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Devotion.al

Tag: separate

  • Seen In Heaven

    Job 19:23–27, 2 Corinthians 12:1–6, Revelation 4:1–11 (read online)

    John Wesley and George Whitfield were once total brothers in the faith and theology. Eventually, however, there were divisions, and the amicably went their separate ways on positive terms. Yet, people still assumed that there was something more serious.

    “One day, after Whitefield’s decease, John Wesley was timidly approached by one of the godly band of Christian sisters who had been brought under his influences and who loved both Whitefield and himself:

    “‘ Dear Mr. Wesley, may I ask you a question?’
    “‘ Yes, of course, madam, by all means

    “‘ But, dear Mr. Wesley, I am very much afraid what the answer will be.’

    “‘ Well, madam, let me hear your question, and then you will know my reply.’

    “At last, after not a little hesitation, the inquirer tremblingly asked, ‘ Dear Mr. Wesley, do you expect to see dear Mr. Whitefield in heaven?’

    “A lengthy pause followed, after which John Wesley replied with great seriousness, ‘No, madam.’ “His inquirer at once exclaimed, ‘Ah, I was afraid you would say so.’

    “To which John Wesley added, with intense earnestness, ‘ Do not misunderstand me, madam; George Whitefield was so bright a star in the firmament of God’s glory, and will stand so near the throne, that one like me, who am less than the least, will never catch a glimpse of him.’”

    What will Heaven be like? There have been many books written and dreams shared. The corporeal reality is that dreams and visions are still a human attempt to understand the divine reality. How can we embodied and finite (corporeal) creatures attempt to understand the infinite and divine. Old cartoons had the dead with wings, halos, and harps. Those that are musically inclined may indeed be playing harps in eternity, but if you know any drummers, you could see that as unlikely. Those that love to speak, preach, and teach will probably be out of a job. Maybe. Perhaps they will be the ones declaring, “Holy, holy, holy.”

    Then there is the question of, “Will I see [someone] in Heaven?” Often we asked this question if we don’t know the salvation status of a person. Sometimes we wonder about ourselves. Take John Wesley. While he and Whitefield parted, he had such esteem for Whitefield (and so little for himself) that he believed that Whitefield would be so much closer to the throne of Heaven that Wesley would not see him due to the brightness of God’s glory. That person we are concerned for may indeed be in Heaven, but we may not know.

    1) For those reading this in a small group setting, let us agree that the answer to the following is spoken and shared in a safe space. What do you think Heaven will be like?

    2) Why do we concern ourselves for what comes after this life? How do you respond to those who don’t “known” what will be in the afterlife? How do you respond to those who believe there is nothing after this life?

  • Binding Ties

    1 Samuel 2:12–17, 1 Samuel 2:22–36, Matthew 10:16–23, Ephesians 6:10–20

    Who or what are the dark powers that Paul talks about in Ephesians? Perhaps they are the family members that oppose believers. Perhaps they are the family members the “dress up” in righteous clothing and whose behavior is unrighteous.

    Eli’s sons Phinehas and Hophni are the second set of “pastor’s” kids in the Scriptures (the first were Aaron’s sons) who went off the deep end. Their lack of respect for others’ sacrifices was bad just on an interpersonal level. It was a form of bullying. Was there a penalty? Yes, but that doesn’t really improve the results. How many people were scarred toward the priesthood? How many became reluctant attendees because of their behavior? This can only be thought of through conjecture. Just based on human behavior, it seems likely that the behavior of Eli’s sons caused a ripple effect of unseen damage. For cultural, societal, and religious reasons people would still go, for the cost of not going could result in ostracization.

    What kind of opposition was Jesus expecting? Families kicking out believers. Families turning in believers. Family gatherings devolving into religious arguments and divisions. Even Jesus’ own family was divided until at least after his death.

