Devotion.al

Tag: questions

  • Desolate

    Desolate

    Micah 2:1–13; Matthew 24:15–31

    Many people attribute motives to leaders, especially political ones, that fit a narrative, rather than the facts. Sometimes they fit both the facts and the narrative. The last few presidents have had a lot of that. Even our current governor has had a lot of that. We may not like their decisions, that doesn’t mean, however, that they are being malicious. Sometimes they are just doing their best to muddle through…just like the of us.

    Micah’s words are for any person who seeks the ill of . Whether it is political, financial, , or something else, those who plan to take from others may well fall under condemnation. There is the motivation that is part of Micah’s words. “Limiting” our ability to as we are accustomed can often fall under the trying to do the best for all, rather than just some.

    Micah’s focus is more along the lines of those whose inheritances were taken, and whose people (particularly the women) were “taken” as profit, rather than looking at the best for the whole. This was about the elites who truly controlled everything, and took even more, effectively robbing the Promised Land of the promises of God.

    The strong implication in Micah’s words is that the people cannot break themselves out of the mess they are in. It really is out of their control. Thus, they need God to break their chains and lead them beyond the walls into . They need God to both direct them and protect them, just as a is supposed to do for the .

    It is times of disarray and chaos, just like these, that warns us about (in Matthew). We know we need the shepherd, even when “we” don’t believe that Jesus is the shepherd we need/want.  This is the time when false messiahs and, thus, false hope arises.

    People in their need will begin to follow others who appear to “know” the way. Those being followed may be religious leaders. They can be political leaders. They can be military leaders. They can even be business leaders.

    Jesus’ words imply that those that truly know Jesus will know when he comes back. There won’t be any as far as the believers are concerned (the world is different).

    ※Reflection※

    Why is it important to understand that Christians will know when Jesus returns? How do you see people following “leaders” (especially those who think as you do)? Why might it be important that all of Jesus’ followers will be gathered from the “four winds” (or four corners) of the world?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, we wait. Lord, we wait for you. Grant us to wait for your coming. Grant us endurance as we wait. Amen.v

  • Power to…

    Power to…

    Jeremiah 31:10–14; John 5:19–40

    If you had the to change anything and everything, would you? If you could eliminate war, disease, hatred, bigotry, misogyny…would you?

    If you could judge people perfectly…would you?

    The structure of the (, Son, Holy ) is a conundrum. The Father is God; the Son (Jesus) is God; the is God. The Father is neither the Son nor the Holy Spirit. The Son is neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the Father nor the Son. Yet, one God, three-in-one.

    It might seem peculiar to bring up the Trinity, as the passage from John is about the Son (Jesus) and the Father. We see that Jesus says that he is not able to do anything apart from the Father, and that the Father gave all judgement to Jesus.

    What is that? If a had all the power to judge (perfectly), why would they that up? At best, a human has the power to judge okay, but with far too many errors. The Father gave it to Jesus.

    The Judge (Jesus) will raise each person, whether good or bad, to answer for their life. How this works, who knows? Will a person watch a movie of their life and condemn or justify it? Is our soul weighed on some sort of scale? Many such have been asked; many answers have been given.

    The underlying truth is that each and every person, even those who think of Jesus as nothing more than a nice guy in history, only want to imagine being accepted by Jesus.

    According to Jeremiah, the Kingdom will redeem, refresh, and water (with the Living Water) people. As a result, they will be strong, joy-filled, and satisfied.

    These verses declare God’s kingdom. However, one verse later foreshadows the that happens after the Messiah, the harbinger of the Kingdom, is born. No great (or even mediocre) kingdom avoids the evil in the hearts of men, unless it is the Kingdom of Heaven.

    ※Prayer※

    God, may our hearts love and accept you, that we are your children, and that we have a place with you. Amen.

  • Now’s The Time

    Now’s The Time

    Matthew 16:1–4; Matthew 13:1–9; Matthew 13:18–23; Titus 2:11–14

    Humanity has smashed the atom. Humanity has gone to the moon. Humanity can splice the fabric of life (DNA). Humanity sill hates. Humanity still wars. Humanity still fears.

    A generation goes and a generation comes,
    but the earth remains forever.

