Tag: Jesus

Hear the Roar
Psalm 85:8–13; Amos 3:1–12; Colossians 4:2–18

The Psalm speaks of the land of Israel having God’s blessings. It needed it. God’s blessing was both a protection and a source of bounty. The gist is that if Israel’s people were being blessed by the land, including peace from war, bountiful crops, and growing families, then God should be at the forefront of the list of giving thanks.

The US has long held itself (with some rationale) as a blessed and fertile land. Yes, there were blips (droughts—including the blight that was part of the Great Depression, blights, pests, etc). As a whole, however, the US continues to have bountifully producing lands. Historically, we have been relatively free from war and conflict. Our families could grow large if we wanted.

Yet, a common refrain, especially during any so-call culture wars/battles, is that things would get better if we returned to God wholeheartedly. The problem with that is that people see all the blessings, so are confused as to why they should be looking to God. That may have well the same issue with the Israelites.

The refrain of returning to God is rising again. Most of us think only of the political “right” when it comes to that. It is true that many of the religious folks that are calling for a “return to God” are aligned to the “right” politically. However, there are voices on the political “left” that are also speaking prophetic language. Words such as “reckoning” are coming out. That’s a very Biblical concept. Those aligned politically on the “left” don’t use much religious language because the “right” appears to own it (they don’t), and will delegitimize those on the “left” who use religious language. However, for both “sides”, they actually have a similar vision…things will not work the way they have been.

The political jostling distracts from the prophetic words coming from both “sides” of the political divide. That both agree (in different words, granted) that this is not as God intended should be something that everyone should be paying attention to…especially in the church. In an era that is becoming more politically rigidly divided, every prophetic bone in every Christian, along with the Holy Spirit present in each one of us is screaming, “LOOK AT THIS!”

In Amos, we see a picture of Israel that is so loved by God it had been—up to this point—able to avoid the natural punishment that had come to those around it. God’s love had kept them from the consequences. That protection was on its last legs. This is the roaring lion of Judah in Amos. It isn’t the lion that protects. It is the lion that warns.

The lion is roaring, church! Are you listening?

Once we listen, if we choose to, what then?

Paul tells the church to act wisely and to make the most of every opportunity to share about Jesus and the Gospel. If you read that passage, verses 5 and 6 almost don’t seem to fit. In my imagination, I see Paul writing this letter from jail, and one of his jailers comes in and it clicks with Paul as he has been sharing with his jailers about Jesus that the Colossians should, too. That Paul seems to interrupt his chain of thought to mention this should wrap this in neon lights and glitter. All our sharp rhetoric and political bludgeoning aren’t how this is supposed to work…not for the church, at least. Sharp rhetoric and political bludgeoning are the way of the world.

The lion is roaring, and we claim it’s at the culture, the system, etcetera. The lion is roaring at the church to say, “get to the work of the kingdom!”

※Reflection※
- What do you see with your heart when you read the Scriptures? Do you take away something different?
- How can prophetic voices from different political poles still speak prophetically to the church and the world and both be authentic?
- Is there a particular issue that the lion roars for you? What is the human (not political) person like on the “opposite” side? Is it really opposition rather than perspective? (Advice: don’t let the politics deceive you about people)
※Prayer※

Lord, we of your church have lost our prophetic voice with far more issues than we have retained. Guide our hearts to seek your will, to be your witnesses, and to be the needed prophetic voice to your bride—the church—and then to the world. Amen.
2021-07-09
Servant Life
Psalm 123; Ezekiel 2:1–5; 2 Corinthians 12:2–10; Mark 6:1–13

In certain cultures, and in certain times, it was not dishonorable to be a servant. In fact, being a servant could well lead to a different path than what could else be accomplished. One of the most famous servants in US culture is a man named Alfred Pennyworth. He is the butler of Bruce Wayne, whose alter ego is The Batman. Yes, he’s merely a fictional character. And, yes, he is one of the few positive US depictions of a servant.

When working through the Scriptures, we often try to “soften” the imagery around servants, indentured servants, and slaves. Part of it is our US ethos of rugged individualism. The other part is our darker history of human exploitation through both indentured servitude and slavery.

To add insult to injury, or misunderstanding to the Scriptures, US culture diminishes waitstaff (a respectable path elsewhere), cooks, or anyone who doesn’t fit certain narratives.

This becomes crucial when we read passages such as Psalm 123:3. As a servant waits for their master, so our eyes wait upon the mercy of God. Our cultural baggage with both master and servant removes our heart’s ability to see this verse as it is intended. The servant of which the psalmist writes loves their master. They love their master so much that it isn’t a burden; it is an honor. Their life orbits the master. They wait to do the master’s bidding so that the master is satisfied. The servant’s satisfaction comes from the master’s.

