible day that you found nothing good in. Because you have to, and only because you have to culturally, you go to the temple. You smell the incense. If you’re like me, that smell would trigger the response, God is here.

    Because incense was a familiar thing, this special recipe had to be set aside, so that even the common could be holy.

    Sometimes normal things, sometimes odd things, sometimes even people who are the “enemy” are set aside to do God’s will.

    was the enemy, until he wasn’t. Paul was going about his normal business, and then Jesus came to him in a vision.

    While it might seem strange to combine the Law of incense with the story of Paul’s , the reality is that God often defies our human logic. God sees beyond the human vision that we have. Paul, in many respects, was transformed from the “common” (the Law abiding Jew) to the “uncommon” (called by Jesus). Paul’s very life became the startling transformation from persecutor to proclaimer.

    Just as being set aside, the “common” incense became uncommon, and thus a testimony of God and to God’s presence. So, too, Paul’s life became the transformative testimony (even without words) of what God can do for the world, if the world chooses to hear.

    ※Reflection※

    In your life, has there been any common thing that has become a symbol of God (or God’s presence) for you? Why?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you have called to follow you. Help us to be willing to be uncomfortable in that call. You have not called us to an easy life. You have called us to a life in you. Give us your , , , and most of all, courage, to be the light. Amen.

  • Peace Bringer

    Peace Bringer

    “In that region there were shepherds in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a for you: you will find a child wrapped in of cloth and lying in a manger.”
    —Luke 2:8-12 (NRSV)

    I am betting that you have felt fear. The longer you have lived the more life you have lived and the more fear you probably have experienced.

    Fear after losing a job. Fear of being able to provide for your . Fear in regards to your children or grandchildren or family members. Fear of . Fear of having your freedoms stripped away. Fear can grip us. Fear can hold us down. If we let it.

    But God says. Do not be afraid. God sent to be with us. Emmanuel. Because of Jesus and the dwelling in us we don’t have be to be afraid. We don’t have to succumb to fear in any moment of our lives.

    I have to be honest with you all. In this past year. I have felt fear a handful of times. I still feel it a little thinking about what might be ahead for us. Are you, possibly, in the same boat? Do you need the that surpasses any and all understanding? Do you need to be reminded in this season of the peace that Jesus coming to this world gives to us? Be still. The angel brought good news to all people. Not just the shepherds. That good news was for you, your family, your friends, even the people you might not like…that news brings us peace.

  • Power to…

    Power to…

    Jeremiah 31:10–14; John 5:19–40

    If you had the to anything and everything, would you? If you could eliminate war, disease, hatred, bigotry, misogyny…would you?

    If you could judge people perfectly…would you?

    The structure of the Trinity (Father, , ) is a conundrum. The Father is God; the Son (Jesus) is God; the Holy is God. The Father is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit. The Son is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father nor the Son. Yet, one God, three-in-one.

    It might seem peculiar to bring up the Trinity, as the passage from John is about the Son (Jesus) and the Father. We see that Jesus says that he is not able to do anything apart from the Father, and that the Father gave all judgement to Jesus.

    What is that? If a human had all the power to judge (perfectly), why would they give that up? At best, a human has the power to judge okay, but with far too many errors. The Father gave it to Jesus.

    The Judge (Jesus) will raise each person, whether good or bad, to answer for their . How this works, who knows? Will a person watch a movie of their life and condemn or justify it? Is our soul weighed on some sort of scale? Many such questions have been asked; many have been given.

    The underlying is that each and every person, even those who think of Jesus as nothing more than a nice guy in history, only want to imagine being accepted by Jesus.

    According to Jeremiah, the Kingdom will redeem, refresh, and water (with the Living Water) people. As a result, they will be strong, joy-filled, and satisfied.

    These verses declare God’s kingdom. However, one verse later foreshadows the that happens after the Messiah, the harbinger of the Kingdom, is born. No great (or even mediocre) kingdom avoids the evil in the hearts of men, unless it is the Kingdom of Heaven.

    ※Prayer※

    God, may our hearts love and accept you, that we are your children, and that we have a place with you. Amen.

  • Kingdom Justice

    Kingdom Justice

    Psalm 7; Revelation 19:1–9

    “They got what they deserved.”

