Devotion.al

Tag: learn

  • Living Out Love

    Living Out Love

    1 Thessalonians 4:13–14; 1 Corinthians 13:4–13; James 1:22–25 (read online ⧉)

    The well-known atheist, Christopher Hitchens, had many debates (philosophical, scientific) with Christians. During at least one (and probably many) of the debates, he was asked what his hope was or what hope his view delivered, and he answered honestly…none.

    The world always needs hope. Sermons and devotionals are only to be the groundwork for Christians living out their hope. How one lives out hope is therefore very important. Hope is not just a state of mind or state of being. If we state we have hope and yet live as if we have none, then our hope is a lie and we are hypocrites.

    states that love is the greatest of the great three: , hope, love. However, love cannot just be said; it must be done. James’ concern was that people said a lot of things, but did little in response. Today is not that different. Christians say love a lot.

    One could say, especially in this day and , that hope is love lived out. Without love, hope is blind optimism for the . In love, hope finds its ultimate fulfillment in knowing and trusting God.

    How this often will work out is helping another person not out of obligation or expectation (especially of reciprocation), but out of hope that they will see Christ in and through you.

    This means that people who are different than us (especially in regards to motivations and situations) will still receive hope through the love we show them when we aid or even simply listen to their story.

    Through hope, honest and true hope in the Living God, we are able to be non-judgmental, not because we actually are, but because we trust in the loving and merciful judgment of God. This is also why phrases such as, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” are often so dangerous, for people live out a hope-LESS response for they only know or of God’s anger, and never learn about the motivation of God’s anger…love.

    As we watch a slower than desired “return to ”, and as friends, , and some of us are experiencing financial struggles due to a weakening economy, being overcome by , hopelessness, pessimism, and cynicism is easy. Being the hope-filled people that God has made us to be is counter-cultural. This is a good thing.

    ※※ A Prayer of Augustine ※※
    Now it is you alone that I love,
    you alone that I follow,
    you alone that I seek,
    you alone that I feel ready to ,
    because you alone rule justly.
    It is to your authority alone that I want to submit.
    Command me, I pray, to do whatever you will,
    but heal and open my ears
    that I may hear your voice.
    Heal and open my eyes
    that I may see your will.
    Drive out from me
    all fickleness,
    that I may acknowledge you alone.
    Tell me where to look
    that I may see you,
    and I will place my hope in doing your will. Amen

    ※※ Questions ※※
    1) What can you point to in your living (rather than your words) that show you have hope?
    2) Is there a difference between optimism and living in hope? How do you tell the difference in a person’s life?
    3) How is hope counter-cultural?

  • Proof

    Proof

    27 April 2020 devotional

    John 4:45–54; Acts 7:47–60; Hebrews 11:1–16 (read online ⧉)

    “What is life? How does it begin? Are we alone?

    These are some of the we ask in our quest to learn about and the wonders of the universe.”

    From the About us section of the SETI Institute website

    SETI (the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) Institute searches the universe for signs and proofs that we are not the sole planet containing intelligent life. They work with scientists, other scientific organizations, government agencies to analyze the heavens above to answer questions for which humanity has since the beginning sought , such as, why are we here, and how did it all begin?

    In history books, we are taught to despise the Roman Catholic church for its ex-communication of Galileo, notwithstanding that there was more at stake than just whether the sun or the earth was at the center of the solar system (actually, both argued for ). In the Church of the Nazarene, there is still a theological debate between those that believe in a literal 7 day Creation and those that believe the 7 days are figurative.

    Proof of God’s existence for some is impossible, for no matter what you say they will not believe. For others, proving God exists is simple when one watches the sunrise or a bumblebee fly.

    Proof is often requested. That’s no surprise. It was demanded of Jesus that he prove his validity. Miracles and teachings should have been sufficient, but it wasn’t. Even those that were, supposedly, of the same challenged him. They didn’t believe what was right in front of them.

    The story of Israel includes casting out, beating, and even killing prophets sent by God. Israel would raise up and support and follow those that opposed the prophets of God. The prophets were not all highly educated. They weren’t always from influential families. There is some question if anything “qualified” them to be a prophet of God. That’s the human . The one who called, also qualified…God.

