Devotion.al

Tag: questions

  • Where You Go

    Where You Go

    Numbers 17:1—11; 1 Corinthians 12:24–28 (read online ⧉)

    Follow the is not just a game for children. It is the life of adults. Each of us has at least one leader in our lives, and usually more. Leaders can take on many roles and places. For example, a pastor may be your spiritual leader. You might have another person that also provides you spiritual leadership.

    In your home, there is usually a leader. Sometimes it seems to be the pet and not a person. In our work lives, there is usually a leader. Then politically we have leaders, and there are leaders, too.

    Each leader has a place and a purpose. The leaders that overreach or the people who push their leaders to overreach can often sow discord and confusion.

    In Numbers, we read what is really the conclusion to a long struggle for who really is the leader of the people. Along “the road”, people regularly challenged Moses’ leadership (including his siblings, Aaron and Miriam). The leaders tried to say they were the leaders of the entire community. They weren’t satisfied leading their tribe. They wanted all of Israel.

    When it came to Aaron’s priestly assignment, some leaders tried to do their own worship and suffered the consequences. They could not accept that one person “got the ”.

    This not to say that Moses and Aaron were perfect, not by a long shot. They made mistakes. It is quite possible that part of the constant struggle wasn’t just the pride of the other family leaders, but Moses’ and Aaron’s failures, too.

    In the specific case of Moses and Aaron, however, there was a unique circumstance. God had appointed them their roles directly. How the family leaders gained their authority is by accident of birth. God called Moses and Aaron directly.

    Each leader has a sphere of responsibility, authority, and influence. We often confuse the 3, however, which can lead to failures. Over time each of those can , too.

    lists outs apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle-workers, healers, helpers, leaders, tongues. It’s an interesting mix of roles. Oddly enough, one would think (especially the way the world thinks) that apostles, prophets, and teachers would be (by definition) leaders. Yet, Paul separates leaders. What this tells us that certain roles that we believe are automatically leaders aren’t necessarily so. This doesn’t fit into our mental boxes.

    We understand that someone can be a “thought” leader, but the idea that someone in supposed authority is not a leader can be hard to grasp. Yet, if you think about it, if you were a carpenter, you wouldn’t necessarily follow the horseman as he built a house.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us to have as lord in our lives. us with to see the small quiet leaders in our lives, that we might follow you better. Grant us the eyes to see those you have called us to lead, that we fulfill your calling on our lives in regards to the lives of . Amen.

    ※※

    1) For you, what are the top 3 characteristics of a leader? What are 2 of the worst characteristics you’ve seen in a leader?

    2) Why does leadership matter to God?

    3) Where are you a leader in your life?

  • Gifts or Curses

    Gifts or Curses

    1 Corinthians 12:1–14 (read online ⧉)

    You have probably read this passage many times, and probably heard a few sermons on it. You might have even delved into it during your investigations of your spiritual gifts. And we will get to that. However, there is a warning in these verses that we often miss.

    “…you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols.” We often immediately dismiss this or skip over it partially because of its past tense language, and our belief that we are good to go. However, the Greek is in imperfect tense. In other words, is really saying they were (past tense) and are now being enticed by the mute idols.

    How could they still be being enticed? For so long, the pagan speaking in tongues with the interpreters controlled the culture. Habits are hard to break.

    One of the other interesting things is about Jesus being cursed. There are a number of interpretations. One of the easiest is the Jewish tradition that a man who dies on a tree is cursed. Other commentators observe that the Greek though doesn’t have “is”. “Anathema” may also be interpreted as curses. In other words, these Christians were using Jesus’ to curse others, and in the context of the verses that follow, the implication is that Christians were using Jesus to curse…Christians.

    This sounds appalling, doesn’t it? There were definitely some not good things going on in Corinth!

    We miss so much being separated in time, space, and culture from our brothers and sisters in Christ.

    Divisions had been built up. Instead of supporting and bolstering one another, they were daring to curse one another in Jesus’ name. In the name of the one who came to break the chains, they sought to bind others.

    The Body of Christ is not to be divided. The spiritual things (often called the Gifts of the ) are for the Body, not for the . While Paul addresses these, in our context we need to look at the purpose of these gifts and look at the opening of this group of verses.

