Devotion.al

Tag: speak

  • Not Them Anymore

    Not Them Anymore

    Matthew 15:17–28; Ephesians 4:17–24 (read online ⧉)

    For I am the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, so you must be because I am holy. —Leviticus 11:45

    When the Israelites were brought out of the land of Egypt, it wasn’t going to be things as usual. We often focus on the slavery and the misery, for this was the reality of the Israelites in Egypt by the time Moses was born, and very much so after his from Midian.

    Today, we would say that this was in the rearview mirror. That was their . It was to be their life no longer. However, that also meant that practices that they copied from Egyptian culture had to be culled. Other than their bloodline, there were only three things that otherwise tied them together, their story, circumcision, and a promised land that was not in Egypt. That’s it.

    We look back at them and say, YES! Many would argue that the United States couldn’t keep the “dream” of the Founding Fathers alive, and it hasn’t been 300 years! They waited over 400 years! How tightly they must have held onto those 3 things. Yet, there would have been a lot of other stuff that they took with them. They needed to understand that a line has been drawn. They are now called to be holy, for God is holy. The key (oversimplified) part is that God defined what is holy.

    The first piece (again, oversimplified) was don’t be an Egyptian (don’t even walk like one). That extended to other tribes and nations, too. The Promised Land contained the Canaanites. They were the people that the Israelites were supposed to drive out for they would cause the Israelites to fall away from God (so said God). They didn’t drive them out. So, down the timeline we have one of these Canaanite women come to Jesus so that he will heal her daughter.

    Here, as in other times with Jesus, that while he is first called to the Jews, to those that pursue, he would still respond. That Jesus would still respond to a generational tells us much about Jesus. It also tells us that being “called out of Egypt” is more than the story of Exodus. It can be our story, too.

    Paul sets this story in Ephesians, too. This letter was likely a circular letter passed among the churches of Asia Minor and found a permanent home in Ephesus (hence the name). Historians come to that conclusion for a number of reasons, but one of the more interesting points is that this letter is not addressed to anyone specifically (see other letters of Paul). Paul intended or expected this letter to have a life of its own (kind of like those forwarded emails and now Facebook messages that keep coming back year-after-year).

    That makes this particular passage from Ephesians even more interesting. He makes the statement that the hearers/receivers of the letters should not be like Gentiles. Sounds pretty straightforward, except that many (if not most) of them were Gentiles! Paul, so to , was telling them that they were now called out of Egypt.

    Gentiles are, to these Christians, a different people from themselves. They, who were once Gentiles, were called to be Gentiles no longer!

    ※ ※
    God, you called us out of the of our souls to be something greater than we could be on our own. As we look with hopeful expectations for the returning to some sort of normal, help us to remember that we are daily called out of Egypt to be your holy people. Amen.

    ※ ※
    1) Swap Gentiles with American (or whatever nationality is your “heart” nationality). How do Paul’s words feel now?

    2) Those of the so-called Western Civilization are often blind to the differences between the general culture and the culture, often because we fail to understand what it means to be Christian. What is one thing you can think of that conflicts?

    3) Life as usual is not (really) the Christian life. What is unusually Christian about your life? Do any non-Christians practice the same? If so, now what?

  • Believing Works

    Believing Works

    John 14:6–21; John 21:24–25 (read online ⧉)
    Often, we operate as if following is just the thing to do. If you were raised in the , as a (at least a theoretical) Christian, the “Jesus” and “Christian” thing “sort of” happens. It is a “sort of, as our whole should be each day taking one step closer to being like Jesus.
    The disciples, especially the 12 closest, should have really gotten this themselves, but just as we are often blind with what is right before our eyes, they were too.
    Jesus’ question to Philip, “Have I been among you all this time and you do not know me?” That is a really amazing condemnation of Philip, and probably the other disciples, as well. They were not getting it.
    Now, the reality is that Jesus was saying that he was equivalent to God the . This was a very bold statement. It is only through the doctrine of the that these words make any sort of sense. The disciples, however, didn’t have a framework to use to understand.
    So, Jesus skips the belief (doctrine) part and says believe the actions. Truly, this is an interesting statement. If you don’t believe the words of Jesus, look at Jesus’ actions. Then the really hard part comes.
    Those who believe in Jesus will do the same works. That list of works includes: helping the mute , casting out demons, internal injuries, healing the lame, and raising the dead. John also says that Jesus did a lot more miracles, but John chose to not record them, as the ones written of were enough to believe. Were they, though?
    If we are supposed to be able to do the same works? How’s that for high expectations? Raised anyone from the dead recently?
    Now, there are those that say we aren’t all called to do these miraculous things. Partially, it’s trying to explain away the lack of miracles (outside of medical science). There is also the reality that while Jesus did miracles, it wasn’t a constant thing.
    ※ ※
    Jesus, you said that we would do works like yours, if we believed. Help our unbelief! Amen.
    ※ ※
    1) What miracles have you seen?
    2) What is the difference between believing in Jesus and loving Jesus?
    3) Why do you think that John chose not to write more on Jesus’ works?
  • Unbridled Prayer

    Unbridled Prayer

    Psalm 102; Matthew 6:7–15; 1 John 5:12–15 (read online ⧉)

    is mysterious. Prayer is powerful. Prayer is…confusing.