    We are at a time when science appears to reign supreme. Culturally, it does. Often it was because religion vilified what it feared or did not understand. Honestly, just as science does today in regards to religion. Often, we are called to defend our faith with “proof”. No scientific proof will likely prove to an atheistic scientist that God exists. It will be something that we will be wrestling with for generations to come.

    It comes down to the question being asked. Science asks what and how (in a systemic sense). Religion asks about why and how (in a motivational sense). Often times things seem to be in conflict, however, the reality is (as Christopher Stasheff once wrote) that any conflict between science and religion is either a science believer who doesn’t understand religion or a religious person who doesn’t understand science.

    This is an incredibly volatile time. There are far too many people full of and ignorance, and too little deep information out there. What there is are people who take the pieces they do have and weave something together that fits for them. Often, though, the result ends up having an unexpected growth beyond anticipation that increases blind fear resulting in the wrong in response.

    Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have given us minds that seek to understand you and your Creation. Help us balance these views that often seem to be in conflict so that we can live out the life that your son, Jesus, has called us to. Holy , guide us into all truth as Jesus said you would. Amen.

    Questions

    1) Do you tend more to the science side or the faith side? (There is no wrong answer)

    2) Do you struggle to balance science with faith? How about others you know?

    3) What is the great science revelation you can think of? What is the greatest faith revelation you can think of? Do these conflict?

  • Walk Away

    Walk Away

    Hebrews 2:1–4; Hebrews 6:4–8; Revelation 13:11–17 (read online ⧉)

    Those who have fallen away is a hard subject for many of us. We know people who at point affirmed that Jesus Christ was their Lord and Savior, but through various experiences, conversations, perhaps even discouraging events, they walked away from their that they had held onto dearly. Often it is because they have hard questions and they receive, “you just have to have enough faith,” or “don’t question the teachings,” or many other responses that are not .

    The question then becomes, “now what?” It really isn’t something good. Just as teachers are held to higher standards than other believers (James 3:1), former believers are held to a higher standard than non-believers. This is not because they became better people, but because they walked away from their salvation. The author of Hebrews puts is very starkly, to be saved again, they have to crucify Christ again.

    This sounds impossible, for Jesus Christ died once for all. However, that really isn’t what the author is saying. Especially for those who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior later in (especially post-childhood), the acknowledgment and acceptance that Jesus Christ died for us has a far deeper and harsher meaning. We become more aware of just what that means. For many of us, that was a hard enough journey.

    Imagine someone whose hard was hardened toward God and walked away. That road back to salvation will be so much harder to walk than the first time. Peeling away the new and probably harder and thicker layers. Often the pride built when walking away has to be torn down, and then the other layers of have to be torn down again. It is no easy road.

    The author of Hebrews isn’t saying it impossible. By God’s grace, and love, the road to redemption can indeed be walked many times. It does depend on how one left the road and how one kept off the road. There are no easy answers, and the road is always different for each person. If you know of someone on a road that is not the Redemption Road…THERE IS HOPE. Do not lose hope! With God, all things are possible!

    As of late, this has come to the fore as there have been a number of high profile people who have “left” the faith (though, when you actually read what they say, it’s not closing the door).

    At the same time, with the COVID-19 response, we are seeing good-intentioned Christians stirring up the pot with concerns regarding vaccinations, government controls, “conditioning” and other things using the imagery of “the Beast.” Now, to some degree or another, the concerns have validity. Using “the mark” and “the number” of the “Beast” as a scare tactic (even as perceived justifiable one) helps to plant stones on the paths of those wandering away from the faith, and even those who are struggling in their faith, yet faithfully walking the way.

    This is not to say that those invoking “the Beast” are at fault, just like the person who spoke poorly or wrongly is singly at fault for another person walking away from the faith. And that is probably the hardest thing to hear from the author of the Hebrews. We all have the responsibility to build and strengthen our faith, just as we are responsible for what we do that weakens it. What we can do is be open to others as they struggle. We also need to be open to others regarding our struggles.

    Father, , and Spirit, please strengthen our faith, whether it be in trying times or normal times. Help us to walk the path resolutely even when we stumble. Please help us be among those who will lift us up when we stumble and fall. Help us to be the you have called your children to be. Amen.

    1) What famous person are you aware of that walked away from the Christian faith? Other than the fact of their walking away, what do you know of their story?

    2) When was the last time you answered a seeking question with an answer that you regretted later? What did you about yourself and God through that?

