Devotion.al

Tag: resurrection

  • Seashell Summer

    Seashell Summer

    Matthew 3:1–13; Mark 10:35–40; John 13:1–11; 1 Peter 3:18–22 (read online ⧉)

    What is one thing you think of when it comes to Summer? How about a Summer trip or vacation? Today is the first day of Summer. Today is also National Seashell Day, in of trips to the ocean being the summer trip that many people take.

    For those of us more familiar with coastal , the sea may not represent the most interesting thing. For many, it is a place of recovery and peace. For others, it is a place of and majesty (there really is nothing like a on the Pacific coast). For others still, it is a place of family and fun. Then for others, it represents the most dreaded time of all, concentrated time with family.

    The seashell actually has a place in the Christian world, too. If you are familiar with Lutheran, Episcopal/Anglican, and Roman Catholic baptism traditions, it is not uncommon for the priest to pour water over an infant 3 times using a seashell invoking, “In the name of the Father (pour 1), and in the Son (pour 2), and in the Holy Spirit (pour 3).”

    Where and how the seashell (in particular the Scallop seashell) was tied to baptism is tied to 2 men. The first would be St James the Greater who supposedly used the seashell to beg for alms on his pilgrimage, allowing even the poorest person to feel generous and able to give. How this exactly would have gotten tied to baptism is a , so is unlikely.

    The other likely avenue is St. Augustine, who had a vision of a boy trying to empty the sea with a seashell. After suggesting the boy why of this pointless activity, the boy retorted why are you trying to comprehend the entirety of the mystery of the Trinity. This as some greater weight, tying in water, pouring of water, and the Trinity. Still, someone would have had to make a huge leap.

    There is another theory that John the Baptist used such to “aid” in baptism. However, one of our Jewish friends made a valid point that John would not have used an “unclean” (or non-Kosher) item to do such. Of the 3, the tie to Augustine makes the most sense.

    However, there appear to be mosaics and frescos that predate Augustine that still have the seashell. Take your favorite theory and it’s fine. Just note that using a seashell for baptism is not mentioned in the Bible, so it is neither necessary nor forbidden.

    The methods of performing baptism (immersion once, immersion thrice, pouring, drawing the cross, infant, child, confessing, adult) have long been an issue in the church. It is one well wrestling over for it is a command of Jesus. Yet, seashells are a weird non-sequitur, and there may be others you can think of. Such traditions and symbols can be valuable, but only if used and explained.

    While denominations have been formed over methods and timing of baptism, none of them deny the significance of baptism. Wesleyans (such as the Church of the Nazarene, of which Generations is a part) believe that baptism is an outward sign (public profession) of inner faith. Other traditions hold that baptism is the act by which a person (particularly a child) is irrevocably sealed to the family of God. There are myriads of understandings.

    What isn’t up for debate is whether one should be baptized. The symbolism of death and . The public profession of faith. The commandment of Jesus. All are part of the Christian journey and life.

    One thing to leave you with. The (inherited from the Jews) is baptism in “living” water. If you do make a trip to the sea or rivers, take some and your baptism.

  • 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 discern True teaching versus false. While many divisions in the have been over interpretation and 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, 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 . In other words, the free and grace-filled gift of Jesus’ death and resurrection 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 Spirit [all 3 being the Trinity]. Then Jesus died for all on the cross and was resurrected, to free us from sin (including the Law). There is also the spirit of love 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 and division of false teachers, for we can learn 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 , so that we would not be led astray. Lord, help us to trust your Word over our desires, that we might finish strong to the . Amen.

    ※※

    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?

  • Waiting in Trust

    Waiting in Trust

    John 16:5–15; Acts 1:1–8 (read online ⧉)

    for the promise to be fulfilled.

    Jesus directed his disciples to wait. They couldn’t even wait when Jesus was with them after the Resurrection. “Hey, Jesus, are we going to take over the world, now?”

    Of course, they really didn’t say that. Not even close. However, restoring the Kingdom of Israel was, from a Jewish , much the same thing. The Kingdom of Israel wasn’t just a nation. It was a God-blessed nation.

    When they thought of a God-blessed nation, they were thinking that power and wealth would be restored to the Jews. The Romans would no longer be the occupiers. The Jews would once again occupy the place the belonged on the world stage.

