Devotion.al

Tag: questions

  • NIMBY

    NIMBY

    Zechariah 7:8–12; Matthew 4:25–5:13; Luke 10:25–29 (read online ⧉)

    was only 2 days ago. We should be being filled with the Spirit eager to do God’s will and speak with God’s . With what has been happening, however, God’s voice may indeed be being spoken. It is being drowned out with violence, anger, hatred, grief, mourning, apathy.

    It is easy for many to cast aside those who are destroying places. There are many among them that are truly those who seek to stir up trouble. On the other hand, there are many among them that feel that the only way they will be listened to is through destruction. While many might decry that, the reality is that destruction is what sells.

    The that God gave Zechariah, “…make fair decisions…show love…show …” We honestly fail at all of these, perhaps even on a daily basis. Due to cultural conditioning what is fair or faithful or compassion may be drastically different person to person. It wouldn’t seem so, yet it is.

    The observation that God delivered to Zechariah is a warning to us all, “[they] turned a stubborn shoulder…closed their ears…hearts like a rock…”

    If we read the Beatitudes in the light of Zechariah, they can take on the perspective of blessed are and of. In other words, being blessed is not enough. We must also bless . As we read the Beatitudes, we cannot just think of ourselves. We must also think of that which we are to do for others.

    This is, sadly, why the “expert in the law” asked a simple question, “who is my neighbor?” It is a simple question. It is also a simple answer. The answer isn’t, “my neighbor is…” The answer is, “I am a neighbor by…”

    ※Moravian ※

    Savior, with you we know good and evil. Help us do what we know as good and avoid evil, for with you, good will prevail. In your we pray. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Everyone you see on television and the internet is your neighbor. How will you be their neighbor?

    2) Why do we not want to be neighbors to others?

    3) What is the difference between being a Christian and being a neighbor?

  • Only the Beginning

    Only the Beginning

    Psalm 104:24–35; Joel 2:18–29; Romans 8:18–24 (read online ⧉)

    We have lost a lot in the modern age. One of the things is awareness of the land. In the current COVID-19 situation, we may be regaining some of that, as prices go up with agricultural workers being unavailable due to illness.

    The health of the land was deeply tied to the health of its people. We’ve seen some strange perspectives of that with both environmental activists and blind corporate juggernauts.

    For many the environmental ties to a flourishing people are obvious. To , not so much. In the era of Jesus and even today, when nature has severe weather, agriculture often takes the brunt of it. In Paul’s age, they were very much aware of that, especially as there were a series of famines. Thus the land needing was quite obvious to any person.

    The land was tied to prosperity. An unhealthy land made for unhealthy people. It was also the case, which was Joel’s point, that an unhealthy people made for an unhealthy land. Paul noted that it was just humanity that longed for a Savior…the of Creation longed for it, too.

    Pentecost wouldn’t seem to have much to do with that, yet, it is the empowerment by the of the people of God, that would be the new shepherds to heal the land. Justice and mercy were not just to be attributes of God, they were to be attributes of his people.

    The land isn’t just the physical land and the animals, it is the heart of the people in it, too. The land, our land, is very sick. It is not just COVID-19, it is something far deeper and even more ill. There is an illness that is infecting the souls of the people of our and even the people of the Body of Christ.

    We may not be able to fix it all, and we certainly cannot heal it all. We can be the messengers of , grace, and mercy. In so doing, as we guard our words and actions, we will be different than the world that seeks to attack and destroy others.

    The love of Jesus Christ cannot back down, and the Body of Christ cannot just let the vileness that pervades continue to build and lash out. We are not called to lash out as the world. We are to say that Christ died for them to heal their . We can only walk them on the journey.

    ※ Prayer [BCPOnline] ※

    O God, who on Pentecost taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the of your Holy Spirit: Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy ; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    ※ Afterward ※

    Questions seem superfluous. The recent death of George Floyd has taken an anxiety-ridden world and launched chaos. The rise of mayhem and violence will not heal or reconcile. It will only harden hearts. We are called to be the church for such times as this. How we can and will respond in this and in all such, we can only pray that we bring and glory to God.

  • Falling Down

    Falling Down

    Numbers 11:24–30; Joel 2:27–29; Acts 2:1–21 (read online ⧉)

    Just in case you didn’t know, today is . Some call it the “true” birth of the for the Holy Spirit fell upon the people of God, and has not left us yet. It is also called Whitsunday, of which part that is white (for purity) and the other is whit (Old English for wit, or wisdom).