    The psalmist’s opening is the simplest and purest, hear and listen to me (yes, they are different). The psalmist is miserable. The psalmist wants things to stop being bad. People, food, places, health, well-being are all part of the psalmist’s plea.

    First, that means these are worthwhile and valid to bring before God. However, the psalmist is not just about himself. He speaks about God. Depending on one how one reads it (it is Scripture and poetry), the psalmist is either buttering up God or faithfully describing God. It could be a combination of both.

    However, even if it is buttering up God, the reality is the psalmist would seem to understand God well enough to know that God would see through to the heart. So, while the psalmist might be piling up a bid, the psalmist is trying to be honest, too.

    Prayer begins with understanding who God is and who you are in relation with.

    However, one of the biggest issues we have is our words. Not the words. The sheer amount of words. When talks about the , he is comparing Jew to Gentile. The Jews, for example, had (and still do) set prayers said in a day. There once was a story about an auction where a number of Jewish artifacts were on the block. At noon, the auction paused and the Orthodox Jews went to a corner of the hall that (mostly) faced Jerusalem (this was on the US East Coast), and said the fastest prayer the commentator ever heard.

    This was not shared to disparage them, but to provide some context for Jesus’ words. The Jews did it, and got it done. In comparison, Gentiles in their temples would go on and on and on, as if by the sheer amount of words poured out, their gods would listen or even do something.

    How often are our own prayers like that? Poured out words like a flood. It is almost like a politician’s stump ; all the words spoken will successfully convince the opponent.
    There is nothing wrong with a simple prayer. It is actually to be encouraged. If we spend too much time trying to convince God, then we provide no time for God to convince us. Said another way, if we occupy prayer with talking to God, there is no space to hear from and listen to God. There is no room for relational growth.

    One of the reasons we have developed bad behaviors in prayer is that we have no confidence that God hears, listens, or cares. John makes it quite clear that we should be confident if we believe that Jesus is the Son of God and is our savior. Another way to think of it is that Jesus spoke to while Paul was persecuting the church! God listens to prayers of those who don’t yet believe, too! So, why not you?

    ※ Prayer ※
    God of all mercies, we give you , glory, and thanks that you hear the prayers of your . May all we be to show the world who you are, what you have done, and what you will do. Amen.

    ※ ※
    1) What are some barriers/struggles you’ve had with praying?

    2) What are some other reasons why people might speak too much during prayer? Have you experienced that?

    3) Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer. It is the model that Jesus gave us. How often do you follow it or even say it? Does it mean more to you than just words? Why or why not?

  • Easy Listening

    Easy Listening

    Jeremiah 26:20–24; Matthew 23:29–24:2 (read online ⧉)

    The most famous Uriah in the Bible is not the one we read about in Jeremiah. The famous Uriah died because the king slept with his wife. He was…inconvenient for the king.

    Perhaps being named Uriah isn’t a ?

    Uriah, of Shemaiah from Kiriath-jearim, was also inconvenient. Just as Jeremiah, too, was not popular with what he preached as a warning against and condemnation of Jerusalem (as a symbol of the whole of the Jewish people), Uriah wasn’t popular either.

    Jeremiah had court protection and support. He was safe from the king and his underlings. For whatever reason, Ahikam had the influence and to protect Jeremiah from the people and the King.

    Uriah fled to Egypt. It was an odd place for him to flee to, as King Jehoiakim was still a vassal of Egypt. It is possible that Uriah believed that he might receive some protection from Jehoiakim’s overlords, but he was disappointed. He was killed. The Book of Jeremiah strongly implies that it was because of the message from God that he dared to (which was the same as Jeremiah’s). While we don’t hear about Uriah again, his story is important down the road.

    Jesus does not mention Uriah by name nor any of the other prophets (other than Zedekiah) that were killed after bringing God’s word to the people. He called the religious leaders to account for their hypocritical attitude as they “mourned” the prophets that their forefathers killed, and yet were of the same as their forefathers when confronted by the Word of God.

    Jesus foretold that they would repeat not just the scorn, they would also repeat the murder of the prophets and representatives of God. They would likely also celebrate such deaths for they “preserved” the status quo.