    Except, Jesus poked that balloon. “Sorry, the ‘s got something planned, and…you don’t get to know the entirety of the plan.” Can you imagine that? They don’t get to know the whole plan.
    Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Right now we are in the midst of trying to make plans while being undeniably confronted with the reality that all our plans are…fluid. We know that we don’t know what is going to happen. We still plan and dream, however.

    The disciples weren’t even really trying to plan. God was writing a new page, and they didn’t know what to expect. They had to .

    In a few weeks (May 31st), the (the whole church, the of Christ) will have a birthday…. That promised counselor would everything. In the meantime, they had to wait.

    Sometimes we’re a little hard on them. We see what happened. These people, by and large, were the out-of-the-loop kind of folks. Nothing earth-shattering would happen with them. They were barely educated. They were not from the of Judah. They weren’t tied to the powerful. In fact, the powerful didn’t want much to do with them.

    We do know that there had been a false Messiah from the region prior to Jesus. So, there was also the likely weight of the false Messiah, plus this guy who rose from the dead. Everything was new.

    Just wait. Just trust. Be willing to trust and wait. Our world could use a lot of that now.

    ※ Prayer ※
    Lord, as the world twists itself in an anxious circle, help us to be the unanxious ones. Guide our hearts and minds to not be anxious and trust in your timing and your plan, not of which is ours. Amen.

    ※ ※
    1) What are you waiting for?
    2) Does your waiting require trust? If so, how’s that trust doing?
    3) What are you doing in your wait? Are you preparing and making plans for when the brakes are loosed?

  • Oath Busting

    Oath Busting

    Genesis 13:1–18; Numbers 13:30–14:4; Numbers 14:36–45 (read online ⧉)

    God had made a to Abraham. As God is the make of the promise, following yesterday’s devotion, it was an oath. Abraham’s descendants would flourish in the land that Abraham would walk.

    At the time of Lot’s and Abraham’s separation, the land that Lot had chosen was the better land. The lesser, more difficult land was Abraham’s. Yet, it was on this lesser more difficult land that God would build a with God’s name on it.

    After many years, Abraham’s descendants had finally arrived to “take” the land. The tribes that had flourished with the absence of Abraham’s descendants certainly weren’t going to be willing or eager to just hand the land over. As far as they, the current inhabitants, were concerned this was their gods’ land. The Israelites were nothing.

    Even those technically related were just as harsh to the Israelites. Yet, there was an oath made by God. Perhaps the oath was no longer valid. Perhaps God broke the oath.

    This is where it gets interesting for us, too. When God made the oath, there was no promise of easy or being able to just get the land. The Israelites had to work for it, too.

    This is also the case for us. God calls us to be his people. God made an oath to always be with us. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy. In fact, part of being with us was part of telling us that things would be hard.

    The Israelites, just like us, weren’t going to have anything to do with this difficult stuff. They wanted the easy street. At one point, God tells the Israelites about when they will worship and sacrifice with produce they didn’t plant, with labor they didn’t spend. They had to value the fulfillment of God’s oath.

    Instead, they decided that they were going to break the oath. It might sound a tad harsh. However, it wasn’t God that decided that the oath wouldn’t be . They decided it.

    So, God “accepted” their decision, and gave the consequences. And they decided to try to break that, too. Moses also makes a point to them, that is also for us. God wasn’t with them. They would fail. If only they hadn’t tried to break the oath (that wasn’t theirs to break) in the first place.

    ※ A Prayer of Billy Graham ※
    …Father, we thank You for the promise and of [the future], and we look to it with expectancy and faith. This [we] in the name of our Lord and Savior, who by His and has given us hope both for this world and the world to come. [Amen]

    ※ ※
    1) Have you ever had someone try to break the oath or promise of another person? What was the situation? How did it work out?
    2) Why would a person try to break the oath or promise of another person?
    3) What can the short-, medium-, and long-term consequences of promise- and oath-breaking?

  • A Different Kind of Backsliding

    A Different Kind of Backsliding

    Acts 10:30–47; Acts 15:5–12; Galatians 2:11–16 (read online ⧉)

    Peter was called/sent to the first “real” Gentile converts, post-. There is some fuzziness in this as we cannot that there were no other Gentile converts. The likelihood was that they, prior to Cornelius, were converts to Judaism first.

