Devotion.al

Tag: questions

  • Walk Away

    Walk Away

    Hebrews 2:1–4; Hebrews 6:4–8; Revelation 13:11–17 (read online ⧉)

    Those who have fallen away is a hard subject for many of us. We know people who at point affirmed that Jesus Christ was their Lord and Savior, but through various experiences, conversations, perhaps even discouraging events, they walked away from their that they had held onto dearly. Often it is because they have hard questions and they receive, “you just have to have enough faith,” or “don’t question the teachings,” or many other responses that are not .

    The question then becomes, “now what?” It really isn’t something good. Just as teachers are held to higher standards than other believers (James 3:1), former believers are held to a higher standard than non-believers. This is not because they became better people, but because they walked away from their salvation. The author of Hebrews puts is very starkly, to be saved again, they have to crucify Christ again.

    This sounds impossible, for Jesus Christ died once for all. However, that really isn’t what the author is saying. Especially for those who accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior later in life (especially post-childhood), the acknowledgment and acceptance that Jesus Christ died for us has a far deeper and harsher meaning. We become more aware of just what that means. For many of us, that was a hard enough journey.

    Imagine someone whose hard was hardened toward God and walked away. That road back to salvation will be so much harder to walk than the first time. Peeling away the new and probably harder and thicker layers. Often the pride built when walking away has to be torn down, and then the other layers of have to be torn down again. It is no easy road.

    The author of Hebrews isn’t saying it impossible. By God’s , and , the road to can indeed be walked many times. It does depend on how one left the road and how one kept off the road. There are no easy answers, and the road is always different for each person. If you know of someone on a road that is not the Redemption Road…THERE IS HOPE. Do not lose hope! With God, all things are possible!

    As of late, this has come to the fore as there have been a number of high profile people who have “left” the Christian faith (though, when you actually read what they say, it’s not closing the door).

    At the same time, with the COVID-19 response, we are seeing good-intentioned Christians stirring up the pot with concerns regarding vaccinations, government controls, “conditioning” and other things using the imagery of “the Beast.” Now, to some degree or another, the concerns have validity. Using “the mark” and “the number” of the “Beast” as a scare tactic (even as perceived justifiable one) helps to plant stones on the paths of those wandering away from the faith, and even those who are struggling in their faith, yet faithfully walking the way.

    This is not to say that those invoking “the Beast” are at fault, just like the person who spoke poorly or wrongly is singly at fault for another person walking away from the faith. And that is probably the hardest thing to hear from the author of the Hebrews. We all have the responsibility to build and strengthen our faith, just as we are responsible for what we do that weakens it. What we can do is be open to as they struggle. We also need to be open to others regarding our struggles.

    , Son, and Holy , please strengthen our faith, whether it be in trying times or normal times. Help us to walk the path resolutely even when we stumble. Please help us be among those who will lift us up when we stumble and fall. Help us to be the family you have called your children to be. Amen.

    1) What famous person are you aware of that walked away from the Christian faith? Other than the fact of their walking away, what do you know of their story?

    2) When was the last time you answered a seeking question with an answer that you regretted later? What did you learn about yourself and God through that?

    3) What is the best way to share the love of Jesus to those who are seeking or doubting?

  • Control or Trust?

    Psalm 107:1–3, 17–22; Daniel 12:5–13; Ephesians 1:7–14 (read online ⧉)

    Many of Daniel’s visions are held up in the today as applying to today. There are fundamental truths in Daniel’s visions (and the visions of other prophets), but we all must be very cautious when trying to apply them to today. Daniel, himself, didn’t know how to interpret his visions, so he had to for assistance, in the middle of his . The vision was interpreting the vision.

    Daniel 12:10 reads, “Many shall be purified, cleansed, and refined, but the wicked shall continue to act wickedly. None of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.” This is as true today as the day Daniel had the vision, as it is today. The words (vision) of Daniel were to be, “…secret and sealed until the time of the .” Daniel was told to, “…go your way, and ….”

    Paul provides much the same guidance, “…he has made known to us the mystery of his will…as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”

    We yearn to know all the and have a fixed understanding. We yearn to know what will happen today and tomorrow. We want a safe and predictable . We also want “the right” answers. The day-to-day is always full of pieces of chaos and unpredictability. Yet the assurance that it is all in God’s hands, and that we can fully rely on him, should us the ability to not be tossed about in our anxieties and questions.

    As the time was approaching for his final walk, , too, had questions and concerns. It is not wrong to wonder and be concerned. If we allow our lack of confidence in God to ground us, the winds and waves of the world will continue to overtake us.

