Devotion.al

Tag: Paul

  • The Proper Guest

    Psalm 104:1–15, John 6:53–58, 1 Corinthians 11:17–11:27

    From the , God breathed into us. We’re not just talking about the lungs, but the spiritual life, too. God is the great sustainer. While there are those whose perspective of God is the Clockwork God (the concept that God started the whole thing and “walked away”) and others for whom it is only biological life and no spirit, most people seem to be between. The two “extremes” operate within the framework that God is not active, and God does not interact with creation. Again, because one perspective has God off who knows where, and the other perspective has no God (or other “force” for that matter). There is an odd in-between version of the Holy Spirit as a non-personal “force”, but that is even harder to comprehend.
    From an orthodox Christian perspective, without God’s spirit, we would truly be nothing more than mere biological machines. When we look at humanity, despite its often horrible state, we cannot help perceiving that there is something far more significant than just being a machine.

    What happens, though, when someone takes things and makes them anything but normal? Ask .

    When Jesus calls on people to eat his flesh and drink his blood, let’s be honest, it isn’t normal. The has long held the view that there is definitely something going on here. On one hand, there are those that believe that when we take , we are literally (not just spiritually) eating the flesh and drinking the blood of Jesus (called transubstantiation, if you want to know). There are those that believe that it is merely (and only) a memorial, we do it solely because Jesus (and ) told us to (which are good reasons), and because the church has done it for centuries (tradition is not a bad reason either). There are two other major perspectives. Consubstantiation is a belief that it is both body and bread, and blood and wine. The last belief is that while it is “just” bread and wine (in the Nazarene and other denominations, grape juice), it is far more than “just” that. There is an understanding that Jesus is present at the table presiding over communion, in the same spirit as the Last Supper.

    Think of that. You’re eating in the presence of Jesus, as a guest.

    Regardless of your perspective on communion, the church (Orthodox to Roman Catholic to Protestant) calls it a sacrament. What is a sacrament? It is something instituted by an of Jesus. Within the larger Protestant grouping, it is one of two sacraments, the other being baptism. Other traditions count additional acts as sacraments, but communion and baptism are universal.

    There is another aspect that is crucial to the sacraments…ourselves. Sacraments are instituted by God, so we don’t make them holy. However, Paul warns everyone to take them seriously. This is why an understanding of at whose table you are eating is so important. Not only are you eating and drinking with your local church , there is the larger denomination, the church as a whole (again, across denominations), and with the church universal (both before and after us). It should never be something approached flippantly. This does not you cannot be joyful. In fact, joyful and thankful should be the exact perspective we bring to the table.

    1) For some communion should be done rarely; at most, once a month. For others, communion is weekly. For others still, it is every worship (which can be many times in a week). What is your perspective? Why? Can you see why others might have a different perspective?

    2) Do you ever think of Jesus hosting your table during communion? Does that impact how you view communion, and your participation in it?

    3) Why do you think Jesus and Paul emphasize the body and blood? What is the significance of those two words?

  • A Father’s Legacy

    Psalm 89, Matthew 1:6–25, Matthew 2:19–23, Luke 2:41–52

    David: the man (somehow) after God’s own heart. Imagine passing that down as your . Even more, how about passing it down for you. We “love” famous people. We “love” famous stories. Fame is fabulous. When we pass on family stories, which (we hope) are full of the legacy of our , we have this desire for immortality. It is this seed in us that seeks to break past the barriers of this life. Even those whose full is in Christ have a bit of this in them. Children are one part of our legacy (whether biological or adopted or nurtured). Our story is another. However, are you willing to die to yourself?

    Today is the traditional day set aside for Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus. Yes, that Jesus. That person who lived a life of and , who died on a cross to bridge the divide between man and God, and rose again to show that there is life after this one for those who trust in him. Joseph is the father of that Jesus. The church talks about Joseph briefly during Advent and Christmas. The churches in America might talk about Joseph on Father’s Day. Maybe. That’s about it. Joseph pretty much is a side to us. Which makes sense, to a point. The Bible is God’s story for and to us. With Jesus being the Messiah and God, it makes sense that Joseph doesn’t quite get the limelight. Rightfully, Mary gets a whole lot of focus (some do take that overboard). Despite the message of our society, it really does take two.

    Sadly, we really don’t know much about Joseph. Some church traditions (not all) teach that Joseph was an older man who died early in Jesus’ life. That is not a rock solid fact. There are plenty of reasons why even a young man, barely older than Mary, would die before Jesus started his ministry. Does it matter when Joseph died? Not really. We can be pretty sure that he died before Jesus’ ministry began, but that’s it. So, why talk about Joseph, other than just it being “his” day on the church calendar?