    3) What is the best way to share the love of Jesus to those who are seeking or doubting?

  • Learn Deeply

    Mark 9:2–13, Mark 9:30–32 (read online ⧉)

    School could bring happiness to some, and great misery to . Often the refrain of children is, “what’s the point.” “This is useless.” “I’ll never use this.” Perhaps you’ve said it yourself. Learning can often be hard. Learning new concepts can be even harder. Learning things that shatter your self-perception or perception of the world are the hardest of all.

    With ‘ fame as extensive as it was and growing, he and the disciples were probably not often alone, although we don’t really know. Only 3 of the disciples witnessed the . Did the 3 really not tell the others? Can you imagine witnessing such a sight and having to keep quiet? Apparently, they did. Was it possibly just one of those amazing things among other amazing things that they experienced.

    Perhaps it was time to process all those events. Jesus seems to have set some focused time with the disciples. They experienced yet something else that didn’t fit. They had to understand at some point. What is interesting is that this particular time is framed in reference to the coming cross. The implication is that Jesus did some more extensive teaching of his disciples to understand what would happen. Based on responses, it is likely that Jesus was setting the foundation/groundwork for them to be able to understand in the future, even while they didn’t understand at that point.

    Was it frustrating to Jesus? Many would say, “of course not! He’s Jesus!” On the other hand, Jesus is man, so it makes sense that he would be quite frustrated with their thick-headedness. Teachers deal with this on a constant basis. Parents deal with this on a constant basis. Trying to pass on requires them the framework to build on future knowledge. In an often desperate attempt for the “them” to get it, though, there is this push to get information into them. Yet, that often results in frustration and setbacks.

    Jesus provides us a small example. space to process. However, in today’s world, everything is pushing information to us. We often don’t have time—and don’t make time—to process information. This means that the information we are given becomes a confused mess, and often our responses are the same. This leads to hard feelings and wall-building, which is not the intent at all.

    1) What is God calling on you to and process? What is one big thing/goal/learning that God has brought into your that you need God’s help to work through?

    2) Who do you have in your life do you have to help you process things, especially “God” sorts of things?

    3) How do you process things? Do you have another for “process”?

  • Bricks of Trust

    Psalm 13, Isaiah 26:1–6, Luke 22:39–46, Matthew 27:38–44 (read online ⧉)

    is a result of many experiences. Generally, we are not born with a of distrust. Fear, in many respects, is yet another symbol or symptom of being part of the fallen world. We fear. We learn the distrust that precedes it. If perfect casts out fear (1 John 4:18), then where does that leave us? We have to build up a spirit and habit of trust.
    While it isn’t ideal, nor the goal, such people should be given a lot of grace regarding trust (and they need to give it to themselves). While it will be a long and hard road for them (long for some, shorter for ), it is worth it.

    When we trust, we rebuild our spiritual and emotional foundation. By doing so, we remove fear and keep fear from getting deeper roots in us, and even not getting rooted in the first place. Imagine not having a place in your emotional and spiritual domain that has no fear! It sounds pretty amazing. If we’re honest with ourselves, it can also sound impossible.

    One of the most profound (and disturbing) examples of trust is Jesus’ trust in God the . Many view this as a cheat, as Jesus is God. Yet, this is why keeping in mind and heart that Jesus was a man, too, is so important. Jesus trusted God. Jesus the man may have even fully understood the plan. That didn’t spare Jesus the . Perhaps some of the hardest words during the crucifixion were the words of the religious leaders, who scorned Jesus’ trust in God. The implication of these words is that these leaders no longer did trust God. Perhaps they had been so broken by the world that they only trust and riches, leaving God outside their banquets.

    1) What prevents you from ? How does this tie into fear, do you think?

    2) If someone violates your trust, how do you rebuild your trust in them (or have them rebuild your trust of them)? How might that apply to increasing your trust in God?

    3) Do you think there are differences between spiritual and emotional trust and distrust? Why or why not?

    Action: Find small (emphasis on small) concrete things you will trust God with.

  • Really Seeing. Really Caring

    John 1:29–42, Luke 4:16–30, 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 (read online ⧉)

    “Sunday Christians” may be a term you are familiar with. It is a term that conveys that a person who looks all clean on the outside on Sunday, is filthy inside the rest of the week. Often “Sunday Christians” is equated to hypocrisy, which is mostly true (not always). “Sunday Christians” is also often equated to wearing masks. This too is true, yet it should not be viewed as negatively as we portray it.

