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Devotion.al

Tag: overcome

  • Resurrecting Hope

    Psalm 39; Luke 24:8–35; Acts 26:1–8 (read online ⧉)

    Brian Sanders (Executive Director of Tampa Underground) shared some very interesting thoughts regarding the Emmaus Road story.

    Cleopas and the unnamed disciple hadn’t yet seen the Resurrected Jesus. Like any of the “outer circle” disciples, they didn’t see Jesus immediately, and many of the inner circle missed him too. So, they were “stuck” on the outside. They knew of the wrongful conviction, abuse, and death. They’d heard this impossible to belief story—from people they trusted—that Jesus had died, but was now risen!

    Sanders suggests that our 2 Emmaus Road disciples were running away from the confusing situation in Jerusalem. They were feeling overwhelmed. They were probably hurting. They were probably confused. Sanders also suggests that they were “packing” their “escape route”. The day we just celebrated, possibly people were trying to escape it.

    Sanders’ suggestion just seems wrong in so many ways. How could these disciples be so confused and hope destroyed that they were trying to escape? Yet, Sanders makes a good point in that they were leaving Jerusalem. Leaving. They weren’t joining the other disciples. They were leaving.

    They didn’t understand, not really. How many of us ourselves have been at the point where there was an internal disconnect between what we thought we knew/believed, and what we think we should have known? That point in our lives that we started to run away in some small way: alcohol, drugs, partying, gambling, videos, gaming, even reading.

    Then Jesus shows up. That’s a pretty common story in the Christian world. It’s a pretty common story in the world outside of Christians, but far too many people are self-blinding and cannot (or will not) see Jesus. Sometimes that is us, too. Then Jesus shows up and life is changed.

    Paul went from accuser and abuser of Christians to defender of the faith. He stood before people who could, at their whim, cause him to live or die. Instead of renouncing Christianity, he wouldn’t just defend, he tried to convert! Unlike the Emmaus Road disciples, Paul wasn’t hopeless or lost when he met Jesus. Quite the contrary. Paul was a rising star in the Jewish world. He was going to fix this minor annoying Nazarene sect, and get them back on the right path of the Law. Paul’s conversion story is the opposite of many’s conversion stories. He is in power. He has had—to our knowledge—no qualms seeking to fix the wrong-thinking of this new sect. It on his way with even more power in his hand, that Jesus turns the script. While many convert on their knees and in desperation with nothing to lose, Paul converted when he only had something to lose, a lot of something.

    It really is the question Paul asks in Acts 26:8 that is Resurrection of hope that the Jewish people, and the world, really needed. “Why is it thought incredible by you people that God raises the dead?” Today we are told that this Resurrection is a fairy tale. In Paul’s day, it may have been far fetched, but it wasn’t unbelievable. In a time when people believed that gods could raise the dead, Paul still had to defend Jesus’ Resurrection. This should tell us something. Jesus’ Resurrection was something far greater than just a dead person coming to life! A dead person “just” coming to life wasn’t the greatest concern. It was Jesus’ Resurrection that was. The Jewish leaders knew and understood (no matter how much they opposed it), that this was no normal come-back-to-life tale.

    This means that this Resurrection is something greater. Perhaps its the kind of thing that causes those who have lost hope or who have run away from their confusion, become empowered and full of hope and faith. When those who have a Resurrection hope and faith not only turn toward what almost destroyed them; they walk (or even run) to it with the ability to overcome it with a power that comes through the restoring power of God.

    God of all mercies, grant us the power, faith, and hope to look at all the troubles of the world, whether they be distant or near, and know that through you the world can have the hope it seeks. Give us the eyes and hearts to see where we are called to be the agents of restoration, so that the hopes of the world may find true hope through the Resurrection of Jesus. This we pray in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

    1) Was your conversion at a height or at a low? Why do you think it was there, rather than the opposite? If you’ve known no other life than life with Jesus (i.e., from childhood), what cemented your faith in Jesus Christ?

    2) What are some characteristics of “Resurrection” hope versus “normal” hope? What could be the difference between Resurrection hope and Saving hope?

    3) Often we look at the weaknesses of people in the Scriptures and respond with, “glad that’s not me.” Except it is. When were you like the Emmaus Road disciples? When were you like Paul?

