Tag: power

Given
Psalm 51:1–12; Exodus 30:1–10; Hebrews 4:14–5:4

Even if every single Israelite behaved completely within the bounds of Law, and thus no sin offerings were offered for an entire year…still Aaron would have to perform the ritual of reconciliation. No matter how perfect every Israelite was, reconciliation was still needed.

In the Church of the Nazarene (and similarly in other holiness denominations such as the Free Methodist, Wesleyan, Methodist, Church of God in Christ (Anderson), and others) we have a concept of Entire Sanctification. This is not as universal in understanding as it could be, yet it is (ultimately) being like Jesus Christ insofar as we have been enabled by the Holy Spirit (and, yes, this is far more complicated and much simpler). This is a high standard. Others have defined it as giving oneself wholly over to Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit (different ways of explaining it).

By the Law, even if every single human being were Entirely Sanctified, the purification offering for reconciliation would still be required. To many, Entire Sanctification is entirely impossible (and it is without the Holy Spirit). Yet, even were it possible to the many, the offering was still needed.

That is the weight of the Law. It isn’t all the offerings needed to cover our sin. It isn’t all the festivals to celebrate and recognize God’s miracles and saving works. The weight is the Truth that we can do nothing to save ourselves.

As the author of Hebrews is unknown (plenty of speculation), we don’t really have an idea of their perspective or history. Yet, it seems that he (assumption) was a Jew. It wouldn’t surprise me, based upon sections like this, that he was from some sort of priestly background. As such, the Law and the symbols of the Temple would be significant to him.

To the author of Hebrews, Jesus was the ultimate High Priest. Due to Jesus’ eternal nature, Jesus was always acting as the reconciling sacrifice. Though only a sacrifice once, that sacrifice resounds throughout Creation.

Like the earthly High Priest, Jesus was tempted and therefore understands our frailties. Unlike the High Priest, Jesus did not yield to the temptations, and thus does not need to offer sacrifices. Through Christ, then, the weight of the Law is removed, for the reconciliation is done and remains done for eternity.

※Reflection※
- Most of us (as non-Jews) do not understand the weight of the Law. With your understanding, what “weight” would you come up with to explain this to another?
- What is one thing you do every year that weighs you down or overwhelms you? How might that be similar to the “weight” of the Law and how might it be different?
※Prayer※

Lord, we are unable to fully grasp the chasm between your holiness and our fallenness. Thank you for crossing the chasm for us and aiding us in being reconciled to you. May our hearts and lives reflect it. Amen.
2021-03-19
Pursuit of Wholiness
Psalm 107:1–16; Isaiah 60:15–22; John 8:12–20

In the US, Christians as a whole (versus individually), are disliked (if not hated), forbidden (i.e., closed-minded, intolerant, bigoted, prejudiced, etc.), and culturally abandoned (granted, much of that is based upon Christians running for the “holy” hills and their church buildings). We are the modern Israel (insofar as Isaiah), which is not a good thing…at all.

You might well be tempted to say “they” are the problem, but were we honest with ourselves, we are the problem. “Let them be one”, “known by their love”, “patient”, “kind”, “generous”…we’re not good at it. We’ve actually been pretty awful, in fact, and that’s just to each other. This doesn’t include non-Christians.

This is not a let’s beat ourselves up. It is a reflection of our fallen nature. That doesn’t excuse us from the pursuit of holiness. We may be muddy, dirty, bloody, cranky, angry, depressed, grieving, sad, or even happy and joy-filled. We are still to pursue holiness.

The Prince of Peace is a mighty title. Lord of Lords is mightier still. Yet, peace is not our governor. We are not at peace, whether it be ourselves or each other.

Looking at too much of the conversations between Christians, the light of the World is not the light of our lives. We look to governments and politicians—not God—to guide our way. The Lord as our everlasting light? That is as it is supposed to be. It isn’t, however, as it is.

