Devotion.al

Tag: leader

  • Kick or Lift

    Kick or Lift

    Psalm 23; Jeremiah 12:1–13; Luke 18:35–43

    Understanding that we don’t know the whys and wherefores of is one step. Accepting it is another. Then the biggest step is not blaming God. Often blaming God is the easiest as it means we have no responsibility. It also means we have no control, so we are “spared”.Yet, deep down inside we feel the disconnect. That’s why we, even in our modern enlightened era are constantly trying to find the next “right” (and leaders). We strive against our hopes and fears that the next one will be the “right” one.

    Jeremiah summarizes all of these emotions with his anguished words to God. Jeremiah acknowledges that he (just like us) has no place to judge God. That doesn’t mean that Jeremiah doesn’t want to understand (just like us).

    Although it is not stated, God seems to starting with verse 5, asking Jeremiah how long he will strive against all that is coming. Then the verses continue about an inheritance that has been abandoned because of the it had committed. There is no in God’s words. There is heartbreak.

    A decision was made to turn against God; to go their own way.If they had been the blind man, calling for the of God and meaning it. All things would have changed. The blind man was persistent in the face of contrary opinion. He asked for mercy. He received mercy. said it was his .

    If the inheritors had begged in faith for such mercy, they, too, could have been healed.

    ※Reflection※

    • Where in your life do you identify with Jeremiah?
    • Have you had any experience in your life similar to God’s response in Jeremiah?
    • Have you experienced or witnessed a similar movement of faith, grace, and as the blind man?

    ※Prayer※

    God, we don’t see all the pieces. We know by faith that you are moving in the world. Help us to see your moving and the ability to it with others. Amen.

  • And Now We Worship

    And Now We Worship

    Psalm 142; Amos 9:11–15; Luke 7:31–35

    As mentioned previously, Amos’ prophetic was to the Israelites, the nation of the 10 tribes that separated from Judah and Benjamin. As part of the “rebellion” the of the Israelites, Jeroboam, made 2 golden calves for local worship to protect his “kingship” from reverting to Judah and Jerusalem should the people of Israel choose to faithfully worship at the in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:26–33). He was quite successful.

    As the Temple had remained in Jerusalem, and the false worship at Bethel (gold calf), it seems strange to mentions the “tent of David”. The original Tent of Meeting was replaced by the Temple. The Temple in Jerusalem wasn’t destroyed. The temple of false worship in Bethel would fall in a few years due to an earthquake. The people of Israel no longer claimed David as one of their own (1 Kings 12:16–17).

    The best way to explain this is to understand the underlying message of Amos: false worship was separating the people of Israel permanently (by their actions, not God’s) from God. True/pure/heartfelt worship would reunite the people of Israel with God. In other words, the false temple won’t help you (and the implication that even the Temple in Jerusalem wouldn’t). Only being someone “after” God’s own heart would restore things as they ought to be. The message to the Israelites was, be David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14).

    However, no matter how we slice it or define it, we will often worship that which isn’t God, thinking that it will bring us closer to God. Quite often it is behavior. And, while certain behaviors (repentance, love of God, worship of God) will, we all too often confuse which behaviors.

    Take ‘ words as shared by Luke. John the Baptist and Jesus the Prophet (yes, the Messiah, but for this point, we’ll leave it as prophet) didn’t fit into idealized behaviors that were expected. John wore uncomfortable clothing (a type worn by ascetics as a form of penance or self-denial), and ate “cakes” of dried honey and locusts (yum?). They said he had a demon. John the Baptist, for the record, was unique in his ministry, not his “taste” in clothing and food.

    The same people that questioned John the Baptist’s sanity, purity, and , used a completely different measurement tool for Jesus. Jesus dared to drink a lot (whether it was high alcohol or not was never the argument of his contemporaries), eat a lot (he was probably a popular guest), and spend time with the less socially advantaged.

    Bluntly, these almost word-for-word statements have been used by far too many Evangelicals (even the demon-one) against Christians of other traditions (and sometimes even within). Far too many worship (yes, worship) forms of worship and obedience far more than they worship God.

