Devotion.al

Tag: Scriptures

  • Things Change

    Things Change

    Exodus 20:1–6; Numbers 21:4–9; 2 Kings 18:1–4

    The Ten Commandments has been a political and religious hot potato for years. There are a number of times various parties have used the Ten Commandments to score political points. There have been those that state that the Ten Commandments are what the Constitution is based on. Some have even made, it seems, a political career about Ten Commandment statues and placements.

    Many Christians (cultural and actual) have claimed if we were to just follow the Ten Commandments, we would be fine. Yet, in the case of the statue above, the Ten Commandments seemed to have become more of an , rather than a definer of a with God.

    In the Ten Commandments, God directs that the Israelites should not create an object of worship that resembles something created. This is so that people are not deceived by stone and wood, and that their hearts pursue the God who creates all and is uncreated.

    Something strange happens later. God directs Moses to create the bronze serpent. This is an object made to resemble a created being. Depending on how one interprets the Ten Commandments, this directive violates the Ten Commandments.

    The nuance is that the bronze serpent was not meant to be worshiped. It was a symbol of God’s , , and , and a reminder that the Israelites were reliant upon God. The serpents were a punishment. The bronze serpent a tool of healing and a symbol of grace and mercy.

    However, as many good things do, the good became bad. The symbol of God’s grace, mercy, and healing became the exact kind of object that was prohibited by the Ten Commandments…an object of worship.

    There are many good things in the world. Many of them (trees, mountains, animals, etc.) have become objects of worship and have been elevated in human thinking to the level of a god. This perversion of their nature does not make them bad, just as the perversion of the bronze serpent did not make it automatically bad.

    The story of the bronze serpent, however, is a morality tale that any God-follower should pay attention to. There are many who appear to hold the , the Ten Commandments, the in a way that is worship. This is where a non-church attender could reasonably say, “I can worship God in the middle of a stream, better than in a building with a whole bunch of hypocrites.”

    The moral of the story is that anything that was once good can become bad. Something that once led us to God can become our god instead. Something that used to give us the language to talk about God can become a barrier to the story of God.

    This is a serious matter. It also is not a new issue. One of the gifts that the Reformation gave us (along with many not-so-good things) is the concept of Semper Reformanda, always reforming. In other words, we should always be looking for anything—even the stuff we think is good—that keeps us from or inhibits our relationship with God.

    ※Questions※

    1) What does reform mean to you?

    2) What can you think of that is objectively good, but can also inhibit a healthy relationship with God?

    3) Why is the story of the bronze serpent important to your life as a follower of and a member of Christ’s Body on Earth (the church)?

    ※Prayer※

    Heavenly Father, help us to chisel away any hardness or edge or characteristic that prevents us from fully following and worshiping you. Amen.

  • Prayer Filled

    Prayer Filled

    Psalm 19; Matthew 6:7–15; Romans 8:18–27

    We decided to get “weight management” dog food for our dog. She is a little overweight. Strangely (and this should have been a big clue), she got a greater volume of food with the “diet” food than with her food. Instead of a cup-and-a-half per meal, she got 2 cups per meal.

    Anyone who understands basic physiology would understand that the more food one eats, the stomach “learns” and expands. Our dog has become accustomed to the larger amount of food and had made it quite clear that she is hungrier than she used to be. Not a real help for losing weight.

    It is, however, why the “diet” food requires more volume than the regular food that is of importance…filler. The manufacturer puts more “filler” into the food, so that the dog is “deceived” into thinking they’re getting enough food. At least in our dog’s case, that trick doesn’t seem to work.

    Often, we fill our prayers to God with filler. We deceive ourselves that the amount of words mean that we are praying better. Sometimes, it’s with the standard speaking filler words such as: uh, um, like, okay, and. Other times it’s filled with: Father, God, , Holy , Father God.

    It seems strange to consider God’s names as filler. If we were to speak to people in front of us using their name in every sentence, it would get awkward quickly. When it comes to prayer, specifically public prayer, filler has become the norm.