    This is an important distinction, as there seemed to be no question of Cornelius’ devotion to God. However, the language and framing of the story draw the conclusion that Cornelius had not done a full conversion to Judaism.

    In the earlier part of the story, Peter invited the servants of Cornelius (likely Gentiles themselves) inside for lodging, and one would presume food. Already, Peter seemed to have a clue about his earlier vision about clean versus unclean (Acts 10:1–29). He dared (against more rigid Jewish protocol) to provide shelter and food for Gentiles.

    Later, as the church spreads, the conflicts between Jewish expectations and Gentile realities start to affect the of the church in doctrine, rule, and expectation. So, they had a meeting. Who knows how long the meeting really was. It does feel like it was abbreviated in the .

    Peter stood up and familiarized or reminded people of his story. While we (rightfully) call the Apostle to the Gentiles, Peter was the first. As the “rock” of the church, Peter had a first among equal standing. His words carried weight. James, too, as one of the original Apostles also had significant weight.

    With this as the groundwork, it would seem completely obvious that everything was resolved, and that the Law was finally as a guide and a history, and not the road of salvation.

    Except…apparently that was only for a time. The list of people Paul accuses of backsliding is interesting: Peter (the “first” Apostle to the Gentiles), James (the Apostle that gave a further argument in defense of Gentile requirements), Barnabas (partner in Gentile travels with Paul). There were also others that had backslid into the Law.

    This is not a minor issue, hence Paul’s concern, and his willingness to put ink to paper to exclaim it. Reverting to the practices of the Law denied ‘ . It also separated Jew from Gentile, which was, it seems, Paul’s biggest issue.

    The bloodline that separated Jew from Gentile was erased by the blood of Jesus. This division was unreasonable and opposed the . Paul did not just let it stand.

    The truth is that it is easy for any of us to fall into old habits and thought patterns, especially those that were experienced during childhood or under the influence of personally significant people. It is not unexpected that Peter would revert to those tendencies, nor the others. Paul didn’t seem particularly surprised, just upset.

    Apparently, this was resolved, yet this kind of thing is forever a shadow in the church.

    ※ Prayer ※
    , Son, and Holy Spirit, constantly guide us in all Truth. Shape and form us to be better conformed to your will. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※
    1) What is an old religious habit that you keep fighting? Is it a “rule” or a way of thinking?
    2) What do you think the original intent of the “rule” or way of thinking was?
    3) What does the cast of characters tell us about ourselves and the church? What does it show how we are to correct or admonish one another?

  • A Busy In Between

    Psalm 30; Luke 11:29–32; 1 Corinthians 15:50–58; 1 Peter 3:18–22 (read online ⧉)

    This is the day the LORD has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.
    Psalm 118:24

    I believe in Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
    He was conceived by the of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
    He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again to judge the and the dead.
    From the Apostle’s Creed

    Easter has happened. Cries of, “He is Risen!” and “He is Risen, Indeed!” abounded. Yet, there is a between death and resurrection. Holy Saturday was a day of uneasiness, grief, morning, and shock, but what about Jesus? Jesus was very busy, apparently.

    Unlike those who had died and came back to (such as, Lazarus), who knows what their time was after their death and before Jesus or the prophets brought them back to life. That is, curiously, not discussed in the Scriptures. Curiously, because such a death-defying moment must have had something share. There are thoughts, of course, that their mouths were sealed from talking about, or the experience was so profound it was impossible to explain (though that one would still mean stories). It could even be that they experienced no passage of time at all, so the whole question was moot.

    Jesus, on the other hand, was certainly not quiet in that time. Peter describes him as (basically) bringing the Gospel to the dead and setting them free from the bondage of (sin and) death. No for Jesus!

    One of the biggest arguments against Jesus and the Resurrection and the of God is the whole concept that people were condemned to separation from God before Jesus became incarnate, lived, died, buried, and resurrected. However, Peter tells us that this isn’t the case at all! The first thing Jesus did…go some people. Jesus went to the dead people first.