    What has been is what will be,
    and what has been done is what will be done;
    there is nothing new under the sun

    Ecclesiastes 1:4,9 (CSB)

    When Jesus talks about the sower, we can look around us and see plenty of people who are in rocky ground and amongst thorns. The reality is that it may be that far too many so-called Christians are exactly those. In seemingly crazy and desperate times such as this, it is very easy to be overcome.

    Whether it is political , racial tensions, economic chaos, world tension, changes in how the body of Christ (the church) gathers, there are so many things that cause people to uproot their own . They also become easy victims to those who oppose the faith.

    The writer of Ecclesiastes didn’t see the coming. Really, though, the internet is just a faster form of communication. In other words, the mode changed, but that’s it. Ultimately, from the view of Ecclesiastes, the condition doesn’t change.

    Our fellow Christians, maybe even you, are struggling right now. The church is as divided as the US. The church, sadly, reflects the world. The (left, right, and everything from the middle to the extremes) of the world are not the church and should have no place there.

    This is hard for most of us, currently. Some are feeling persecuted for their faith. are wagging their tongues and figures regardless of whether “their” “side” won or lost the recent election (or have been perceived to). It is nothing new under the sun.

    ‘s words to Titus provide some guidance. While the “present age” was Paul’s and Titus’ time, the Christians of the “present age” should be aggressively taking Paul’s words to .

    ※Questions※

    1) What do you think it means to “live in a sensible, righteous, and Godly way”? (Titus 2:12)

    2) How have you been living like that in the current cultural/political environment?

    3) How were your more worldly than Godly?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, help us to walk in your footsteps. Amen.

  • Clear the Earth

    Clear the Earth

    Exodus 10:3–15; Joel 1:2–4; Mark 1:4–8

    We read the Little House on the Prairie series to our kids. Ingalls relates how locusts one annihilated their crops. A family that barely lived on a shoestring certainly couldn’t afford that . That same swarm swept much of the States, causing horrendous loss of crops and farms.

    When we read the story of the plague of locusts in Exodus, we can be very clinical in our reading of it. We can also be judgmental (they got what they deserved). Most of the Egyptians were probably not as anti-Hebrew as the leadership, certainly Pharaoh. Many innocent people suffered as a result of disobedience to God.

    The story of the plagues was a story of victory to the Israelites for Generations. Even today, for both Jews and Christians, this story is still told as a victory for the glory of God.

    We must remember, though, that one of the biggest issues for the pharaoh (and the Egyptians) was pride. Pharaoh’s pride (with and without God’s hardening) was a key factor of the whole story. It was a person’s pride against God.

    By the time of Joel, the pride of Israel/Judah was the issue. It was their pride against God. Like other prophets, Joel was warning the descendants of Israel to turn to God. In parlance, we’d say “!”

    The devastation of locusts would directly affect any harvest festivals and . It threatens the lives of the people. It might well drive them to go outside of the lands of Israel to survive. It threatened the destruction of Israel by abandonment.

    Through advanced agricultural science (and serendipity, supposedly), locust swarms like that from the late 1800s are no more in the US. It seems, then, that it is pointless to talk about locusts. Except that there are two major things to reflect upon.

    The first thing is that the locusts are no longer six-legged creatures, but two-legged. Some are blatant despoilers of . take advantage of others through perceived needs (politics and corporations both practice this).  The locusts of being like the Jones (or, I guess, the Kardashians) despoil families and futures by over-consuming the , time, and energy of people.

    The second thing, and that which is, even more, the issue, is pride. Humans are full of pride. We are all too full of pride. Often the locusts are just the result of human pride, seeking to consume everything at others’ expense.

    Often, we are unaware of our own pride and so sometimes become the locusts. We are quick to see such behavior in others; we always find it difficult to see in ourselves. As our culture (and the world’s) becomes more of a “throw-away” society, whether for convenience or the ability to reasonably fix something, the locust-effect increases in both potential and actual.

    As convenience and throw-away become a way of thinking, it doesn’t take that long before we start to think that way about people or God.

    ※Questions※

    1) How does pride “clear the earth” similar to locust swarms?

    2) How does this behavior damage or hinder our with God and with others?

    3) How does John’s eating locusts give us an image of God’s actions in the world?