    Joseph’s legacy is the Savior of the World. Every time we say Jesus’ in praise, thanks, and worship, we are also declaring Joseph’s legacy. We don’t think of Joseph that way, but Joseph’s legacy is , even now here on Earth. In fact, we think very little of the quiet legacies. If you have the chance, read Buck Jacobs’ short story, “The Janitor and the CEO.” Basically, the CEO was all sorts of flashy, and the janitor wasn’t. The janitor, however, had a welcoming committee in Heaven. So, perhaps instead of having a Paul kind of legacy (or Peter, Timothy, Jude, John, Mark, Luke), you could have a Joseph kind of legacy.

    1) Think of the legacy you are passing on. Is it all about you? Is it about God? Really, what is it about?

    2) We often compare ourselves to others. Do you find yourself comparing your legacy to those of others?

    3) Often we look at the legacy we passed on to others, but neglect those who are now in our circle. Are there people in your relational circle that you haven’t been looking at as bearers of your legacy?

    FD) Have you ever wanted to be, or still want to be, famous? Why?

  • Buildings and Foundations

    Psalm 74, Ezra 3:1-11, 1 Corinthians 3:10-17

    In Seattle, building after building is going up with those huge cranes on top. The population of Snohomish County is projected to by 10,000 people per year for nearly the next 20 years, and the first couple of years of that projection (already having passed) have exceeded that growth. As we look around the area, there is a lot of building going on. Around Generations , there are multi-house developments being completed at an amazing pace. As those homes are built, a lot of effort goes into them. The community (the City of Marysville) has requirements for the development, roads, and houses. The developer has to all those requirements. In addition to meeting those requirements, the builder has to meet the expectations of people they’ve never met…the buyers. There really is a lot that goes into building a house.

    The first is the ground itself. The ground has to be prepared. Everything goes from there. The next is the foundation. The interplay of ground and foundation are critical to the durability and lifespan of the house. If both are not prepared well, and in harmony, there will be trouble.

    Through God created the ground. All of us, believer and nonbeliever, walk upon it. It is the foundation that is the dividing point. When the foundation is Christ, it should be different than the “foundation” of Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, even Judaism (though there will be similarities there). The biggest difference is the understanding of who Jesus is. Jesus is the one and only begotten Son of God. Jesus is God. Instantly, the foundation of Christianity is different. However, the problem in the church (and has been for centuries) is the concern about what is on top of the foundation.

    When the Israelites returned to Jerusalem from exile, the was no more. It still held its preeminence in Israelite religious culture, but its magnificence was long gone. However, the foundation was still there. Instead of being stuck with the outward appearance, the exiles celebrated the next feast. The feast they celebrated was the Feast of Booths, intended to annually remind the Israelites of their ancestors’ wandering in the desert. They celebrated wandering on a firm foundation. When we wander through life (or just take the next right) and remain on the foundation of Christ, all will (eventually, at least) be well.

    As Paul writes about foundations, he acknowledges that people will build the “temple of their hearts” with what they can. Some people, through no fault of their own, only have twigs, rocks, and mud to make one with. Some people, through wrong decisions, will have fire-scarred wood to build with. Others, through the and of God, will build with gold and jewels. Now, we aren’t talking about literal gold, jewels, or mud, or twigs. We’re talking about the spiritual condition of the heart. What makes it even more interesting is that we may be deceive ourselves with what we are thinking are building. We may think we are building with gold, but we are building with mud. Or, we may thing we’re building with twigs, but we are building with jewels. In many ways, though, it doesn’t really matter what our spiritual temples are built with, but that they are built. The refiner’s fire will burn away all the and misery, and all that remains between us and God.

    1) Foundation as the starting point. How do you view Jesus as your foundation?

    2) Can you see the foundations others might have? What is the weakness and/or strength of their foundation?

    3) Why do people look past the foundation, even of their own homes, let alone their spiritual life?

    FD) Only before God’s creative grace and love can mud, stick, jewel, gold, stone be viewed as the same. What does that tell you about how God looks at people?

  • Revealing Unity

    Numbers 16:1–50, Romans 16:17–20, 1 Corinthians 1:10–17

    Most of us have heard John Dalberg-Acton’s quip, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” What is most often missed is Acton’s “tends”.

