Devotion.al

Tag: learn

  • Cast Off

    Cast Off

    Matthew 23:13-15; Acts 15:1–22; Colossians 2:4–13 

    There is no question about ‘ attitude toward the scribes and the Pharisees in this verse. It seems pretty straightforward. What if it isn’t? What if Jesus was instead using their language in a way so as to make a point? 

    The Pharisees, with their belief in the afterlife, would certainly not want to be headed for Hell. They intended to go to Heaven. Jesus told them that while they think they are the bouncers for God, they’re not getting in either. There was probably some dismay there. 

    Jesus piled on with the various traditions (versus Biblical law) that the Pharisees and the scribes held everyone accountable for. Frankly, it was unbearable. That was Jesus’ point. They held onto traditions that made their lives Hell on earth. Jesus made it clear that it also prevented them from Heaven.  

    Jesus knew their hearts were stubborn. His greater concern was not them, but all those they dragged along with them. The concern for people who were now burdened with more than their hearts could bear. What if they decided they would rather be Hell-bound than bound with all the rules and traditions that made the life they were living hellish? 

    Sounds extreme, but this was exactly Peter’s point to the elders of the Jerusalem . They and their ancestors could not withstand the misery. The people that were being drawn to the and of Jesus Christ were being threatened with rules and traditions! Most of them the same that they (of Jewish descent) wanted to be freed from, and who believed that Jesus had done so! 

    often had to deal with the Judaizers who kept trying to bring Jewish customs into the Christian and imposing them on Gentiles. It made Paul quite angry at times. 

    You may have run across Christians who try to follow some of the Jewish law (particularly the dietary ones). They were free of the Law before they were born yet seek to be bound by laws that were not theirs to bear. 

    This is also something we need to be careful of ourselves. One of the big lessons of many missionaries was trying to impose Western thinking on non-Westerners. Western thinking got tied into the message of Jesus Christ, often putting burdens (things we would think of as burdens) on people that the did not call them to bear. 

    The church in the Western world is fading. Ultimately, it must rediscover what it means to evangelize and be missional. Of course, the biggest group to which we must be missional are the people we are already comfortable with. We do not look at them with missionary eyes. We are too close. Even more than the Jews had to cast of their traditions, we may have to cast off much of what “makes” us Westerners so that we can be the messengers of to our neighbors. 

    ※Questions※

    1) What might be your cultural blind spots that weaken your ability to evangelize? 

    2) How does our Western culture act in ways similar to the Jewish laws of old? 

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, soften our hearts and open our minds. May we feel your for others and learn to ourselves for the sake of others’ salvation. Amen. 

  • You|Me and Us

    You|Me and Us

    Matthew 18:15–20; Luke 5:23–32

    There is nobody beyond God’s redemptive reach. No one. No matter what a person has done or how “unclean” they may be, God is still there waiting.

    Tax collectors were not well appreciated. We generally are scornful of the IRS. The tax collectors of the of Jesus were despised in general. Any Gentile was supposed to be sidelined from a Jewish perspective. The gentile tax collector even more so.

    From a cultural, political, , and wealth standpoint, the Gentile tax collector represented everything the Jewish people feared and hated. The Jewish tax collector, such as Levi (in the reading from Luke), wasn’t much better. Their only redemptive feature was that they were Jewish.

    God’s extends far beyond our ability to comprehend. This is a good thing, as we are often too petty and malicious to redeem .

    However, Jesus’ words also bring something else to the fore, . The US modern , as a whole, avoids the concept of church discipline. There are a number of reasons, some of them cultural, some of them missiological, some of them evangelical, some of them just a general lack of training and understanding.

    Church discipline requires a balance of individual and . In white US populations, that is rather difficult. Whites, by and large, idealize individuality. In other US populations, community has a much greater and pull.

    In most white populations, church discipline as a community is difficult, as the individual will often “go their own way”, severing their ties with the community. On the other hand, in non-white and isolated white communities, the community can be destructive to the individual.