    ※Prayer※

    Creator, you have created all things. Help us to look at all things to more deeply about you and your love. Amen.

  • Neglection

    Neglection

    Proverbs 1:20–29; Hebrews 2:2–11; Hebrews 10:23–25

    It’s been pretty that there will be some dramatic (and probably horrific) story of neglect that will be in the news. Children and animals recovered from bad situations; situations where the health and well-being (including mental and spiritual) of children is neglected.

    Most of us usually with a feeling of horror and disappointment in our fellow humans.  It can be quite easy to look at the ways act with neglect, for it can be easy to see.

    It could be that neighbor who doesn’t mow their lawn. It could be that neighbor whose car is a rusting rotting wreck in the driveway. It could be the neighbor whose house needs a serious paint job. That kind of neglect is visible.

    Then there is the neglect of a harried worker who spilled water on the floor, didn’t clean it up, and someone slipped and fell. It could be the chef who forgot a key ingredient in their signature dish.

    It could be you, who forgot to bring your facemask. Perhaps you forgot your wallet. Maybe you left your keys in the car. Maybe you didn’t polish your shoes before that critical meeting or job interview.

    Neglect takes many forms and guises. The reality is that many Christians have indeed neglected the of God and the truth of their . Neglect could mean attending (online or in-person), but only so that you can check it off the to-do list.

    Neglect is easy. That is part of the great problem with it. Once one begins the walk down the road of neglect, it is often very hard to even to the starting point.

    ※Questions※

    1) In this time of COVID, what things are you finding easy to neglect regarding your ?

    2) How can you help others to not neglect their faith?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, help to not neglect the that you have given us. Amen.

  • Gather Where

    Gather Where

    Exodus 3:1–6; Ezra 3:8–13; Matthew 23:37–24:8

    I visited Rome many years ago. I have never been so overwhelmed by the sheer number of buildings. It seemed that there wasn’t a block that didn’t have one. There is a Roman Catholic church building dedicated to every country in the world, and that’s not even half of the Roman Catholic church buildings in Rome. There are also plenty of non-Roman Catholic churches and house churches.

    If one based on the number of buildings, then Rome would be bursting with faith. It isn’t. This certainly isn’t just a Roman Catholic issue.

    There are plenty of communities in the US that have a high number of church buildings, but the number of Christians is just not significant (population-count-wise). Just as in Rome, all the church buildings could indicate a place bursting with faith. Instead, the buildings are just withering on the vine.

    Moses found a burning bush. God was there. The ground was .

    Think about it, though. Moses wasn’t the first herdsman of Israel. In fact, the lineage of Israel consisted of herdsmen. Did all the herdsmen not worship God while they were in the fields?

    Many people do, in fact, their greatest God connection when amid God’s unspoiled . For some, it might be mountains, or lakes, or seashores, or deserts. Others will find it in cathedrals build by man. It doesn’t matter. God is there.

    The new in the midst of its rebuild, and even after it was completed, was not the impressive piece of architecture as the original. In comparison, it was a block of wood in comparison to a shining jewel. Ultimately, though, it was a place to worship God, and to provide a focal point of faith practices.

    Despite the second temple being nothing in comparison to its predecessor, the people of Jesus’ day still viewed it as sacred. Jesus pointed out that it was only a building. It too would fall. While people took great offense at his statement, it was only . The world is perishing; so too would the temple.

    According to some recent numbers, 30% of churches pre-COVID will not to their building post-COVID. For them, the building is done. For some congregations, this means that the congregation is done, and the people will join other congregations or none at all. For others, this means a new expression of the gathering: Cafe Church, Circle Church, Church in a Bar (yes, this is a non-Nazarene thing), and who knows what else people will discover as they seek to be the gathered community.

    How buildings of worship will , remain, and how they will be part of our faith life is still to be seen. Without question, place is very important. It can be under a tree (as many African Church of the Nazarene congregations do). It can be in a sheet metal building. It can be in a building of concrete. It can be in a house. It can be in a yard.

    ※Questions※

    1) Can you see yourself worshiping (well) in a “place” different than the “church” building? What “calls” to you?

    2) Do you think a “place” to gather in community is important? Why or why not?

