Devotion.al

Tag: normal

  • Gratitude Not Spending

    Psalm 19, Romans 13:11–14, Jude 12–19 (read online ⧉)

    An attitude of gratitude should be one of the characteristics of a maturing Christian. This is not for the Christian or for most people. Capitalism has been a great catalyst for and improvements. However, it comes with significant and very serious dark sides. For example, part of the cultural meme for January is the shock and grieving that comes with the credit card bills from Christmas celebrations (whether activities or presents). There is even one that is currently going around about people being thankful for finally paying off the bills from last Christmas, right before Thanksgiving.

    A number of years ago, there was a strong “underground” Christian movement called the Conspiracy. It sought to disrupt the Christian buy-in of spending for Christmas or at least spending on self. There have been other attempts at doing the same limiting Christmas to a single present, or following the (i.e., not in the Bible) of the gifts of the 3 (another traditional number, rather than in the Bible) wise men (i.e., ): gold (garb), frankincense (fun), and myrrh (mental). All of these seek to “limit” the excesses of cultural Christmas celebrations. However, “limiting” the excesses becomes a new rule, and rules aren’t supposed to be the point.

    We are to be transformed, not seeking after the desires of the flesh. For far too long, “the flesh” has been too tightly defined as lust or gluttony. In our days, “keeping up with the Jones’” is often the stronger desire of the flesh. People put themselves deeply into debt for instant gratification. Debt, of course, has become a chain around many, maybe you or your family.

    Black Friday is no spiritual holiday. It is a cultural event that celebrates and encourages excess and bad behavior. Now, this doesn’t mean don’t , but more along the lines of don’t fall into the traps that the culture, envy, greed, and coveting. It wasn’t that long ago that unbridled spending was patriotic. However, as many costs (such as higher education and medical care) go higher and higher, people are having harder and harder times paying for things.

    As we “” our season of Thanksgiving (though it should be a way of , not a month a year), and enter Advent, let us remember that Christ should be sufficient and satisfy our desires.

    1) What do you do (or did you do) for Black Friday? Why?

    2) What do you think of attempts to restrain our spending with practices or challenges? Do they work?

    3) Why do you think excess has been such an issue with things like Black Friday or Christmas?

  • Remember the Gone

    Matthew 22:23–33, 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18, Romans 8:26–30

    was established to honor the saints of the church. As we talked about yesterday, it is also a good time to reflect upon those that helped your faith. By so doing these people were doing the work of saints. Now, let us be clear, over the years, the church (whether it be the church universal, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant) has put saints on a pedestal that the saints themselves knew they didn’t belong. It is human behavior to do this. The saints are a “class” of people that when we think about it, we don’t believe we belong to that class. It is only by the grace of God that any could be called , for it is the work of the Holy in them that shaped them.

    One of the biggest common characteristics of saints is that they are dead. We have all lost people we loved to the ultimate consequence (on the finite side of things) of sin…death. Death is a fact of . The reason to bring in All Saints Day is that some in the church lost the understanding of saint. So, the Saints (especially, those without their own named day) had this day to cover all of the Saints of the church. As a consequence, some traditions have a day for the (dearly) departed after All Saints Day. This day is called All Souls Day or Commemoration of the Departed. Really, it’s about all those day-to-day Christians that had more to do with your faith journey than the Saints seemed to have.

    We have inherited the legacies of the Saints and the everyday saints. What will we do with it? What is a saint? Well, the way puts it, it seems we are all saints. It seems that Paul perceives all of the children of God as saints.

    1) Whose death do you mourn most at this moment? Were they a believer in as Lord and Savior?

    2) Why do we mourn those that knew Jesus as Lord and Savior?

    3) What is the difference, if any, between a saint and a perfect ?

  • The Reformation Observed

    Acts 15:1–21, Ephesians 2:1–10, 2 Timothy 3:10–17

    Today marks 502 years since Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the doors of Wittenberg Castle . Without question, Martin Luther was a key figure in the reformation of Western . , too, made many of the critiques that Luther did. They did it earlier and were excommunicated or “repented”. Some believe that Martin Luther would have not been as successful without the printing press. Some also believe that without Luther, the printing press may not have been as immediately successful as it was. Be that as it may, 1 person and 1 tool changed the face of European and . One of the biggest failures of the Reformation was that, in many ways, it created an atmosphere where religion became subservient to , and often (sadly) colluded with the powers-that-be to do horrible wrongs.
    What happened during the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1–21) was a reformation of sorts. As a result of the council, (i.e., non-Jews) did not have to live under the rules and traditions of the Jews (mostly). What should be noticeable in this is that nowhere does is spare the Jews from following the Law or Traditions. The letter from the Council was to be sent to Gentiles. Think about that. The Gentiles were free from the weight, but the Jews were not.

    Now, to be clear, this remained a tension for quite some time, and even our Messianic Jew brothers and sisters observe some of the traditions of old. Yet, even the most “rigid” Jews do not observe all the Law today (think of the ritual animal sacrifices). Much to do with the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE, there was a forced reformation as the was gone (and the tent “made” by Moses was long gone, too).