    David Brin takes a slightly different tack, “It is said that power corrupts, but actually it’s more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power.”

    Lastly, Robert Caro’s take might be the most significant for us, “We’re taught Lord Acton’s axiom: all power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. I believed that when I started these books, but I don’t believe it’s always true anymore. Power doesn’t always corrupt. Power can cleanse. What I believe is always true about power is that power always reveals.”

    Korah wanted more than he had. Whether he wanted power, prestige, or influence, is unclear. Who knows, maybe he thought he could earn holiness by being the chief priest. Regardless, his entire was given a duty in regards to the holy things of the temple. It was still an honor, but as some many of us struggle with, it wasn’t the honor he wanted. The undercurrent of this is power. At this point, the religious was the people’s leader. It’s not clear whether Korah convinced people to follow, or that they gathered somehow. The reality is that they did gather. Scripture says that they rebelled against Moses, but as the story unfolds into the relation that as they were rebelling against the leader by God, they were rebelling against God. Without question, Moses was chosen supernaturally by God, and there were multiple events that testified to that. It was abundantly clear. However, in our day-and- is it the same?

    How our leaders are chosen is different than such an obvious outward sign of God’s hand. It is through , wise thinking, discernment, and much counsel that good leaders are chosen. However, we are all . Leaders make mistakes. Followers make them too. Two of the biggest obstacles to unity are not necessarily tied to the leadership position itself (for who wants the blame), but the influence and power of the leader, then there is jealousy and envy. This is human reality. Human selfishness often hides behind the call of doing the best for , but truly only serves the self. When talks about divisions in Romans, there are obviously people stirring up trouble. That’s got to be dealt with. Most people expect the leader to do it, yet it is not the leader’s responsibility, it is the responsibility of everyone. There is mutual accountability and responsibility in the . Yet, people will still be people, and divisions will occur.

    In Corinth, we read of divisions of which person they follow. While most of us would say, “I follow Jesus,” is that true? As the Western World runs away from Christianity (sometimes with good reason), while the Middle East and Eastern Worlds actively oppose Christianity, the Church has to come to a form of unity. The Church for far too long has been separated for good doctrinal reasons, but the reality is that every denomination and unaffiliated congregation will have to come to some sort of agreement with one another. As long as the church eats itself, it cannot feed the world the Bread of .

    1) Where do you see the greatest unity in your personal life? Where do you see the greatest division?

    2) Where do you see the greatest unity in the world around you? Where do you see the greatest division?

    3) For each of the above, what can and will you do to build unity and heal division?

    FD) People usually separate from others when they are hurt emotionally. What can we do to help?

  • Legacy of Faith

    Psalm 27, Genesis 13:14-18, Philippians 3:2-12

    David was no insofar as not always being a good example to follow: thuggery, adultery, murder, failure to lead and/or protect his . On the other hand, David wrote God-inspired psalms, designed the Great Temple, outline the rules and families for worship (who did what), and was—by and large—a follower of and champion for God. When we read Psalm 27, we see a person’s heart open to God. In the psalm, David declares that God is pretty much everything. David’s statement regarding his parents abandoning him (something that would be especially painful and cruel in a family driven culture), but that God would still be there is also an identifying thing. David was declaring that without his family, his would still be found in God. It was a worthy legacy to pass on, but as noted earlier, David didn’t do so well with his family. Other than Solomon, we know nothing about the faith of David’s children, and Solomon’s faith became troubled as he got older. Is it David’s fault that his legacy was not passed on well? To some degree it was. However, at some point, those who follow have to keep nourishing the of faith they were given.

    While even most non- folks recognize Adam and Eve, and Noah (who are important characters), from a religious standpoint none may be more important than Abram (Abraham). In this passage, Abram gives Lot the choice of direction. Lot chooses what seems to be the better land. Yet, after he made that choice, God tells Abram that his offspring will equal the amount of in the world. Is that an overstatement? Perhaps, however, we have to look at how the Israelites viewed it as a . They would know. Then look and Christianity, a child faith of Abraham. They (we) are also the progeny of Abram. Abram’s legacy of faith has been passed down to us. And it is the legacy of faith that truly matters.

    Paul, until his conversion, had received a legacy of duties, tasks, rituals, that did not life, or at least no full life. While Christians may be quick to accuse the Jews of lifeless rituals that they though saved them, many of those same rituals developed a deep and ground faith in God. It all really depended on the individual and what they did with the flame of faith pass on to them.

