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Devotion.al

Tag: presence

  • God’s Temples

    1 Kings 6:1–4, 21–22; Psalm 84; 1 Corinthians 3:10–23 (read online ⧉)

    Can you imagine a huge building on a hill, covered in gold? Imagine as the rays of the rising sun hit it. Or how the violet rays of the setting sun would dance upon the gold, reflecting all around.

    We often condemn those would have gold-plated buildings, offices, or even bathrooms. Our response often is valid, for we know that many who gold plate their buildings, offices, and definitely bathrooms, are doing it to be noticed, to make a statement. Generally, they want everyone else to know how rich and/or powerful they are.

    As God is rich and powerful, might it be right and proper to gold plate his holy temple? Imagine the (white) city on the hill that Jesus spoke of. Imagine a gold-plated temple in the middle of it. Whew! What a sight! God’s city would have a presence.

    Yet, the temple was for a certain time that is long past. In fact, there are a whole lot more temples around. You are one. You are to be a temple, a dwelling, of God. Your foundation is to be Jesus Christ.

    Paul notes that temples can be built of wood, straw, jewels, gold, silver. He warms that what the temple is made of will be judged by fire. This means, at some level, if we barely put any work into the temple (i.e., straw), when the temple burns, there won’t be much left. The concept is that of a refining fire, burning away the façades and contamination.

    By God’s great grace, as long as the foundation of our life is Jesus Christ, even if the temple is burned down or destroyed, we are still God’s.

    1. Have you ever been tempted to view other’s “temple” in comparison to yours?
    2. Do you compare your Christian walk to that of others? 
    3. If comparing, are you looking on the outside, or trying to discern the inside?

  • Promises, Promises

    Genesis 21:1-7; Psalm 105:1-11, Psalm 102:12-28; Hebrews 1:8-12 (read online ⧉)

    God is a promise-maker. God is a promise keeper. He promised Abraham and Sarah that there would be a child of theirs. Fulfillment was a long time coming, and at a time they thought it couldn’t. God took shame and turned it into laughter. God took pain and turned it into joy.

    Is Psalm 105, the psalmist echoes the hearts of Abraham and Sarah regarding wonderful works and miracles. The rejoicing they must have made. The psalmist reminds the Israelites that they are children of a promise fulfilled by God, as offspring of Abraham.

    The last verse of Psalm 102 (verse 28) says, “The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.” The promise Abraham is fulfilled with his children who live in God’s presence.

    Just as God’s promises reliable based on God’s very character, we also know that God is reliable for He is “…enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations…”. We also know that God still has a heart for the descendants (via bloodline) of Abraham, and Zion is their—and our—ultimate home. The Israelites and we cling to the “stones” of the promised Zion.

    The promise is that God will come back and rebuild Zion. The promise is that we will all be part of that glorious day.

    1)Do you struggle to believe that God will come back?

    2)If you knew when God would come back, how would that change your life?

    3) Christians have been waiting for Jesus’ return since the time of Paul. How is the Christian faith similar to the faith of Abraham?

  • Rest or Death?

    Psalm 23 (read online ⧉)

    Psalm 23 is that one Psalm that even many non-Christians appreciate (if not love), and even those who have walked away from the faith still hold onto. Even with people who do not fully understand the imagery of a sheep and shepherd grasp some of the very important pieces from it, even when they don’t believe in God.

    God loves them. Yep. That’s part of what makes this Psalm so amazing. People understand the caring and cherishing love that is conveyed in this Psalm. Those who don’t believe in God or have long struggled with the concept of a loving God versus a harsh God still get it! They want it!

    God cares about them. Making people rest. Places of calming. Places of healing. Who doesn’t want that? And it calls to the unbeliever too!

    Yes, there is a lot more in this Psalm that has called, drawn, nourished, healed people for generations. That is part of the problem. This Psalm is peaceful. It draws into a place of peace. That’s all good. However, it’s supposed to be a place of rest. If it is a place of rest, that means one needs to rest from something. Too often, though, we just want to rest. Rest is good. God built us that way. Too much rest is bad. We become more and more lethargic. We don’t want to move/go. We want to remain at rest.

    At the risk of taking too much out of context, let’s look at the word מְנֻחֹות [mânuchah /men·oo·khaw]. Depending on the translation it means still (KJV, ESV) or quiet (NIV, CSB). When applied to water, there is a concept of the water’s presence being relaxing. In a culture that did not view water as particularly relaxing (there was more fear), this is very important. We, on the other hand, have a more relaxed view of the water.