    Reformation is normal. It should also be embraced. That is not to say all reform should be accepted. All reform should be tested against the Scriptures. When talks to Timothy about all of Scripture, we have to keep this in mind. Scripture is our test. Also, just because it doesn’t say it in Scripture, doesn’t mean it is good or bad. That takes discernment.

    The Western Church has been in a long decline. It is becoming more noticeable now. Many people are calling for revival (which is good), but only thing of the revivals of a certain era which no longer are feasible. This is bad. For we have even put revival into a it doesn’t fit. Revival and Reformation are essential to the long term health of the church. The church should always be reviving and reforming.

    1) What do you think are essentials to the church? Can you find justification in Scripture?

    2) If you found that essential and justification, what do you think about the form? Is the form truly core to the essential, or is it just a way to convey or live out the essential?

    3) How do you see your church reviving itself? How do you see your church reforming itself? If you see neither or are missing one, what do you think your responsibility is?

  • Believing Dress-Up

    2 Corinthians 6:3–18, 2 Corinthians 11:12–15, 1 John 4:1–6

    is not a happy camper. The Corinthians appear to be pulling away from him for 2 reasons. The first is that he sent a letter that hurt (or offended) them. It seems likely that it wasn’t the letter we 1 Corinthians, but a different one that we don’t have. The other reason was they were being drawn in by “super” apostles or other charismatic leaders that guided them away from Paul and likely the other elders of the .

    While many people have concluded Paul’s statements about being unequally yoked with unbelievers as being focused on worshippers and Judaizers, in the context of this letter it isn’t about the obvious unbelievers. It’s about the unbelievers “dressed-up” as Christians! When we think about it, it is those unbelievers “dressed-up” as Christians that can pull people away from church, , , God.

    The world around us often uses the old Satan imagery to offend and desensitize us. The so-called Satanist tries to present itself as . Pagan folklore and witchcraft (druidic and other types) have also become more common. These are relatively easy things to see. That is what makes them scary. What if they are no different than they were in Paul’s day (?)…a distraction.

    As John admonishes us, test the angels. Paul says that Satan dresses up as an angel in white. This is not to say, kick out everyone that doesn’t believe exactly what we (or the Church of the Nazarene) believe. It is to say that all angels (maybe especially angels?) and prophets and pastors and elders and teachers and everybody else are to be tested against scripture.

    1) What are your thoughts about the dangers of “dressed-as” Christians versus believers in other religions?

    2) How do you train yourself to test angels?

    3) Angels are culturally popular. They are also often misunderstood. What do you think of being charged to test angels?

  • Faithfully Blind Together

    Leviticus 21:16–24, Matthew 20:29–34, 1 Corinthians 1:26–29

    Even today people struggle with blindness. Granted, today those who are blind have legal protections, braille, technology, and acceptance that wasn’t part of other cultures. In the New Testament era, the only “job” the blind could get was begging. Doesn’t sound very fulfilling or enjoyable.

    Our story in Matthew takes place on Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem. Whether the large crowd was only because of Jesus or also because of the approaching Holy Days is somewhat up for discussion. Regardless, though, the blind men were probably looking to having a more successful attempt at begging, due to the emotional high that people would have had, and the affiliation of almsgiving with Holy Days.

    Instead, they hear Jesus is coming. They probably had already heard the stories of the miracles he performed. That Jesus would be near them would be exciting and would be -filled. They cried out, but the crowd tried to silence them. Some commentators take a symbolic view of this. The crowd is the world (and Satan) trying to drown out the coming of Jesus. The blind men, like Christians, have to the world to Jesus. It might be taking a few too many liberties, but the reality is these men overcame the crowd.

    In all likelihood, this was not behavior for them. They would generally be meek so as to not be bullied. Yet, they went for it. They took the risk. Opposed the crowd. They could now see.

    The weak. desires. The despised. Yet, Jesus heard their cries and healed them. Paul notes that the world has a different form of evaluation and valuing people than the .

    1) What have your thoughts been (whether now or in the past) of people who were not fully as capable ( or mental) as you?

    2) People are quick to value people based upon their physical bodies. Why do you think that is?

    3) Why do you think Paul concludes with, “…so that no one may boast in his …”?

  • Worship Together

    Genesis 28:10–17, Exodus 3:1–6, Luke 23:44–46

    Have you ever been confronted by a person who states that they can worship God better in nature than in a ? They might be right. Jacob put a stone under his head, and upon waking declared that the wilderness was the house of God.

    Moses is wandering in the wilderness minding . He walks to a burning bush that is declared by God to be a place. This is no church.

    During the last moments of ‘ crucifixion, the curtain (dividing the “” temple from the Holy of Holies) was torn in two. The between earthly and Heavenly is gone.

    So, what about our challenger? They might be right. Perhaps they can worship better in God’s Creation. It’s not out of the question as we look at Jacob and Moses. If we are only called to worship God, then the challenger is right. So, where does that leave us? Moving beyond worship.