    The prayer filler, in this case, isn’t automatically bad. It does indicate, however, that we may need to re-learn lessons from the .

    The Psalms are short and long. The longest, Psalm 119, is a poem using the letters of the Hebrew alphabet as a starting point. Don’t use that as your determiner of prayer length. Psalm 19 isn’t really a prayer yet verses 12–14 summarize what a prayer could contain. It has breadth. It also has limits.

    The words, in many respects, are less important than “the meditation of the .” The groanings of our innermost being (Romans 8:26) gets to God. We don’t need to use lots of words, for the Holy Spirit is with us.

    However, often this becomes, spew it out, let God sort it out. When it comes to the “groanings”, we seem to operate this way, but ‘s groanings were wordless (or there are no words to say it), not lots of words.

    Perhaps the greatest of the Lord’s Prayer is organization. We have a pattern. As we publicly or privately pray, let’s look to the Lord’s Prayer as our map. The Lord’s Prayer is simple. It is deep and profound. Yet, it is simple. Jesus’ preamble about the many words use gives us some boundaries for our prayers. We get what to pray for and how not to pray.

    ※Questions※

    1) In keeping with “the meditation of the heart”, what is the state of your heart when you pray?

    2) Do you organize your prayers and petitions, or do you just speak? What is the difference between rote and organized prayer?

    3) Is silent prayer ineffective? Why do we seem to judge the of our prayers by the number of the words we speak, rather than by the heart with which we speak?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy Spirit, guide the meditations of hearts and the words from our mouths to be holy and sanctified prayers that bring you, the Holy Trinity, glory and . Amen.

  • Sorté

    Sorté

    “And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy , you’re just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn’t get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you’ve kept up the tradition—traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God’s Law handed to you by angels—gift-wrapped!—and you squandered it!”

    At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the of Man standing at God’s side!”

    Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them.

    As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, “Master Jesus, take my life.” Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to , “Master, don’t blame them for this sin”—his last words. Then he died.

    Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.

    That set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day!

    And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what in the city!” —Acts 7:54–8:8 (The Message)

    Normally, I would quote a longer piece of the , but the way The Message conveys this is too important to leave it to our preferred translations, for it speaks in our everyday language. Two sentences in particular:

    “Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus.”

    This whole COVID/Corona season we’ve had “home base” completely disrupted. Whether it’s working from home, not working, or other “homes”, such as the church building, and the friends’ living rooms being prohibited, it has been quite a time.

    As things have progressed, working from home for many became a prison rather than an escape. Not being able to go places became its own struggle. Even those who consider themselves homebodies want to get out.

    The reality is that we all seek a “base”. We want a place to feel safe. We want a place to be “home”. We want a place to be “”.

    In this case, however, perhaps “base” is actually what we don’t want. A better way to say it might be that for us to in gifts and graces we need to step off (or out of) the “base”.

    Notice that it was after being cast out from Jerusalem (home base), Jesus was being preached. After leaving the safe confines of “home” they began to preach. Something about being out of their comfort zone caused them to share about Jesus.

    ※Questions※

    1) What might the lesson be for us regarding “home base” and the world in this time we find ourselves in?

    2) Why did losing “home” seem to loosen tongues and hearts for Jesus?

    3) How does comfort or normal inhibit sharing the Gospel?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord Jesus, we offer our comfort to you that we might use it, or lose it, to fulfill your will. Amen.

  • Heart Mission

    Heart Mission

    Heart

    8 September 2020

    2 Chronicles 7:12–18; Matthew 9:1–8; Acts 3:1–10

    times and services have often been called “aches and pains time”. The implication being that we often ask for healing for the aches and pains of our bodies. This can be from the innocuous pulled muscle to cancer.

    It’s not that we are called to pray for these things, we are. What it does mean is that we often dedicate the most powerful time we have, prayer, to physical ailments. It also means that we as if we have no place in the healing process unless we are some kind of medical professional.