    Still or quiet does not mean stagnant. While the water is still or quiet, it is still “alive”. It moves. It has life in it. Too often we believe we want still or quiet, but we end up with stagnation. Water that is not stagnant has a cycle of its own. Stagnant water evaporates into nothingness. It ends up being nothing. It ends up being useless.
    Resting in God is essential. It is important. It needs to be regular. The purpose of God-based rest is to do God’s work. Far too many people rest and are resting too long.

    1) What does it mean to be stagnant in God’s Kingdom?

    2) People, programs, ministries, facilities, thought processes, and so on can all become stagnant, even the ones we love. Where do you see stagnation?

    3) What is the difference between stagnation and building up over a long period of time? How can you tell the difference?

  • Bridal Restoration

    Psalm 51, John 3:27–29 (read online ⧉)

    This Psalm is the result of a person’s sin. This is not to say that the Psalm is about the sin per se, but about a person standing before God after being confronted about the sin. While there is a lot of symbolism in the Psalm the symbols reflect a heart that recognizes the wrong done. Note there are no excuses. It is what it is. How many times have you confessed a sin and then surrounded it with excuses? What is interesting here is that a request to hear joy is made. This is not a request to be able to make a joyful noise. This is a request—a plea—to hear God’s joy in life, and the joy of those who surround God. The Psalm makes a turn from repentance and sorrow to, basically, asking to not be cast away from God’s presence.

    While there is a penalty that goes along with what was done, restoration was still completed. There was joy again. Often we cannot find joy because there is something in our hearts that keeps out of the presence of God. Whether that something resulted in shame or sin or what have you, something may indeed be keeping you from even going toward the presence of God.

    John the Baptist alludes to Jesus and his bride in this short passage from the Gospel of John. Who is Jesus’ bride? The church. Who is the church? We all are. John is filled with joy that the groom (whom John calls his friend) gets the bride! Jesus’ marriage as the joyful culmination of his ministry. What makes this interesting, too, is that the marriage is a “not yet” scenario. That means that while John the Baptist is speaking in the present, John (the writer of the Gospel) is looking toward the future, when Jesus returns.

    1) Why does John the Baptist tie joy to the marriage of the groom (Jesus)?

    2) How can we say that joy is fulfilled or complete in marriage in the light of the tensions in our own marriages, and the divorces that ravage the church and the world?

    3) How could being or not being in God’s presence affect your joy?

  • Tuesday after the First Sunday of Advent

    Lamentations 3:16–18, Zechariah 8:18–23, Nahum 1:15 (read online ⧉)

    In the United States, peace is often perceived as having plenty. Peace, as many of the saints who walked before us learned, is not found in the plenty. It is found in the lacking. This does not mean that lacking, in and of itself, is a spiritual discipline. Not seeking more often is a spiritual discipline, however. In a country filled with plenty, there is far more than we seem to be able to acknowledge. Yes, there are those that have less than you…sometimes incredibly less than you. As many of us grew up hearing, “if you don’t eat this food, we’ll send it to…” This is an oversimplification, and (really) somewhat offensive. However, there are countries that will take the clothing that our charities (such as Goodwill and St. Vincent De Paul) won’t take because it is far better than what they have.

    This perspective becomes important when we do lose nice things when we realize that the prosperity we had is gone. The writer of Lamentations ties in this loss with peace. The writer also ties in their future and hope to this loss. The peace they lost, however, had more to do with the loss of a relationship, rather than food, clothing, wealth, or freedom.

    Often (again, as the saints that went before us learned), the first lacking that is the most useful is food. In Zechariah, we read that the fasts will become a time of joy, again. They had become an onerous task that served no value. Yet, here the place of fasting as a time of connection with God, and setting aside comfort for God’s will is restored. Imagine having people come to you because of the success of your fasting! It would not be because of your better figure (having lost weight), but it would be because of the peace you found when setting aside one of your most basic needs.

    This like all things becomes what it was intended to be when living in the presence of God. At the feet of peace’s herald, at the feet of God, celebration and joy. The ultimate enemy of peace—sin—is destroyed.

    1) Why do you think lacking helps us get closer to God?

    2) During the Christmas season, there are plenty of parties and food. Think of that in light of our passages and reading. Where does that lead you?

    3) We are often attracted to the success of others, and thus try to emulate their practices and disciplines. How can that be helpful? How can that be hurtful? How could it affect your relationship with God?

  • Right Words Right Choice

    2 Chronicles 18:12-22, Mark 15:1–15 (read online ⧉)

    Ahab was an interesting king. He set himself up against God and the prophets multiple times. His greatest prophetic adversary was Elijah. However, Elijah was by no means his only one. Micaiah was apparently well known to Ahab. As Ahab told Jehoshaphat that Micaiah never says anything good to him (Ahab), we can infer the Micaiah was known to visit Ahab, probably often to chastise him for continue to worship Baal (and encouraging the people too).