    For the church to be the church, we will have to work together to find the balance between individual and community. As the church finds its way in a world that wants to push it aside even more, the church needs to and embrace the community and the individual, including the roles and responsibilities of each.

    ※Questions※

    1) What value do you find in being part of a community? What value do you find in being an individual?

    2) What are ways you can think of that would allow and encourage people to be part of community and still individuality?

    3) What do you think God’s perspective on community and individuality is?

    ※Prayer※

    God, you have made us similar to each other…yet different. Help us to embrace what makes us different and embrace what makes us the same. Amen.

  • Monuments to What

    Monuments to What

    Ecclesiastes 1:10–11; Matthew 23:25–32; Luke 11:47–54; Acts 7:44–58

    You have probably heard George Santayana’s famous quip, “Those who fail to from history are doomed to repeat it.” Perhaps the writer of Ecclesiastes phrased it differently. The reality is that behavior (especially, selfishness, greed, and hatred) has a tendency to repeat itself.

    Jewish history is full of followers of God being mistreated by their blood relatives. Whether it being cast into cisterns, having to hide in caves, being openly killed, it happened. We have the words and/or lives of some of these followers in Scripture.

    Based on the general summary of the Old Testament, it is highly likely that there were many, many more that we don’t know about. The people of God were often more the people of the Enemy. Even with ‘ life, death, and , it still seems to be the case.

    I have read this passage in Luke many times, contemplating it. The harsh truth was that the Jews decorated and maintained the tombs of the people their ancestors had killed. Instead of feeling shame for what their ancestors had done, they applauded themselves for taking care of the tombs. They celebrated that they cared for the tombs of those their blood had murdered as if it was the of the dead to be cared for by them.

    This comes to mind as there is a reckoning happening in the US. Statues of famous people are being removed. Buildings named “in honor of” famous people are being renamed. Even a whole university was renamed.

    These famous people brought and/or heroics in US history. All of them had parts that most of us today cannot support. They were, without a doubt, the product of their times. Even celebrated religious leaders in various denominations, including our own, had preferences or opinions that we would not today celebrate or endorse.

    I was raised in a “Northern” household and a “Southern” household. Needless to say, the Southern household had a lot to say about the “War Between the States” (i.e., the Civil War). Not all of it was accurate, as I would learn. On the other hand, some of the behavior of the “heroes” was equally abhorrent as the defense of slavery, as I also learned.

    All were products of their time. They did what they thought was right or did wrong to uphold a “higher” purpose. Sherman’s destructive march through the South comes to mind. Sherman was a military man. He was there to win the war. That was the higher purpose. Later, he was a during the Indian Wars (a horrific wiping out of First Nations peoples). This, despite being named after a famous First Nations chief.

    The church too, as a whole, has similar shades of darkness in it. As the nation wrestles with its future, it also wrestles with its past. The church has much of the same work to do.

    For the church to be what it called by God to be—a light unto the darkness—its people need to be diligent in cleansing, repenting and reconciling its past and current wrongs so that it can be the spreader of hope for a world that desperately needs it.

    ※Question※

    What people and issues come to mind in this? What will/can you do to be Christ’s light in the darkness?

    ※Prayer※

    of and mercy, be kind and merciful to us as we learn what justice really means, and how to apply it to our lives. Amen.

  • Graveside Dancing

    Graveside Dancing

    Psalm 30; Hosea 13:4–14

    Yesterday was the birthday of my stepfather. He passed away years ago. For whatever reason, this year his birthday hit me kind of hard. He and I had our good moments. We had our bad moments. Just like any parent-child . I was his only child.

    At his burial, the priest spoke about his sealing him to Christ. This was spoken pastorally to people grieving. However, scripturally it has some weaknesses. His life, and to my knowledge, and beliefs were not of Jesus Christ.