In our context, we usually then respond, what about the needs of the servant or our needs (if we read ourselves into the role of the servant)? Then, are we really any different than the hardheaded and hardhearted descendants of Israel and Judah that God points to in Ezekiel 2: 4? Or are we more like the braggart that Paul tries not to be in 2 Corinthians 12:6, yet still think that we are greater than being a servant (which Paul didn’t)?

The cultural shift that would make servants (and the service “industry”) more respectable or honorable may never come. Or, if Gen Z can become effective in many of its ideals, It may dovetail into the conversations around the minimum wage, livable wage, and permanent income.

As a result of a recent conversation with a Gen-Z-er (~born 1995–2015), I realized that perhaps we are more servants than we realize. As employees, we serve our organization. An organization serves its stakeholders. That’s a little oversimplified, but you get the idea.

However, most of us will immediately respond negatively to this imagery. We don’t want to serve. That should probably give us pause when we think of living our lives for God.

※Reflection※
- What is your response to being a servant (not serving)? Why? What is the difference between serving and being a servant?
- Jesus called himself a servant. If God calls himself a servant, and we are his followers, why do we have problems with this concept when it comes to living the Christian life?
※Prayer※

Servant of the World who stepped down into darkness. That you for your servant’s heart and sacrifice which brings us into the light. Amen.
2021-07-04
Give It Up

Psalm 123; Jeremiah 7:27–34; Matthew 8:18–22

There was this guy who loved science. He loved nature. He pursued the academics to take care of the wilds. Except he was stubborn. You see, what he loved wasn’t the science, but Creation. In fact, he wasn’t good at it at all. He stuck with that choice for 4 years. Sadly, no one gave him wise advice (not that he would have listened) to give it up. It wasn’t meant for him. 4 years of misery and disappointment vanished into smoke. You might know such a stubborn person.

The basic gist of God’s words to Jeremiah: give it up. No matter what you do, they won’t listen. No matter what acts of penance and remorse they act out…they are acting and their hearts aren’t in it. The people of Judah seemed to revel in their disobedience to God. Blaspheming the Temple of God with idols of false gods. Killing their sons and daughters and giving them to fires.

Give it up, Jeremiah. They won’t see the errors of theirs ways until the places of these sacrifices are filled with corpses of war, famine, and pestilence, and these so-called sacred places of sacrifice are themselves blasphemed. Oh, and maybe not even then. Give it up.

We are in a time and place where even conversations with friends and acquaintances are “given up” as there can be no discussion or resolution. The hearts are hard and the ears are closed. Sometimes all we can do is give it up. That is until it comes to us.

Jesus’ words seem somewhat harsh to our ears. Yet, they hold a profound truth that much of Western Christianity, especially the US iteration, is in the process of rediscovering. Give it up.

The legal expert would have had a decent home and security. Jesus told him, basically, give it up. The disciple (since unnamed, probably not one of the 12) says, let me bury my father. In other words, let me wait to follow you until my father wouldn’t disown me or be ashamed of me. Jesus responded, who is your father in comparison to me? Give it up.

We have become far too comfortable. Whether it is being the majority confessed (rather than followed) religion, or the “majority” skin color (if you are), or the nice buildings, or our ties to political power, or our ties to monied power, or the practices we hold dear, or the ability to speak openly about Jesus, we’ve been comfortable.

Jesus’ point to these two was that comfort isn’t the call…Jesus is the call.

In certain Christian traditions that hold only men may be pastors/priests, they are struggling to find men to fill the roles. Often the response is that they should accept women. Those who respond that way will often point to those denominations (like the Church of the Nazarene) that do ordain women. Yet, the real question, the real deficit, is that people don’t want to give it up. They don’t want to give up their lives.

None of us do, really. Even those denominations that do ordain women still have a problem, and that is the people themselves who don’t want to give it up for Jesus. It is not a matter of men or women. It is not a matter of politics, money, race, or other things. It is that people don’t want to give it up for Jesus.

2021-07-03
Begging In Faith
Psalm 88; 2 Kings 20:1–11; Mark 9:14–29

Regardless of your views on the COVID vaccine, medical science (including vaccines) has been miraculous over the years. How medical practices have been improved is amazing (My grandfather once told me of a vaccine he received as a kid. The process was highly unsanitary.). Medical science continues to improve.

It is possible that Hezekiah’s illness could have been healed by modern medicine. Many of the illnesses in the Scriptures are quite possible to be healed. This doesn’t minimize the healing miracle that occurred, especially the manner in which it occurred (a prompt—almost immediate—response to prayer).