    Knowing that Ahab could behave in a weak fashion (see the story about Naboth’s vineyard), it is interesting to reflect on him bringing a known adversary to his court for consultation, especially in the presence of another king. This is not the behavior of a weak king. On top of it, Ahab is apparently smart enough to recognize that all his other “seers” are blowing hot air, for when Micaiah echoes their words, Ahab challenges that. He’s pretty certain that Micaiah is following the crowd and not his calling.

    Why Micaiah succumbed to echoing the others is never answered, but there could be a number of answers. The likeliest answer of all was that Ahab wouldn’t respond to the truth, so why bother with it. People in power might ask people of influence or morals for advice (such as in this case). However, that can be merely a checkbox to show open-mindedness and wisdom, when in fact it is just a show. While Ahab took a risk calling in Micaiah, because he sought Jehoshaphat’s military aid, he probably felt that he needed to put on an appropriate show for the God-following Jehoshaphat.

    In Jesus’ time, Pilate was the theoretical ruler of Jerusalem. He was under and sent with the authority of the Roman Empire. Only by his command could death be imposed. As the Jewish religious leaders needed his approval, they set him up. In many respects, Pilate knew it. He knew that the real issue was that Jesus challenged the influence of the Sanhedrin. Pilate, though, needed the Sanhedrin to control the people without always having to resort to arms. He and the Sanhedrin played a political game of chess, and Pilate gave up. He actually had a winning hand but succumbed to the pressure of the crowd. The Sanhedrin knew the political pitfalls that Pilate had to walk and took advantage of them.

    Ahab and Pilate faced hard choices. For us, we don’t see them as too hard, but both were “political animals”. We see much the same today; people who cannot not be in politics. Every person has decisions to make. What matters is which direction each one of those steps leads.

    1) Have you ever had to make a political choice that did not feel like it was the correct (e.g., righteous, moral) choice? Why did you make the choice you did? What were the results politically and spiritually?

    2) For “political animals” (no disrespect intended), often the political game blinds them to good or wise decisions. Where do you see that occurring? Is it only that person or people?

    3) People’s wiring for decisions is often different than our own. We may even come to the same decision via a completely different route. How do we work with others whose thought processes (again, not the conclusions) are so different from our own?

  • Choosing Sabbath

    Nehemiah 13:19–22, Isaiah 56:4–7, Mark 2:27–28, Hebrews 4:9–11

    We really are bad at taking a Sabbath. Even in the “good old days” restaurants would be filled on Sundays with people leaving church and eating. So now we have memes that say, “consciously choosing to slow down and rest is a revolutionary act of self-care.”

    Obviously, this is not a new thing. Nehemiah “defended” the Sabbath by force of arms. Imagine armed guards walking around making sure you rested. It sounds a little strange. Nehemiah understood that the first step to prevent violation of the Sabbath was removing temptation…the merchants.

    God always wanted the Sabbath to be followed. So much so that the Sabbath became a doorway into a relationship with God for those where were previously excluded from the community…eunuchs and foreigners. In many ways, right observance of the Sabbath overrode the other “ritually clean” and “holy exclusionary” practices.

    Sabbath observance was never about the rules, says Jesus, it was for us. Yet, we don’t seem to really get it. One of the biggest pieces of the Sabbath is not rest, or at least not rest in the way we think of it. The writer of Hebrews gives us the insight that really helps us understand the Sabbath. The author of Hebrews tries to get us to the point that we understand that full/true Sabbath rest is when we rest within the embrace and presence of God and are fully present.

    1) On Sunday, the “standard” Christian Sabbath, we often are still busy. Are you finding your rest withing the embrace and presence of God, and are fully present with God?

    2) What ways do you fill your Sundays (or Sabbath day, if not Sunday) with activities? Are they restful in God, or are they mere restful for your body, or are they even restful?

  • At The Threshold

    2 Chronicles 8:14–16, Mark 13:32–37

    Have you ever been to a fancy hotel or apartment building, and seen (or interacted with) the doorman? In a way, they act as a guard, granted a more passive one, yet their presence often acts as a mental barrier to entry.

    In the times of the temple, the gate-keepers protected the offerings and the offering storerooms next to the entrances (the gates). By their presence, they also maintained a sense of order (crowd control).

    As time progressed, the wealthy would have doorkeepers. They only let the “right” people into the house. The concept evolved to the doorman, which may be more familiar now.

    There is also a different type of doorkeeper, and that was the herald who would announce the guests at noble functions during the middle ages (even up to today). This function permits even new nobility to gain some traction, as a little of the awkward greeting time is gone. Also, with the announcement is the titles that go along with names. Especially in the nobility, titles were often more important than names, as there were certain nobility one was not to approach without the proper invitation.