    It is not the case that Jesus left us bare. It is the case that Jesus left us with fire. The tongues of (whether in Numbers or Acts) were representative of the Holy Spirit and God’s / being active. It is not coincidental that the tongues of flame seen on Pentecost were previously seen in Moses’ time.

    Think of Moses’ words to Joshua in response to Joshua’s complaint that 2 elders who dishonored God and Moses spoke via the Holy Spirit, “If only all the LORD’s people were prophets and the LORD would place his Spirit on them!” This also goes hand-in-hand with Joel’s words, “I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity.”

    In all likelihood, you have not seen some with tongues of fire over their heads. You may have witnessed—or been part of a tradition—where people spoke “in tongues”. Neither is required as evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a of God, and is God. Through the guidance (wisdom) of the Holy Spirit, we see the Scriptures for what they are…the Word of God.

    This is not to say that the Holy Spirit was never present before, quite the contrary. What this means is that the presence of the Holy Spirit in the church is distinctly different than what is and was present outside of the church. Theologians still try to discern the whys and wherefores of the difference.

    One of the biggest differences is that while the Holy Spirit was generally present (just as today), the Holy Spirit as expressed through prophets was unique to the calling of the prophets. The Pentecostal gift of the Holy Spirit was that all received the Holy Spirit expressly, not generally.

    This does not mean that all are gifted with foretelling (often called prophesy) or Truth-telling (also called prophesy, or preaching). The Holy Spirit works in and through each person differently. Your gifting may be quite different than another’s, that does not invalidate either.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Holy Spirit, we thank you for your ongoing gift of yourself to us. Help us to you, God the Father, and Jesus the , as we are the church, the of Christ, to the world. Amen.

    ※ ※

    1)How would you evaluate/discern whether someone was gifted by the Holy Spirit or by the natural talents they had? What is the difference?

    2) Why is Moses’ story so important in the context of Pentecost? What about Joshua’s response?

    3) Why do you think people thought the disciples of Jesus were drunk? What might their rationale be for how a drunk person would speak as if a native speaker of their own tongue(s)?

  • Opprobrium

    Opprobrium

    Matthew 9:18–26; Mark 5:21–43; Luke 8:40–56 (read online ⧉)

    People often use scripture to justify certain things, or at least state that whatever “this” is, it is nothing new. One of those is a thought that the woman in today’s Scriptures had been bleeding due to a botched abortion. This, of course, is conjecture. There are several other medical conditions which this could fall under, so making this kind of conjecture is often not helpful. This is especially the case when such conjecture takes away from the mystery that is already present in the Scripture.

    Think about the other healings that Jesus performed. In the other healings, he was approached then would . He was just on his way to heal someone else, and this women surreptitiously approaches him and just touches his clothes to be healed.

    The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) have slightly different tellings of the story. Yet, the woman’s initiative to approach Jesus and touching his clothing to be healed is consistent. Both Mark and Luke talk about the crowds surrounding Jesus. This took courage for this woman.

    The primary thought that this bleeding was similar to menstrual bleeding (hence the aforementioned piece about abortion). If that is so, while the woman would not have to declare “unclean” as a leper, should would be ceremonially unclean, and probably unwelcome, if anyone knew. She, probably some sort of outcast, would have to go among those who likely mocked and scorned her. If she was successful, for 12 years, to keep her condition secret, then she would have likely been overwhelmed by guilt and inadequacy.

    In Mark and Luke, this story takes on another interesting twist. She approached; she touched; she was healed. There was no “” by Jesus. This unique aspect should be one of those moments where we stop and wonder, what is different?

    Anything is conjecture, as the Bible does not directly say anything. One possibility is that in this story we and Man. The Godly power left Jesus. Jesus the Man was surprised. Both aspects of Jesus were in full display. There is even this odd hint of the Water of being spent, which would then be refilled by God.

    On the other hand, there is an echo of the time in Eden after Adam and Eve had eaten the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and . Adam and Eve had heard God walking in the Garden and hid because they were naked. God asked where they were. Adam and Eve revealed themselves in shame. Sounds somewhat like the woman who revealed herself.

