Devotion.al

Tag: praise

  • My Rules Not Yours

    My Rules Not Yours

    Mark 10:1–9; Luke 1:69–75; Galatians 3:1–5

    The rule of having to wear masks when going out into public (with some exceptions in the US and elsewhere) is grating. Really. Who wants to wear a mask all day? No one wants to.

    Many are concerned that we are being conditioned to wear masks and have our freedoms curtailed. That concern is reasonable, up to a point. What’s particularly interesting is the social experiment regarding rules.

    The political “right” is generally a law and order type of people. Yet, that group is resisting the mask rule. The political “left” is (theoretically) more of a “no rules” yet practices many rigid rules.

    This is not to pick on either, but to show that even in our “crystal clear” political bents, we are often not clear ourselves. Yet, one of the core pieces of theology, especially Protestant theology, is from the Law.

    Of course, someone will often that the Law is different than rules. Yes, the Law is a series of religious rules that defined appropriate behavior and a penalty for when that behavior was violated.

    The “trick” became that the people treated the Law as if it were the that mattered, rather than their relationship to God. That is also a simplification of it. Another way to say may be, they focused on the rules so much that they neglected the relationship.

    Jesus gets the rules of divorce question. Is that really the question, though? Is the question more along the lines of, “what can I do that I think makes me happy while still getting to Heaven?” The question of divorce is a question of relationship on one hand and what can be gotten away with. The way Pharisees brought this to Jesus was about the law. It wasn’t about a man looking for a younger wife or a prettier one, or even one the nagged him less. It was about using the Law to break relationship.

    When anyone becomes more concerned about the rules (whether to follow them or disobey them) than the that the rules are about, we lose of people. Zechariah’s (from Luke 1) is all about the relationship. Zechariah would have been one of those concerned about the rules (he was a priest). The relationship with God and God with God’s people mattered more.

    The other side of the rules, and a significant focus of the Protestant reformation, was the thought that one could earn their way into Heaven by following rules, rituals, or purchasing one’s way in. The last of these 3 is not ‘s concern in his letter to the Galatians. What concerned him was that the Galatians seemed to have tossed out grace and relationship and embraced rules.

    This is not to say rules are not important. They provide guidance and boundaries, which we seem to need to thrive. Yet, if we adhere to the rules (or oppose the rules) without understanding the why and the who that the rules are about we skip the people that we are called to .

    ※Questions※

    1) Thinking of relationships regarding authority, how do rules and relationships work with and against each other?

    2) What rules that bother you? Why? What relationships might those rules impact?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, you came to earth to show us the Way of . Help us to find both the freedom and constraints of following you. Amen.

  • It’s All About…

    It’s All About…

    Psalm 5; 2 Corinthians 10:7–18; James 1:22–27

    In this , getting oneself out in front of potential employers has become a big issue. Whether it is the applicant or the HR Manager, differentiating is an issue.

    Out of this has come the concept of a “personal brand”. In many regards, it often seems that personal branding is all about boasting and shining the spotlight on oneself. There is training for one’s “personal brand”.

    Boasting isn’t all bad. By definition, boast means to have a strong affirming opinion of or confidence in a person. In black and white, that looks like a very positive. Already, we can see an issue.

    The definition of boasting is not often the one we use. Our general definition (though the context may that) is that it is groundless or overly inflated opinion of another, but usually oneself.

    The Hebrew actually goes along well with the “official” definition. Often, such as in Psalm 5, it is translated as exult or and with God usually being the subject of it. That is very reasonable.

    Even in the Greek, the issue is the same. What we miss through the is the modifier: empty, shallow, false, or something else. We will imply or infer when we or of “boasting”, but we often mislead when we rely on inference or implication.

    When is talking about boast, the context is crucial to understanding what he means. It is also incredibly important that we see the “emptiness” that Paul is referring to. The false measurement that the nameless are comparing themselves to is…themselves.

    Or, if we take James’ words into account, people who forget who they really are and then measure themselves by a false image.

    Boasting, as said earlier, isn’t necessarily bad. It is groundless boasting that is the issue. People can boast for others (think of a job or personal references). However, the danger in boasting is the foundation upon which it is based.

    When Paul talks about boasting in the Lord, that’s a pretty safe foundation. Yet, when Paul talks about it, it is more along the lines of “look what God did” rather than “look at what God did through me.” Still, either one is better than “look how well I did.”

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, let our hearts be humble towards others and you. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Is there a difference between bragging and boasting?

    2) How does the mirror concept of James help understand the concept that Paul is trying to convey?

    3) Taking the opening definition of boasting and comparing it to our “street” understanding of it, what other words can you think of that have something similar? How might they affect how you read Scripture?

  • 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 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 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 learn 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 .

    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 remember 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 eternal 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 family, , and . 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?

  • Will You Follow

    Will You Follow

    Matthew 8:5–13; Matthew 8:18–23; 1 Corinthians 12:12–28 (read online ⧉)

    Amazingly…no, really…amazingly…people aren’t perfect.