    1) Do you ever let your concerns and/or worries overtake your confidence in God?

    2) Have you ever tried to someone or yourself by saying God has it all under control?

    3) How did that work? Did it really bring comfort?

  • Who Hears? Who Speaks?

    Psalm 22:23-31; Genesis 16:7-15; Mark 8:27-30 (read online ⧉)

    Ishmael. God Hears. How amazing is that? God—the Creator—hears.

    Hagar had run away. Sarai treated her poorly to such a degree that Hagar felt that the wilderness was better than staying (initially, at least). Feeling so overwhelmed by and circumstances is not unfamiliar to many of us. In fact, feeling overwhelmed seems to be characteristic of the modern life.

    We don’t have the words Hagar cried out, if any. Regardless of whether it was words, wails, or the silent cry of her , God heard her.

    God asks her, “…where have you come from and where are you going?” God knows all. God knows the to both of those , yet still God asks. God is letting Hagar know that He is actively listening to her. He is open to her pouring out her heart. Just like each of us, it is better to put words to things and letting them out, rather than shoving them into the of our hearts, letting them fester and rot.

    Other times we need to the words so that we embrace their . asked his disciples who is. Peter declared, “You are the Messiah.” This was no small declaration. Depending on the hearer, that could result in serious consequences. Declaring with his lips, Peter embraced the truth that his heart was telling him.

    Words have . They can bind us. They can free us. They can bring the hidden into the open. God is waiting to our words.

    1) When you pray privately, do you speak out loud, or only think quietly? Why?

    2) While God can hear the cries of our hearts, why might it be important to speak words, rather than just think them?

    3) Why might it be important to know that God hears us?

  • How Desperate Are You?

    Genesis 38:1–26, Ruth 1:3–14, Mark 12:18–27 (read online ⧉)

    Whether it be the situation such as with Judah and Tamar or Ruth or the one proposed by the Sadduccees, most modern American Christians skip over the that come up with these passages, as they make them uncomfortable. They are indeed not the idealized “nuclear” American family of husband and wife and 2 kids. It is reasonable that it makes many people uncomfortable, though sometimes (especially with Ruth) we dress it up with similar clothing.

    Initially, Judah’s issue with Tamar was that it seemed his sons would die around her. He didn’t want another son to die. It seems somewhat reasonable. Yet, Judah still knew what was appropriate culturally, and even for his own lineage. It does seem that he planned it. One normally didn’t put a widow back into her ‘s house, as it was the father-in-law’s responsibility to assure that children were produced. Something about this was off, for through his actions Judah displayed a cultural disregard for his and his sons’ duties (produce heirs). Culturally, he was highly irresponsible.
    Judah’s behavior also trapped Tamar. She was engaged to a boy who Judah didn’t want to be her husband (regardless of reason). Judah was cruel to her. While her behavior was inappropriate, she was more than Judah, which he acknowledged.* Some Biblical commentators suspect that Judah even started off wrong by “getting” a wife for his son, Er, from someone who was not of his people. If that was the case, Judah would have been an even greater disappointment.

    Ruth is often the one dressed in nuclear family “clothes”. Naomi wanted to send her away (back to her Father’s house, just like Judah did to Tamar). Catch the reasoning. Naomi knew that even were she to remarry and successfully birth, any sons birthed would not be of until Ruth was much older. Naomi probably wasn’t optimistic about the remarriage piece either. Naomi, interestingly enough, acted as if she was carrying the burden of her husband and sons to produce heirs. Compare that to Judah who seemed eager to avoid the whole thing.

    While the previous stories have extenuating circumstances, the “test” that the Sadducees bring to is just plain ridiculous. Of course, reasonableness wasn’t the point of the question, it was to test Jesus. It carried the “law” to its extreme. It is an interesting mental exercise to wonder how this would work. The text implies that the seven marriages were consummated, and the text doesn’t provide a marriage timeline. That seven consummated marriages did not result in a child shows either a non-producing male lineage (a pretty severe one at that) or a truly infertile woman. Yes, this was “just” a test, but at the same time is displays how the desperation of lineage worked.

    As a culture, we have only somewhat recently grown out of that (maybe). The desperation that people felt by not have descendants is beginning to fade. It is especially becoming so today as we lose connection to the people before us. As such, it seems we might be losing something that is deeply connected to that…evangelism. Evangelism is, in many respects, reproduction. Instead of being biological, it is spiritual.

    1) What are your views on evangelism? How is that expressed by your life?