Jesus told the Pharisees that they didn’t know him and that (by extension) they didn’t know the Father. Those are harsh words for people who firmly claimed to be God’s treasured possession. As we look at the list of “Christian” characteristics, we should start to question whether we know Jesus, either.

In Eastern traditions of varying kinds, there is an intent called, one of unknowing. The basic concept is to “empty” oneself. As many Christian theologians point out, though, if you empty yourself, something will fill the void.

For Christians, perhaps, a related concept would be the “breaking” of self. By “breaking” who we were, we then give ourselves the freedom to be remade into the likeness of Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. On the surface, they may appear similar, but the inner working of the Holy Spirit is uniquely Christian.

※Reflection※
- What is one of the characteristics of “Christian” that you struggle hardest with? Why do you think that is?
- It can be hard to ask, do we really know Jesus? Why is important to regularly ask that question?
- What is one area of “self” that has been broken in you and that the Holy Spirit has made new?
※Prayer※

Lord Jesus, please be the Lord of our hearts. Guide us. Lead us into and through the pursuit of holiness so that we may become more like you. Amen
2021-03-17
Missed A Spot
Psalm 84; Ezra 6:1–16; Mark 11:15–19

If you are unaccustomed to the lectionary (again, what is being used this year for the passages), it can seem odd, annoying, and definitely repetitious to see the same Psalm for multiple days. As I, too, am reading it each day, I try to glean something new from it each time. This time I thought of a mess.

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. There is a light rail system there (that was supposed to be for Seattle) called BART. As it was close, I could walk to the BART station and get to many places in the area.

One of the things I didn’t like was all the pigeons. They had found hard to reach (for humans) places to nest and congregate. BART did try to put up barbs to keep them from landing there, but it didn’t really work. So, it could be a hazardous trip to get your ticket or even wait for the train. You had to learn to look on the pavement for the telltale droppings of pigeons so that you could usually avoid being hit.

Even the sparrow found a place in the Temple. If you’ve seen sparrow colonies, they’re not much better than pigeons. The sparrow lays eggs beside the altar.

We read about temple purity laws. They were significant and had severe penalties for violation. The laws were almost impossible to bear. Yet the sparrow found rest and security in the Temple of God.

Jesus cleansed the Temple, not because of sparrow dropping, but because the hearts of humanity had turned from God to gain, and from God’s praise to humanity’s power. Although, if we think about it, if they were selling animals in the temple, it was probably much worse than a few sparrows.

Of course, the Psalmist might be taking some poetic liberty. On the other hand, if you read the Law, the rules almost all apply to people. This means that there may have not been a “purity” concern regarding sparrows in the Temple.

Sometimes our house is a mess. It could be your house. It could be God’s house. Truly, all of us recognize that at least something in our life is not as it should be, and it may be something completely out of our control…such as a sparrow in the Temple.

This shouldn’t discourage us, however. We are called to come to God in good times and bad. We are called to come dirty and clean, with both being relative. Was there something about ritual purity? Yes. However, as Jesus displays through his actions, ritual purity is not necessarily the heart.

※Reflection※
- What things/thoughts/so-called “dirtiness” keep you from approaching God?
- How does being ritually pure (usually outside performance) differ from purity of heart regarding our relationship with God? How do we confuse them?
- What “sparrows” are nesting in your house?
※Prayer※

Lord, all of Creation praises you. Let us not be distracted from praising you and seeking fellowship with you, no matter what the world throws at us. Amen.
2021-03-10
Is It Yours?

Genesis 16:1–6; Romans 4:1–12

Abraham (Abram) did as his wife asked of him (the Hebrew translates to “beseech” or “pray”) and went to Hagar. Unlike Sarah (Sarai), Hagar becomes pregnant. As Sarah was focused on Abraham having children (perhaps more so than Abraham, it seems), you would think she would be satisfied. Of course, with a son being the focus of the entire arrangement, it altered the relational structures. Now Sarah’s desires became in conflict with the implicit power of Hagar and the son.

