Devotion.al

Tag: politics

  • Nope. I’m Good.

    Nope. I’m Good.

    Nope. I’m Good.

    2 September 2020

    John 8:31–41; Philippians 3:1–11

    What are you relying on? This is a question that we each need to ourselves on a regular (if not daily) basis. It becomes easy to slip into relying on something without realizing it.

    In industries such as manufacturing, timber, construction where safety is a big issue, it can be easy to fall into ease. As organizations create stronger safety programs and better safety equipment, workers can into a sense of comfort. Then they may overly rely on their safety equipment. Then they make mistakes that endanger themselves, , and the successful completion of their jobs.

    This can also be seen when people spend lots of money (often more than they make) to have a good . This somewhat works when the economy is going well, but things happen, and economies weaken.

    This can also be seen in , from local to international, as people make assumptions about their supporters or even their countries as they around and make deals.

    It is also seen in the church. While the apparent dominance of the Moral Majority of the 1980s–1990s indicated that the “church” was strong, it showed that the church had lost its way. The church relied on politics and to make a difference, rather than the love and of Jesus. As the church becomes culturally sidelined, there is a growing awareness of not just the earthly power lost, but also the freedom gained and the power from on high that comes with it.

    The Jews understood and venerated their ancestors, particularly Abraham and Israel. They venerated Moses as the Prophet of the Most High. They had the Law.

    They had become reliant and comfortable. It seems strange for them to be comfortable with the Roman occupation. It was just the status quo, and no one wanted the boat to be rocked.

    Then along comes Jesus to rock the boat, and all the complacency came to a head. For too long the Jews had taken their (very) special place for granted. It was time for them to wake up.

    Part of ‘s awakening was through this as well. While he still proudly proclaimed his Israelite heritage, he set it aside for the greater identity of being a follower of Jesus. While he didn’t toss his heritage out (for it gave him the framework to understand the work of Jesus), he recognized it for what it was…a foreshadow of what was to come…the Body of Christ.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Jesus, may we be shaken daily by who you are so that we are never complacent. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) Where is your life of too complacent?

    2) Where do you see the life of the church too complacent?

    3) Where else in life (outside of faith) are you seeing complacency?

  • Instigation

    Instigation

    Jeremiah 15:10–14; Matthew 10:16–23; Matthew 12:46–50

    Christmas is coming! All I want for Christmas is for 2020 to be over. How about you?

    2020 may be the year of division. There is no question that the country is divided. While 2016 was certainly divisive, it is almost nothing to today. As much as many may blame the president, a political party other than theirs, any politician, the media, and whomever else they want to…the divisions all our rooted in our sin.

    In many respects, this may be a blessing in disguise. For too many years, any form of conflict or disagreement has been shoved into the dark corners. It wasn’t that long ago that “safe places” were a thing. The beauty of these days is the reality that there is no “safe space” where we won’t hear something that conflicts with our beliefs.

    How we , however, is certainly an issue. Many folks are no longer conversing on issues. They just attack and/or shut down. We have lost the ability to well and with .

    The church is in the middle of a very painful transformation. This isn’t just the incorporation of digital into its heart (rather than as a side project), it is the racial, political, health (COVID), and economic strain that is occurring throughout the world. These concerns are forcing the church to confront itself with the many things it has done and hasn’t done.

    At this point in the church’s circle are prophetic voices of varying kinds. Many are not appreciated or even listened to (just like the Old Testament prophets).

    Jeremiah was given a message by God. He mourns his birth as the people scorn and hate him even though he did nothing against them. He only spoke God’s words.

    Jeremiah certainly was not popular. He was rightly regarded as a prophet. It was just that the words didn’t fit their desires.

    This really hasn’t changed. ‘ warning to his disciples was straight . They weren’t going to be liked. Their choice to follow Jesus may cause them to lose family and friends.

    Families divided because someone follows Jesus. What happens when families and other relationships are divided because they have different understandings of what it means to follow Jesus? That’s the question for this .

    It used to be one or two issues that divided the church. Now, there are many. Perhaps it is the language we use when we disagree. Perhaps our language is too rigid. Perhaps our hearts are too hard.

    Jesus formed a new family that transcended the earthly bonds. In Jesus’ day, it was the blood of the family. After his resurrection, it was the division that separated Jew from Gentile. Today it is , , abortion, the military, the appropriate place of patriotism, protest, COVID, healthcare, the environment, and so many other issues.

    “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” The will of the Father? Love the Lord your God with all your body, soul, mind, and strength; love your neighbor as yourself.

    ※Prayer※

    Heavenly Father, help us do your will that we would be fully functioning members of your family. Amen.

    1) How are you doing talking to on issues with which you disagree? Do you filter your values through the will of the Father?