    2) Why do you think we are lukewarm about evangelism? Why are we not as desperate to evangelism as people were to have children?

    3) Many people adopt instead of having biological children. What can they teach us about evangelism?

    Action: God to give you a desperate for evangelism.

    *A quick note that Tamar later gave birth to Judah’s twin sons, Zerah and Perez. Perez is in the lineage of Jesus. Yet, another example of how a and unrighteous can be—ultimately—redeemed by Jesus Christ.

  • Eternal Clay

    2 Corinthians 4:7–13, James 4:13–17 (read online ⧉)

    What are you for? Who are you living for? These are not simple . They can be difficult thoughts. They can actually be kind of depressing. They can be quite depressing really. For when we talk about what we are living for, we acknowledge that the life we are living now will come to .

    This is why ‘s words can actually be encouraging. You’re a clay pot! Wow! Sounds great! I’m fragile. I’m breakable. Yep, that really encouraging.

    The tale goes like this (how much , who knows), a boy was throwing rocks into random caves. He heard a shattering noise. When he got to the cave, he found parchment inside a clay jar. What he found, we now the Dead Sea Scrolls. What was in many clay jars in a series of caves were books from the Bible. Phrased a different way, the of God was in jars of clay. Scripture in jars of clay that lasted (in some cases) more than 1500 years.

    We often look down on ourselves for we often see our and our mortality. Yet a fragile person (or group of them) managed to preserve delicate parchment in breakable jars of clay, and it survived 1500 years. All too often we look at ourselves and limit what we can do. Yet, look at what people who were just trying to do their best could do. The Essenes (the ones responsible for the Dead Sea Scrolls) were people who simply lived their best lives for God. We have been blessed because they did.

    Our fragile beings, which suffer along with the rest of humanity, have the opportunity, however, to carry something much greater than we ought to be able to. We get to carry inside of us. When the image of God was placed into humanity, who could have imagined that we would also be able to receive so much more than the image.

    It’s odd, if you think about it, that by living in these bodies we have, we get to identify with the incarnation of God in Jesus, and we also identify with his death. In other words, by identifying with our jars of clay, we identify with eternity.

    1) What do you say about yourself about what you are not able to do for the Kingdom of God?

    2) If we have eternity inside of us, why are we so worried about that which disappears like a vapor?

    3) If you couldn’t fail, what would you do for the Kingdom of God?

  • Do You See What God Sees?

    Genesis 1:26–28, Genesis 4:1–2, Genesis 5:1–3, 2 Corinthians 3:16–18, James 1:22–25 (read online ⧉)

    When we are born we may, or may not, be an image of our parents. As we get older, the comparisons become easier, and especially as we tend toward the of our lives, we really resemble our parents. “Spitting image” was an old phrase used to indicate that there was an almost identical image of child to parent, or “could be twins” is another. How we look is very much part of our self-identification. Often we are dissatisfied with the genes we were given and how our lives have played into or against those genes.

    If you read the 3 vignettes is Genesis you might have recognized that something was missing in the second one. In the first story, humankind (Adam and Eve) is made in the image of God. In the third story, Seth is in the image of Adam. In the second story, there is no mention of image. Once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Cain and Able were not stated as being the image of Adam or Eve. They were in the image of God as all humankind was, but not their biological parents. Were we the parents, would we not have if “our” children were not in our image (barring adoption, of course)? Is there some deep theological meaning here? Probably not. Yet, it is something that should cause us to question what exactly is occurring here. We will probably never know.

    Image still remains important, as image does have an important place in all of the . There were all the mentions of images of gods and creatures for , and how bad this was, and how it contributed to the Israelites walking away from God.

    takes image a new direction. Here he uses a mirror as the medium for us to see the glory of God inside each of us. Think of that! We can see the image of God inside of us! Yes, it is a figurative thing. At the same time, it should be a way of thinking about ourselves and seeing ourselves. We are often overly concerned about what we have done wrong, while not living in the freedom that we have in Christ. We ourselves try to put a barrier (the ) between ourselves and seeing the image of God in us.

    James alludes to this in his words, talking about looking at ourselves then “forgetting” what we look like. It does appear that James is thinking more that people are deliberately forgetting what they look like. As we tie this into Paul’s words, when we do not operate in the that God is loving and merciful, we forget who we are in Christ, which goes right back to Paul’s example of putting a veil back on.

    The world doesn’t want us to think in the way Paul and James want us to think. The world wants us to forget who we are in Christ. The biggest issue, and the one we fall prey to, is that they try to tell us that we are not a child (or children) of God when we fail. This is Paul’s real message of to and for us. Not only are we the children of God, we are also becoming the children of God, and it is only by willingly and lovingly looking at the image of God in each of us (and each other) that we continually are transformed into the purified expression and image of God that is in us, and that God sees in us.