    Leaders are people. Therefore, leaders aren’t perfect.

    Yet, when we look at our leaders, whether they are political, corporate, or leaders, we often expect perfection. Political leaders are the most afflicted with this. It often takes only one mistake (or even just a difference in perspective) and a political leader’s career is over. Corporations are somewhat more resilient in that regard, yet with the increasing weight of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, even corporations are behaving in such a way.

    While, mercifully, a lot more is shown in church circles, a leader’s failures can tank everything. This is not to say that criminal or unChristian behavior should be allowed, just that the Scriptures do have a way to deal with that.

    The ultimate danger, though, becomes both of failure and fear to try something new. This is often lived out with the infamous phrase, “we’ve never done it that way before.”

    There are several kinds of leaders out there. There are two big ones in the church. One of the big leader types is the manager/maintainer. This is the person that seeks to maintain the status quo. Often portrayed negatively, they are often the ones that keep people from going off the rails.

    There are the visionary leaders. These are the people that break things, all for the right reasons (hopefully), but breaking hurts, because often it is things we’ve (unknowingly) setup as idols that get broken.

    There are 3 other traits, though, that deeply affect the culture of the church, leaders, and even of our lives. First is the follower. Most of us follow at least somewhat, and followers are for tomorrow. For now, let’s talk about rebels and mavericks. This was great insight provided by Larry Walkemeyer.

    Often the church views the mavericks and the rebels as the same. On the surface, that may well be true. It certainly would seem to fit with the things they often break.

    However, the rebel (such as the family leaders from yesterday’s readings) is in it to achieve something for themselves, almost always at a cost to , and importantly will neither report nor submit to authority. For the church, whose Savior submitted unto death, a lack of submission is often a of spiritual immaturity.

    The maverick, on the other hand, is there to achieve something, and it might even be gratifying. However, if the cost is others, then they are open to correction. Mavericks also, despite their independent and solo tendencies, will submit to authority. The church needs a lot more mavericks. However, mavericks, oddly enough, need to put themselves within a framework so that there are limits and responsibilities. However, as their spiritual maturity deepens, the limits are removed, and they can shake the world.

    Lastly, though, is the part where there are two problems. Those in authority often like neither rebels (which is understandable) or mavericks. Thus they limit the catalyst for change. In addition, leaders also must be able to admit that they were wrong regularly and openly, and church culture doesn’t like that much, let alone the leaders. Thus the mavericks are turned into rebels by those who dislike challenge and/or change.

    Church and Christian leadership starts with submission to Jesus Christ, the , and God the Father (not necessarily in that order). Without that submission, one of the biggest points is missed.

    ※Prayer※

    Oh, God, you have called us to be humble, and we often fail at that. You call us to yield our will to yours, and we often fail at that. You us despite our failings, and for that, we give you praise. As we walk through this with our fellow Christians, help us to submit to you and to one another in love. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Have you ever seen a “rebel” leader? What was the context? What was the result?

    2) Have you ever seen a “maverick” leader? What was the context? What was the result?

    3) Why is perfection the of leadership? How does that apply to our lives?

  • Unbridled Prayer

    Unbridled Prayer

    Psalm 102; Matthew 6:7–15; 1 John 5:12–15 (read online ⧉)

    Prayer is mysterious. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is…confusing.

    The psalmist’s opening is the simplest and purest, and listen to me (yes, they are different). The psalmist is miserable. The psalmist wants things to stop being bad. People, food, places, health, well-being are all part of the psalmist’s plea.

    First, that means these are worthwhile and valid to bring before God. However, the psalmist is not just about himself. He speaks about God. Depending on one how one reads it (it is Scripture and poetry), the psalmist is either buttering up God or faithfully describing God. It could be a combination of both.

    However, even if it is buttering up God, the reality is the psalmist would seem to understand God well enough to know that God would see through to the heart. So, while the psalmist might be piling up a bid, the psalmist is trying to be honest, too.

    Prayer begins with understanding who God is and who you are in relation with.

    However, one of the biggest issues we have is our words. Not the words. The sheer amount of words. When talks about the , he is comparing Jew to Gentile. The Jews, for example, had (and still do) set prayers said in a day. There once was a story about an auction where a number of Jewish artifacts were on the block. At noon, the auction paused and the Orthodox Jews went to a corner of the hall that (mostly) faced Jerusalem (this was on the US East Coast), and said the fastest prayer the commentator ever heard.

    This was not shared to disparage them, but to provide some context for Jesus’ words. The Jews did it, and got it done. In comparison, Gentiles in their temples would go on and on and on, as if by the sheer amount of words poured out, their gods would listen or even do something.