    2) What forms do prophetic voices take today? Is there any particular form you would automatically ignore?

    3) What are the current issues that prophetic voices are discussion that make you uncomfortable? Why does that make you uncomfortable?

  • I Hate You

    I Hate You

    Luke 14:25–35; 1 John 3:14–18

    So, who do YOU hate? Your mom, dad, husband, wife, significant other, , daughter, brother, sister, cousin, aunt, uncle…Really, who do you hate?

    Trump, Clinton, Bin Laden, and many others have been (or are) hated. It could be because of politics. It could be because they murdered people. It might be something that you think they may have done.

    This passage in Luke is a hard passage for many. Except in cases of abuse or other mistreatment, hating one’s family is out of the question. A that has long considered itself (especially in the West) a “family-centered” religion will struggle that which it says it is based upon. “Family values”, a decades-old purportedly Christian value, are questionable if we are to hate our family.

    Then John, a disciple of writes that we are to our brothers and sisters, and that anyone who hates their brother or system is a murderer (even if said brother or sister still lives), and because of that they don’t have life. Confused, yet?

    So, how does this work, exactly? Well, we’re back to the -old problem of English versus Greek. Just like there are more words for love in Greek than in English, there’s the same problem with hate. Hate isn’t quite hate, sort of.

    When Jesus talks about hate, it refers more to loyalty that like, dislike, love, or hate. Jesus sought to shock people into an understanding that they may have to choose where their loyalty lay. Was their loyalty with family, or was their loyalty with Jesus?

    Hate may seem overly dramatic, however, in the cultural context, hate was the understanding. Only a hateful child, parent, spouse, and so forth would choose Jesus over family. In that time, the time shortly thereafter, and it appears now, family loyalty is against Jesus.

    Which brings us to John’s words. His hate is more along the lines of what we think of when we the word hate. The kind of hate that blindly rages and cares more about hurting another than the enemy. This is the context of John’s hate.

    We are called to pray for the blessings of our adversaries. Even more so are we to seek the benefit of our brothers and sisters in Christ. John’s primary concern is not the family ties of blood and culture that Jesus brought to light. John’s concern was what we at Generations call (friends who are like family).

    This framily is found within the body of Christ. Because of its place within the body of Christ, it should not have divided loyalties. Of course, when it comes to human frailty, we all know that isn’t the case.

    As we work through our hopes and fears of COVID and elections, we will often be tempted to hate our brothers and sisters in Christ. We must strive against that, for a house divided against itself will not stand, and then what would we say to Jesus?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, you prayed to the Father that we would be one. Help us to be united in you, while we yet still remain individuals with different thoughts and experiences. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Is there someone in the body of Christ with whom you are angry? Pray for them. for the of the Holy Spirit to fall upon and fill both them and you.

    2) How can you work to be one with your brothers and sisters in Christ while you have differing opinions?

    3) How does the concept of Jesus before family still cause you and others trials?

  • Heart of Money; Heart of Mercy

    Heart of Money; Heart of Mercy

    2 Corinthians 8:1–15; 1 Timothy 6:17–19

    Generosity is a good thing. A generous is a good thing.

    Paul encouraged generosity among the churches. The churches would care for one another as they were going through trials (famines, war, etc.). The graciousness of one gave to another church.

    The churches did not do this to receive; they did it out of generous hearts.

    The US churches have been known around the world for their generosity. The US churches were so effective, that they deeply affected US culture to also be generous.

    Except, that seems to be waning. Both the US church and the US population is becoming less generous. A lot of that is likely due to fear. However, much of that seems to also be an of reciprocity. In other words, “what do we get out of it?”

    The other part of the waning aspect may actually be the most concerning. This is the “washing of hands” part. I’ve given my to the cause (church, politics, NGO, etc.). I have done my duty, and I can go on living.

    We can be generous with money, but not with our hearts. We can be generous with our hearts, but not our money. However, being generous in one area and not in the other, really means that we are generous at all. It is an all or nothing situation.

    It sounds harsh. It is. It sounds impossible. It just might be. Or, at least impossible without God.

    How generosity actually takes place is not a fixed recipe. The people of Macedonia were generous to the best of their capability. The churches of Corinth may have had a greater capacity to be financially generous.

    The people of Macedonia were not absolved of financial generosity. It was to the best of their means and through generous hearts. They prayed. Pray generously!

    The people of Corinth may have been capable of far more than the people of Macedonia. That didn’t absolve them from praying. It is both/and.

    The church, as a whole, is struggling financially. The patterns of the past are broken. Truly, the church is in (or should be in) a hugely transformative process.

    While you may be giving as you have, just because a building (even the church building) is closed, doesn’t absolve you of the mission of loving people generously.

    What loving a person does to live generously at this time is a little strange. It could be going “old” school and calling people. It could be texting them. It could be emailing them. It could even be sending a letter.