    1) Who passed on the flame of faith to you? What are you doing to make sure that the flame of faith you pass on will be as strong or stronger?

    2) Paul states that he cares more about knowing Jesus (God) than doing stuff, and relying on stuff. Can you say the same of yourself?

    3) The beauty of David’s life is that it is honest. David’s life was not perfect, just as yours or mine are not. Why does acknowledging not having a perfect life important when passing on the faith?

    FD) Did you know that you have a responsibility to accept faith and nourish (feed) it?

  • People Dynamics

    Exodus 6:1–13, Psalm 37:1–24, 1 Corinthians 3:18–4:5

    “I want you to walk up to your estranged family (who just so happens to be the world at the moment) and tell them to release their biggest labor force.” Hmm. We are so accustomed to Moses’ story that we often will miss pieces of the story. Everyone in your family gets along, right? Even the distant cousins, right? Of course not! Sometimes the biggest and longest lasting fights and painful relationships are within families. When the family is a family of power and influence (such as Egypt was), the significance of family relationships or battles becomes much larger than just interpersonal relationships. On top of that, Moses was only an adopted child, and he was adopted from the Hebrews he’s being sent to lead out of Egypt. No pressure. What crazy person would dare oppose one of the most (if not the most) powerful militaries in the world? Who’d (basically) walk up to the leader to basically thumb his nose at him? No one. It’s just not !

    Moses’ reality was that he would have to oppose his powerful adoptive family who wouldn’t be happy with him. He’d also have the tension within his extended biological family, many of whom wouldn’t trust him because he was from Pharaoh’s house and he had run away years ago. This just wasn’t a good place to be. When in the middle of these two tensions, we have to give Moses credit, he kept a balanced head, no matter much either “side” would have driven him crazy.

    When we deal with opposing tensions we can all have a tendency to lose it a bit. We can lose our temper, our positivity, our humor. We often end up fighting ourselves first. While we may not be currently upset or caught between evildoers, as the psalmist is concerned about, the agitation is often the same. We can be caught between two “goods”, two “bads”, and even between a good and a bad. Where we turn when in a place of tension, tells us where our heart is focused. If we turn to work, money, , drugs, and such, we can soften the tension for time, but only put it off. Our families often receive the brunt of our tension, but they generally cannot deal with it either. That leaves us with God, who can handle it all. Or, at least that is how it should be. Instead, we often try to hand off our decisions, responsibilities, or consequences to others, especially those we perceive as smarter, wiser, or more powerful than ourselves. That is the of the world.

    We are often reminded of the craziness, futility, and just plain wrongness that pervades humanity, yet for some reason, we insist on its wisdom. We look around the world wondering what’s wrong. The world around us is the expression of wisdom. It is not that God’s wisdom is not there, but human “wisdom” is so common it seems as if God’s wisdom is not there. This is why Paul says the (worldly) wise should become fools. For when they see their human wisdom as foolishness, they can finally become aware of God’s wisdom. And this brings us back to Moses. According to the world, he was a fool. He was in awe of (often “feared” is used) God, which is the beginning of true wisdom.

    1) Lent is often viewed as foolishness by many. Why give up the good stuff? What is the Godly wisdom of giving up the “good” stuff?

    2) It is often easy to “know” the story of Bible characters. What happens if you put yourself in their place? Does that your of them and their story?

    3) Wisdom and knowledge can be passed on. We focus a lot on wisdom, as we want our (children, grandchildren, etc.) to be successful in this world. However, worldly wisdom is often at odds with God’s wisdom. How have you dealt with that? How can you help others deal with it?

    FD) Who do you for guidance when you have 2 good (or bad) decisions to choose from?

  • Not Impressed

    Isaiah 52:1–53:12, John 15:17–16:2, 2 Timothy 2:1–10

    “(He/She/They) never impressed me much.” This phrase is often spoken when someone leaves in disgrace, or leaves well and everyone who remains is jealous. This phrase is also used when famous people do stupid or immoral acts that get them. Regardless of the reason or circumstance, the phrase is always used to diminish another person. Yet, Isaiah’s “Song of the Suffering ” takes that phrase and uses it to make a point. God’s Suffering Servant would be dismissed by so many. Even many who knew him would avoid him. Despite being treated poorly, the suffering servant would still take on the suffering of many, and also the mistreatment by many.

    commands his disciples (and by proxy, us) to love one another. There are multiple pieces to this. It cannot be coincidental, however, that—right after that moment—Jesus talks about the world hating the disciples because the world hated him first. There have been many who wear the hate of the world as a badge of , which it would be if they were hated for loving and following Jesus. Often people are hated not because they follow Jesus wholeheartedly, but because they follow something (or someone) else and dress it up in “Jesus” language. It is a constant threat to the walk that something (with good intention) is followed as if it were Jesus, but it isn’t Jesus. Is there a particular thing in mind, here? Yes and no. That’s the problem.