    We long for . In fact, much of the separation between political parties and people, in general, is defined by justice. When we look at emotionally charged issues such as racism, justice is often the biggest piece.

    The person negatively affected want to feel heard and, more importantly, things to get better (i.e., “more just”). The person who appears to benefit from racism often assumes that the justice of the affected will negatively affect them. Until both come to a logically, emotionally, and spiritually satisfying definition of justice and what justice looks like.

    This sounds pretty close to impossible, doesn’t it? It is. This is why those who seek justice often become frustrated, which often develops into anger, whether they are the aggrieved or the established.

    As much as we often think that the US is unique, we aren’t. There are countries with greater racism problems, and there are countries with lesser. It doesn’t that it is there. Often the tensions are just as strong elsewhere, sometimes even stronger. The question is, how do we resolve it?

    The answer lies in Rwanda. Decades ago, there was a massive shift between the two primary (but not only) groups, the Tutsi and Hutu. Through a combination of internal politics, German and Belgium historical politics, and Roman Catholic historical misunderstandings, there was a mass killing (often called genocide) of Tutsi people.

    This is a prime example because the entire scenario is a mess. According to some historians, the “separation” of the Tutsi/Hutu is a 20th Century (political) invention. claim that they have always been distinct. Add internal animosities, colonialist history, and religious teachings, there is no singular cause. It just blew up.

    In such a scenario, there is . There is a village where both victim Tutsi and aggressor Hutu. In a recent interview, a man and a woman talked about their lives in the village as neighbors. You heard the love they have for each other, and how they look out for one another. Then you heard that the man killed the woman’s family.

    Where’s the justice? Exactly. Whose justice? The woman who will never get her family back? Will she live and writhe in anger? The man? Who followed others, yet took responsibility, and still has nightmares of what he did? Especially, as he hurt a woman that he knows and loves.

    The justice of the is so different than the justice we comprehend. Even justice we believe is guided by the love, , mercy, and holiness of Christ through the Spirit is still lacking.

    ※Reflection※

    What do you think of different people having different understandings of justice? How about in the context of both being followers of Jesus? How do we work through justice issues as fellow followers of Christ, when our starting points are different?

    ※Prayer※

    God of Mercy and Justice, help us to be your hands and feet. Guide us to reconcile our own hurting hearts and the hearts of others, that we all may better bear your light and love into the world. Amen.

  • Purple Vision

    Purple Vision

    Numbers 27:15–23; 2 Timothy 2:8–13

    Having worked for -owned and -run businesses, I know that one of the business’ concerns is, who’s next? Perhaps it might be better to say that the of a family-owned and -run business is who will successfully lead it with vision and tenacity once the current leadership steps down.

    I have seen it work well. I have seen it work not-so-well. One business had a plan, and the other business made laissez-faire assumptions.

    Moses had spent a lot of time getting the Israelites to the Promised Land. He had been frustrated, belittled, and probably cursed by the same Israelites. He still wanted them to succeed in the Promised Land. So, Moses asked God for the next .

    God selected Joshua. Now, it could be said that this was obvious, as other than Aaron, only Joshua is noted as Moses’ aide, and even accompanied Moses when he received the Ten Commandments. Joshua, as Moses’ aide, indeed saw the dark side of leading the Israelites.

    I think it is appropriate to presume that God had guided Moses’ selection of Joshua, thus make Joshua the “obvious” choice. On the other hand, we could also presume that Moses’ experience in Pharaoh’s house would have taught Moses how to choose a leader, and then God used that.

    Who was next to lead would set the Israelites for success or failure in the Promised Land.

    In some respects, that is the same view many people have of the incoming Presidential administration and the Congressional seating. Success or failure. In a republic, it’s a little harder to really hit that success or failure button (though pundits try).

    As we look at the days, months, and years to follow this election, we all need to ask ourselves about a few things. For the last few election cycles, the country has been color-coded with red and blue. The animosity between red and blue is approaching that of the Bloods and Crypts from decades ago, who differentiate themselves by red or blue.