    However, we all have the ministry of reconciliation. Through his death on the cross, opened the way for us to be to God. This means that as Jesus-followers we also have a ministry of reconciliation.

    There are many kinds of reconciliation. We often keep the type of long-term prejudices and harm in the reconciliation “circle”. Yet, that limits reconciliation.

    Reconciliation is also the action of healing hearts and emotions (and ultimately, souls) of pains that keep people separated from God. We are not all medical professionals. We are all children on God.

    This means that Jesus has given us the task to be healers. Often, this means being healers in the midst of our own pain, fear, and anger. When we seek to heal while still suffering ourselves, we can only rely upon the grace and of God to be healing agents on earth.

    When we read the with such miraculous healings, we can be overwhelmed with what we cannot do. Jesus said that we would do greater things. We are able to. Medical science can heal the body, but only a being can heal the heart.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we be your healing agents in the world. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) What kind of healing of heart/mind/soul have you needed, either now or previously?

    2) What are “types” of reconciliation that you can think of? Which kinds should Jesus-followers be part of?

  • Protected

    Protected

    Protected

    6 September 2020

    Amos 7:10–17; Habakkuk 2:2–17

    Critique and criticism sound very similar. They are often confused and misused. That they have the same root certainly doesn’t help. Critique and criticism, however, have different intents.

    Critique is a thoughtful analysis of something with pointers provided for improvement. The pointers are intended to perfect one’s craft and are meant for self-improvement by the recipient.

    Criticism is often less thoughtful and often a more emotional commentary of something. Unlike critique, the starting point is negative and is less about improving the other and more about lifting up the self.

    The harsh words of the prophets were often viewed as criticism. Though there was anger and grief in the words (for God was angry and grieving), the intent was never the destruction of the Israelites or Jews. The intent was always to have them improve by throwing away their false and disregard of God.

    The harshness came from the constant ignoring that occurred. The Israelites and Jews never seemed to be convinced by gentle and loving words. Before we criticize them, however, we need to critique ourselves.

    One of the traits of humanity is the automatic assumption that critique is criticism. This is more a reflection of our own tendencies to criticize rather than critique. This is an important thing to recognize, for this also means we are often not open to improvement.

    Our Christian walk is significantly impacted by this, as it means we are not open to even the guiding us into all Truth, let alone feedback from our faith . Our progressive sanctification (becoming more holy, or more like God) hinges on the surrendering of our will, and, perhaps more importantly, our ego and super-ego (to use Freud’s terms).

    The human tendency is to protect our ego and super-ego. We don’t want to . We want to change, but not us. Any change we experience, we want to be without .

    We all understand intellectually that this is unreasonable while we still seek to protect ourselves. In egotistical self-defense, we will that any critique is actually criticism and an attempt to harm us. We can look at social media, normal media, and see that exact behavior played out.

    The Israelites were no different. They wanted to grab onto a dream the Jerusalem and the Promised Land were protected spaces and that they would come to no harm. They held onto this despite the surrounding threats.

    By sending the prophets, he sought to help them see the error of their ways. Instead, they tell Amos to not prophesy against Israel. Habakkuk announced their egotistical ways and they opposed him.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord , as we read about the lives of others in the Scriptures, help us to see our own failures in a brighter than theirs, and guide us into the righteous life with you. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Think of the cultural issues currently surrounding us. Are we really all that different than the Israelites?

    2) If the things around are being allowed by God, how should we be viewing them?

    3) Thinking of critique and criticism, how can you improve your ability to receive and deliver critique, especially concerning spiritual matters?

  • Bound Emotion

    Bound Emotion

    Bound Emotion

    4 September 2020

    Ezekiel 24:15–27; Jeremiah 16:5–9

    There is something unusual about marriage. For whatever reason, a man and a woman have a special kind of that transcends logic. There is a deep spiritual aspect to it that is part of the marriage ritual, “what God has joined let man not separate.”