    The dark powers really are the sin of humankind. Yes, there are dark supernatural powers and influences. Sadly, however, humanity has enough darkness inside itself that outside influence is often not required to make a mess of things. Jealousy, envy, hatred are in many respect the true dark power of humanity. Along with pride, humanity will often do many things which appear to be contrary to the concept of humanity.

    Within families, the excesses often seem to be magnified. While we often think about the awkward family reunion, sometimes we find it in other “families”, whether they be fraternal orders, unions, clubs, church, Homeowners Associations, or whatever. There are always powers that work to separate the ties that bind us together.

    1) What have you experienced that tests the bonds of your relationships with others?

    2) Do you have a tendency to look at yourself or at others first when there is a problem?

    3) What is the strongest tendency you have that pushes others away from you? What is the strongest tendency you have that draws others to you?

  • The Mission Vocation

    Matthew 10:5–15, 1 Corinthians 15:1–8, Ephesians 3:8–14

    What is your mission? What is your calling?

    In the Christian world, these can be powerful questions. If we let ourselves get wrapped up in them, they can bring us down. However, if we don’t see, or choose not to see that we have a calling, then we have a different issue. There are two words that are almost used interchangeably: vocation and calling.

    Merriam-Webster defines them as:
    vocation: (1) a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action, especially a divine call to the religious life; (2) the work in which a person is employed [occupation]
    calling: (1) a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence; (2) the vocation or profession in which one customarily engages

    We can see that dividing them, by definition, is difficult. Part of it is, oddly, religious tradition. Others will say that one receives (or discerns) a calling and then joins as a vocation.
    Perhaps (not to confuse the issue), we should think of the calling as God’s nudge in our life with certain parameters. Then vocation becomes the occupation by which we fulfill the calling. Defining vocation and calling this way allows us to recognize our giftings, while not (necessarily) defining how we use them.

    The 11 original Apostles were called. Some became religious/organization leaders (vocation), while others were…actually, we don’t know. The starting point of their vocation was to reach the descendants of Israel. They were not to go to the Gentiles. It seemed, on the outset, that this was exclusionary.

    Paul had a calling to teach and lead. His initial vocation was to harass the young church. Then he had a transforming encounter with Christ, and his vocation was transformed. The call was the same.
    We are all called to be children of God. We are all called to be bearers of the light into the world of darkness. The vocation is ours to live the call out.

    1) We often confuse vocation with career. Why do you think that is?

    2) What do you think the difference is between career and vocation?

    3) Why is it important to separate call from vocation?

    4) Paul’s story shows that vocations can change. Is it time for you to find or change your vocation?

  • Pagan Response

    Ezekiel 27:1–36, Ezekiel 28:20–23, Luke 10:13–16

    To understand Jesus’ “woe” statements, one needs to understand history. While Tyre and Sidon were now (in Jesus’ time) prosperous cities, their pride, pagan behavior, and anti-Israel behavior had gotten them a lot of punishment. After Ezekiel’s prophesy, the cities weren’t washed clean, but wiped-off-the-map cleansed. Because of their geography, those locations would recover (and even retain their name), but the penalty received had been severe.

    In the time of Jesus, Tyre and Sidon were still very pagan, Las Vegas and New Orleans (during Mardi Gras) pagan. Devotion to gods or God was perfunctory at best. Money was the ruler. Yet…
    Jesus stated that those cities would have responded (positively) to the Kingdom of God, while the so-called devoted of Judah were apathetic or antagonistic!

    We look at our culture and often sadly proclaim that if they could just see Jesus, they would convert. Or if they joined the church, everything would be fine. Or (yes, foot-stomping ahead) if only prayer and the Bible would be allowed in schools again…

    The Jews had prayer. They had the Scriptures. They had “the church” (i.e., the temple and synagogues). It was all tightly integrated into their culture and their politics (more foot-stomping). Look where that got them! Chided and lectured by Jesus!

    1) Truly…are we all that different now than the Jews were then?

    2) Politicians—of all stripes—are rightly pulling and poking at our religious- and faith-strings. They see what we aren’t good at seeing…our inconsistency. They use it to bolster their kingdom. How can you separate the religious and faith truths from the political lies? How will you do that as each political group takes some, but not all, of the Christian ideology for political talking points?