    The prevailing theme of the wider culture is “authenticity”. The is that none of us are 100% authentic all the time. Of course, what does authentic mean? Well, the thought appears to be that we don’t wear masks. Yet, what if we are always wearing masks? What if the mask we’re wearing isn’t one we’ve put on?

    John the Baptist—‘ cousin—says “…I don’t know him…”. Well, that’s how it’s usually translated. It doesn’t make sense that way. While they may not have been in close proximity often, it is highly unlikely that they didn’t know each other. However, what does make more sense, and still matched the gist of the Greek, is that John knew him as his cousin Jesus. He didn’t recognize him, until that moment, as the Messiah…the one that he was sent to baptize then testify about. Imagine the feeling knowing that there were all the tales about yourself and your cousin…and then realizing the pieces were already there, and you never put it .

    It’s not as if John was alone in his blindness. Look at the people of Jesus’ home town. Once he stepped into his role as Messiah, they no longer “knew” him. They denied him. Again, it is probable that they knew some of the stories about young Jesus. Yet, like many small towns, it probably entered into the realm of myth or legend. In other words, Jesus was no prophet, and certainly no Messiah. He was only a carpenter.

    The truth is that for many of us, we will always judged by the masks that people place on us that are not our own. It could be your background. It could be the color of your skin. It could be the language or dialect you . It could be the country you’re from. It could be the you attend. It could be the place you live.

    had a certain idea about the Messiah. He certainly had an idea about the “lost” Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. He put the mask of the “traditional” Messiah on and stepped onto his pedestal. Paul then launched his persecution fo the church. Then he was met by Jesus. The scales that were on his eyes symbolized the mask he put on about the Messiah. Along with his awareness and belief, the scales came off, and Paul understood who the Messiah truly was.

    We must be careful of the “masks” we put on . What if we’re wrong? We also must do our best (we won’t always succeed) to understand the masks people put on us, as they make assumptions about what we believe. As the wider culture changes around us, we must be especially careful, as the masks people have regarding Christianity, the church, and (most importantly) about Jesus will inhibit our ability to spread the of God.

    1) How does Jesus’ and friends being blind to Jesus being the Messiah inform how we are to interact with the world when it comes to Jesus?

    2) What do you think your biggest issue is when dealing with people who make assumptions about you? What are peoples’ assumptions about you that you have had to deal with?

    3) How do people false things about others? What does this tell you regarding your responsibility when talking about and to others?

  • Who Will Follow?

    Exodus 24:13–18, 1 Kings 19:19–21, Luke 5:1–11, Ephesians 4:11–14 (read online ⧉)

    If you really think about it, there are very few true mentoring examples in the . We are called to pass on the faith, but we often think about our children first. We might think of a co-worker or a friend.

    In the context of mentoring, however, we don’t think of it as much. In “formal” ministry (i.e., pastor and priests), there is a mentorship of sorts where experienced pastors are mentors of the newer ones. In the of the Nazarene, that can take anywhere from 3–8 years. Mentoring relationships can be built. Yet, often they are more of a guidance counselor that you see once or twice a year (as in college), rather than a true mentor.

    If were to evaluate Moses on his mentoring results, Aaron (his brother) was not a particular (though not a total failure). Joshua (the typical example) turned out okay, except that he (it would appear) did not a key lesson…who will come after. Elijah did a decent job mentoring Elisha, but Elisha did not pass on the “mantle” to someone else. So, yet again, the mentoring piece was lost.

    Both Moses and Elijah are great examples of what it is possible to do when following God’s plan (even when you make a mistake). They are even good examples for who follows. Yet, they were not great examples of having mentoring click for the mentees. The mentoring relationship did not continue. In today’s language, we might say there wasn’t a culture of mentorship.

    provided the better example. He took a few and taught them. He lived with them for 3 years. It was a of mentorship. Through little vignettes in the New Testament, we see that Jesus would still guide them. He would release them, too. We often them disciples (rightfully), however, the way we use it misses one of the deepest beauties of what Jesus did.