Abraham would, of course, treat Hagar differently. He’d had intimate contact with her, and she was the mother of his son. Based on Abraham’s response to Sarah, though, there was still a recognition that this was still not alright.

In many respects, Abraham (even though he was honoring his wife’s plea) was unrighteous in what he did, at least from our perspective. It was common at the time, though the Scriptures do say, one man and one woman.

Yet, Genesis records God considering Abraham as righteous. Paul brings it up, too. The key is that Abraham is credited as righteous (or as Paul states, made righteous). That doesn’t make Abraham righteous in one sense. God “made” or “considered” Abraham righteous, so Abraham was now righteous.

Paul’s point is that we, like Abraham, are now righteous not because we are, but because we believe in Jesus Christ. It’s humbling—or it should be—that the righteousness that we (should) cling to is not ours. It is a gift of grace.

※Reflection※

What is YOUR definition of righteousness? Is your definition of righteousness different for worldly “things” than it is for “Heavenly” things?

※Prayer※

God, thank you for calling us righteous while we are still unrighteous. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for working in us to make us more like we ought to be like…Jesus Christ. Amen.

2021-02-26
Beyond Confessing
Psalm 25:1–10; Daniel 9:1–14; 1 John 1:3–10

“But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong.” —1 John 1:9

Have you said those words to yourself lately or ever? The power and grace in those simple words are awe-inspiring.

Daniel understood this. He analyzed Jeremiah’s words and recognized that there was no quick way back to the way things were. Daniel, being the faithful God-follower that he was, likely wasn’t eager to the way things were, as they hadn’t been working, especially in regard to Israel’s relationship with God.

Daniel recognizes—confesses—that Israel went its own way and purposefully ignored the voice of God through the Scriptures and the prophets. Unlike many people, whether Jeremiah’s, Daniel’s, or our day, Daniel notes that it is not the fault of God that Israel (or anyone) wanders away from God. Especially in the case of Israel, there was no blaming God. The penalties and (ultimately) exile were the result of the path Israel chose to walk in spite of God’s persistent voice calling them to repentance.

Repentance may be a bigger stumbling block than confession. The Roman Catholic practice of confession could lead to a confession of words without repentance of the heart. Roman Catholicism isn’t the only one. The opening words of 1 John are stated weekly in the Lutheran churches. Other words of confession are spoken in other liturgical traditions (Orthodox, Episcopal, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.). People say these words, but they may not actually repent of that which they confessed.

Most Evangelical traditions, like the Church of the Nazarene, don’t have a confessional creed. The confession has moved into specialized small groups (general Bible studies not fitting that mold), where people actually live life together. Here repentance has the opportunity to occur in ways other methods often don’t. In these groups, we can be shaped personally and be held accountable.

Regardless, if we are not willing to confess, repent, and change, we should really question if we are Christ-followers. Being a Christ-follower means being willing to be changed.

※Reflection※
- Thinking about your confessional, repenting, and changing activities, where can you improve?
- How would you rate the difficulty of each: confessing, repenting, changing? Why in that order?
※Prayer※

Holy Spirit, guide our hearts to confess and repent all that we have done against your will for our lives. Work in us and through others in our lives so that we are shaped from the inside out into Christ-shaped people. Amen.
2021-02-18
What A Sight
Numbers 22:1–35

Moab feared Israel. Israel “just” had a military victory against major forces around Moab. Israel had marched around Moab and yet hadn’t done anything directly against Moab. Moab was deeply concerned that they were next.

According to Moses (in Deuteronomy 2:9), God had directed him to leave Moab alone. There is no record of “official” interaction between the Moabites and Israel, so it would seem that Moab’s fears were based on assumptions rather than experience. Which leads us to Balaam.

The King of Moab called upon Balaam to curse the Israelites. Accusing the Israelites of being, basically, locusts seems to be a case of hyperbole. Yet, there was unsurety in Moab. It’s safer to wipe out the “other” than to communicate with them.