    The deceit of the pagan world is the so-called mute idols that the “empowered” and “enlightened” with those with the appropriate monetary compensation. We are so advanced over the benighted Corinthians…the stock market, houses, stuff, buildings, collections, knowledge, and even data. We have our own voiceless idols. Just like in the day of the Corinthians, the “wise” put a voice to the mute.

    Sadly, we have also seen false gifts of the spirit used. The false idols and their followers can seem to be full of the gifts of the spirit, which ties onto Paul’s point because these “gifts” are used to divide, rather than unite. This is an indicator of the source of the “spirit” used.

    On the other hand, we have many brothers and sisters in Christ that are truly mute. We have others that are hurting. We have others who are angry. We have others that are so lost in the current disarray. The gifts and graces that we have been granted by the Spirit are intended to build up one another, encourage one another, and unite us together.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we see the world divided around us, and even in your body. Help us to be unifiers, so that your body is one, and so that the world may be one. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Have you have been told you have a particular gift or form the ? If not, will you commit to prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in discovering it?

    2) If you are aware of your gift or grace, how have you used it to build up the body and unite it?

    3) Other than , what are other signs that a “gift” or “grace” is of a worldly “spirit” or of the Holy Spirit?

  • Dividing Teaching

    Dividing Teaching

    Galatians 4:12–20; 2 Peter 1:16–2:3; 1 John 4:1–6 (read online ⧉)

    While yesterday’s devotional was about the doctrine (and reality) of the Trinity, this isn’t the only issues that face Christians as they try to True teaching versus false. While many divisions in the church have been over interpretation and living out of certain pieces of the Christian life, most (over time) have been discovered to not be heretical. While there are heretical tendencies in some denominations, by-and-large there are core beliefs that we hold in common.

    While the Trinity certainly is a crucial one, it is a doctrinal one, meaning that for most people it is not part of the rubber-meets-the-road of their daily life. It is usually the daily life parts that will affect a person’s Christian walk more than other things.

    In his letter to the Galatians, Paul is addressing the constant battle going on with people trying to bring into force the Law of the Jews. This is not a fight against teaching and helpful traditions, but the thought that only proper execution of the Law will result in salvation. In other words, the free and -filled gift of Jesus’ death and was null-and-void. Paul didn’t want the Galatians to fall into that trap.

    Except they did. It was so bad that the Galatians who used to honor (or “bless”) Paul now—according to Paul—viewed Paul as an enemy. What a change! A man they honored was now an adversary in their hearts.

    Peter knew that this was an issue, and not just with the Galatians. He warned the church that there have always been and will continue to be false teachers. Amazingly and similarly to Paul’s concerns, one of the concerns is that Christians would begin to deny Jesus Christ. As Peter continues, I’m sure many of us have seen things that would seem to fall within his list.

    This leads us to John, who urges us to test the spirits. First and foremost, we have God (the ), Jesus, and the Holy [all 3 being the Trinity]. Then Jesus died for all on the cross and was resurrected, to free us from (including the Law). There is also the spirit of and unity. Truly, when we are confronted with someone whose path is in opposition to these (and a few others excluded for simplicity and brevity), we are indeed able to discern where the false teachers are.

    We are blessed that those that went before us went through the pain and of false teachers, for we can from them. As the church begins to head (very slowly) toward a form of reunification, there will continue to be people that will seek to divide the church further and try to keep it separated. Jesus calls us to be one.

    ※Prayer※

    God, you gifted us the Holy Spirit, so that we would not be led astray. Lord, help us to your Word over our desires, that we might finish strong to the end. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Why is unity hard? What is your responsibility in maintain and seeking unity?

    2) Why is unity significant in regard to false teachers and prophets?

    3) Have you ever met or dealt with people whose teachings divided the Body over either false doctrine or teachings that are not essential for salvation?

  • 3 is 1 and 1 is 3

    3 is 1 and 1 is 3

    Deuteronomy 6:4–5; Matthew 3:13–17; Matthew 28:16–20; 1 Peter 1:1–2 (read online ⧉)

    This is one of those odd “Liturgical” Sundays in the year. It to specifically observe the creedal declaration of and in the Trinity. We have Sundays set aside for Advent, Lent, Christmas, Easter, Pentecost. These are event-based. It’s not that they don’t have doctrinal pieces in them; their beginning is based upon an event.