    There is also the beauty of that this woman has. It isn’t just trust of being healed, but when she reveals herself and tells her story, there is a vulnerability that requires an explicit trust in Jesus.

    This woman has no name in the Scriptures (outlined here). Her cured affliction has been noted for history, but the shame of her condition is not tied to her name. Just as the shame that once weighed her down was gone, so was what needed healing. She left it behind. Her was that her legacy was not her condition. She moved in freedom.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Lord, we thank you for taking our shame. Though we may still bear the scars and of it, the shame is gone. May this freedom that you have given us, not be misused or unused for your . Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) Why do you think each of the Gospel writers (especially Matthew), chose to tell the story the way they did? What do you think of the additional piece that Mark and Luke have?

    2) What is your biggest takeaway regarding the woman of our story?

    3) What do you think the response was of those who were acting on Jairus’ behalf?

  • Responsible

    Responsible

    Exodus 34:1–7; Numbers 14:26–38; Jeremiah 31:27–34 (read online ⧉)

    For those of us whose American individuality is almost hardwired into us, it seems inconceivable that God would punish us for other’s sins, especially for those who sinned before we were born. In fact, in many respects, we struggle with the result of anyone else’s sins being borne by us.

    If we are honest with ourselves, our personal and national (and even religious) histories carry a lot of baggage, and a lot of that has to do with actions that others took, for which we had no , or participation, or approval of. The purposeful and accidental killing of Native Americans by Europeans due to diseases (such as smallpox) is such a thing. It is unlikely any of us would condone such a thing, but the consequences remain even to this day. The clearances of Native Americans to reservations and all that went along with also remains today. Slavery, war, migration, all had and continue to have consequences.

    We are not unique in this. Much of the conflict in the Middle East is because of something that happened yesterday, but of something that happened generations and even centuries ago. The same can be said in Asia, as well. This is not unique to America or the United States. What is unique, though becoming less so, is our individualistic to it.

    For the Israelites, a tribal culture, what one’s father did or grandfather did have great import for the current generation. The concept of holding the subsequent generations accountable for one’s own actions was actually quite reasonable for them. The blessing, too, made sense to them.

    As harsh as the words in Exodus seem to our modern years, we see the development of it in Numbers. Yes, the children pay the price. On the other hand, those children grew up into a powerful army. This army was needed for the next step. They also developed a rhythm when it came to God. Their food came from God. Their gathering was guided by God (6 days of work; 1 day of ). Their habits revolved around God and God’s mercies.

    Did they receive the result of their parents’ misdeeds? Yes. Were the ultimate results bad? No. This wasn’t the ideal. The ideal would have been obedience and by their parents.

    This punish/reward pattern would remain for generations until God’s declaration to Jeremiah. The whole grapes quip showed that Israel had forgotten exactly what meant and intended. Now, it became everything (which it still was, but God was about , not failures).

    We read these verses in Jeremiah and can be immediately be lead to the concept of our individual salvation through Jesus Christ. It’s not that this is invalid, but that it is incomplete.

    As Christians, we are called to bear one another’s burdens. That often includes their failures and even their sins. While the ultimate cost (death) is paid, the consequences remain. Those consequences remain for lifetimes and even lifetimes to come.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Heavenly Father, we read you Word and often wonder if we’re missing something, for we cannot understand the entirety of who you are. We thank you for your . Jesus, thank you for your time on Earth, allowing us the grace to ‘s face. , guide our hearts and actions, not just for the now, but also to heal the hurts of the past that are not our fault, but we, as your children, are called to heal. Amen.

    ※ ※

    1) Have you ever been held responsible for someone else’s over which you had no influence or control? What was that like?

    2) What is the difference between consequences and punishment? Which path do you see God following?

    3) What if your salvation was dependent upon others? How would you behave differently?

  • Not Them Anymore

    Not Them Anymore

    Matthew 15:17–28; Ephesians 4:17–24 (read online ⧉)

    For I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, so you must be holy because I am holy. —Leviticus 11:45

    When the Israelites were brought out of the land of Egypt, it wasn’t going to be things as usual. We often focus on the slavery and the misery, for this was the reality of the Israelites in Egypt by the time Moses was born, and very much so after his from Midian.

    Today, we would say that this was in the rearview mirror. That was their . It was to be their life no longer. However, that also meant that practices that they copied from Egyptian culture had to be culled. Other than their bloodline, there were only three things that otherwise tied them together, their story, circumcision, and a promised land that was not in Egypt. That’s it.