    There is, of course, a slippery slope. That, too, is an issue pointing out. If everything is allowed, then the holiness and righteousness of God are impinged upon. The freedom to do “whatever” is also often worshiped and causes its own troubles (Romans 5:20–6:14).

    Who, what, how we worship are all critical considerations for our lives of . We just need to be careful that which we call unrighteous (or otherwise inappropriate) worship is not because of the way we see it, rather than how God sees it.

    ※Reflection※

    • What does worshiping as a person after God’s own heart look like? How might it be different than your current practices? How might it be the same?
    • Why do we often overcomplicate the worship of God? What kind of actions have you experienced that have hampered your worship of God? Have those same actions been a vital part of another’s worship experience?
    • How does the worship in our hearts work with or against the worship of our actions (i.e., body)?

    ※Prayer※

    to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his at work within us; glory to him in the and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen. [Ephesians 3:20–21]

  • Promising Places

    Promising Places

    Psalm 119:81–88; Jeremiah 16:14–21; John 7:1–9

    Every has a formative episode. The episodes can be one that is event (i.e., the signing of the Declaration of Independence) or it can be natural (i.e., the New Year) or it can even be invented (there are a lot of those).

    These formative episodes often become dramatic retellings of . They form identity. Often, however, the dark sides of those events are often glossed over. Many patriotic events gloss over crimes against humanity, war, bloodshed, of innocents.

    Egypt had been that for Israel. Joseph’s story from slave to (second only to Pharaoh), and thus bringing Israel in on a powerful note. Then their time in Egypt as home. Then their transformation from and freedom to slavery. Then from slavery to freedom out of Egypt. Even for Solomon, Egypt remained a key piece of Israelite identity.

    Depending on how we read it, it would seem that part of the reason that God was allowing the exile was not just a consequence of and rebellion, it was a reshaping of the people of Israel. The formative event was to be the from exile, rather than escape from Egypt and all the baggage that came with it.

    The exile, in other words, was to be a time of purification. It was also a time of reorientation. The Promised Land was only a dream in Egypt. The Promised Land was a memory in exile.

    ※Reflection※

    • Have you ever had a “Promised Land” dream? What was it like? Has it been ?
    • Do you have a “Promised Land” memory? What was it like? Is currently part of your , or is it in the past? If it is in the past, could you return? What would it be like?
    • What are personal events that have formed you in such a way as to have changed the path you took in life?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, our past shapes us. You graced us with the freedom to not be defined by it, except by your will. us the vision to see the next Promised Land you have for us. Amen.

  • Fairly Cruci-Formed

    Fairly Cruci-Formed

    Psalm 30; Lamentations 3:22–33; Mark 5:21–43; 2 Corinthians 8:7–15

    . 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, , , 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 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 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 touching Jesus’ garment, and they didn’t get healed. It’s not fair.

    Then Paul dares to ask the Corinthians to send . 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 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 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 Spirit shape and form us to be reflections of you in how we see and do fair and right. Amen.

  • Sighting Evil

    Sighting Evil

    Psalm 74; 1 Samuel 16:14–23; Revelation 20:1–6

    spirits or the “ of evil” has a in culture throughout the ages. Even for those who have no deistic belief, there is an understanding that something is completely evil.

    There was nothing positive about the Holocaust. In fact, most people would state that the men and women (for there were both) who created and perpetuated it were evil. There seems to be no question that there was a “spirit of evil” when it came to the Holocaust. The primary spirit of evil took the form of the other. Jews were the (along with gypsies, we often ignore). Jews were blamed for the punitive consequences of World War I, which destroyed the German economy and culture (in some ways). This allowed a person such as Adolf Hitler to become the leader.

    However, the Christian take on Hitler, as hard as it is, was that there was a possibility of redemption for him (along with all the others). How one could, on earth, move beyond what he led takes more than I could comprehend. The spirit of evil takes on many forms. Some of them seem benign. Some of them being obviously harmful. Christians over many years have argued over what makes something evil, or if something is indeed evil. A number of changes in American culture and law in the last few decades have certainly been at the fore.