    Giving financially is part of the life, and so is living generously in others’ lives. The rhythm of life may mean different forms of generosity at different times. However, a single form of generosity is not living life generously, it is living life monotonously.

    ※Prayer※

    , us hearts that beat with your generosity. May we live generously through your . Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) How do you give generously? How do you live generously?

    2) Why do you think both financial and life generosity are important?

    3) Which area do you need to live or give more generously? Why do you say that?

  • Using Ways

    Using Ways

    Luke 16:1–9

    This is one of those interesting parables.

    I knew a small business owner who taught a Sunday School lesson on this passage. He was quite honest that he hated it. As a small business owner, he could not understand the apparent praise for a person who reduced what was owed.

    This is understandable. He viewed this as stealing by the manager and  by those who owed the rich man. In most respects, he (the small business owner) was right.

    The rich man is more the vehicle of the story. The first thing to recognize is that the rich man received an accusation. That’s it. In Jewish law, it took 2 or 3 witnesses to convict.

    tells the story in such a way that we understand that there is truth to the accusation. Of course, the manager freaking out pretty much made it clear that there was a lot of truth in that accusation.

    There are two really important things to from this particular parable.

    The first is Jesus’ admonition to use the ways of the world wisely to gather friends. This does not mean that Jesus is suggesting theft or unGodly methods. Jesus is suggesting using the world’s ways (i.e., books, TV, radio, the ) to make friends and to influence others.

    This is good advice. In fact, without being open to the world’s ways, we often have no common ground with which to open conversations that lead to God. The world’s ways include business, , education, and pretty much everything. Yes, let’s use it all to bring people to God!

    The second piece is often overlooked. I have certainly overlooked it.

    The rich man and even the manager are successful in the world. We often focus on that, which shows our own hearts.

    The people for whom the manager reduced the debt were the poor. We have to that our concept of middle-class is historically a pretty recent one. Most of these people owed debts that they may never be able to pay.

    They would be, effectively, owned.

    Why is this important? Well, the underlying implication is that the poor will have the dwellings (i.e., heaven), and the only way the rich man or (specifically) the manager will have a place in eternity is through those that he gave .

    The concept of “class warfare” predates Karl Marx by centuries. While this passage and conclusion would seem to reinforce such a concept, at the same time, all things are possible with God, especially with a contrite heart.

    ※Prayer※

    Heavenly Father, may we—your children—be always looking for ways to use the world’s ways to expand your , , and glory. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) What do you think of the rich man and his to the manager’s initiative?

    2) What ways of the world can you think of that you can use to bring people to God?

  • Who Wears Your Crown?

    Who Wears Your Crown?

    Matthew 5:13–16; Mark 9:43–50; Hebrews 2:1–18

    In a recent Church Leaders Podcast, the host (Jason Daye) said something that should deeply concern all of us. It’s not what was said was false or wrong. It’s that what was said was true.

    “…many people are quicker to their political views—who they think is right, who they think is wrong—than they are to share their story; than they are to share the of Jesus Christ.”

    Let that sink in…all the way to your gut…where it should feel like a brick of lead or a storm of nausea.

    In much of our political “discourse” (that’s a generous description at this point), are we really any different than the so-called un-saved? Are we marching to the beat of a political ideology or groupthink that does not Jesus Christ first?

    Currently, there is no single political party that fully represents (if that is even possible) the of God. In the mainstream political parties, there are many practicing and devout Christians.

    In those same political parties, there are too many (perhaps far more) that mouth so-called words, but do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

    It is time for the church to be militant. Militant is an old term that is related to the military but was used to traditionally mean vigorously active. That is the militancy we need. The church must not militant in so far as walking in lockstep with a political party or against one.

    What this first requires is that we vigorously question every political view we have and put it to the . This is hard. Often, we can take a verse out of context, and use it to bolster our view.

    For a long time, the church has been guilty of not using the Scriptures when talking about issues and applying them to a view. Instead, the church has been taking a view and using the Scriptures.

    Jesus is King! Long live the King!

    ※※

    King Jesus, constantly remind us that you are both True king and savior, and nothing and no one of this world could ever be either for us. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) When was the last time (outside of your comfortable group) you shared about Jesus? How about politics?

    2) When you hear statements condemning everyone of a political party, do you agree?

    3) How can you and the church be the Christian to the world, rather than a political follower?

  • Following Followers

    Following Followers

    Matthew 16:13–20; Acts 11:1–18; 2 Corinthians 11:16–30

    Peter appears to have been the first one to put it all together. He declared that Jesus was the Messiah.

    We often look back at Peter, thinking, “Well, that was obvious!” There were actually a number of people wandering around saying they were the messiah. Jesus wasn’t the only one.