    While Jesus puts to their “account” the death of all the , there isn’t an outright zero chance of escaping the judgment. If one looks at this as a warning (which it was), repentance was the way out. Judgment wasn’t fixed…yet.

    In addition, a number of commentators perceive the, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” both as a foretelling of the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the return of Jesus as the Judge.

    While we are often quick to judge those who lived in Jesus’ day as ignorant or something because they could not recognize Jesus for who he was, how often are we guilty of condemning prophetic messages because they don’t match the culture.

    ※ Prayer※
    O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [BCP 1979]

    ※ ※
    1) What kinds of cultures do prophets against? In a non-religious setting, how would you test a prophet?

    2) What do you think is the biggest obstacle for people hearing a prophetic word? Have you been guilty of that yourself when a prophetic word was spoken to you?

    3) We focus on famous names, not like Uriah the prophet. How does that make us shallow? What might we be missing God doing?

  • Silence is Not Always Golden

    Deuteronomy 5:1–31; Matthew 26:57–62; Acts 6:8–15 (read online ⧉)

    Perjury is a crime. Knowingly providing false under oath is a criminal offense, as it should be. Knowing our system, however, perhaps the penalty is not severe enough. People speak “white lies” thinking they are doing the right thing (again, in a court case). People speak blatant falsehoods to change the results.

    Depending on the falsehood can result in a guilty man being freed and an innocent man being sent to death. One of the other oldest legal codes—Hammurabi’s Code—sets the penalty for such perjury as death.

    There is no question that bearing false witness was a sin according to God. Yet, in the 2 instances that we read today—Jesus and Stephen—that “minor” sin, that could easily be blotted out with a “minor” sacrifice, resulted in the death of innocent men.

    Matthew and Luke (the author of Acts) make it a point to state that the witnesses are knowingly bearing false witness. Was this an incidental miscarriage of justice, or was this a systemic one? While we really can draw too firm a conclusion, this is an indication that justice and were often not met.

    We often why we have so many laws, and then we read stories like this (and these are not that unique in human history). There were the false witnesses. Those who either paid or otherwise recruited the false witnesses. There were those who were the “lawyers”. Then there were those who were the leaders of this travesty.

    All were party to it. All had culpability in it. By the letter of “the Law”, only those who were “actual” witnesses would be “guilty”. This would also that those who knew they were guilty actually did something about it. Of course, they didn’t for they achieved their goals.

    We all struggle with those who lie. It is that which empowers the lies that is the greater issue. With no culture of lying, lying becomes rare. A culture that disgraces the truth encourages lying. A structure that encourages lying creates a culture that sends innocent people to death or punishment.

    This is also a culture that ceases to God. Instead, it uses God to strengthen the perception of itself, so that no one will struggle or oppose it. God becomes a word—a tool—and the relationship that the word is supposed to represent dies.

    Prayer

    , as we walk through this life, counsel our hearts and to speak truth and to be truth-seekers. Guide our hearts and minds to bring the light of Jesus’ Truth into our lives and the lives of others. May all that we do bring honor and to you, oh, God. Amen.

    1) Why is it important to talk about more than just the lier? How does its relative importance to the commandment of false witness mean for you?

    2) What do you think other tribunals in front of these people were like for day-to-day things?

    3) How can and will you encourage a culture of truth?

  • Holy Night

    Holy Night

    29 April 2020 Devotional

    Genesis 1:1–19; Genesis 22:17–18; Psalm 134 (read online ⧉)

    I try to settle, but I just pass through
    A rain dog, gypsy
    A wandering Jew
    All those homes were not ours
    Then I slept one night
    In Abraham’s field
    And dreamt there was no moon
    The night he died
    Counting stars

    from The Orphan by the Newsboys

    One of the interesting conflicts in the is the human tendency to fear the dark (because of bad people and wild animals). Yet, on the other hand, God did not make the dark to be bad. God called it good.

    We want to conquer the darkness. As our cities become fuller (or at least were pre-COVID), the “light pollution” was significant. If Abraham was, for example, a homeless person in Seattle, there would be very few stars to count. It wouldn’t be much of a promise.

    If you’ve had any experience away from cities, you’ll understand the magnificence of God’s night sky as created. If you’ve been someplace really remote on a moonless night (i.e., “new moon”), it is even more spectacular.

    As the “church” aged, the simplicity of day=good and night=bad developed into a theology that worship happened in the day, especially in the morning to go with the day or morning star (the sun being a symbol of Jesus). Modern churches did develop night worship to a degree, but it has been far and away diminished in comparison to daytime worship.