    Wearing the wrong colors in the wrong neighborhood was a recipe for being harmed by the other gang’s members. Now people are being assaulted by the “opposing” group just for wearing t-shirts, hats, or participating in their constitutionally protected right to protest.

    There has been a centrist movement calling itself “purple”. However, there is something ironic in that. This mix of red and blue representation of republic political alignment has a completely different meaning…royalty.

    Theoretically, the War of Independence was intended to “free” the American colonies from the oppression of British royalty. Instead, we developed an elected aristocracy.

    There is one good thing, though, about the purple. Who we recognize as royalty, who we recognize as king makes all the difference. When we recognize and believe the Jesus Christ is King, we can gladly declare ourselves purple, for we seek to follow the True King.

    ※Reflection※

    What will it take, do you think, for Christian conversations on to be purple first, rather than last? What is one behavior or of yours was not purple during this recent political season? How can you develop a practice of purple thoughts and speech, rather than red or blue?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you are the King of the Universe. Through you, Creation came into being. Only you are of our worship and . Thank you for us the freedom to choose. Thank you for loving us enough so that through the , we can become wise. Amen.

  • Whose King

    Whose King

    Psalm 95:1–7a; Ezekiel 34:11–24; Matthew 25:31–46; Ephesians 1:15–23

    Christ is King. We often say that to ourselves and to . The real question that we need to ask is, do we believe it?

    As the 2020 US political season wraps up, the victors and the losers each have their speeches to give, and much to reflect upon. We, too, have much to reflect upon. This isn’t just a need for the US. The entire world was watching this election.

    The harsh truth is political parties are not Christian. This is by definition. Political parties’ very nature is that of the kingdom of earth. Too many people have tried to put the Heavenly mission into the earthly basket and are disappointed when it fails.

    When Ezekiel talks about God rescuing the flock from the , it certainly seems is part of the darkness. Despite often wedding ourselves to a political party, God still talks about bringing us back, us, and strengthening us.

    “Isn’t it enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the of the pasture with your feet? Or isn’t it enough that you drink the clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?” (Ezekiel 34:18, CSB)

    How much of that sounds like Christians have been treating each other? Far too much.

    Probably the biggest reason why politics don’t mesh with the is what motivates each of them. Politics are about power (yes, it should be more). The Kingdom of Heaven is about love.

    One cannot bring about the Kingdom of Heaven through politics. One either loves and has power of influence, or one has power and loves little. It would be nice if the two could work together, but humanity seems incapable. Humanity certainly is incapable of any cohesion of the two without the indwelling of the Spirit.

    The Kingdom of Heaven and , the King of Heaven, should overwhelm our earthly politics with love.

    ※Reflection※

    What does it say about the depth of our when politics often overrides our faith? How does your faith inform your politics? Have you ever had the experience of choosing a candidate from “the wrong party” because they appeared more closely aligned with your faith than the candidate from “the right party”? If not, can you imagine what it would be like, and what might drive that?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we declare you our king. Help us live it out. Amen.

  • Moneyed Futures

    Moneyed Futures

    2 Samuel 7:12–21; Matthew 6:33–34; James 4:13–5:6

    If you’ve ever listened to Dave Ramsey, you’ve probably heard of the “emergency” fund. When you start his Financial University program, this is the first thing to be done. His point being that credit cards and payday loan “emergencies” become less so when you actually plan for them.

    Ramsey goes so far as to say each family ought to have available funds to cover 3-6 months of expenses. That is often a large pill to swallow. Yet, as many people are struggling to make ends meet, and are looking at losing their jobs, homes, and even health care much would have been easier if all were so prepared.

    In response to the 25%+ foreclosure rate during the Great Depression, the federal loan agent Fannie Mae was created in 1938. As homes and property were physical assets, there was some tolerance for it. Though one can look at the current housing market and if Fannie Mae (and its “sibling” Freddie Mac) were a good idea.

    In 1950, Diner’s Club International created the credit card. American Express followed a few years later. Bank of America followed them (eventually creating Visa). Then came Master Charge (now MasterCard). People were now able to borrow themselves into oblivion.

    Then we add things like personal loans, auto loans, and student loans, it has become a real mess. The way the US tax code is, even companies are encouraged to do massive loans for tax benefits. The sad part is how much inflation all these loans (and the ability to get them) have probably caused.