    Jesus said, “Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?, He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” (Matthew 22:31–32)

    Our concept of death is not God’s. Death overhangs our lives. The entirety of the COVID crisis is the fear of death of our bodies, and also all the little deaths (e.g., physical distancing) that appear to be going along with it. Death is not something that we can overcome. Only God can do that. What happens to us when we die is one thing, what Jesus did when he died is another thing completely. However, when God chooses to die for us, to liberate us from sin and death, where might the sting of death truly be?

    Gracious God, give us wisdom and guidance as we try to understand the mysteries of who you are. Allow us, Lord, to hear of your love and in your Word and apply these first to our minds as we seek to read and understand. Amen.

    1) Paul’s death-defying words are inspiring, however, we have all felt the sting of death. Does Paul lie, do we misunderstand, or is there something else going on?

    2) Do you think that Jesus’ words (Matthew 22:31–32) mean that people don’t really die, or what else might it mean?

    3) What does it mean to you that Jesus first went to the dead, rather than his disciples and friends?

  • Die to Resurrect

    Psalm 98; Micah 7:7–9, 18–20; 1 Timothy 6:11–20 (read online ⧉)

    Micah’s unwavering loyalty and in God can be hard to swallow for many. Micah believes that he can wait for and trust in God.

    What is fascinating with Micah’s words is that he admonishes his who is gloating over Micah’s fallen state. Micah doesn’t defend himself. In fact, he openly and forthrightly acknowledges that he has sinned against God. What a fantastic pattern that we should all follow! When we hide our sins in the dark, they can fester and rot deep within us. Yet, when we shine the light on them, they cease to rot. The consequences may be awful and shameful, but the light cleanses them.

    Micah owned his transgressions. Micah owned the consequences.

    Micah believed that God would redeem and rescue him. He had decided to wait upon God’s timing for his restoration. That is often courageous for us when we are in the midst of trials and tribulations. Micah was in the middle of them, too.

    The redemptive that Micah had of God was immense. He understood that God’s and were beyond comprehension. In addition to his own , he looked to the redemption of his people…of God’s people. Micah understood that the people were far off from God. Micah also understood that God’s faithful and unfailing love was always waiting to Resurrect the repentant heart.

    While the Jews had the Law to define the particulars of their holy calling, gentiles (non-Jews) still had the (the Image of God) in them telling them deep down what they were doing was not in line with the Creator of the universe, even when they didn’t understand. Hence that is why Paul talks to Timothy about fleeing from much of what is common to the temptation of humankind. Timothy was both Greek and Jew (thus dirty to both “sides” of the family). He probably has some awareness of the Jewish Law, but he would have also been quite familiar with what was common (and considered acceptable) in Greek/Roman circles.

    Thus Paul was calling Timothy to something greater than either bloodline or culture. He was calling Timothy to Jesus Christ. When Paul recalls Timothy’s “good” confession. Instead of confession, a better (and longer) way of saying it would be a strong, firm, public declaration of allegiance. Timothy had (effectively) declared that Jesus Christ was more important than all of that, and Paul was holding him to it. Timothy, as the “successor” to Paul and a leader in his own right, was to hold on tight to what he “confessed” he believed, and to not let others draw him away.

    Paul reminded Timothy that all that was going on now was in preparation and was before the age to come, the age of . The underlying truth being that if Timothy let go of the in the here and now, the age of Resurrection might very well not come to him.

    Timothy may not have had the depths of pain that Micah did, though it’s likely that his heart was broken at the (martyr’s) death of Paul and other Christians. For Timothy, the Resurrection life held hope in the midst of pain. The Resurrection life that Micah was expect was, without question, different in scope than Timothy was expecting. Both, however, were dependent upon a relationship with God.

    God, may we continue to place our sins and failures before you in hopeful expectation, not to avoid the consequences of our actions, but to restore and maintain right relationship with you. May your father’s heart continue to be gracious to us. May the of you, Jesus, continue to remind us of the cost, drawing us closer to you through the counsel of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

    1) How do you balance the fear of and concern for punishing or consequences with hope and faith with God?

    2) The life of a Christian is full of many little deaths. What is the latest death that you have experienced that has drawn you (or is drawing you) closer to God?

    3) There is an old saying that a coward dies a thousand deaths, and a hero only one. What is the difference between that and the deaths that a Christian experiences?