    There is an additional oddity, especially for people who call the Bible the of God…Trinity appears nowhere, at least not as an explicit term. That’s also what makes this Sunday interesting. A foundational theological basis for orthodox Christianity is not found explicitly in the Bible, yet is one of the key doctrines upon which orthodoxy is defined (i.e., Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses being non-Trinitarian believers).

    One of the biggest things that the Trinity teaches us by its very example is that not everything can be explained by science or even a sound rationalization of the faith. The Trinity can only be believed (ultimately) by faith. The concept that God (the ) is God, Jesus is God, the Spirit is God, while, God (the Father) is neither Jesus nor the Holy Spirit, Jesus is neither the Holy Spirit nor God (the Father), and the Holy Spirit is not God (the Father) nor Jesus (An aside: even writing that sentence, which is a simplified excerpt of the Athanasian Creed, hurt my head a bit).

    The beauty of the Trinity is that by the above (for example), we are automatically brought into the realm of knowing that we can not fully understand God. Which is good. When we think we fully understand God, we are in deep danger of having made our own god who is not God.

    While the Trinity does not expressly as a word in the , that does not mean it is not present. We need to start with the beginning, though. God is one. One of the biggest dangers with the Trinity is that the confusion that we are talking about 3 gods, rather than 1 God.

    In the Gospels, Matthew has the 2 best almost explicit statements regarding the Trinity. With Jesus’ baptism, Jesus is baptized, “laid upon” by the Holy Spirit, and blessed (and proclaimed) by God (the Father). All 3 persons of the Trinity are present and noted as being present (rather than in other places where they can be assumed to be present).

    In many respects, however, it is Jesus’ Commission of the Disciples (now Apostles) to baptize in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that there is an expression of the doctrine and persons of the Trinity (yet, still no word “Trinity”).

    While this is so, there is something critically important in Peter’s letter. Peter all but declares the Trinity in his opening. There are several reasons this is important. First, it’s Peter. His place as one of Jesus’ core disciples, and his place as commissioned leader of the church (by Jesus) makes his words critically important to our understanding of the church.

    Before the “doctrine” was declared, before the Athanasian Creed was written, before the understood writing of the Gospels, Peter brought the Trinity to the church.

    In lieu of prayer or questions, and in honor of the tradition in more “liturgical” churches to speak it on Trinity Sunday, below is the Athanasian Creed.
    ※Athanasian Creed※

    Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic[1] Faith. Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic Faith is this, That we one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance.

    For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

    But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.

    Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

    The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

    The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

    The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.

    And yet they are not three eternals, but one eternal.

    As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

    So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.

    So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

    So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord.

    And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity, to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; so are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion, to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.

    The Father is made of none, neither created, nor begotten.

    The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but begotten. Likewise also the Holy Spirit is of the Father, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

    So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons, one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other, none is greater, or less than another; But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together, and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.

    Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation, that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds, and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world; perfect God, and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting; equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead, and inferior to the Father, as touching his Manhood.

    Who although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ; one; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the Manhood into God; one altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give account for their own works. And they that have done good shall go into everlasting, and they that have done into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

  • Humble Feasting

    Humble Feasting

    Mark 7:1–8; Mark 12:38–40; Luke 14:7–14 (read online ⧉)

    To some degree, we all have a desire to be needed, acknowledged, valued, and heard. Often these are decried as pride. Yet, research (and ) consistently show that a child who is acknowledged, valued, and heard (and even needed to a degree) will up emotionally healthier than those who lack these things. Yet, if they are over-acknowledged, -valued, -heard, -needed (helicopter-parents, anyone?), they also grow up unhealthy emotionally. There is a balance.

    One of the biggest indicators of a healthy measure of need, acknowledgment, value, and being heard is whether a person is satisfied at the cost of others or not. This isn’t a zero-sum game. It is quite possible to be valued and not devalue others.

    When the Pharisees and scribes challenged Jesus’ disciples’ lack of washing, they were elevating their understanding of the Scriptures and traditions of the elders over God and the people. God had set the boundaries, but the elders put a bigger “fence” around the original Law in an attempt to “protect” the Law and the of God as if either the Law or God needed it. The larger issue was that the fence was a huge burden to people, and wore down their hearts and souls. This was, in effect, bullying of the weak.

    Jesus’ becomes more apparent later on when Jesus’ assault on the behavioral patterns towards widows, and toward others. Their expectations of how they were to be treated were over and above what they should be expecting, especially as their expectations would often happen to the detriment of others, especially those for whom they were supposed to care for. Their desires and expectations were certainly unhealthy for everyone, even themselves.