    The Christian is far more than mere worship (not that it isn’t good and necessary). However, the way of Christ means being transformed into Christ-likeness. As good as worship is, it is only meant to be a piece and not the centerpiece of life of a Christian. When we worship together, in comparison to alone in creation, we also become more of one heart. This allows—over time—us to temper and form one another.

    1) Have you ever been tempted to just go it alone in worship? Why? What restored you?

    2) If you’ve had a conversation with such a challenger, what was your ?

    3) For you, what is the connection between worship and ?

  • Be Strange

    Joshua 7:3–15, 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12

    The pivotal in the book Dune at one point talks about having a “stamp of strangeness” put upon him. This stamp was definitely a different context, yet “stamp of strangeness” was and is exactly what God does to us when he calls us and we accept him.

    When the Israelites are finally about to enter the Promised Land, God calls on the Israelites to consecrate themselves. In other words, they were to emotionally, spiritually, and physically separate themselves for the work (taking, , and thriving) in the Promised Land. This means that Egypt was a closed door. This means that they were to be separate even from their “relatives” (i.e., the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother). They were to be strange.

    later tells the Thessalonians to be strange, too. In this passage, there is a cultural battle they are facing. In their larger culture, it wasn’t uncommon that a man had a wife (often a political or social marriage), a lover (intellectual and/or sexual), a concubine (generally an indentured servant or slave), and a prostitute. A man would be considered normal to have at least 3 of these, and potentially more (e.g., the number of concubines and prostitutes could vary). In some areas, this was encouraged. Heterosexual monogamy was strange. It doesn’t appear that there were specific issues that Paul was addressing, but an attitude and . Just like the Israelites, Christians were to be strange.

    Due to human frailty, we often don’t want to be strange. We want to be normal. We want to fit it. While it is important to have non-Christian friends and acquaintances, it is due to the expectation of being strange that means we (as Christians) must have Christians in our most intimate (non-sexual) where we are held accountable and hold accountable.

    When we read Paul’s words today, they are strange yet again. The world is heading toward (and arguably is) a society of relationships that are not in line with God’s (especially sexually). One can point to a huge number of issues (and it’s not one or two) that are not only opposed to created intent but are also being found to inhibit or damage real relationships with people. Paul addresses that, too, when he talks about behaviors damaging others in the , and they don’t have to be participants to be damaged.

    All believers are called to be progressively sanctified. In other words, part of our Christian journey to be continually shaped by the Holy into the image of Christ in partnership with fellow maturing believers. The “stamp of strangeness” grows stronger, and becomes a cross to bear in the world of the transforming nature of God.

    1) What are you actively doing to place yourself in an authentic accountable relationship? If nothing, what is holding you back?

    2) The world speaks and trumpets individuality. However, the world only celebrates “safe” individuality. What makes “Christian” individuality dangerous? Is there really such a thing is a Christian individual apart from the body of Christ?

    3) Thinking to the separation aspect, what is a place in your that you need more separation from the world?

  • God’s Broken People

    2 Samuel 13:11–39, Ephesians 4:13–19

    Parenting is hard. Parents struggle with their own failures personally and with their children. For the deeply afflicted parent (and child), parenting is not just brutal, but it is unending . For a normal parent, having children is a blessing and one of the hardest jobs ever (there is a harder one, but that is for another time).

    David—the so-called man after God’s own heart—was actually a pretty bad at times, maybe even a lot of the times. This story is actually heartbreaking. Quite heartbreaking. Disgusting, nauseating, and so on. It is also another example that the don’t hide the brutal failure of humanity to live up to its potential.

    What was David thinking to just things remain? Why did he do nothing? Doing nothing may have been David’s greatest fault. Maybe. That his children, less Solomon, had gotten to the states they were in says much about the guidance he provided to the next generation. If there had been one “bad apple”, perhaps there wouldn’t such a disastrous tale. On the other hand, we cannot pin the sins of the sons on the father. They chose their path.

    It is hard as a parent to not blame oneself for the resulting lives of one’s children. Parents may try to harden their hearts as their children make life-altering decisions, but the hardened heart is only on the outside as their hearts ache on the inside. It’s not that David’s heart didn’t ache. As we look at his story, how would we have behaved?

    Would Paul’s “speaking the in ” made a difference here? How about building each other up? ? Promoting the growth for building up in love? These are all that the —you—needs to wrestle with. The reality is that the world is full of broken people. Lots of them. In fact, there are probably a few such broken people in our . There might be some in your family. You might be broken. It’s not whether you know, meet, interact with people who are broken…it’s how many.

    1) Brokenness equals hurt. We are all hurting. Thinking about Paul, what can we do help our fellow broken human beings?

    2) We evaluate people and their stories by our story. How can that help us help them? How can it keep us from helping them?

    3) Paul’s words about building up are especially true when talking about our hurts and the hurts of others. What do Paul’s words teach about walking with others in the midst of their (and our) brokenness?