As our modern medicine improves, it becomes even more likely that modern folks will dismiss the stories of the Scriptures as ignorant people, who didn’t understand any science (which is true). Many contemporary people will then also attribute that same ignorance of science to Christians today. If Christians are not wise in their faith, and in their defense of it, they may contribute to the reduction of faith in those around them.

It would be interesting to know whether Jesus considers the generation he called faithless to be more or less faithless than today’s. It would be unwise to presume that it must be today’s, as Jesus had to deal with a lot of that.

The father of the son asked for faith in the face of his unbelief. The disciples still didn’t get their own disbelief. Disbelief was all around. Disbelief is all around us.

※Reflection※
- In what areas of your life is your faith currently be challenged? How are you getting prayer support for this challenge?
- Do you think there is a difference between unbelief and faithlessness? Why or why not? If there are differences, how do you see them in your life or the lives of others?
- What is more important for the church right now, the faithlessness of the world or the faithlessness of those who call themselves Christian? As a Christian, what does it mean to be faithless?
※Prayer※

Lord, help the ongoing war in our hearts and souls against unbelief and faithlessness. Amen.
2021-06-30
Fairly Cruci-Formed
Psalm 30; Lamentations 3:22–33; Mark 5:21–43; 2 Corinthians 8:7–15

Grace. Unmerited favor. Overwhelming love. Not words that would usually be associated with Lamentations. With the content of Lamentations being a result of the fall of Israel (and in particular, Jerusalem), it is peculiar to think of grace.

Lamentations is poetry, lament, and theology all wrapped into one. In Lamentations, probably more than even in Job, someone (or someones) wrestles with grief, loss, death, the (un)fairness of life, and other things that people question when in the throes of significant pain of the heart.

Despite all that they have gone through, including their recognition of their sin and transgressions, God hasn’t abandoned them. For a time, they would be wandering in a new kind of wilderness, but God would not let that way remain forever.

The world really isn’t fair. We often aren’t fair to the ones we love, or even ourselves. One of the biggest and most painful lessons we learn as children is that the world is not fair. What makes that even more interesting is that no matter how deep that wound is, there is something that we cannot tolerate about things not being fair.

Even in the verses of Mark, there are “not fair” examples. Some leader gets to ask Jesus into his home. Normal people wouldn’t get to do that. Some random woman touches his outer garment and is completely healed. There were probably others touching Jesus’ garment, and they didn’t get healed. It’s not fair.

Then Paul dares to ask the Corinthians to send money. He doesn’t demand it. He puts it in nice gentle language. He still wants our money. It’s not fair.

Except, Paul’s point, God’s point isn’t fairness. It’s not even reciprocity. It’s doing right because it is right. Not because it’s fair (or unfair, honestly).

Fair and right are often at odds. When we add time to the mix, it becomes even more difficult, for the long-term consequences may well change what is truly fair and right.

With this in mind, it is important for us, as followers of Jesus, to pursue fair and right from the perspective of God. Of course, what that means is up for debate in the current era, which is a problem in and of itself. When we are no longer able to determine fair or right, or we really the children of God?

※Reflection※
- What does fair mean to you? How does “fair” reflect the nature and/or character of God? What does a “fair” Christian do that a non-Christian wouldn’t?
- What does right mean to you? How does “right” reflect the nature and/or character of God? What does a “right” Christian do that a non-Christian wouldn’t?
- How do you learn and discern fair and right in your daily life?
※Prayer※

God of judgment, may the Holy Spirit shape and form us to be reflections of you in how we see and do fair and right. Amen.
2021-06-27
Our Warring Hearts
Psalm 30; Lamentations 2:18–22; Luke 4:31–37

In the science fiction series, Babylon 5, we learn about the “great” war. The great war was between two sides fighting for the benefit (or the evolution) of the “lesser” species. Each side has a different method to initiate change and improvement. One side (“the light”) seeks to change people through peaceful means. The other side (“the shadows”) seeks to change people through fear, pain, and, most importantly, war. The sad part about this is the ultimate conclusion from the series is that both sides are right and wrong. It really does echo human history.

For those who have grown up in these last few decades and for those who seek the love of God, passages of destruction and penalty are often emotionally hard to read and more difficult to understand the seeming conflict between the God of love and the apparent God of wrath.

When we read Lamentations it should, if we have our empathy intact, lead our hearts to ache for the loss and pain of Israel. It’s not that we do not understand that this is a consequence of Israel’s abandonment of God. We are human. We are called to empathize with others, even while we understand that these were consequences. Part of the struggle is that we long for comfort and security. We want our God to protect our understanding of our comfort and security. Whenever God even appears to challenge our comfort and security (even if it is for our own good), we cry out to and at God.