    The spirit of evil that Saul had sounds similar to a split personality. In many places, we read that Saul cared for, respected, and relied upon David. Yet, Saul would try to kill David in many ways, including by chasing him down with an army. The divergence of thinking certainly sounds like modern mental illness. Which leads us back to evil. If someone is mentally ill, is it a spirit of evil or is it something else?

    Whatever guise or seeming, until all is over and we are at the throne of God, we will be dealing with a spirit of evil (or many spirits). While the Book of Revelation tells us the end (though God’s victory doesn’t really come as a surprise), what it means that evil is bound for a thousand years, but will have to be released for a time after that is beyond us. We can guess, but it would only be a guess.

    This not a suggestion for fatalism. If we believe that God is good, died for us, and that we have the Spirit in us, then evil’s presence is not pre-determined to lead to evil. It is our own thoughts and actions. Our actions, though, cannot be limited to our circle, but must also be part of our community.

    ※※

    • What do you think the difference is between evil, , and mistakes? How might understanding these 3 things adjust our interactions with the world?
    • When was the last time you used “evil” in ? Was the context actually that of evil, or was it something different? If it was evil, what made it so? If it wasn’t truly evil, what might have been a better way to phrase it?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us to guard our hearts against evil. Help us to understand your view of evil and to be those that bring light upon it. Amen.

  • Follow Through The Veil

    Follow Through The Veil

    Psalm 98; Isaiah 49:5–6; Acts 10:1–34

    It’s not enough to restore a backslidden, rebellious, unloving, non-grace-filled, unjust people who either don’t acknowledge or hate God. On top of that, the whole world that doesn’t know God is going to look to you for the of God. No pressure.

    Or how about a valorous warrior, who lead 80 soldiers from the front, a Gentile (dirty to Jews) who followed the Jewish (dirty to Greeks) faith. A person used to pressure was visited by an angel. Military? Yes. Politics? Probably. Messenger of God?

    Or how about a simple fisherman, who met this wandering carpenter, followed him, befriended him, deserted him, experience a transformative experience of his friend into the Son of God (and resurrected to boot), going from a simple follower to a leader of leaders of a new faith tradition, and then receive a overturning his entire dietary understanding and eventually his understanding of who Jesus died for (everyone).

    You and I are not Isaiah, Cornelius, or Peter. We are not going to be written of in the Scriptures (they’re closed). Our dreams and visions may be remembered by the internet and perhaps friends and . No one else. Not like Isaiah.

    Some followers of Jesus may turn out to be very much like Cornelius, faith-filled followers of Jesus (eventually in Cornelius’ state) who are also valorous soldiers. However, having a personal meeting with an angle and meeting someone greater than any pope, archbishop, bishop? Probably not.

    While most of us can see aspects of ourselves in Peter, his is beyond ours. He physically walked with Jesus. He learned directly from Jesus. He met Jesus after the (embodied). Not going to measure up to that.

    We’re not called to that. Maybe. What we are called to is a better and deeper relationship with God through the of Jesus Christ and the of the Spirit.

    If you’ve been baptized, it is hoped that you understood (if you were an adult) or were taught (if baptized as an infant or child) that baptism is God’s seal on you (from one ) and a public tying of you to the faith. Baptism is only supposed to be at the beginning of the journey. It isn’t the end.

    As we look at Peter’s life, he was transformed day by day. He did not remain the same. That is truly one we can be like Peter.

    ※Reflection※

    • How have you changed since you first followed Jesus?
    • What is the biggest part of you changing in submission to Jesus now?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, us into the followers you see us to be, rather than the ones we are. Amen.

  • A Matter of Age

    A Matter of Age

    Psalm 95; 1 Samuel 16:1–13; 1 Peter 5:1–5

    Are you old, or are you young? It might seem to be an easy answer. Even with twins (or other multiples), there is always one who is older. Except, that far too often, we focus on chronological, rather than contextual .

    There are stories after stories in the where youth isn’t the issue, but rather to God. To be sure, some of the most faithful showed their faithfulness from their youth (Samuel and David, for example).

    David and Samuel were both young when God called them to amazing things. What we often don’t discuss is that these two, for example, were surrounded by those older than themselves. Whether it was David’s (or later counselors) or the priests and seers around Samuel, there was bound to be someone older who spoke into their lives. We know that even Eli (Samuel’s mentor) spoke into Samuel’s life in a God-filled way, despite having fallen away from God in other ways.