  • Holy Tuesday

    Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 71:1-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; John 15:1-16 (read online ⧉)

    Isaiah’s lament is that of a lover of God who cannot overcome the hardened hearts of others. Isaiah knows what his anointed purpose is. He also is experiencing some difficulties in getting the people to respond to God. He has not lost hope. His hope and trust are in God, not in the people of Israel actually responding. His value is in his obedience, not his success.

    Paul’s words to the Corinthians while not as heavy-hearted as Isaiah’s lament still carries in it the reality that God’s message will not always be heard. God is supposed to be the stone upon which Israel was built, so Paul described the mystery of the cross a stumbling block. The Gentiles treasured (or hoarded) wisdom and knowledge, so Paul called the mystery of the cross foolishness.

    When we begin to draw upon the true vine, the mystery of the cross becomes a stepping stone and foundation, and not a stumbling block. The mystery of the cross becomes our wisdom as we draw on God’s wisdom, rather than the world’s.

    As we all draw upon the vine, we become more “of one mind”. Our way of thinking transforms from selfishness to selflessness. That doesn’t mean we all don’t have more transforming to do, but it is by drawing on the True Vine that we can do it.

    As we become of one mind with each other, we become (ever so slowly, it seems) of one mind with Christ. We no longer have to be directed for each step, but through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, we act as Jesus would.

    1. Much of the world looks at Christianity as foolishness, if not downright dangerous. Are you able to see what they see when they look at Christianity? If not, how can you relate Christianity (and therefore the Gospel) to them?

    2. Selflessness can grow without Christ. How does it do so?

    3. Can you be selfish and a Christian? How do you reconcile that with the growth of selflessness in the Christian?

  • Expecting or Distracted?

    Psalm 51:1-12; Habakkuk 3:2–13; John 12:1–11

    It is so easy to be distracted from the important things in life. Some blame electronics. Others blame the media. Others blame no prayer in school. Others blame a culture that has walked away from its somewhat Christian-ish roots. There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to human behavior.

    O Lord, I have heard of your renown,
    and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work.
    In our own time revive it;
    in our own time make it known;
    in wrath may you remember mercy.

    The opening stanza of Habakkuk’s song tells us that our disengagement from God is nothing new. Habakkuk calls us to be in awe of God. If you’ve ever had the Blue Angels or Thunderbirds fly over you in formation, you’ve had that sense of thunder through the entirety of your body. The jet wash passes over you. The sound overwhelms you. Plus the smell (which you may not like) of burnt jet fuel. There is an almost instinctual resonance to such an experience. Multnomah or Snoqualmie Falls with the spring runoff can do the same with the overwhelming volume of water, both noise and sheer amount.

    All of that pales in comparison to the awe that we ought to feel when we contemplate God. As we wait for Christ’s return we, like Habakkuk, want God to make his glory undeniably known, and that his overwhelming wrath to overcome sin and evil, with a lot of mercy. While we may not be overwhelmed by God, there still appears to be that wiring inside of us that is looking for it with hopeful expectation.

    Hopeful expectation.

    The Jews, under Roman occupation, were waiting for something. Some didn’t know what they were waiting for. Some were waiting for a revolution. Some were waiting for a Messiah. Those waiting for a Messiah—a savior—had a hopeful expectation.

        “You came forth to save your people, to save your anointed.” [Habakkuk 3:13]

    1. Are you being truthful to yourself when say, “I’m waiting expectantly for Jesus to come back”?
      • If not, what is keeping you from seizing the truth that Jesus is coming back?
      • If so, what can you do to build up the expectation in others?
    2. The power of Good Friday (the day Jesus was crucified), is followed by the blessing of the Resurrection. Yet the Resurrection is not the end. It is only the beginning. How is the Resurrection the beginning for you?

  • 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 forward 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 hope-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 salvation of Jesus. The blind men, like Christians, have to overcome the world to meet 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 normal 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. Foolish 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 Kingdom of God.

    1) What have your thoughts been (whether now or in the past) of people who were not fully as capable (physical 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 presence…”?

  • Blessing of Enemies

    Psalm 3, Genesis 14:17–24, Exodus 23:20–33, John 16:1–11

    Enemies are a thing. Sometimes the enemies are more in our head than outside in the world. Sometimes enemies are those that do us harm when they are supposed to be striving for our good. Other times, and currently the most seen, the enemies are those not like us. In truth, they are not our enemies, they are just different, and difference can be perceived as dangerous.