We will often sound like that man in Capernaum. “What have you do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”

Our earthly minds will often disregard the man either because of his possession, or (if we don’t believe in literal possession) because he is a mentally ill man (the modern view). Regardless of which choice, the man still sounds like many of us. “Don’t change us. We like the way we are living.”

Change often ends up being a little death and a little mourning. We either have the courage to face and embrace it, or we respond in fear and anger when it comes upon us.

※Reflection※
- Have you ever had a personal life change that felt a little like death (not talking about the death of a loved one)?
- Why do we often reject war (of many kinds) and pain, pursue and desire change, and yet often only change when thrust into the middle of war and pain?
※Prayer※

Help pursue a life of holy change. Train our hearts to see you and not the trials that temper us. Amen.
2021-06-26
Aiming to Change
Psalm 30; Lamentations 2:1–12; 2 Corinthians 8:1–7

The implication of today’s reading in Lamentations is that this came suddenly, or that all the preparations were annihilated. The sad reality is that sometimes things that came “suddenly” were actually quite predictable. God sent multiple prophets. Before the Israelites even entered the Promised Land, Moses had warned them. It shouldn’t have been a surprise.

We can look around us and see plenty of people who follow this same pattern. Whether they make bad relationship decisions, money decisions, career decisions, education decisions, or something else, they continue to make the same mistake and wonder what went wrong.

God wasn’t upset with the Israelites for making mistakes or even wandering away, except that they continued to do it until it became the lifestyle.

God knows that we all will make mistakes. That’s part of the current human condition. That wasn’t supposed to be, but we chose (and choose) to go our own way.

We are embraced, loved, adopted, and reconciled as we are. We aren’t supposed to stay that way. The world understands this Truth. If you were to actually visit a physical bookstore (yes, they still exist) or look at the slate of newly published books, the biggest movers and often the greatest number of published titles are all “self-help”. The world knows that we are to improve and grow. We are not to stay the same.

Despite that, when the Scriptures (or the faithful Jesus-following community) call us to account to change, we push back. We say, “no” or “God made me this way.” And before you think (too late, I’m sure) that “they” should know that too (“they” being whomever many progressive or conservative Christians oppose), it isn’t about “them” or “they”, it is about us.

Paul calls on the Corinthians to be “the best” in regard to faith, speech, knowledge, commitment (there’s a really hard one these days), and love (okay, maybe this one’s harder). The best. Not okay. Not good. Not satisfactory. The best.

We don’t start out as “the best”. As individuals, we may never be “the best” at any or all. Collectively, as the church, we have the potential to be “the best” at them all, but only if we are willing to be changed and work in partnership with the Holy Spirit and our fellow believers.

※Reflection※
- What struck you about the passage in Lamentations? Do you see yourself or your circumstances anywhere?
- What areas of your life have you had the greatest struggle surrendering to Jesus? What areas of your life do you think need the greatest amount of change to be in line with the character and nature of Jesus Christ?
- “The best” is a high mark. Why should we aim at a mark we probably will never hit? How do we keep from being discouraged when we miss?
※Prayer※

As we seek to do your will, may we be transformed. As we pursue holiness, may we not be discouraged. As we fail and err, may we recognized that it is you who picks us back up. Amen.
2021-06-25
Moonlight Movement
Psalm 65; Joshua 10:1–14; Mark 6:45–52

Jericho, Ai, and Gibeon had fallen. For comparison’s sake, it would be as if Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Minneapolis, Detroit, Philadelphia, New York, Boston had all fallen to a single foreign power. And, not just fallen, but completely destroyed with all their people, creatures, and infrastructures with them. If you’re too modern-day politically oriented to the right, you might be saying, “good. We’d be better off.” It is likely that the kings of Jerusalem, Hebron, Jarmuth, Lachish, and Eglon would have felt similarly with the falls of Jericho, Ai, and Gibeon, as there was a lot of political and military control there. The long view, though, was that if a single enemy could do that to those three mighty cities, then who were they in comparison?

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, as the saying goes. The five kings understood that and brought the might of their combined forces against the Israelites. The consequences of their actions were their demise. Granted, it wasn’t as if they had much to lose.

Hailstones that killed. A sun and moon whose order was paused for a day. These were mighty acts of God on display for all to see.

On the other hand, the disciples go (as commanded) via ship to another shore, leaving the one they follow behind. After Jesus has some quality (alone) time with the Father, he strolls along to the boat…on the water…a long way from shore…at night…in the dark with a moon highlight.