    On his death bed, my wife shared the Good News of Jesus Christ. He was in a “non-responsive” state. Yet, she felt a response to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior. Only in Heaven will I learn if the baptism was “sealing” as the priest said, or whether the physical response truly was an acceptance of Jesus. I can only hope and in God.

    Why share the angst? “I cried to you for help, and you healed me.” In our and sorrow, God is there to “turn [our] lament in dancing”. Joy in Christ in the midst of the pains of life is the life we are called to.

    In lament and pain, it is easy for our faith in God to be shaken, while at the same time relying more firmly on God will help us through the pain.

    There are many kinds of loss. The verses of Hosea summarize loss. The people lost (walked away from) God. They had experienced blessing, then they lost it. The vision of loss sounds brutal. Think of it though from God’s anguished .

    “…like a bear robbed of her cubs.” Have you seen a momma bear (or many human mothers) separated from their children, with the feeling that the kids are threatened? I’ve seen a recorded version of one and lived the other. Don’t be the one that separates momma from the cubs. Just don’t.

    THAT’S GOD! Something is between momma (God) and the cubs (the children of God)! That is just not going to go well! It could be a kingdom that has the Israel or Judah attached to it.

    THAT is the concept of ransom and . Death and Sheol are not going to be forgiven for taking away the Children of God. The exact mechanism (despite a whole lot of theologians arguing over it for centuries) is unknown. All we know is that heart of God wants to turn our lament into dancing and our sorrow into joy.

    ※Questions※

    1) What’s do you think about dancing at the death of death?

    2) As Christians, why does death still frighten us? If we truly believe that a fellow Christian is in Heaven, why do we grieve?

    3) “Deathbed Conversions” will continue to decrease, as too many don’t know the basics of Jesus. How will you turn regular conversations into God conversations?

    ※Prayer※

    Father, thank you for redeeming us from death through the death and of your Son. May the Holy Spirit guide our hearts to speak the words of Christ to the world. Amen.

  • A Time To Sin

    A Time To Sin

    Job 1:9–22; Ecclesiastes 3:1–11; Ezekiel 18:5–18

    You are probably familiar with Pete Seeger’s Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season). Written in the late 50s, it was commercially via The Byrds in 1965. It takes Ecclesiastes verses 3:1–8 and puts them to music.

    Pete Seeger’s intent behind the song was to promote world peace. That’s a very laudable goal. The irony of that goal is that the lyrics are almost a fatalistic response to the fallen and unpeaceful ways of the world.

    There are a lot of things not specifically mentioned as having time for. Certainly, singing and learning were part of life at that point, but they aren’t specifically mentioned (though singing could be inferred with dancing). The and driving weren’t mentioned specifically (of course) but would be covered under “everything”.

    The “everything” is a pretty big catch-all. Does that mean, then, that there is a time to sin?

    That might seem to be a stupid question, yet, depending on one’s view of God, it isn’t stupid at all. The answer to that question may very well display what you think about God in several significant ways (though we won’t get them all).

    When you read the story of Job (whether allegorical or true) how do you “read” the between Satan and God? Is God allowing or directing?

    Based on the end of this section of verses, Job did not assign wrongdoing to God (blame), and as such, did not sin. Then should we conclude that God allowed this to happen?

    For many, leaving it as “a ” is fine, except for the problem of blame. If God wills/desires it, and if God is omnipotent, then how can God be loving and full of and mercy. The rejoinder often is, we can’t know the mind of God. This is true, in so far as finite creatures (us) trying to fully understand the infinite (God).

    Yet, the Scriptures (given by God) also provide us insights into who God is, so the conclusions we draw from the Scriptures also deeply affect how we view and relate to God.

    Is this that important? Yes. When you sin, is it you sinning by your will, or is God willing you to do something then assigning the sin to you? That is the choice laid before us.

    Ezekiel’s words reinforce one answer. Your sin is a result of your will (or in the face of ).