    We look back at them and say, YES! Many would argue that the States couldn’t keep the “dream” of the Founding Fathers alive, and it hasn’t been 300 years! They waited over 400 years! How tightly they must have held onto those 3 things. Yet, there would have been a lot of other stuff that they took with them. They needed to understand that a line has been drawn. They are now called to be holy, for God is holy. The key (oversimplified) part is that God defined what is holy.

    The first piece (again, oversimplified) was don’t be an Egyptian (don’t even walk like one). That extended to other tribes and nations, too. The Promised Land contained the Canaanites. They were the people that the Israelites were supposed to drive out for they would cause the Israelites to fall away from God (so said God). They didn’t drive them out. So, down the timeline we have one of these Canaanite women come to Jesus so that he will heal her daughter.

    Here, as in other times with Jesus, that while he is first called to the Jews, to those that pursue, he would still respond. That Jesus would still respond to a generational tells us much about Jesus. It also tells us that being “called out of Egypt” is more than the story of Exodus. It can be our story, too.

    Paul sets this story in Ephesians, too. This letter was likely a circular letter passed among the churches of Asia Minor and found a permanent home in Ephesus (hence the name). Historians come to that conclusion for a number of reasons, but one of the more interesting points is that this letter is not addressed to anyone specifically (see other letters of Paul). Paul intended or expected this letter to have a life of its own (kind of like those forwarded emails and now Facebook messages that keep coming back year-after-year).

    That makes this particular passage from Ephesians even more interesting. He makes the statement that the hearers/receivers of the letters should not be like . Sounds pretty straightforward, except that many (if not most) of them were Gentiles! Paul, so to , was telling them that they were now called out of Egypt.

    Gentiles are, to these Christians, a different people from themselves. They, who were once Gentiles, were called to be Gentiles no longer!

    ※ Prayer ※
    God, you called us out of the darkness of our souls to be something greater than we could be on our own. As we look with hopeful expectations for the returning to some sort of normal, help us to remember that we are daily called out of Egypt to be your holy people. Amen.

    ※ ※
    1) Swap Gentiles with American (or whatever nationality is your “” nationality). How do Paul’s words feel now?

    2) Those of the so-called Western Civilization are often blind to the differences between the general culture and the culture, often because we fail to understand what it means to be Christian. What is one thing you can think of that conflicts?

    3) Life as usual is not (really) the Christian life. What is unusually Christian about your life? Do any non-Christians practice the same? If so, now what?

  • Clean Up

    Clean Up

    Zechariah 3:1–10; Matthew 9:1–8; Revelation 22:7–17

    Most parents have to tell their children to clean their rooms. There are those rare exceptional (weird) children who clean up their rooms on their own. There are also those parents who have conditioned their children to behave in a manner contrary to their nature, and the children are very clean. There there is the last group of parents, who don’t bother (for various reasons).

    Part of the Christian walk is a that resembles Christ more and more. There are highs and lows. There are backslidings. There is a lot of hard work, and then there are miraculous leaps .

    Joshua the high priest (not to be confused with Joshua, Moses’ successor) stood before God with dirty clothes. They were reflective of the “dirty” condition of the Israelites. Now the dirty need to be contrasted with the holy part. The Israelites were called to be holy because they were the people God called by , and God was Holy.

    The Israelites always seemed to struggle with this. Whether it was Moses, or the time of Judges, even during Samuel’s life, the latter part of Solomon’s reign, and all the kings that followed Solomon. The Israelites often left God and pursue other gods and other ways that were not God’s. They were not holy. They were not clean. They were dirty.

    Note that neither Joshua nor Zechariah did anything. In fact, even Satan didn’t have (so it seems) even the opportunity to accuse Joshua. God just commanded…and it was so.

    In Hebrew, often when Satan is presented in English, we should know that “the” accuser is the more literal meaning. This is particularly interesting when we come to the story of the paralytic, the accusers are the scribes.

    While the scribes didn’t say anything, Jesus still knows their hearts well enough to know their accusation. Jesus declares the man clean. Just like that. Oh, and just in case they didn’t get it the first time (they didn’t), he cleansed the man’s clothes (being the body).