    While this is the ideal, we are all far from the ideal. As much as there are men and women who are “2-become-1”, there are a great many couples were 1 plus 1 equals neither 1 nor 2. In most such cases, barring miraculous intervention, the couple separates.

    A few decades ago, the concept of “no-fault” divorce was invented. In reality, it mostly seems to have been an “agreement” that the reason for the divorce was something other than infidelity (whether of sexual or other nature) and that it was okay. This was a “thumb the nose” at the church, but it was also a recognition that the church often failed to understand this sacred institution.

    The deep deception of “no-fault” divorce was the perception that “no-fault” meant “no hurt”. Divorce hurts. Sometimes it is the path to divorce. Sometimes it is the event. Sometimes it is the result. Sometimes it’s all of it.

    There is something deep within us that understands marriage is not to be trifled with. This is why younger generations are putting it off, even while cohabitating. This is also why same-gender marriage became a cultural phenomenon.

    Despite powerful and public peoples’ often peculiar and sometimes alliance driven marriages, most normal people see something transcendent in marriage. Even in this day and where divorce in the church is as high (if not higher) as the culture around. There is still something.

    Imagine then what it would be like to receive the message as Ezekiel did. While you may have received, for example, the news that a loved one was going to die, or even suddenly died, you had the ability to grieve. Ezekiel was commanded to not grieve. Just as he would soon bury his wife, he would bury his feelings.

    Males are, granted, more likely to tuck their feelings away. However, just as we are often tempted or even driven to disobey when commanded to do (or not do) something, imagine Ezekiel being commanded to not grieve, which probably made the loss of his wife even more pronounced on his .

    While the do not say that Ezekiel stands figuratively in the place of God, it does make sense. The precious bride (Israel) is about to die (conquered and exiled). This is a result of sin and corruption. God, therefore, cannot grieve for God’s was denied. If God were to grieve, God might protect Israel once more, allowing it to fall even more deeply into depravity.

    This gets even darker in Jeremiah’s words. Jeremiah is banned from lamenting with any family who has lost a loved one. In other words, lamentation has become a luxury. The of lamentation has been taken away. The gifts of consolation, commiseration, and sympathy have also been taken away. Through their disobedience, the deepest loss is now only a fact. Hearts and feelings must be set aside.

    ※ Prayer ※

    Father God, we are thankful for your never-ending mercy. us the and discernment to be bearers of your , mercy, and love for all of those who are grieving in these days. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) What does it mean to lament, to you? How is that different from being sad or grieving, if anything?

    2) Have you ever repressed really strong emotions? Why? What were the lingering effects?

    3) In Jewish/Israelite society, grief and lament were semi-public community events. How did that work in the church pre-COVID? How does it work now?

  • Flying Free?

    Flying Free?

    Isaiah 28:14–22; Luke 4:14–21

    “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.”

    ― Corrie ten Boom

    What does it mean to be a captive? What does it mean to be free?

    In the ongoing COVID season this isn’t quite straightforward. Many people feel captive in their homes (voluntary or not) and captive to government. In , many are proclaiming their (in the US, at least) and acting out some sort of resistance.

    One of the things though about both captivity and freedom is that often what is captivity to one is freedom to another. Take the opening quote from Corrie ten Boom. Certain people live their believe that they are free to hate. feel free after they have relieved the hate.

    Which person is correct? Both versions are correct…from a certain point of view.

    Take the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They felt themselves to be free after they had, effectively, made an agreement (so-to-speak) with the god Mot, the Canaanite god of . What is particularly interesting is that Mot was the adversary of Baal, the Canaanite god of life and fertility.

    Baal had long been a god the Israelites then the Jews kept returning to in lieu of God. That in the face of the pending Assyrian regional dominance they chose the antithesis of Baal is truly strange. However, being allied with the god of death was thought to be a shield from surrounding enemies.