    3) If the world is like Tyre and Sidon, and we are like the Chorazin and Bethsaida (the unrepentant Jewish cities), what do they (the world) see that we don’t about Jesus and the Kingdom of God?

  • Empathize and Build

    Philippians 2:19–30, Romans 15:1–7

    empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner [Merriam-Webster.com]

    Imprisoned Paul is concerned about the Philippians. More correctly, he is deeply concerned for the Philippians. Paul’s empathy is such that he appears to viscerally feel the emotional distress of the Philippians for their emissary/friend/missionary Epaphroditus. The Philippians’ distress for Epaphroditus’ health tells us how significant Epaphroditus was to the Philippians. It also shows Paul’s importance to them for them to send such a significant person.

    In the Roman era, if you did not have family or friends to take care of you, you were not going to last long. The primary care of a prisoner would be performed by those same family and friends. Epaphroditus was one of Paul’s care-givers. He was a key part of Paul’s survival. Yet, Paul viewed the Philippians’ worries of higher importance than his own. So much so, that he put their emotional welfare ahead of his own physical and emotional welfare. He also, therefore, took on their coming joy as his own.

    Paul echoes much of this in his earlier letter to the Romans. He talks about bearing the weaknesses of others so as to not please oneself. He talks about pleasing our neighbor, especially to build them up. He also says that this also means that when these people are insulted, he (or we) are also insulted.

    This is not the way of the world. The way of the world is to separate. Even as Christians, the world tries to separate us from each other, and we let the world do it.

    1) How can you build-up your empathy muscle? Why should you?

    2) How do you think empathy helps build the framily?

    3) Why do you think we avoid feeling empathy toward others?

  • Enemies and Adversaries

    Rom 2:25–29, Revelation 3:7–13

    The struggle between Jew and Christian has long been the case. Initially, there was a mix of those with good motives (e.g., preserving the “true” faith, protection from apostasy) and bad motives (e.g., pride, influence). Then there were those who regularly challenged the theology for various reasons.

    Paul regularly had to oppose them to protect the fledgling churches. Oddly, we ought to be grateful, for without opposition we might not have even had the letters that we have. One could argue that it is because of the opposition that the church grew as it did (and many do argue that to this day). Without question, opposition forced the church to figure out what it did believe, wrestling with it over generations.

    Paul struggled to separate the Jewish Laws and customs from the new Christian life, and due to the Jewish basis of Christianity it continued to be an issue. Yet, what was an issue of understanding became something much darker.

    In Revelation 3:9, John wrote “…synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews…” This phrasing, which was intended to illustrate the same struggle that Paul had, became a verse of hatred. It’s easy to see why. Seemingly tying the Jews to Satan is pretty inflammatory. Christians for generations vilified and demonized Jews based on verses like this and an erroneously singular focus on who was the root cause of Jesus’ crucifixion (the Jews, rather than all of us). Some interpreters are quick to point out that what is translated as Satan is satanas, a Greek take on the Aramaic/Hebrew word for adversary. The question for some becomes is this a proper name (the Adversary) or a descriptive name (an adversary). The reality is that there is an adversarial relationship toward the church, trying to skew its theology.

    The reason this odd historical piece is important is that the church, still, often resorts to adversarial/enemy language when discussing or interacting with those whose theology is different. We cannot behave that way, for while we were sinners (enemies of God), even before we were born, Jesus died for us. Imagine if Jesus treated us as if we were his enemy.

    1) Is there someone you have treated as an enemy, that God is calling you to love?

    2) Is there language that you have been using the frames others as the enemy or adversary? (This is beyond just not agreeing with them on something)

  • Be Strange

    Joshua 7:3–15, 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12

    The pivotal character in the book Dune at one point talks about having a “stamp of strangeness” put upon him. This stamp was definitely a different context, yet “stamp of strangeness” was and is exactly what God does to us when he calls us and we accept him.