    In the parable of the feast, Jesus notes that people will often rate themselves higher than they ought. It wasn’t just a matter of wealth or privilege, it was who was valued by their with the host. It was, honestly, also who could do the most for the host. Which is why Jesus addressed that, too.

    The reality is that we are all in places where we could overvalue ourselves, and place ourselves in our own harm’s way. There is also the chance that we do not value ourselves as highly as others (though we have to be careful about false humility, too).

    In the conversations of today, whether we are talking about race, gender, equality (of varying sorts), , humility is where the conversation begins. None of us is the Savior. There is only one person in that role.

    ※Prayer [Cheryce Rampersad]※

    Heavenly Father, I come before Your throne of grace and mercy to that You bring humility into my life. Allow me to not be filled with pride, jealousy, or boastful gestures toward those around me. Let my be filled with love, joy, peace, and happiness for my fellow men. [Amen]

    ※※

    1) Have you ever had the experience of publically being knocked down a peg or two? Was it justified? Does that matter? How did you feel?

    2) Were you ever honored or valued publically beyond what you thought you deserved or expected? What was that like?

    3) Why is it important to be humble (maybe even pray for humility) before having a deep or significant conversation with a person with whom you believe you or have had different experiences than?

  • Shear Time

    Shear Time

    Psalm 122; Isaiah 61:1–9; John 15:1–8 (read online ⧉)

    The year of the Lord’s favor is probably not this year. The ever-changing nature of this year, and all the odd and bad things that are going on would in no way seem to be the harbinger of the Lord’s favor.

    What if, however, we are looking at it wrong? Perhaps instead of looking at the disasters and troubles, we should be looking for God. Who or what is God stirring around us? If we become too obsessed with the world, we could miss God.

    This is not to say don’t pay attention to the world. In fact, part of the words of Isaiah is exactly why we should be looking for God in action: , heal, liberty, freedom, (even) vengeance, comfort, crown, festive.

    This is not to say that God desires bad things. God will use the bad things (whether natural or depravity) to mold and if we seek God. If we are not seeking God in these things and through these things, we are far more likely to have hearts that become harder and more resistant to , whether it is being or loving .

    Isaiah’s words aren’t necessarily comfortable, either, especially to those who are in power or who have advantages (even if they are unaware). God doesn’t seek, necessarily, to make us comfortable (though God will comfort us). God seeks to change us from the inside out. Often, though, we only change (or seek change) under stress. Well, there’s plenty of stress now.

    Rejoice in suffering because God is with us. Not because it’s fun.

    When we are part of the vine ( Christ), we’re going to be pruned. Whether it’s our biases, our fears, our (non-Godly) allegiances, God will prune them. We will often try to graft them back on, and in so doing we are susceptible to diseases of the soul. A diseased branch will be tossed into the fire.

    It is beyond our capabilities to see what fruit we could bear once God is done pruning us. God, though, is the great vinedresser and will seek the maximization of fruit, not our destruction. We just feel that way sometimes.

    There is a running joke out there…what was the worst purchase in 2019? A 2020 planner. There is so much going on that is unexpected, and for which we are unprepared. Instead of groaning or burying our head in the sand, let us embrace the opportunity to be formed by God into his image of us (our unique expression of the ).

    ※Prayer [Billy Graham]※

    Lord, whatever I have to face, through it let me learn more of Your love and . Amen.

    ※※

    1) Is anything new being added to God’s pruning list for you? If not, why do you think that is?

    2) What is the best side-effect when looking for God’s movement in times of suffering and trial?

    3) How does suffering lead to a “Year of the Lord’s Favor”?

  • Despairing Flames of Joy

    Despairing Flames of Joy

    Ecclesiastes 3:16–4:3; Job 3:1–26 (read online ⧉)

    Let’s be honest, Ecclesiastes is not the most uplifting book of the bible. In many respects, it can be a bigger downer than the story of Job. Both books are generally put under (along with Proverbs) the category of wisdom literature.

    Wisdom literature often doesn’t seek answers (though people search wisdom literature for it). Wisdom literature seeks understanding. That would seem to be the same thing, yet if we look at all the clicks a person makes on their computers or on Facebook, we know things about them, but it does not mean we understand them.