At first, it seems that Balaam was a righteous God-follower. As we continue the story, it seems that perhaps it was not quite so. There is an implication that God condescends to Balaam going to prophesy on King Balak’s behalf. The “go” seems to be more along the lines of, “You can go. You’re going to anyway. So, I will use your human desires to bring glory to me (God).”

And then we come to the famous part of the story, which recently came up in a conversation. The entirety of the conversation was about a talking animal. Which I get it. None of us have had an animal speak to us in human speech.

While human speech is important, our dog communicates just fine: whines, stares, growls, barks, licks, gnaws, pounces on, and so forth. She generally is successful in communicating her needs without human speech. A human baby communicates. It’s usually the parents who get the subtle differences between, “I’m hungry” cry, and “my stomach hurts” cry.

We could blame children’s Sunday School for the emphasis on a talking beast of burden. The adults are just as nonplussed as the children, though. The talking animal wasn’t the point of the story, not even close.

The talking animal was more along the lines of, “Yes, you (Balaam) said you heard me (God), but you need to understand how important it is that you actually listen to me!”

In the church, preachers/pastors/teachers will often say something along the lines of, “Yes, this hard, but the Scriptures say…” Part of this is the reality that preachers/pastors/teachers don’t want to deliver hard truth. It’s hard, and we all want to be liked. In a community that respects the Word of God, that can work.

Balaam probably doesn’t have that particular protection. Like many people of power, and especially with the gods of that era and place, they thought with the right amount of money or right sacrifice they could “move” gods to do their will. God doesn’t work that way, and Balak would likely have little joy in being thwarted.

However, that talking donkey and then the vision of the sword-bearing angel? That imagery was probably quite strong in Balaam’s eyes and heart. Likely, it was that which gave him the strength to deliver the oracles for Israel despite Barak’s insistence on curses.

A vision/experience like that would give many of us the strength to face the world.

※Reflection※
- When you recall the talking donkey, what else do you recall? Do recall the rest of the story?
- Why is important, especially with stories like this, to understand that the Scriptures use imagery?
※Prayer※

Lord, may we have the strength of your vision as we navigate the chaotic waters of this world. Amen.
2021-01-31
Heart of God, Speak

Deuteronomy 18:15–20; Mark 1:21–28

Prophetic speech is not unique to the Judeo-Christian community, not by a long shot. In the current world, there are many forms of prophetic voice.

A short list (i.e., not exhaustive) of prophetic voices: environmental collapse; sustainability (related, but not the same as environmental collapse); gender identification; minority redress (including, but not limited to, white privilege); economic growth; and so much more.

From a Judeo-Christian standpoint (and certainly from a number of political points within the church), it might seem dangerous to call these “prophetic.” The Global Wesleyan Dictionary of Theology says that prophecy is, “…an urgent message from God to an audience.”

That being said, the only similar words with the same underlying (i.e., surpassing the human condition) meaning are revelation (firmly culturally tied to Christianity), apocalypse (mostly having turned into meaning the fall of the modern world), oracle (too new-age-y even for many new-age-ers), and vision (which has too many meanings to be useful).

The reason this is important is that for many of these “prophetic” voices they are sharing the urgent message from their “god”. In some of these cases, it should be understood that we are not talking about gods as if they were God. We are talking about a world understanding framework that for Judeo-Christians we would think God. This means that faith is as much a part of their prophetic voice as God is part of ours.

On the other hand, there are many prophetic voices in these areas that are believers in and followers of Jesus Christ. For them, there is a direct tie between God, their voice, and the issue. As with many important human issues, it’s quite a mess.

The great sage, Ben Parker, once said, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Christians have been given a unique power, that of the Holy Spirit. In combination with the Word of God (the Bible), we have the ability to influence others, and thus must be very careful in using what we have. This is especially true when used with other believers.