    When the Israelites are finally about to enter the Promised Land, God calls on the Israelites to consecrate themselves. In other words, they were to emotionally, spiritually, and physically separate themselves for the work (taking, living, and thriving) in the Promised Land. This means that Egypt was a closed door. This means that they were to be separate even from their “relatives” (i.e., the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother). They were to be strange.

    Paul later tells the Thessalonians to be strange, too. In this passage, there is a cultural battle they are facing. In their larger culture, it wasn’t uncommon that a man had a wife (often a political or social marriage), a lover (intellectual and/or sexual), a concubine (generally an indentured servant or slave), and a prostitute. A man would be considered normal to have at least 3 of these, and potentially more (e.g., the number of concubines and prostitutes could vary). In some areas, this was encouraged. Heterosexual monogamy was strange. It doesn’t appear that there were specific issues that Paul was addressing, but an attitude and expectation. Just like the Israelites, Christians were to be strange.

    Due to human frailty, we often don’t want to be strange. We want to be normal. We want to fit it. While it is important to have non-Christian friends and acquaintances, it is due to the expectation of being strange that means we (as Christians) must have Christians in our most intimate (non-sexual) relationships where we are held accountable and hold others accountable.

    When we read Paul’s words today, they are strange yet again. The world is heading toward (and arguably is) a society of relationships that are not in line with God’s creation (especially sexually). One can point to a huge number of issues (and it’s not one or two) that are not only opposed to created intent but are also being found to inhibit or damage real relationships with people. Paul addresses that, too, when he talks about behaviors damaging others in the faith, and they don’t have to be participants to be damaged.

    All believers are called to be progressively sanctified. In other words, part of our Christian journey to be continually shaped by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ in partnership with fellow maturing believers. The “stamp of strangeness” grows stronger, and becomes a cross to bear in the world of the transforming nature of God.

    1) What are you actively doing to place yourself in an authentic accountable relationship? If nothing, what is holding you back?

    2) The world speaks and trumpets individuality. However, the world only celebrates “safe” individuality. What makes “Christian” individuality dangerous? Is there really such a thing is a Christian individual apart from the body of Christ?

    3) Thinking to the separation aspect, what is a place in your life that you need more separation from the world?

  • Favor of Love

    Exodus 23:3, Deuteronomy 21:15–17, James 2:1–9

    Favoritism generally does not result in good things. By good things, we don’t mean financial gain. The normal “benefits” of favoritism is gaining influence or wealth to the detriment of another, usually by showing preferential behavior to an individual.

    Most of the time, favoritism is construed as the “weaker” party trying to curry favoritism with the “stronger” party. Usually, the intent would be wealth, power, or protection.

    However, that is not the only form of favoritism. There is a form of favoritism that shows preferential treatment for the poor or disadvantaged.

    We have, with good reason, developed a methodology to aid historically disadvantaged people. It is an attempt to show favoritism to those who were shown quite the opposite for generations. Regardless of one’s political perspective, God directs us to not show favoritism.

    Now, here is the narrow path we walk. We cannot fix a broken system or broken culture, for both are made of broken people, separated from God and in broken relationship with one another.

    What we can do is love each other. What is really hard is to, but is the most important, is to love each other without favoritism. How does that work? Often, poorly. We all have our friends. We have our “groups”. That collection of people with whom we are the most comfortable. Yet, when we show favoritism, we alienate. We dehumanize. Most of all, when we show favoritism we separate the people of God’s family from each other.

    1) What do you think of the word favoritism? What thoughts come to mind?

    2) Have you ever been a victim of favoritism? Have you ever shown favoritism?

    3) Why do we show favoritism? How does favoritism damage the family of God?

  • Struggling in Unity

    John 17:20–23, Philippians 1:27–28

    E Pluribus Unum.

    If you look at US currency, most (if not all) will have this saying. In Latin, it means “Out of many, one.” While the US might be the gathering place of people of many nations, it is the church that should be living out this saying more than any entity in Creation.