    How often are our own prayers like that? Poured out words like a flood. It is almost like a politician’s stump ; all the words spoken will successfully convince the opponent.
    There is nothing wrong with a simple prayer. It is actually to be encouraged. If we spend too much time trying to convince God, then we provide no time for God to convince us. Said another way, if we occupy prayer with talking to God, there is no space to hear from and listen to God. There is no room for relational growth.

    One of the reasons we have developed bad behaviors in prayer is that we have no confidence that God hears, listens, or cares. John makes it quite clear that we should be confident if we believe that Jesus is the of God and is our savior. Another way to think of it is that Jesus spoke to Paul while Paul was persecuting the ! God listens to prayers of those who don’t yet believe, too! So, why not you?

    ※ Prayer ※
    God of all mercies, we you , glory, and thanks that you hear the prayers of your creation. May all we ask be to show the world who you are, what you have done, and what you will do. Amen.

    ※ ※
    1) What are some barriers/struggles you’ve had with praying?

    2) What are some other reasons why people might speak too much during prayer? Have you experienced that?

    3) Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer. It is the model that Jesus gave us. How often do you follow it or even say it? Does it mean more to you than just words? Why or why not?

  • Holy Saturday

    Lamentations 3:1-9; Matthew 27:62-66; 1 Peter 4:1-8; Lamentations 3:19-24 (read online ⧉)

    Imagine the heartache Mary and the remaining disciples. Imagine the heartache and disappointment that wasn’t really the Messiah (he died after all). Imagine the relief of the leaders, as the troublemaker was taken care of.

    Before the previous sunset (), per Jewish custom, a dead body needed to be taken care of, as the sunset was the beginning of the when no work could be done. Quickly done. The desire and drive to properly care for Jesus’ body would have to be postponed.

    Mourning for the death, and guilt for not properly preparing Jesus’ body. What an emotional state to remain in.

    The disciples were a shepherdless flock, and one of their number betrayed everyone and was now dead. Shock and dismay.

    . This is the day of loss. As it was the Sabbath, there was truly nothing they could do, but in their loss.

    Did they go to the temple or synagogue? Did they manage to God? Did they eat, or did they ?

    We want to skip to the good part…. We really should sit with the disciples and Mary.

    Let’s hurry up…and .

    1. Waiting for God takes on new significance on Saturday. Are you willing to wait for God?

  • Holy Wednesday

    Psalm 94; Zechariah 13:7-9; Hebrews 12:1-4; John 16:1-15 (read online ⧉)

    The psalmist declares that the Lord’s people will not be forsaken, and will return. He continues with the steadfast love of God holding him up when he slips. The beginning of this psalm is harsh in tone but quickly turns to praise of God.

    The hour draws near. From a human (and God’s), what is about to happen is harsh indeed. What is about to come is almost like the very vengeance that the psalmist opens up with. Except, all of that will be poured out onto one person!

    There is a sense that , with the time drawing near, has turned on the hose, trying to fill the disciples (even the one who betrays him) with everything he can before he is gone. This passage in John is often cited on Trinity Sunday, the day set aside to focus on an essential of the Christian faith. This short passage is given toward the , conveying a still not completely understood.

    “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.”
    John 16:12

    The clock is ticking. Jesus promises that the disciples will not be alone. Imagine them trying to understand that this Advocate might be better than Jesus? Better for them at least. How could that be? They had to have been so very confused. Despite wanting to give it all to them, Jesus moved .

    He was coming around the final lap. In his case, there was a crowd of earthly witnesses. Some waiting for him to fall. Others waiting for him to take an earthly throne. Some just wanting him to go away.

    1. Much of Holy Week is just waiting. What are you waiting for?

    2. If you gave up something for , are you anticipating getting it back?

    3. If you didn’t give up something, what do you think the anticipation does to a person’s anticipation of and ?

  • Palm Sunday

    Psalm 31:9-16; Isaiah 40:4-8; John 12:12-16 (read online ⧉)

    the wandering teacher comes to Jerusalem. The crowds are building around Jerusalem with Passover coming. Foreigners, wanderers, believers, and scoffers make for a very busy time in Jerusalem. What’s one more?

    This one more has a crowd following him. This one more has a crowd in front of him. The crowd in front makes a scene and a mess. Palm branches thrown on the ground. Clothes tossed on the ground (a precious thing to those who had few).

    !

    Hosanna is a used for . Yet its Aramaic root was, “ us”! While this is praise and adoration, it is also the for the descendent of David to take his rightful place.

    Restore us!

    The Jesus crowd talked about Lazarus. I’m sure the blind man told his story. Stories and gossip were flowing! Maybe this really is the Messiah! The Pharisees even seemed to have become fatalistic (momentarily), knowing there was nothing they could do.

    Yet, Jesus still had teaching to do. Setting his face like flint? In other words, he would teach as the told him regardless of the conditions, whether the praise and adoration of now or the scorn soon to come.

    1. When the flush/rush of first being saved went away, how did you ? Did you set your face like flint?
    2. Do you think there is a difference between, “save us,” and “restore us”? Which describes your /walk better?