  • Resurrecting Hope

    Psalm 39; Luke 24:8–35; Acts 26:1–8 (read online ⧉)

    Brian Sanders (Executive Director of Tampa Underground) shared some very interesting thoughts regarding the Emmaus Road story.

    Cleopas and the unnamed hadn’t yet seen the Resurrected . Like any of the “outer circle” disciples, they didn’t see Jesus immediately, and many of the inner circle missed him too. So, they were “stuck” on the outside. They knew of the wrongful conviction, abuse, and death. They’d heard this impossible to belief story—from people they trusted—that Jesus had died, but was now risen!

    Sanders suggests that our 2 Emmaus Road disciples were running away from the confusing situation in Jerusalem. They were feeling overwhelmed. They were probably hurting. They were probably confused. Sanders also suggests that they were “packing” their “escape route”. The day we just celebrated, possibly people were trying to escape it.

    Sanders’ suggestion just seems wrong in so many ways. How could these disciples be so confused and hope destroyed that they were trying to escape? Yet, Sanders makes a good point in that they were leaving Jerusalem. Leaving. They weren’t joining the other disciples. They were leaving.

    They didn’t understand, not really. How many of us ourselves have been at the point where there was an internal disconnect between what we thought we knew/believed, and what we think we should have known? That point in our lives that we started to run away in some small way: alcohol, drugs, partying, gambling, videos, gaming, even reading.

    Then Jesus shows up. That’s a pretty common story in the world. It’s a pretty common story in the world outside of Christians, but far too many people are self-blinding and cannot (or will not) see Jesus. Sometimes that is us, too. Then Jesus shows up and is changed.

    went from accuser and abuser of Christians to defender of the . He stood before people who could, at their whim, cause him to live or die. Instead of renouncing Christianity, he wouldn’t just defend, he tried to convert! Unlike the Emmaus Road disciples, Paul wasn’t hopeless or lost when he met Jesus. Quite the contrary. Paul was a rising star in the Jewish world. He was going to fix this minor annoying Nazarene sect, and get them back on the right path of the Law. Paul’s conversion story is the opposite of many’s conversion stories. He is in power. He has had—to our knowledge—no qualms seeking to fix the wrong-thinking of this new sect. It on his way with even more power in his hand, that Jesus turns the script. While many convert on their knees and in desperation with nothing to lose, Paul converted when he only had something to lose, a lot of something.

    It really is the question Paul asks in Acts 26:8 that is Resurrection of hope that the Jewish people, and the world, really needed. “Why is it thought incredible by you people that God raises the dead?” Today we are told that this Resurrection is a fairy tale. In Paul’s day, it may have been far fetched, but it wasn’t unbelievable. In a time when people believed that gods could raise the dead, Paul still had to defend Jesus’ Resurrection. This should tell us something. Jesus’ Resurrection was something far greater than just a dead person coming to life! A dead person “just” coming to life wasn’t the greatest concern. It was Jesus’ Resurrection that was. The Jewish leaders knew and understood (no matter how much they opposed it), that this was no normal come-back-to-life tale.

    This means that this Resurrection is something greater. Perhaps its the kind of thing that causes those who have lost hope or who have run away from their confusion, become empowered and full of hope and faith. When those who have a Resurrection hope and faith not only turn toward what almost destroyed them; they walk (or even run) to it with the ability to overcome it with a power that comes through the restoring power of God.

    God of all mercies, grant us the power, faith, and hope to look at all the troubles of the world, whether they be distant or near, and know that through you the world can have the hope it seeks. Give us the eyes and hearts to see where we are called to be the agents of , so that the hopes of the world may find true hope through the Resurrection of Jesus. This we pray in the name of the , , and . Amen.

    1) Was your conversion at a height or at a low? Why do you think it was there, rather than the opposite? If you’ve known no other life than life with Jesus (i.e., from childhood), what cemented your faith in Jesus Christ?

    2) What are some characteristics of “Resurrection” hope versus “normal” hope? What could be the difference between Resurrection hope and Saving hope?

    3) Often we look at the weaknesses of people in the Scriptures and respond with, “glad that’s not me.” Except it is. When were you like the Emmaus Road disciples? When were you like Paul?