Jesus walking on water is just as miraculous as killer hailstones, and the sun and the moon being still for a day (It would be interesting to know how hot the day was at the end). Except, it was not a public event. It was something for the disciples (and those that followed after).

We often want God to do miracles in the daylight. For some of us, justification that God does exist. For others of us, a sign that the world can look to and see God. For others still, just the healing or the life change desired through that miracle.

God works in the day and in the night. As much as we often say, “…for God’s glory…,” it seems that many times God is not so worried about God’s glory. When we worry about God’s glory, it might be that it is not God’s glory that we are concerned for.

※Reflection※
- Do you ever think about God’s glory? When and why?
- When we bring up God’s glory, what else might be our real motivation?
- Do you see God working more in the daylight (visible/public) or more at night (hidden/quiet)? What are some examples?
※Prayer※

Lord, as we seek your glory, let us be seeking your glory and not our own. Amen.
2021-06-23
Show Stopper
Psalm 65; Exodus 9:13–35; Acts 27:39–44

But I’ve left you standing for this reason: in order to show you my power and in order to make my name known in the whole world.
Exodus 9:16

Depending on your context and current life situation, these words could be good or they could be bad. The Scriptures have plenty of examples of where this was good for the God follower and bad for the person (or people) who doesn’t believe in God. There are, too, examples where the Scriptures point to the people who are followers of God who experience trials while others succeed.

In the case of Pharaoh, this was definitely not to his (or Egypt’s) advantage. Granted, Pharaoh had the opportunity to fix the issue but chose not to. On the other hand, and we often ignore them, there were Egyptians (including Pharaoh’s officials) who listened and obeyed. They, too, were also examples. They obeyed; their servants and livestock survived.

Sometimes, obedience is not the most pleasant, either. Paul was obedient insofar as heading to Rome. In fact, he could have avoided the whole situation, but we can infer that he believed that taking advantage of rules would dishonor the faith, and so chose the path to Rome, Caesar, and death.

The centurion wasn’t a particular enemy to Paul or God. Yet, he felt obligated or even connected to Paul for whatever reason and sought to keep him safe. In a different way, he, too, was there to display God’s power.

Humanity has plenty to be proud of. We have gone to the moon. We have sent exploratory devices to distant planets and comets. We have delved deep into the oceans (though there is still more to see). We have generated many theorems and rules to understand the universe. We have analyzed the very makeup of our biological existence (DNA).

All our achievements still cannot outshine God’s glory, will, or plans. We’re not really any closer to understanding them than the Disciples who walked with Jesus by the Sea of Galilee, but we know him. That all that really matters.

※Reflection※
- Have you seen where someone in opposition to God, ended up glorifying God? What were the circumstances, and how did it glorify God?
- Have you seen where the pain or trial person trusting in God glorified God, even when their pain or trial ended badly? How about where it ended well?
※Prayer※

Lord, help us be the light, even when it isn’t easy to bring glory to you. Amen.
2021-06-22
Moving Pain
Psalm 107:1–3, 23–32; Job 38:1–11; 2 Corinthians 6:1–13; Mark 4:35–41

The right time. God moved at the right time. God’s timing is perfect.

From a purely intellectual standpoint, these are easy to say. It is much harder to say this in the midst of trial and be at peace with that truth. We will often tell ourselves that we trust God, but that doesn’t mean we are at peace with it.

Sometimes we aren’t called to be at peace with it.

Pain, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual, is God’s gift to us that something is wrong. One of the biggest ones is the pain of loss, particularly death. Death is the ultimate indicator that something is wrong in Creation.

Pain also often indicates that you need to do something. Just sitting in your pain, because you trust God’s timing or are “at peace” about, is not always the right or righteous move.

Pain, oddly enough, can also be disguised in positive events and positive moments, as these moments of transition mean letting go of the past.

The disciples didn’t just sit in their pain (fear). They woke Jesus up. That was wise.

Paul (and Timothy) didn’t just sit in their pain that the Corinthians appeared to be abandoning them or letting their love (of Paul and Timothy and/or God) grow cold. A letter was written and delivered. It was said aloud and shared among the Corinthians (and other churches).

Job didn’t just sit. He carthartically released his pain. We often think of the Book of Job as Job mostly sitting with the others. While he is, Job is also doing what a lot of us try to do when we are in pain (spiritual and emotional, especially)…we process.

※Reflection※
- What pain are you working through right now? What is the biggest obstacle for you in it?
- How is your pain impacting those around you, particularly those who are closest to you?
- How is your pain impacting your daily life and choices?
※Prayer※

God, you gave us pain to guide us. Help us to look at the pain we are dealing with to see how you can use it to transform us. Amen.
2021-06-20