    1) Why do you think neither Cain nor Able were not noted as being in the image of a parent, while their brother was? There is no right or wrong answer that we know of, but it is a question to ponder.

    2) Why do you think people put a “veil” on? What do you think Paul is referring to in your ?

    3) Why is it important to that we are and are yet becoming children of God?

  • Asking Questions

    John 6:53–69, Colossians 2:6–10 (read online ⧉)

    We are all subject to the latest fads or the latest rumors or the latest news. Then there is the latest science news or latest health fad. It can overwhelm a person pretty quickly. The of the matter is that we are simple creatures who think they are complex. We also like to think more of ourselves than we ought.

    When Paul talks about philosophy and empty deceit, he’s talking about things that don’t give . “Give life” means something in the “Christian” world to many, but doesn’t mean much to those outside of it. This is where the real danger of philosophy and empty deceit come into play. Paul’s words were to those who believe that had come to redeem humanity, that Jesus was that one that brought life.

    Yet, at the same time, many in the church were torn by the popular and new philosophies which drew them away from the apostolic teaching. We often don’t talk about the “schools” of thinking that were common with one or two leaders having (for a time) a pronounced impact on their cities. These people would use fancy language and (what seemed like) logic to pull people into their circles. Of course, as their circles expanded, so did their influence. Their goal was their , not (necessarily) the improvement of their followers. This is what makes it empty deceit. These impressive people draw people into their sphere of influence with the offer of a new life, but it all ends up being empty.

    By no means does this mean, as some have interpreted it, the philosophy is bad. In many respects, the vast deepening of Christian philosophy may indeed be what the church needs to reach the world and expand God’s . Philosophy will often ask that need to be asked, yet many do not want to ask. That is one of the gifts that philosophy has for the church.

    The insight we have regarding philosophy and empty deceit comes from Peter, “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of life.”

    1) How do (Simon) Peter’s words apply to philosophy? How do they apply to empty deceit?

    2) What is the difference between “” deceit and “empty” deceit? Why does it matter?

  • Drift Away

    Isaiah 49:8–13, John 4:3–14, Hebrews 2:1–4

    Has the so-called Christmas euphoria finally died down for you? If this was more of a “blue” (i.e., one of mourning, , or depression), are you relieved that you don’t feel the pressure of “keeping up” appearances?

    Christmas, as with many other family occasions (weddings, baptisms, birthdays, funerals, etc.), always comes with a mixture of emotions. No single emotion could ever completely cover our experiences for Christmas. This is not to deny that it is God’s love that is the overarching ultimate emotion, but that we human beings experience more than just love.

    The promise conveyed in Isaiah is that God’s coming and is so much more than just the immediate. This is why accepting and embracing (not necessarily enjoying) all the emotions that come with this time of year is important. For without all the emotions—especially the negative ones—the grace and magnificence of God’s grace misses much of the transformative .

    Isaiah’s words do lead to some , though. How are pastures possible on barren heights? How do people not starve or thirst under scorching sun? As in the case with much of the , it can be easy to over-spiritualize the Scriptures, especially when we don’t understand them. Yet, when taken in the context with salvation and covenant, the spiritual aspects seem to be the focus, rather than our needs.

    It is not a great stretch, especially when we take into account Jesus’ words to the woman at the Well of Jacob. In fact, it is Jesus’ words that guide us to equate not being hungry and not thirsting to the spiritual gift of the Living Water. Never thirsting? At the well that gave water for generations of Israelites the physical has been and is being , only the spiritual remains. We all understand that the immediate, “earthly”, “worldly”, “physical” impact us significantly. It is the spiritual that outlasts, but we often overlook or neglect it.

    The writer of Hebrews wants to make sure that people do forget or “drift away”. The imagery is that of things that were originally floating next to (or with) each other, but just sort of drifted away. In other words, the author of Hebrews is here more concerned about the incidental, accidental, careless, negligent and other “not deliberate” actions away from the faith and the .

    Regardless of our emotional state or the emotional states of those around us, we are not to allow ourselves to drift away from the life- nature and our understanding of God, no matter how far the world and our emotions want to pull us away from God.

    1) What recently has “encouraged” you to drift away from God?

    2) What are areas that regularly lead you to drift away?

    3) Life can throw a lot of things at you, and many of them unpleasant (at best). How do you keep yourself focused on God, on not on other things?