    The psalmist’s very short homage to the night workers at the House of God brings to point the many people behind the scenes of churches, schools, hospitals, and many institutions that do not get the recognition for they are behind the scenes. The night workers at the House of God were not any less important than the ones assigned in the day. It was just that they were not as visible. Did they get the accolades? Probably not. Did they fulfill their calling? Yes. Without them, worship couldn’t happen during the day. The night was just as essential to daytime worship as those who were there during the day.

    There is one thing that the night can bring us that day often doesn’t…stillness. Under the night sky, there is often a greater willingness to just (or lay down) and stare at the jewels that God placed in the heavens. In that place of stillness and of sparkling jewels, God can in that still small voice…and we might actually hear.

    Father God, through the Word, Jesus, you made the moon and the stars, and all the heavenly bodies. Help us to recognize your and in them. May your guide us today to stop and just gaze in at what you have made. Amen.

    Questions

    1) What do you think of when gazing at the stars? What is the strongest memory you have of the night sky?

    2) Who are some of the people behind the scenes that you can think of, that glorify God by their humble and hidden service?

    3) We often on people to be humble. On the other hand, there is often this desire to have a superstar leader who is charismatic and often needs some lessons in humility. How do we get to this point?

  • Firmly Wrong

    Psalm 107:1–16; Numbers 20:1-13; 1 Corinthians 10:6-13 (read online ⧉)

    The Israelites were out of water…again. They complained…again. Yet, there is something different here. It’s subtle. There seemed to be a stronger issue with the leaders (Moses and Aaron), rather than God. Oddly, despite an expressed desire to already be dead, God did not seem to take offense at their words. God then gave a simple instruction to Moses and Aaron…and they did not follow it.

    It would seem that Moses and Aaron had finally reached a breaking point. As Aaron generally had speaking duties, it is not unreasonable to think that he called the Israelites rebels. Note that as far as we know—and for this moment—God did not them rebels. Then there is a sense of self-importance when speaking, “…shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Perhaps leadership (with a whole lot of miracles to go with it) had finally taken its toll. Lastly, Moses struck the rock…twice. Why twice? Probably a whole lot of irritation flowing out. Yet, God had only told them to, “… to the rock.” Aaron had already made plenty of errors regarding God, as had Moses. On the threshold of entering the Promised Land, they were blocked.

    Just as Moses and Aaron felt firm in things before God’s pronouncement of not entering the Promised Land, it seems many people in the of Corinth also felt firm and sure. wanted them to not be so assured of themselves, that they knew it all, and were thus safe from judgment. Paul makes it clear that we will be tested, and that everyone goes through . Paul also throws out a lifeline…God. God will not allow us to be tested beyond our strength. That doesn’t mean we won’t fall—which is Paul’s point—but that God knows we can handle it if we rely on him.

    1) Has there been a time in your faith or “regular” life where you were very sure of yourself and/or your standing…and all of a sudden fell down?

    2) What, do you think, is the difference between the fall of Moses and Aaron, and your own falling, or the falling of , including leaders?

    3) Often the biggest temptations that we fall to are not the ones of , but the ones that are not sins unless they lead us to not or rely on God. Can you think of anything like that in your life?

  • Is It All About the Experience?

    Psalm 19; Exodus 19:16–25; Mark 9:2–8 (read online ⧉)

    Spend enough time in (at least) circles, and you will likely the phrase, “mountain-top experience.” This is usually described as a deeply powerful encounter with God that emotionally and spiritually separates someone from the “real” world.

    Moses, the Israelites, and Aaron have different experiences with the same event. Moses is personally interacting with God. The Israelites are repeatedly told to stay away during this time. Aaron, after a time, is called up the mountain to be with Moses and God. This event is not the same kind of mountain-top experience that we usually of. Moses was there because God told him to be, and this was also God’s testimony to the Israelites that Moses was God’s of the Israelites.

    The Israelites, on the other hand, were a ways away. Culturally, they didn’t want to be anywhere near any god, let alone the God that was in and cloud. This was on top of the warning they also received to not step foot on the mountain or they would die. This is definitely not the mountain-top experience we would think of positively.

    Lastly, Aaron was called up. Partially, this is to set the groundwork for his role as head priest. With Moses, he would stand before God. Yet, it was Moses who was first. While Aaron was still called up, it wasn’t quite the same.

    The disciples had a different experience altogether. They saw transformed into something wholly, then they saw Moses and Elijah, the two traditional great prophets of the Jews. They wanted to capture the experience and to maintain it by building lodging for Moses and Elijah, but it was not to be. Jesus was restored to , the two prophets vanished.

    1) Have you ever had your own mountain-top experience? Have you ever shared it with someone?

    2) If you, or someone you know, has had a mountain-top experience, how did that affect you (them) a day, week, a month, a year later?

    3) Was that experience a springboard to a deeper and more fulfilling spiritual , or did it become just another event (even though powerful) in life?