    ※Prayer※

    God, you have called us to gather in community. Help us, as the world drastically changes, continue to seek ways to gather to build up one another and bring and worship to you. Amen.

  • Thieving Glory

    Thieving Glory

    Matthew 24:42–44; 1 Thessalonians 5:2–6; Revelation 16:12–16

    Calling God a thief seems more than just a little ridiculous. Yet, uses the imagery of a thief to talk about the Day of the Lord.

    The Day of the Lord is an ambiguous phrase. Many (perhaps even most) Christians, think of the “Day of the Lord” as the day that Jesus will . From a Jewish perspective, this is not the case.

    The Day of the Lord is a phrase used to indicate an occasion where/when the earthly way of things (the status quo) will be shaken. There are two primary uses of this phrase. The first is the impending consequences of unfaithful behavior by the Israelites. The second is when God restores Israel by throwing down those that oppressed them.

    This is not to say that the “Day of the Lord” is not Jesus’ return (for that is the penultimate Day of the Lord). It is better to say that there will be many Days of the Lord.

    The comparison between the dramatic Day of the Lord the Jews were expecting at the time of Jesus and the thief in the night is not incidental. In many respects, the impending Day of the Lord was , followed by , followed by Pentecost.

    To Christians, we don’t view these as “thief in the night” moments. General history, however, only finds them important due to Christianity. The death of Jesus was just another day of Roman “” and fearmongering. The Resurrection was only witnessed by a few.

    Pentecost, by far, was the biggest event (people-wise) of the three, and yet it was relatively insignificant to an Empire, and only “another” sect to deal with for the Jews. Yes, this sect became troublesome for the Jews and the Romans, but it didn’t start that way.

    One of the biggest struggles that Christians have about the “Day of the Lord” is that they continue to look for big signs. They want drama. They want .

    Jesus’ return may indeed be on clouds of glory (he says it, but is it literal or imagery), but Jesus didn’t say how many would witness it.

    ※Questions※

    1) In the US, we often look to elections or wars as “the Day of the Lord”. What other events come to mind?

    2) Why is it important to keep the “thief” motif in mind when thinking about Jesus’ return?

    3) Why do you think Paul uses dark and sleep to talk about “the thief” (think beyond the obvious)?

    ※Prayer※

    Father, as we for your ‘s return, let your Holy Spirit burn inside of us, and keep the of your love and glory shining, that we are for such a time as that. Amen.

  • The Tax Man Comes

    Mark 2:13–17; Luke 19:1–11

    Zacchaeus has been a staple in Children’s for years…♫♪“Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he.”♪♫ His stature makes him identifiable for children. They understand being too short to see things that all the adults get to see.

    What gets lost for the children is Zacchaeus’ place in society. Most lessons that I am aware of avoid that reality. Oddly enough, we actually have a similar situation today.

    It may be dressed differently, but perhaps in our technological entrepreneurs, we have the new tax collectors. Many people want to be them, if only for the wealth. poke at them saying that they are exploiters. Others say that they must not be paying their fair share. Others still feel trapped by them, yet still use the technology that has been developed.

    There is a major difference in that the technological entrepreneurs are not the “scum” of the earth for everyone; not like Zacchaeus and the other tax collectors.

    However, people don’t know what to do with them. Politicians in various capitals (state or national capitals) don’t know how to deal with them. The politicians need them, hate that need, and want to control them.

    “” people appreciate the tech, but now are beginning to question the trade-off. They admire the technologists, but they fear them.

    The tax collectors were just hated; chose one as a follower. Tax collectors were hated; Jesus dined with them. Tax collectors were cast out from the ; Jesus came to them.

    We all now are in an interesting place. We need technology to connect with one another. We are, in many ways, more dependent upon the technologists than we used to be.

    If we are not careful, we will despise them because of our dependence, and because of the control over our lives that we may perceive them to have. This is, in many respects, the same situation as the tax collectors.

    The tax collectors lived well. However, they were the ones that were the first line of defense against the Romans. the Romans , and they leave.

    ※Questions※

    1) Who else might be the “tax collectors” in your ?

    2) Are you the “” or the “sinner”? Which do you act like?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, may we not act like the “righteous” and be humble and thank-filled as the “sinners”. Amen.