    Jesus prayed that we (all the church, in all the world, in all of time) would be one, just as he (Jesus) and the Father are one. This is one of those areas of mystery and freedom for the people who make up the church. Our theology and tradition teach us that God is One. Our theology and tradition also teach us that as One, God is still (at the same time) Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In purpose and intent, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One. However, they are also separate (the great conundrum of the Trinity), which should be kind of like us.

    United in intent and love, and individual at the same time. As we can see, it hasn’t worked so well in the United States. It certainly could be worse. It certainly could be better. Jesus doesn’t give us the excuse of, “it’s a republic.” We are to be united (a perfect single unit) so that the world knows that Jesus is the Messiah. This is not so the world knows we are Christians or good people, or we’re “saved”. Unity is the testimony that Jesus is who he says he is.
    Paul takes unity and puts it as a symbol of trusting in the Gospel. In other words, Paul is saying, “you’re preaching it, but do you believe it?”

    The church in general and even Generations Community Church has a problem with unity. Unity is hard work. Unity is never about our-self, it is about all of us…together.

    Whether you struggle with being united with an “opposing” political party, a different skin color, a different language, a different nationality, a different sexuality (or lack thereof), we are called to be united. We have seen denominations start the long and painful road to separation. Church history is filled with splits. Even positives, like the Church of the Nazarene (which united different churches), are outweighed by splits.

    It may seem abrupt to tie this in, but evangelism as a practice is in decline. Evangelism, not sharing the faith. Yes, there is a huge difference. Evangelism is often a whip. Sharing the faith isn’t. Unity is the example the world needs. Unity shows the world who Jesus is. Unity shows the world we believe what we say.

    1) Have you ever left a church for a reason other than moving? If so, why?

    2) What are you doing in this church framily to build unity?

    3) One of the biggest struggles in unity is speaking truth in love. To whom do you need to speak truth?

    4) Often the biggest struggle in unity is hearing truth spoken in love. What truths have people shared that you did (and/or do) not listen to?

  • Blessing of Enemies

    Psalm 3, Genesis 14:17–24, Exodus 23:20–33, John 16:1–11

    Enemies are a thing. Sometimes the enemies are more in our head than outside in the world. Sometimes enemies are those that do us harm when they are supposed to be striving for our good. Other times, and currently the most seen, the enemies are those not like us. In truth, they are not our enemies, they are just different, and difference can be perceived as dangerous.

    Abraham’s victory over those who kidnapped his family was attributed to God by Melchizedek. The enemies of Abraham may not have even known they were the enemy until Abraham came to rescue Lot. For Abraham’s sake, God gave them to Abraham, who was faithful to God.

    As the Israelites have left Egypt and are headed to the Promised Land, they are told that there are enemies. These are the enemies they will have to defeat to recover the Promised Land. God promises them victory over their enemies…as long as they follow his ways. And there is the rub. They didn’t do a very good job of that. Under only a few leaders, and only for a limited time, did Israel actually follow God’s ways. However, the rest of the time God allowed their enemies to be victorious, and it is directly tied to their orientation toward God.

    So, if things were to continue, one could reasonably draw the conclusion that once we have a heart change and reconciliation with Christ that our enemies would be overcome. Yet, Jesus says the opposite. “You’re mine, and the world hates you because of it. Therefore you are surrounded by enemies.”

    Granted, the enemies that surround us are actually those that have often put themselves against God (whether they are aware of it or not). It still doesn’t make it sound much better.

    1) If indeed we are now surrounded by enemies, how is that the Good Life?

    2) There are many kinds of enemies: national, religious, political, general life. Think of those that you know that fall under each of these categories, and what can you do to shine the light of Christ into their lives?

    3) Thinking of others as enemies can be a beneficial starting point because then you can more easily see the barriers that need to be worked on prior to sharing Christ with them. Why is it important to recognize the barriers that separate? What should we do with those barriers?