    While Peter’s letter is generally assumed to be by chronological age, there is another perspective. While age was still a factor, in particular, it was age of . Peter’s calling to the leaders was as leader, elder, and age. There is something to be said about long and deep experience in the faith (rather than a short time or any length of time in shallow faith).

    This gets particularly interesting for us in regards to people who are older who then come to faith. There are many situations where a person comes to saving faith in Jesus Christ as an adult. Logically, we can understand that they may be less wise and educated in the faith than a (for example) teenager that came to faith as a child, but a life of experience can make a great , too.

    It is a both/and situation. It is both chronological age (and theoretically experience in the world) and duration of faith. There is also the factor of wisdom.

    In the of the Nazarene, we hold baptism and moral responsibility at the point of . Just like the preceding words regarding elders of age and faith, there is a lot of discernment and grace that goes into it. We often don’t really know who is accountable according to God. We often just have to guess.

    This is the same as who is “the elder” of the church. It isn’t only a title. It is also a way of being. You may find that others discern that you have greater spiritual wisdom than you think you should (by the grace of God). On the other hand, you find yourself thinking yourself much more of a elder than everyone else finds you.

    ※Reflection※

    • To whom might you be a spiritual elder? Why might that be?
    • Who is a spiritual elder to you? Why?
    • What makes someone a spiritual elder?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may the guide us into all , including the truth of ourselves, so that we look for spiritual elders and so that we may become God-honoring spiritual elders to others. Amen.

  • What Holy Ground?

    What Holy Ground?

    Psalm 19; Exodus 19:9b–15; Acts 7:30–40

    “What ground,” isn’t a rhetorical question. It’s a real one. What is Holy ground?

    The land surrounding the “burning bush” was Holy…for a time. Notice that it wasn’t important to God or Moses what happened after that encounter. It was only important during that encounter.

    How about the mountain? Well, we’re pretty certain we know which mountain. There certainly are Muslims who are certain which mountain it was. There is no on it where people worship God or have “Holy” experiences.

    Holy ground isn’t a small question. The people of the are trying to figure out a whole new reality to that question. Is digital Holy? If so, when? It’s also not that digital is forcing a new question to be asked. It is just so completely different to the understanding of church, , and gathering that it cannot help but be obviously different.

    Small groups have long been a staple in the church. The Wesleyan movement (of which we, the Church of the Nazarene, are a part) has high regard for the place of “” (groups of 8–20) and “bands” (groups of 3–6) for developing an understanding of being (classes) and as a Christian (bands). Both classes and bands had experiences of Holy encounters. They became Holy places.

    In other words, the church (or the Wesleyan expression of it) already has a place of Holy ground that isn’t “the church” (Sunday morning worship).

    As of late, I have discovered a new Holy ground for me and my encounters with God. Of all places, it’s in my living room. It is next to the gas fireplace I use to disregard as a pathetic excuse for a fireplace (i.e., it doesn’t burn wood). Yet, I have learned that flipping that switch I belittled is now a quickener to focused . I’m already dreading Summer and not turning it on.

    Another Holy place for me is now Google Meets (Google’s answer to Zoom). I with my band and I meet with my class on Google Meets. My band used to meet at Starbucks, but now half my band is out-of-state. We still have Holy ground . My class started over Zoom then moved to Google Meets. We didn’t start in person, and probably never will meet as a class in person. We still have Holy ground together.

    Where you find Holy ground is not wholly irrelevant. However, if you are truly encountering God there, even in a garbage dump, then even the garbage dump is Holy Ground.

    Finding Holy ground is not (really) optional. As a follower of Jesus, we must find time and place to be with God. If we cannot find one, we must make the effort to do so.

    Susanna Wesley (the mother of John Wesley, the primary founder and leader of the Wesleyan movement) found her Holy ground underneath her apron in the kitchen. With a large number of children running (if they ran) around, it was there that she encountered God.

    Don’t look for that big or special place to encounter God. Look for that Holy ground in the everyday to encounter God.