    The Jews seemed to view God as their captor. They chose the “freedom” of other gods. As they learned to their dismay, God freed them from…his protection. They learned that the freedom they longed for was actually the chains of captivity.

    Without question, in the middle of these verses from Isaiah the tested stone, precious cornerstone, sure foundation is , at least from a Christ-centered point of view. Jesus is the sure foundation.

    While the Jews are making their alliance with death, God is setting the groundwork for True life…the Messiah.

    When we read the Gospels, we often infer that Jesus is setting all the Jews free from religious trappings and false teachings. He is. However, we should primarily be looking at ourselves to see what Jesus wants to free us from.

    We each have burdens we bear. We each have scars that we have hidden (some well, some not). We also have many things that we believe are freeing but have really become burdens and chains. The problem often is that we view so much from the perspective, and not God’s.

    It’s not that we are God. We do have the to guide us. As we the freedom, let us recall that what we view as right or as a right may not be what God seeks for or from us. It may lead us away from God and into chains.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, open our eyes to your freedom. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) What is a freedom you appreciate? How could it also be a chain of captivity?

    2) What is a cornerstone? How does that apply to Jesus?

  • What a Feast!

    What a Feast!

    Matthew 22:1–14; John 6:53–58

    When you’ve been invited to a party or some sort of celebration, have you ever received a little card that had you select from entree and/or other options? Or have you been to a buffet and been overwhelmed by the selection (or underwhelmed)?

    Over the years there have been many tales of what the feasts in Heaven would look like. Some have used it to recruit people to their or . For many, a gathering of barbecues every day would be fantastic. So, of course, that’s would be what Heaven would be like (all the social introverts just shuddered)!

    Making assumptions about things like that is often unwise, as it can lead to weird thoughts and even bad theology. The more serious part of that is that the primacy of feasts in the is not to be diminished. This is especially true when we remember the feast that Jesus left to fill the gap while we for his .

    The feast that we have, though, is peculiar. Those who have been long in the church have been inured to the strangeness that is the . As we read in John…eating human flesh and drinking human blood? If someone came to you and said that…how would you respond?

    We read this and we immediately translate it into Christian language and thinking. If someone like Jeffrey Dahmer (real- cannibal) or Hannibal Lecter (fictional cannibal) said something like this, we would not have such a Christianized response. That is the horror and revulsion that his hearers and likely even his disciples felt when they heard these words.

    The Christian side of it is that we see the “spiritual” side of this as perfectly reasonable. We do have to keep in mind that for years Christians were accused of cannibalism because of the words of Jesus, and the regular Feast.

    The Christian side of it also continues in two ways. First, by associated with blood, Jesus was associating with the Jewish belief of life was in the blood (from Levitical law). Second, by associating with the bread, Jesus was tying himself to the daily necessity (and often only food) of bread.

    Lastly, though not often talked about, is the Jewish concept of eating the of God. This was the Jewish practice of licking (literally) off a slate upon which Scripture was written (the Shema would make the most sense) with honey poured on it. There is some historical question if this was a 1st Century thing or if it developed later. However, there is some precedence from Ezekiel 3:3 who ate the word of God on a scroll.

    Also, we understand that Jesus was the incarnate word of God (John 1:1–4). Thus, eating the word of God takes on a completely different understanding.

    Especially now, when we are not taking Communion (Eucharist/Love Feast) in the communal way we have in the recent past, it is even more important to understand the gravitas of it. It isn’t just a little juice and a wafer (or bread)…it is the Word of God.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, John Wesley taught us that your feast is a means by which you deliver your grace to us. Let us not take it for granted and approach your banquet table with thanksgiving [eucharistia]. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) How would you explain the why of Communion to a non-believer? How do you explain “eating flesh and drinking blood” without it sounding weirder than it already does?

    2) Thinking of the king’s feast (Matthew 22:1–14), what does this tell you about coming to “the table” for communion?