    The hard thing about Ecclesiastes is that the writer (“the Teacher”) is quite willing to confront the darkness of the world, facing it head-on. Most of us would prefer to avoid the darkness of the world, and so such writers make us uncomfortable. This is a good thing.

    It is for times such as this, that wisdom literature may help us. Wisdom literature won’t hand us the cure (whether for disease or depravity). Wisdom literature can help us step back from our immediate responses and reactions, and help us to develop a framework with which to handle reality.

    Ecclesiastes 3:16 begins with the presence of wickedness where justice and are supposed to prevail. It is not just with police brutality. It is not just with racism. It is not just with the distribution of wealth. It is not just with misogyny. It is with humanity.

    This is not a paean to make us feel better about ourselves or to deaden anyone’s anger, frustration, , or in the drama that is 2020. This might, might, be the straw that finally breaks the camels back, and brings Christianity where it needs to be, on our knees in prayer, supplication, confession, remorse, celebration, and reverence.

    Seems to be an odd mix? That is the beauty of wisdom literature. Conclusions drawn from it, just like in life, are not always easy to put in a .

    As the Teacher seems to envy the dead and the neverborn, Job wishes that the day of his birth had never come. Similar to George in It’s a Wonderful Life, Job believed that it would have been better were he never to have been born. This is often the voice of in our lives, as it was in Job’s.

    “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity.” —Ecclesiastes 12:13

    “There is in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:12

    Often, it is these two verses that can keep despair at bay. The passage from Ecclesiastes is the conclusion of this book of wisdom. The passage from Acts was Peter’s first public sermon and strong proclamation of the .

    When lost in despair, or tending toward despair, God remains steadfast.

    ※Prayer※

    God, thank you for your steadfast for all Creation. Help us rely and trust in that. May we look at our fellow humans as people who are looking (whether they know it or not) for the wisdom that only you can provide. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) How is your soul in this turmoil?

    2) How do you view your fellow humans at this point?

    3) How do you attempt to redeem the darkness of yourself and your fellow humans?

  • Forward

    Forward

    Job 1:1–5; 2 Corinthians 1:8–14 (read online ⧉)

    The story of Job is a famous story. It seems to be a story of a man going through unjust trials and misery. Job is often used in times of trial as a sort of encouragement, as if to say, if it could happen to Job, it can happen to you.

    Job, depending on translation, was a person of complete integrity or blameless and upright. Either one is hard for us to measure up to. How many of us, truly, would think of ourselves as being of complete integrity?

    During an interview, the question was asked of the interviewee, “are you honest?” The interviewee said, “yes.” The interviewer then asked, “have you ever lied or stolen?” The interviewee answered, “yes.” The interviewer then asked, “are you honest?” The interviewee again answered, “yes.”

    The test was not whether the person was honest, per se. Rather, it was if they had the integrity to answer the “ever lied or stolen” question with a “yes.” If they had answered, “no” to that question, the interview would have been over, for no one (other than Jesus, and perhaps Job) was that good of a person.

    When we read the story of Job, the story isn’t about Job’s “greatness” or “”. The story is about Job’s faithfulness to God. Despite all his troubles, he never gave up on God, even when his wife told him to.

    While God is always , we often are not. It is our faithfulness, though, that intimately affects our individual life. When and Timothy were going through a period of affliction, Paul noted that they received comfort from God. Note the language that Paul used; overwhelmed beyond their own . By whose strength, then, could they succeed? God’s, of course.

    Paul’s faithfulness to God was rewarded with the strength to carry on. Except, reward is not exactly correct. We all have this exact strength available to us, too. Through our trials and tribulations, through COVID-19 and riots, we have the strength to persevere.

    However, many Christians do not believe they have that power. That is the work of the adversary. The adversary isn’t necessarily the Devil either. The world, in this instance, can be the adversary, too. As the world (all of Creation) languishes in the results of broken (), it cannot understand how to overcome. It is lost in .

    Christians often succumb to that despair. Instead of faithfulness to God, they attribute to themselves (and often to God) the faithlessness of broken relationships.

    ※Prayer※

    As a mother bird gathers her young in her wings, so you do for us, oh, God. May we trust the warmth and of your wings, as they gather us together, and help us to trust that you are for us. Amen.

    ※※

    1) What are symptoms of despair that you see in the world? How about yourself?

    2) What are ways that we can help strengthen their hearts against despair?

    3) How does despair affect things like hatred, discord, and the like?