    There is a “training” method that follows this pattern: I teach, you watch; I teach, you help; you teach, I help; you teach, I watch. This pattern is often used to teach people to teach . This is often used in very short term ways, often by leaving a person to teach a group after only 4 sessions, which is really more abandonment rather than teaching. This pattern does help to broaden our understanding, though, of mentorship. It’s not a one and done thing. As we learn new things, we often have to have a teacher walk us through this exact pattern. As we learn something more advanced, we follow it again. It is a lifestyle of training. And, as we are not Jesus, in either role we usually learn more ourselves.

    The equipping of the (i.e., Christians) is not a quickly done thing. It is done over time.

    1) Jesus took 3 years to mentor his disciples, why do we think we’d be any faster?

    2) Faster and faster is the way of the world. What are you doing to hurry up and slow down?

    3) Have you ever been mentored as Jesus mentored his disciples? Have you ever mentored someone as Jesus mentored his disciples?

  • Back To The Dark

    2 Chronicles 24:17–22, Matthew 10:17–22, Acts 6:8–15, Acts 7:51–59 (read online ⧉)

    Yesterday was only Christmas and here we are back into the of the world. How true to life that is. A baby is born and a family feels joy. In the midst of that joy, there are concerns about food, shelter, . There can even be future concerns such as disease or college. While a new life begins, other lives continue. In some respects, it is dishonest to always talk about the baby, because everyone else is just as important. When we are talking about , things are a little different, but the reality is that Mary and Joseph still had their lives to deal with. For example, the whole reason they were in Bethlehem was to be registered. Once they were registered, the Roman government was going to tax them accordingly. Sounds great, doesn’t it? It does sound like real life. That doesn’t mean we have to enjoy the darkness, nor does it mean we have to accept it as inevitable. It is however reality.

    Joash had been a good king with a singularly great and God-honoring advisor, Chief Priest Jehoida. Despite Joash’s obedience and Jehoida’s piety, the followers of other gods jumped into an advisory role with Jehoida’s . As with much of Scripture, we don’t have the entire story. There was likely family and in the midst of it. There was also some hopeful and blind optimism which lead to thinking that all would be well. It wasn’t. Who knows how quickly Judah fell back into apostasy: days, months, years. God sent prophets to guide the people (especially the king) back to the right road, but they all failed. That God sent Zechariah—who would have likely had a significant place in Joash’s life—as a prophet tells us how serious God was. Joash, for whatever reason, sealed his apostasy and the fate of Judah by stoning him at the temple of God. The that was to be used upon those opposed to God was instead used by them against a man of God.

    Jesus knowing his future and knowing the past history of Judah wasn’t really predicting much. If Jesus’ disciples were faithful, they would be persecuted. When Jesus talks about the fracturing of the family perhaps he had in mind Jehoida, Joash, and Zechariah, who were (from our perspective) framily. At least, they should have been, and that is what the Scriptures guide us to concluding. The framily of king and prophet that should have been united, were divided and ultimately destroyed.

    Not too much later, Stephen was killed. As he was in his community, it is possible that some of those who stoned him had been Jewish friends or family. For what was he brought to trial? Performing signs and winning arguments. So, he was falsely accused of blasphemy. Why was he killed? Because he claimed to see Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. The right and wrong lines between Joash and Zechariah are much firmer and better defined than those between Stephen and his accusers. We know that the Jewish (especially at that time) understanding of what it meant to follow God was wrong. However, unlike Joash they were not advocating for a different God. It was an understanding of God that was the issue.

    This difference of understanding applies to us today. The Western church is going through a series of upheavals. Sadly, the world watches and laughs. These upheavals are necessary, though. The church needs to discover (in some cases) and rediscover (in other ones) what it means to be a in a non-Christian world. Much of these upheavals will allow us to understand ourselves better. The reason this is critical for the church is that we will be returning to the times of persecution in the Western world. No, we are not quite there, but it will come. The church needs to be , and a lot of being ready will require the shedding of a lot of ancient weight. It also will probably require us to pick-up ancient ways long discarded. Lastly, it will require us to learn a new language with which to share the . The message doesn’t , just the method and the language.

    1) Do you think Joseph and Mary were concerned the day after Jesus’ birth, or were they still enjoying the moment? Why?

    2) Today’s passages are actually historical church decision (i.e., the lectionary). Why do you think the observation of Stephen’s martyrdom follows Christmas Day?

    3) Family and framily squabbles and fights are usually the ones that hurt the most. Why is that? How does impact the Gospel?