    The other (false) messiah’s had followers, a lot of them. Some of the false messiah’s sought to overthrow the Roman government. They and their followers were killed (crucified) as rebels.

    The religious leaders weren’t any better than the Roman government, as many of them were in league with them. Also, the religious leaders had certain expectations of the messiah (some Scripture-based, many not) that no one could fulfill (and note that Jesus didn’t fulfill all of theirs).

    Peter’s declaration of the Messiah was a big deal. He assembled the “clues” together. Despite the failures and deaths of other messiahs, Peter still declared it. There would be a cost for that.

    It doesn’t matter whether one takes Jesus’ statement about “the rock” as literal (i.e., the Roman Catholic church), a figurative based upon Peter’s declaration (most Protestant traditions), or the fact the Peter was the first of the church. Peter’s place in Church history as both leader and declarer of the Messiah is undeniable.

    Peter is also the one that was first called to reaching the Gentiles (non-Jews) with the saving message of the . Thus, as most of the Church is now “Gentile”, Peter’s place should be unquestioned.

    The second person that was the greatest impact on the Gentiles for the Church was Paul. Paul was almost exclusively a missionary to and a leader of the Gentiles. He, like Peter, was accused of “watering-down” the of God by not requiring Jewish practices for the Gentiles.

    Paul, more-so than Peter, could make a “Jew-of-Jew” claim. Paul did this so that his Jewishness would not be questioned, and neither would the , love, and of God toward the Gentiles.

    It is hard to imagine how the message of God’s love through Jesus’ on the cross would have been shared and spread without these two. Both had significant flaws. In today’s overly sensitive world (in regards to all streams of politics to morality), both men would likely be attacked.

    When following Jesus, sometimes our best path is to follow the guidance of those such as these two.

    ※※

    Father God, you have called many people to follow your Son. Holy Spirit, you have enlightened many to lead people to the Son. Jesus, you have many who are your followers. May we and obey the , and being the light of the world. Amen.

    ※※

    1) What words would you use to describe Peter? How about Paul?

    2) Why is it important to recognize not just their place as “doctors” of the Church, but also their humanity?

    3) What do they teach you about being a follower of Jesus? What does it mean to follow a follower?

  • La, La, La, I Can’t Hear You

    La, La, La, I Can’t Hear You

    Jeremiah 26:1–15; Romans 5:1–10 (read online ⧉)

    The news is filled with doom. Doom, doom, doom. Many of our movies and entertainment are filled with doom. In the middle of doom, is a of fresh air.

    On the other hand, some times a message of doom in a time of despair isn’t doom upon doom, but a message of God. Granted, the message of God may not seem all that positive. If one is set in their ways, even a message of hope can seem like a message of doom.

    That’s exactly what happens, too. The priests, the (false) prophets, and the people heard the words of Jeremiah. They were very unhappy. “We’re fine.” “The [false] prophets say we’re good.” “The [false] prophets say that God will only bless us.” “God wouldn’t really do that to us. We’re the People of God.”

    Who knows what else they said? We might have a pretty good idea if we were to examine ourselves and the wider Christian community, however. This isn’t about LGBT+. This isn’t about politics. This isn’t even about racial issues. Yes, each of these is a part. None are the whole.

    Perhaps God is allowing COVID-19 to show what is truly important…a deep and meaningful relationship with God. That same relationship in turn would create deep and meaningful with .

    Yet, there are those who still call this God’s curse as a result of sinful behaviors, though as this is global, it is unlikely (based on Biblical examples). Others look at this as a huge cultural shift that will transform human behaviors and relations for some time to come. They are probably correct. Others are looking at this as a troubling time, but insist on trying to return to pre-COVID-19 ways either too early, or without weighing all the consequences.

    COVID-19 does show a very human tendency. “Hurry up!” God’s timing is not our timing. Yet, in the COVID-19 season, humanity cannot stop being short-sighted. This echoes the people of Israel spoken to by Jeremiah.

    On the other side of COVID-19 (if there is an “other” side), we might look at Paul’s words to the Romans and give God the glory that God has given us afflictions. Then we might see that we can, did, and will endure to the future. Producing [Godly] in this time might be the biggest we receive (though there is misery in the training) at this time.

    All of this should be producing an outpouring of hope, according to Paul. Christians are called to be the of hope in all things, though especially in hard and uncertain times.

    ※※

    Hope giving God, fill us with hope. With this hope, may we fill the world in turn with the hope it so desperately needs. May we set aside our desires and wants to be the hope. Amen.

    ※※

    1) How’s your hope? Is your hope (or lack thereof) contagious?

    2) What is the primary tone of the conversation that you are seeing in your social media (e.g., Facebook)? What are you doing to bring hope into that?

    3) What place does hope hold in your ? What purpose does hope hold in your life?