    Yet, the reality is that we, and our clothes, still get dirty. Perhaps there is one person that you “know” is a saint (and they might be). That person, however, probably would see their own stains that you cannot. “Bless those who wash their robes(!)”

    We’re going to get dirty in this life. Usually through our own faults, but undeniably there are times when people will chuck the muck at you to make sure you look dirty. Why that might be is irrelevant to this message. What is relevant is that our clothes are not us. Through the of Jesus Christ, and our submission to his authority and our submission to the work of the , we are made clean!

    ※ Prayer ※

    Merciful , you have declared us clean through the of your Son. Lord Jesus, we thank you for your work on Earth and the words that you have given us. Holy , allow us to see our stains clearly. Help us to understand your conviction of us while knowing that you do not condemn us, but us to a (w)holy deeper life. Amen.

    ※ ※

    1) Are you an accuser? If someone with “dirty” clothes comes to a small group, a gathering, or even (gasp) church, what do you do?

    2) Ask someone who you deeply admire (or, again, think of as a saint), and ask them if they still see their spiritual stains?

    3) How are you working through the stains in your life? Do you have an accountability partner (or better, 2 or 3)?

  • Planned Disruption

    Planned Disruption

    1 Samuel 16:1–5; Luke 14:28–33; James 4:13–17 (read online ⧉)

    But mouse-friend, you are not alone
    in proving foresight may be vain:
    the best-laid schemes of Mice and Men
    go oft awry,
    and leave us only grief and pain,
    for promised joy!

    Still, friend, you’re blessed compared with me!
    Only present dangers make you flee:
    But, ouch!, behind me I can see
    grim prospects drear!
    While -looking seers, we
    humans guess and fear!

    From “To a Mouse”, by Robert Burns
    modern English translation/interpretation by Michael R. Burch

    The current situation with COVID-19 should put to rest how fleeting our plans really are. However, while everything is in an uproar and rather chaotic, we are still coming up with plans. What becomes emblematic of human behavior is that we know we are making plans for a target that doesn’t yet exist.

    These are strange times indeed.

    Samuel had a plan. In fact, at one point it seemed a pretty solid plan, since it appeared to be God’s plan. The Israelites decided they wanted a king, “just like the countries around them”. So, while Samuel was upset (along with God), it was done. This king, Saul, seemed to be destined for great things. He was physically imposing. He was successful militarily. He even had a starting bought of prophesying.

    While we cannot say that Samuel loved Saul, there does seem to be some sort of strong emotion that Samuel had for Saul. We see this in God’s words to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul?” Samuel knew that Saul wasn’t dedicated to God, yet Samuel still mourned the fact that Saul would lose his kingship and was not blessed by God.

    The plans for the King of Israel changed. Now, a new path would be before Samuel. In obedience, he followed it to a boy named David. While it might have not been as abrupt as all that has come with COVID-19, for a culture such as this “just” changing the king was a big deal. This is clear when Samuel brings his worry of being killed before God. It shouldn’t be ignored that God gave Samuel a way around a reprisal coming from the king or his minions.

    Plans are worthwhile. It’s not as if they should not be made. Jesus even used the example of construction and war plans to lay out to wannabe disciples that they need to plan for the costs of following him. Jesus makes it clear that if we follow him, we can expect a lot of worldly things to be prioritized at a much lower ranking than the .

    Often we count the cost…and we lie to ourselves. “God doesn’t really want…” “I can by just…” “My life is too busy to…” “That’s the way we’ve always done it.” We count the cost, and determine that following Jesus isn’t really the price.

    Sometimes, and especially in times of turmoil, our plans need to be laid at the feet of God, and not at our . When James talks about people making plans (in particular speculative plans about enterprising and wealth-building), he’s warning each an everyone of us that all of our plans are worthless if they do not begin with God.

    What should especially concern us is when we hold so tightly to our plans, that we do not respond to God’s prompting to change the plan.

    ※ Prayer ※

    God, you know the plans you have for us. May we be ready to respond. Jesus, help us to follow your example of obedience and submission even unto . Holy , guide our hearts into all , , and love. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) What are your current plans (personal, professional, family, religious)? How does God fit into those plans (even the religious ones)?
    2) How will you know if God wants you to continue your plans, or change them?
    3) How often do you still count the cost of following Jesus, whether it’s your family, your profession, your stuff, your time, or something else?