    What is also part of this is that your sin cannot be laid at another’s feet (God’s or ‘s). It is yours. Own it. Yes, own your sin.

    This is not go and sin again. It is own your sin so as to repent and restore right relationship with God.

    “‘…For I take no pleasure in anyone’s .’ This is the declaration of the Lord GOD. ‘So repent and live!’” (Ezekiel 18:32)

    ※Questions※

    1) Repent is based on the root of “turn from” or “turn around”. What do you need to repent from? If you cannot think of a “sin” (or even if you can), what is something else that you might need to turn from to improve or deepen your relationship with God?

    2) How do you define sin? How do you know/learn if something new (such as a behavior) is a sin, or not?

    3) What your current or past Job moments? How do/did they affect your relationship with God?

    ※Prayer※

    Heavenly , as we read your word, we learn about you. Help us to be stirred to read your word that we continue to grow in our of and relationship with you. Amen.

  • Say Grace

    Say Grace

    Matthew 5:20; Matthew 19:23–26; Romans 5:20–21

    As schools have begun, for high school junior and seniors this is when many start thinking about the next step…college, and if that is even for them. Colleges begin their paper and email storm of recruitment. Excitement builds as it seems everyone wants them.

    There are colleges that don’t recruit. They expect interested students to pursue them (the college). This is where dreams may be shattered.

    Students begin to that perfect GPAs are not everything. They learn that is hugely important, but still not everything. They learn that extracurricular activities only go so far.

    For many who want to go to the “best” schools, they learn that they (as near as they could tell) had done everything to get in to the college of their dreams, and it still wasn’t enough.

    Jesus’ words have pretty much the same impact. There is nothing you can do to earn you way into the .

    Jesus’ quip about exceeding the of the Pharisees and the scribes would have been depressing (if not horrifying) to his hearers. To their understanding the Pharisees and the scribes were the most of all. “If they can’t do it, how could I?”

    Jesus’ statement about the rich not making it in was incomprehensible, too! The rich were those blessed by God, it was thought (a false theology still alive today). If those who were so blessed by God couldn’t make it in, how could they?

    The larger understanding, which Jesus was undermining, was that entrance into the of God was transactional. You paid enough and/or you followed the rules enough, that you made it in. Many Christians today still struggle with this thinking.

    Granted, in a very limited way, there is a transaction: accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is that simple. Yes, it is profoundly deeper. It’s still simple.

    Paul emphasis on grace is an attempt to wipe away the human tendency to strive for goals of completion. By focusing on grace, Paul was trying to condition people to accept the freeing of God.

    It’s also this answer of grace that explains Jesus’ challenges. No one can earn their way into Heaven—into the Kingdom of God—it is an act of God’s grace.

    ※Questions※

    1) What is grace? Why does grace matter to you and your ?

    2) How do you explain grace to someone who thinks they have to earn their way into Heaven?

    3) Do you struggle or know someone else who struggles with thinking they have to “earn” their way into Heaven? How did that thinking develop, do you think?

    ※Prayer※

    Heavenly , we thank you for the grace that you have shown to us. May we also show grace to , especially your grace. Amen.

  • Prayer Filled

    Prayer Filled

    Psalm 19; Matthew 6:7–15; Romans 8:18–27

    We decided to get “weight management” dog food for our dog. She is a little overweight. Strangely (and this should have been a big clue), she got a greater volume of food with the “diet” food than with her food. Instead of a cup-and-a-half per meal, she got 2 cups per meal.

    Anyone who understands basic physiology would understand that the more food one eats, the stomach “learns” and expands. Our dog has become accustomed to the larger amount of food and had made it quite clear that she is hungrier than she used to be. Not a real help for losing weight.

    It is, however, why the “diet” food requires more volume than the regular food that is of importance…filler. The manufacturer puts more “filler” into the food, so that the dog is “deceived” into thinking they’re getting enough food. At least in our dog’s case, that trick doesn’t seem to work.