What has become also very evident is that people are disregarding prophetic voices that don’t agree with their line of thinking. This is the most dangerous. When we disregard the prophetic voices solely because they do not align themselves with our brand of Christianity (including denomination, political-alignment, lifestyle choices, or national origin), we are in grave danger of repeating the patterns of the Israelites…casting out the voices into the darkness, while condemning ourselves.

※Reflection※

What prophetic voices have you been hearing? What makes them prophetic? What, if any, change in your life have they prompted?

※Prayer※

Holy Spirit, you are living and active in this world right now. Give us the heart, wisdom, and discernment to hear the prophetic promptings of your people called by your name. Amen.

2021-01-30
Prophetic Testing

Deuteronomy 13:1–5

Prophetic words are very common in times of unrest. Much of the Old Testament are prophetic words during times of unrest. The times of unrest were because the people of Israel didn’t follow God. Since their focus was on the world, God became a bit player in their lives.

This should sound familiar. The last decade or so has had many “prophetic” words spoken. Most of the ones given attention were of the white evangelical variety.

Whether they were racist diatribes against Obama, misogynistic diatribes against Hillary Clinton, or (really) attempts at character assassinations of any so-called “liberal” leader, it was out-of-hand. It also shows how much the white evangelical church/culture was in “the hands” of a singular political party.

However, despite the “airplay” of much of this, there was just as much towards whichever “evil” Republican or “conservative” that was the focus of the day. It just wasn’t publicized.

Perhaps, someone reading this will say, “See, it’s because ‘they’ are biased!” That isn’t the issue for Christians. The real issue is that the church thinks that it is effective by walking hand-in-hand with earthly power.

The prophetic testing in this passage in Deuteronomy is interesting. One of the biggest tests of a prophet is, do their words come true? Another part of the test, do miracles happen? The church has done okay on the first, and not-so-good on the second.

It is the third test, however, that is the crucial one, does this draw us away from God?

By far, it isn’t solely an (US) American issue. It is an earthly powers issue, and the church is tempted around the world to succumb.

How’s this for a test? Does the person seek to make the “other” the enemy? Not their struggles, their opinion, even their sins…the person themselves.

If there really is an Imago Dei (the Image of God) in every human being, then is defining the “other” as “the enemy” is defining God as the enemy? This is how earthly politics work.

The third test, then, becomes does this “prophetic” word turn people against the Imago Dei?

Over the last 4 years, much attention and vitriol have poured out in the US (and then overflowed into the world). Most of it was based upon pain and fear (and here’s another test: did you say to yourself, yes, “their” pain and fear, and not acknowledge yours?).

Without question, there was a lot of Godly righteous anger. Without question, there was a lot of earthly self-righteous anger. Amid it all, there were Godly prophetic voices and earthly prophetic voices dressed in holy guise.

※Reflection※

What “voices” do you (really) listen to in your life? What is the spiritual background of those voices? What is the spiritual expression (how do they live out their lives, versus words) of these “voices”? Do the voices ever challenge your way(s) of thinking?

※Prayer※

God, forgive us for not actively listen for and to your voice. Forgive us for not testing the words of others against your Word. Amen.

2021-01-29
No Name
Proverbs 8:1–2; Mark 3:13–19

Many people have had nicknames growing up. Some of them were insulting. Some of them were just strange. Others were relating an individual to something else. Others were shortening of a proper name of the person.

“Captain” was sometimes used in my childhood (thank you, Star Trek). Ian is pretty hard to make a nickname out though (except with rhymes, which aren’t quite the same) . I was (to my face) spared nicknames. It probably also had to do with doing my best to blend in the background.

A new name was an ancient concept. Abram became Abraham. Jacob became Israel. Both received new names as they crossed a certain line of faith in and relationship with God.

Simon (Hebrew)/Peter (Greek) /Cephas (Aramaic) received a name. As near as we can tell, he was a passionate follower of Jesus. Would the comparison of Abraham or Israel apply? It didn’t seem so immediately. Upon the resurrection, though, it seems that Peter did indeed cross “the line”.