    However, what is interesting is that Generation Z has experienced and witnessed this, and all the companies that make money off of loans may be in real trouble. Gen Z already (barely into the workforce) has the highest rate of savings since those who grew up during the Great Depression.

    The reality is that all these loans, and all that is spent, buys nothing in the , at least not by itself. James’ words are rather harsh, but as we look around us, we can see that perhaps James wasn’t harsh enough.

    A certain aerospace company contractually forced its subtiers (and their subtiers) to continue production of a plane that was grounded internationally. The rate of manufacturing was elevated at such a rate that hundreds of planes are now sitting, unsold. All the contractually obligated subtiers are also sitting on what is now likely at least a year’s (and likely 2-3) worth of inventory, with no one to send it to.

    The arrogance of large corporations can be seen in James’ words. Also, as we look at all of our political leaders, we can see that arrogance regarding the is just as much an issue for them as for companies.

    Normal folks encouraged to have loans they can’t afford, look at the corporations and politicians who, by and large, escape the consequences. Normal folks are the ones losing their jobs. The politicians are keeping theirs.

    ※Reflection※

    What are some lessons that we as Christians and as people of the US can learn from the economy and the COVID situation? How do we apply them to our walk moving forward? How might the lessons how we treat and even exercise our freedoms and responsibilities?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, you are our and our firm foundation. May the Spirit continue to guide us toward a holy view of money that we might be better citizens of the US and also the . Amen.

  • Gather Where

    Gather Where

    Exodus 3:1–6; Ezra 3:8–13; Matthew 23:37–24:8

    I visited Rome many years ago. I have never been so overwhelmed by the sheer number of buildings. It seemed that there wasn’t a block that didn’t have one. There is a Roman Catholic church building dedicated to every country in the world, and that’s not even half of the Roman Catholic church buildings in Rome. There are also plenty of non-Roman Catholic churches and house churches.

    If one based faith on the number of buildings, then Rome would be bursting with faith. It isn’t. This certainly isn’t just a Roman Catholic issue.

    There are plenty of communities in the US that have a high number of church buildings, but the number of Christians is just not significant (population-count-wise). Just as in Rome, all the church buildings could indicate a place bursting with faith. Instead, the buildings are just withering on the vine.

    Moses found a burning bush. God was there. The ground was .

    Think about it, though. Moses wasn’t the first herdsman of Israel. In fact, the lineage of Israel consisted of herdsmen. Did all the herdsmen not God while they were in the fields?

    Many people do, in fact, their greatest God connection when amid God’s unspoiled Creation. For some, it might be mountains, or lakes, or seashores, or deserts. Others will find it in cathedrals build by man. It doesn’t matter. God is there.

    The new in the midst of its rebuild, and even after it was completed, was not the impressive piece of architecture as the original. In comparison, it was a block of wood in comparison to a shining jewel. Ultimately, though, it was a place to worship God, and to provide a focal point of faith practices.

    Despite the second temple being nothing in comparison to its predecessor, the people of Jesus’ day still viewed it as sacred. Jesus pointed out that it was only a building. It too would fall. While people took great offense at his statement, it was only . The world is perishing; so too would the temple.

    According to some recent numbers, 30% of churches pre-COVID will not to their building post-COVID. For them, the building is done. For some congregations, this means that the congregation is done, and the people will join other congregations or none at all. For others, this means a new expression of the gathering: Cafe Church, Circle Church, Church in a Bar (yes, this is a non-Nazarene thing), and who knows what else people will discover as they seek to be the gathered community.

    How buildings of worship will , remain, and how they will be part of our faith is still to be seen. Without question, place is very important. It can be under a tree (as many African Church of the Nazarene congregations do). It can be in a sheet metal building. It can be in a building of concrete. It can be in a house. It can be in a yard.

    ※Questions※

    1) Can you see yourself worshiping (well) in a “place” different than the “church” building? What “calls” to you?

    2) Do you think a “place” to gather in community is important? Why or why not?

    ※Prayer※

    God, you have called us to gather in community. Help us, as the world drastically changes, continue to seek ways to gather to build up one another and bring and worship to you. Amen.