    Abraham’s victory over those who kidnapped his family was attributed to God by Melchizedek. The enemies of Abraham may not have even known they were the enemy until Abraham came to rescue Lot. For Abraham’s sake, God gave them to Abraham, who was faithful to God.

    As the Israelites have left Egypt and are headed to the Promised Land, they are told that there are enemies. These are the enemies they will have to defeat to recover the Promised Land. God promises them victory over their enemies…as long as they follow his ways. And there is the rub. They didn’t do a very good job of that. Under only a few leaders, and only for a limited time, did Israel actually follow God’s ways. However, the rest of the time God allowed their enemies to be victorious, and it is directly tied to their orientation toward God.

    So, if things were to continue, one could reasonably draw the conclusion that once we have a heart change and reconciliation with Christ that our enemies would be overcome. Yet, Jesus says the opposite. “You’re mine, and the world hates you because of it. Therefore you are surrounded by enemies.”

    Granted, the enemies that surround us are actually those that have often put themselves against God (whether they are aware of it or not). It still doesn’t make it sound much better.

    1) If indeed we are now surrounded by enemies, how is that the Good Life?

    2) There are many kinds of enemies: national, religious, political, general life. Think of those that you know that fall under each of these categories, and what can you do to shine the light of Christ into their lives?

    3) Thinking of others as enemies can be a beneficial starting point because then you can more easily see the barriers that need to be worked on prior to sharing Christ with them. Why is it important to recognize the barriers that separate? What should we do with those barriers?

  • Palm Sunday

    Psalm 24, Zechariah 9:9-17, Mark 11:1-11

    When it comes to the words victory and triumph, the cultural baggage that we bring along (specifically, US Americans) is more on the battle end of things. Whether it was a rugged political “fight”, the athleticism of sports, or the blood and sacrifice of our military, there is a strong intentional and intense personal victory and triumph over others, and often at the “others” loss (or lessening). Zechariah’s words are not that. A sad thing about English (and our baggage) is that we completely miss the passive nature of the victory and triumph. When the King comes humbly riding on a donkey (a beast of work, not of warfare like a horse), it is not just that the King is humble. It is also strongly implied that the victory and triumph were at the hands of God, not a person.

    This is very important. In war, there is always a bigger loser. This bigger loser may take things to a whole new level. We can look at World War II as an example. Germany had been harshly penalized for losing World War I. Part of the whole reason that Hitler was able to stir the German people to follow him was by his using their diminished state as a source of determination and victimization. The penalties of World War I had left Germany in such an emotional and financial state that many thought, what did they have to lose. In other parts of the world where tribe loyalties are still paramount, the lessening of one’s tribe causes one to strive to overcome and diminish other tribes. We see that same effect here in our politics as various political tribes seek to diminish the humanity, heart, mind, and wisdom of the “other”.

    The Messianic King was to be different. By not being militarily victorious, it is easier to be acclaimed and followed by more than one “side”. That does not mean, however, that people looking to be offended won’t be. The emphasis on God winning the battle, rather than the people, remains the overarching message.

    By coming into Jerusalem riding on a donkey, Jesus is “pointing” to this same passage in Zechariah. Matthew (Matthew 21:5) is blunter (rather than Mark’s allusion), when he writes, “See, your King is coming to you, gentle, and mounted on a donkey…” Matthew makes sure we do not miss the Hebrew implications of Zechariah.

    There is another small piece that we often overlook here, just as we often overlook it in our Christian walk. Jesus is entering Jerusalem as King, and not just any king. He is coming in as the saved and saving king, and God is the one who saved and is saving. Yet, while Jesus is coming in as king, the kingdom has not quite arrived. This is the tension. There is the kingdom that has come, is present, and is yet to come.

    1) What does it mean to you that Jesus was your king/savior, is your king/savior, and will be your king/savior?

    2) Why might it be important to have all 3 states (was, is, to come) in mind when it comes to your Christian walk/life?

    3) How do Jesus’ humility and Zechariah’s emphasis on God doing the work (rather than a person) alter, or should affect, how you live out a Christian life?