    Jesus warns that the doorkeeper must remain awake. None of us can be perpetually awake, no matter how much caffeine. Eventually, our minds and bodies shut down. What if, however, the doorkeeper that guards is also the doorkeeper that welcomes. What if, the doorkeeper that welcomes, also announces.

    Over that last few years, Generations Community Church has been working on that exact concept through the Welcome Team. Why are we talking about the Welcome Team? They are the doorkeepers. Their presence can be intimidating (despite the warm smiles, warm words, and, hopefully, warm hands) to a guest. That’s true for many people. What if we had the Greeters announce (loudly) the names (and titles) of our guests? That would (after the awkward yell) break some ice. We’d already know their names (granted, we’d have to be paying attention to those outside our little circles). It would be easier to greet them.

    The reality is that gatekeepers, doorkeepers, doormen, and greeters are people at the transition. Where they stand is the transition from outside to inside.

    1) How do you welcome people into your home?

    2) A common practice today in our homes is to “come on in. The door’s open.” What are the positives of that? What are the negatives (minus security)?

    3) At church, it may seem to be someone else’s responsibility to welcome people. If you’ve been a guest at someone’s house, how does it feel to only have 1 person greet/acknowledge you, while the others ignore you?

  • Overwhelming River

    Ezekiel 47:1–12, 2 Corinthians 3:17–4:1, Matthew 28:16–20

    This image of the River of Life spreading out into the world provides us something to reflect upon. The further the river gets from the presence of God, the wider and deeper it gets. Eventually, it takes the Dead Sea and makes it living water, too. In the case of the Dead Sea, there is an echo of baptism and resurrection…from death to life, and not just any life, a Godly life.

    The “four” walls of the church building should be so filled with the Holy Spirit that it should be overflowing into the community in which it sits. These walls are not meant to be containers, keeping the Holy Spirit captive or “preserved”, but enabling each of us to take this concentration of the Holy Spirit out into the world with us.

    If there is to be freedom where the Holy Spirit is moving, why does it often feel as if we are trapped in church? If there is freedom, why do we seem unable (or unwilling) to be able to share it?

    The church (which has been said time and time again) is not the building (though we often act like it). The church is the people. The freedom of the Holy Spirit enables us to freely share the Gospel and the love of Christ. However, we continually put on the chains that weigh us down, whether fear or pride or something else. We certainly don’t act free.

    Therein lies the problem. We have been commissioned to take the Gospel to our families, our neighbors, our communities, our cities, our counties, our state, our nation, our continent, our world. It is not a commission we can decline, for God has already commissioned us. We are plan A–Z.

    1) Do you feel free in the Holy Spirit? What does that mean to you?

    2) What are your thoughts about the River of Life being deeper and wider away from the temple of God? What does that mean in regards to how you live?

    3) You have been commissioned. What is your response to that? How do you fulfill your commission? How do you see others fulfilling their commission?

  • Lamb Expectations

    Numbers 27:15–17, John 10:1–16, Luke 10:1–12

    Shepherds have long held a presence in the story of Israel. Sheep were part of Abraham’s, Isaac’s, and Jacob’s, and the 12 patriarchs’ lives. Moses, too, was a shepherd. Therefore, it is not a surprise that he talks about the people of Israel needing a shepherd. And, after being “bitten” by them numerous times, he probably thought they acted like sheep. Moses even goes and uses shepherding language (go and come back) to describe his successor.

    Goes and comes back terminology is used by Jesus, too, as he calls himself the shepherd. Jesus goes further and says that his sheep will know his voice, and run from the voice of a stranger. What’s really interesting is that John then makes an aside and calls it a figure of speech. As John was writing much later, one can safely assume that John saw many “running” away from Jesus, who had once proclaimed to follow Jesus. Thus he saw Jesus’ words more figural because the sheep sure didn’t seem to be listening.

    When taking all the sheep and shepherding imagery together, it becomes a little more obvious that when Jesus sends out the 72, his expectations are not high. He calls them lambs. This means that they are innocent. In many respects, lambs are innocent even of what it means to be a sheep. The innocent lamb being sent out has no protection in the herd, meaning that the threat of wolves is even more significant. This lamb has no protection (money, food, clothing, weapon).

    The other part of being called lambs, especially in the light of the shepherd, is that they are his little lambs of his little flock. Someday, they grow up to be big sheep. As big sheep, they will lead, guide, and teach the new lambs what it means to be sheep, and who the shepherd is, who the shepherd isn’t, all while the shepherd isn’t present.

    1) Who are the lambs in the church (don’t jump to just the easy answers!)?

    2) Who are the “big sheep” in the church (again, don’t jump to just the easy answers!)?

    3) How do you, we, the church teach who the shepherd is? Can you think of new ways? What about old ways no longer used?