    There are so many things that people follow/believe and dress up in “Jesus” language that it can become very hard to who Jesus really is. Think about that. If that pet issue or concern confuses people about Jesus, then the issue is probably about you, not Jesus.

    What gets really confusing at times is that sometimes we show Jesus to , and sometimes we hide Jesus from others. We can’t tell the difference, and neither can those who don’t follow Jesus. There will indeed be times where we righteously choose Jesus and the world hates us for us. There are times we choose something other than Jesus and the world hates us for it. We cannot judge the “Jesus” path by the hate of the world. Which ties us back to love one another.

    When we love one another, we can be honest with each other. We then strengthen the aspects of Jesus we see in others, lifting that above the mire of our souls. When we fully live in love with one another, we experience and live out the holiness of God, and God’s thrives in us.

    Through loving one another and with God’s grace in us, we can be strong against the world. When we are in such a way, as reminds Timothy, we keep ourselves from getting more involved in the world than is needed to be ambassadors to it. Our primary focus should always be to please God, and that will often bother those who do not know God.

    1) Have you ever used the phrase “[someone] never impressed me much?” Why?

    2) Have you ever felt hated because of what you believe? Are you able to yourself from Jesus, and see who (or what opinion) is really hated?

    3) What is “Jesus” language? Where have you seen it misused?

    FD) Hate is a strong word. Love is stronger, but we often don’t feel that way. Why?

  • Unveiling Transfiguration

    Psalm 99, Exodus 34:29–35, 2 Corinthians 3:12–4:2, Luke 9:28–36

    Sometimes things we are unaware of about ourselves become a separator be us and others. Imagine Moses already feeling the pressure of leading these people. The strain of leadership along with the regular stubbornness of the Israelites would always keep some separation between Moses and the people. In addition, Moses’ history as part of Pharoh’s household would always be an underlying issue. Now Moses presented himself before God, and he was changed. He was physically different in such a way as apparently people avoided looking at his face. Moses then put on clothing (a veil) that physically and psychologically separated him from his people. We all want to not have to wear masks. We all want to be able to be ourselves with others. Moses no longer had that option. He had to wear a mask (the veil) so that people would interact with him. Moses was blessed to be able to have such an intimate relationship with God. On the other hand, because of that relationship with God, Moses’ relationship with the people was not so good, as they struggled with it.

    Paul uses this example to help explain the way it was in comparison to the new life in Christ. The new life in Christ is where each person, not a single individual, has a relationship with God. In addition, instead of having an outward (though still possible), it was now an inward work. As it is now God working inside of us, we are freed from the “veil” that separates our “normal” life from a life with God. However, sometimes we become confused as to how it works (which is easy to do).

    Peter, John, and James accompanied up the mountain. There was obviously an expectation that this would be a time of and especially . A time of confrontation was not expected by Jesus’ followers. They saw Jesus from a man to something more. As men steeped in the lessons of the Jews, they would have understood that this is the glory that people experienced when looking at Moses, and yet it was not just Jesus’ face. His entire being and even his clothes were transformed. Adding to the reality of this, Moses (the venerated first prophet) and Elijah (the prophet that was to precede the Messiah) were present. This was beyond any and all expectation.

    Whether the men wanted this experience to continue, or whether they were trying to be respectful, it doubt strange to build shelters. On the other hand, the expectation of being able to visit the great men of Israel (Jesus included) would have been a transformative thing for the entire community, yet it was not to be. The of Moses and Elijah accompanying Jesus was not to establish the wise men of Israel but to establish Jesus’ rightful place. the last words to Peter, James, and John, though, was the real lesson. This was the teaching that the prophets and Jesus were handing off the leadership of the new covenant to the next leaders.

    Peter, James, and John were selected. Despite their failings, there were still the ones that would be leaders of the community that was coming. They would be bearers of God’s grace, , love, and . Their personal relationship with Jesus showing that anyone can have a personal relationship with God.

    1) What “veils” exist in your spiritual life?

    2) What things, opportunities, habits, people keep you from relating to others and God?

    3/FD) What lessons can you from Peter, James, and John in this event they experienced?