  • The Passing of Wisdom and Faith

    Proverbs 3:33–4:27, Genesis 3:21–4:7, Luke 3:4–18

    (Grand)Parents can pass on wisdom to their (biological, mentored, or spiritual) children and grandchildren. Sometimes the wisdom is things learned, sometimes it is pain survived. In Proverbs, we see a collection of wisdom sayings. Living a good life has been twisted in our culture to be a life of collecting stuff and wealth. The proverbs gathered in the book of Proverbs, if actually read, can be an antidote/counterbalance to that. For a number of years, some Christians have taken to reading a chapter of Proverbs a day. At least chapters 1-28 are read every month. Wisdom can be passed on, even habituated, but both the person doing the passing and the person doing the taking must be working together. Often we can pass on knowledge and wisdom (think of all the hours students sit in classrooms). We can even test for knowledge. Ultimately, however, each person must choose to exercise the wisdom they’ve been given. The goal of passing on Godly wisdom is to silence the “wisdom” of the world, and the world is loud.

    Cain, only the second generation(!), succumbed to the world. The first murder happens in the second generation. Let that sink in. It was only the second generation. There is an important lesson in this. The next generation can lose it all. There is a modern proverb, “the Church (thus Christianity) is only one generation away from dying out.” We who pass the faith and our wisdom on to the next generation (and the generation that follows) can only do our best. However, if we understand God’s story, our small story in the middle of God’s story, and give that to those who follow, we increase the likelihood that the Gospel will pass to the next generation. There is a dark side to being the recipient, too.

    The Jews had had the faith passed on to them. They carried it proudly. While they were indeed God’s people, there was an arrogance in many that because their forefathers had passed on the faith and traditions to them, that they were still blessed and protected. John the Baptist wanted them to understand that while the faith was passed down, it wasn’t the rules and rituals that saved and preserved them, it was the grace of God. This grace-filled God wanted a relationship, not empty rituals. While the Israelites had successfully talked to their children in their going and sitting, they had not (apparently) passed on a relationship. The church is often guilty of this same thing. There was a time where as long as the right words were spoken and the right doctrine passed on that all will be well. Except it wasn’t well at all. In response, generations turned to an entirely relational view of God, which made new rules and often disregarded doctrine. Both were (and still are) extremes that the church—to pass on the wisdom and faith—must strive to overcome and find a balance between the two.

    1) What Bible story (or stories) can you remember? What Bible stories do you think non-believers know?

    2) What did the stories teach you about God? What do you think those bible stories teach non-believers?

    3) In those stories, do you see relation, doctrine, or both? Are you able to share those differences with others?

    FD) If you know what is right, do you do it? If not, why not?

  • Disappointment Not Punishment

    Psalm 34, Job 1:1–10, 1 John 4:7–21

    There is something in the Old Testament that remains unresolved. The Psalmist declares that the wicked will not be remembered and the righteous will be. This is a common theme. Yet, when we look at scripture, and we look at the world around us, we rightfully question that. So, what is going on? Perhaps we ought to question who is doing the remembering. Both Old and New Testaments are testaments of God to humanity. In other words, humanity is the object of the story (the Bible), God is. Scripture tells the story of the imperfect revealing the glory, holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, grace,…love of God. Humanity is just the target of all of that. Since we tell the stories, we confuse being the tellers of the story with being the subject of the story.

    There is another tension in both Old and New Testament: fear of God. The psalmist talks about teaching the fear of God to people. How does that match with this loving God we tell people about? First, of course, is our language. That is the start of the problem. There is also an automatic opposition to the word fear. Fear is bad. Except when it is not. When driving to work, one cannot be overcome by fear (you’ll never leave the driveway). Yet, defensive driving (a form of fear) is very wise when driving with all the other people that are obviously not as good of drivers as you are.

    The opening verses of Job tell us that fear from the perspective of Scripture may not match our own. We read that Job makes sacrifices on behalf of his children, for he fears they might have sinned. In support of Job, God (proudly) declares that Job fears him (God). What? How about the insight from Satan (how’s that for weird), that of course Job fears God, for God has protected him and blessed him with property and family. Fear? Well, fear must not mean…fear.

    Our last insight comes from 1 John, with fear and love being polar opposites. And this is that final insight. Bad fear, the fear that we should not have toward God, is the fear of punishment. Which leaves us with good fear, which is having the right perspective of God. God is almighty. God is love. Right fear is the fear that we are not in fellowship with God, but God so loves us that he pours out his grace and mercy upon us, so that we need not fear punishment, but are devastated by God’s disappointment.

    1) What about God do you fear?

    2) What about people do you fear?

    3) Why does true love cast out (bad) fear?

    FD) When you think of God, which is a stronger emotion: fear or love? Why?