James and John were given a joint nickname. Their name has been hypothesized in many ways. My favorite is the easiest. Their father was a very LOUD man.

I shared an office with such a person. If he entered the office, I didn’t answer the phone or got off the phone, because it was hard to hear another person when this man talked in his normal tone. Imagine him yelling then (that happened…in the office…many times). That’s how I see Zebedee.

What does that tell us about James and John? They were probably loud, too. Maybe not quite to their dad’s level, but close enough! That’s my thought, anyway.

Have we forgotten the power of names? The Harry Potter series had a villain “who must not be named.” In the “world” of Harry Potter, names had power.

As a rule, Christians no longer write G-d, or Y-H, or something else. Many reverent Jews still will not write the name of God, or even the title. “Lord” is the translated euphemism for names of God.

Yet, in other ways, we recognize and abuse the power of names: Trump, Biden, Republican, Democrat, Liberal, Conservative. Often names are used to quell dissension and discussion.

Other emblems of courtesy, such as “Mister, Missus, Miss, Ma’am, Sir” are falling into disuse. While these are titles, more than names, yet these too are power. That is actually part of the reason they have fallen into disuse. They grant power to others.

That is the odd thing about names. They provide power and identity for ourselves. They can also provide power to others. They can also destroy. Like many such things, the power to destroy is very easy.

The power to destroy seems to give us power. Yet, by tearing another person down, we often display the very weakness we are trying to hide.

※Reflection※
- Have you ever had or given a nickname? What was the reason behind it? What was the feeling behind it?
- Have you ever wanted to (or did) change your given name? Why?
- What name of yours defines you best?
※Prayer※

Jesus, the Name Above All Names, thank you for drawing us into your family. May we be worthy of your name. Amen.
2021-01-26
Trail Blaze
Psalm 46, Genesis 45:25–46:7

The King James Bible is arguably the single most significant book of the English language. Because of its centrality to the British Empire and the Church of England, the King James Bible had the unique placement to be the primary English language teaching and formation book for centuries, including all the colonies that the British Empire launched.

What people may not realize is that the King James Bible was the fourth English translation of the Bible. In fact, some of its language and interpretation is owed to the previous translations that were banned for a time. You might recognize the name of the predecessor translations: Tyndale, Wycliffe, Cloverdale.

It is those 3 English translations that are the real launching point for our visit with the Scriptures.

When we read this passage from Genesis, we are missing a few important pieces. First, the Hebrews had a long history with Egypt. Abraham and Isaac sojourned there for a time (also during famines). The one time Jacob was about to enter Egypt, God stopped him.

In a very unorthodox way, Joseph was sent before his father. Joseph’s faithfulness, integrity, and managerial skills allowed Joseph to be second only to Pharaoh. And, really, if you read that part of the story, it seems that even Pharaoh only kept a little power for appearances sake.

Now, however, Jacob was to go! God promised him as the God of his (Jacob’s) predecessors. This is God’s testimony to Jacob that God continues to be faithful to the first promise, and that this is part of the fulfilling of the promise. What is striking is that God uses the promise of many promises to echo the previous ones, making it all but assured. It only required that Jacob go.

Tyndale, Wycliffe, and Cloverdale were not universally loved for their translations. Part of the King James’ directive for the “Authorized” version was translating the scriptures so as to justify the Episcopate (Archbishops and bishop hierarchy of the Church of England) and the “Divine right” of kings. That’s pretty self-serving for the translation of Holy Scriptures. This would override some of what Tyndale, Wycliffe, and Cloverdale had done.

Tyndale, Wycliffe, and Cloverdale would have likely (mostly) supported the KJV because it did what they had wanted. It brought the Scriptures into the language that the people actually used. Despite the less than happy ending of their translations, it seems likely that without them going before, the importance of an English Bible would not have been seen or understood until much later.

Who went before us we may never know. We may never know who we went before.

It not for us to know. It is for us to trust.

※Reflection※

※Prayer※
- Who went before you?
- Who follows behind you?
2021-01-25