    Often, we fill our prayers to God with filler. We deceive ourselves that the amount of words mean that we are praying better. Sometimes, it’s with the standard speaking filler words such as: uh, um, like, okay, and. Other times it’s filled with: Father, God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Father God.

    It seems strange to consider God’s names as filler. If we were to to people in front of us using their name in every sentence, it would get awkward quickly. When it comes to prayer, specifically public prayer, filler has become the norm.

    The prayer filler, in this case, isn’t automatically bad. It does indicate, however, that we may need to re- lessons from the .

    The Psalms are short and long. The longest, Psalm 119, is a poem using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet as a starting point. Don’t use that as your determiner of prayer length. Psalm 19 isn’t really a prayer yet verses 12–14 summarize what a prayer could contain. It has breadth. It also has limits.

    The words, in many respects, are less important than “the meditation of the .” The groanings of our innermost being (Romans 8:26) gets to God. We don’t need to use lots of words, for the Holy Spirit is with us.

    However, often this becomes, spew it out, let God sort it out. When it comes to the “groanings”, we seem to operate this way, but ‘s groanings were wordless (or there are no words to say it), not lots of words.

    Perhaps the greatest of the Lord’s Prayer is organization. We have a pattern. As we publicly or privately pray, let’s look to the Lord’s Prayer as our map. The Lord’s Prayer is simple. It is deep and profound. Yet, it is simple. Jesus’ preamble about the many words Gentiles use gives us some boundaries for our prayers. We get what to pray for and how not to pray.

    ※Questions※

    1) In keeping with “the meditation of the heart”, what is the state of your heart when you pray?

    2) Do you organize your prayers and petitions, or do you just speak? What is the difference between rote and organized prayer?

    3) Is silent prayer ineffective? Why do we seem to judge the worth of our prayers by the number of the words we speak, rather than by the heart with which we speak?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy Spirit, guide the meditations of hearts and the words from our mouths to be holy and sanctified prayers that bring you, the Holy , and . Amen.

  • Crossing the Line

    Crossing the Line

    2 Chronicles 7:12–22; 2 Kings 21:1–17; 2 Corinthians 4:7–17

    A great tragedy occurs every day, babies and children are abandoned. In all and , many of the parents are truly afraid of the responsibility and their inability to fulfill it. Some of these are abandoned at hospitals in the same way as babies used to be left at the doors of orphanages.

    If you are a parent, you probably can only imagine the heartache and circumstances that a parent could ever abandon their child.

    Society is at a point where adult children are remaining in their parents’ home longer, whether it is due to jobs, education, lack of opportunity, or lack of romance. The attitude of people is changing as this is becoming too common for it to be solely an individual issue. Parents are looking at their children, wanting the best, but not desiring to abandon them to the world.

    No matter how much a parent loves their child (or children) however, there can be limits to a peaceful home. There are always rules and boundaries. At some point, violating the rules and crossing the boundaries becomes too much.

    Think of God. His children (of Israel) had abandoned God by actions and by . They willingly walked away from their “parent”. They knowingly and willingly violated the rules and crossed boundaries that God had set in place to protect them.

    From Moses’ speech in Deuteronomy to God’s admonition to Solomon, God was quite clear that there were consequences. In the admonition to Manasseh, we get the feeling though…abandonment. In the CSB version, “I will abandon the remnant of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies.”

    Yes, God was angry. Yet, abandon is not a small . It is also not as if God was going to leave them there. However, for a time, it would be as if God were not with them.

    Would God’s heart be breaking? Yes. Would the Israelites be in misery? Yes. Would the Israelites from this? Yes. Did the lessons stay with them? Not so much. The lessons, however, remain with us.

    The Great Commandment is to God with all your heart, soul, mind, and ; love your neighbor as yourself.

    This is the boundary that we must not cross, for wouldn’t we want people to love us, too?

    ※Prayer※

    , let your light of love shine in us so that we may shine your light into the . Amen.

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