Devotion.al

Tag: spirit

  • Passed The Gates

    Passed The Gates

    Psalm 88; Leviticus 15:19–31; 2 Corinthians 9:1–5

    I have long felt this passage in Leviticus to be unfair to women. No, not because of certain cultural influences of today. Perhaps it was the era I grew up in, or because my mom worked as a school teacher. Or in conjunction with that, my dad was a single who cleaned and cooked great food. Or, as a child, being one of the few with divorced parents (as I grew up, I was no longer alone in that, sadly). Either way, I’ve tended to view men and women as equal, while we are yet neither wired nor designed the same.

    It still seems reasonable to tie this passage back to the Fall and the difficulties of childbirth as part of the (Genesis 3:16). With menstruation being part of the process of childbirth, along with the “shedding” of blood, or in particular, the consumption of blood (Deuteronomy 12:23–24), as blood is life (ancient understanding). It still seems unfair to our modern mind, but this way we can grasp some of the why.

    The last piece of the why is in verse 31, the separation of the Israelites from their uncleanness (part of life after the Fall) from the of being God’s people and the holiness of God’s dwelling (whether Tabernacle or Temple).

    Many people question such a God. The reality though is that if you were ritually clean all the time, would you be in God’s dwelling the entire time? Probably not. So, people who on this, don’t realize what they’re arguing for. They’re arguing to get into God’s dwelling!

    Whether believer or not, we appear to unconsciously recognize that there is something dirty about humanity. We also seem to have an unconscious understanding that this isn’t right (right versus fair). God’s that goes before (prevenient grace) gives all of humanity the ability to recognize this.

    So, while we theologically understand that things aren’t right (due to fallen humanity). We also understand that because of that, humanity is “dirty” insofar as being not holy. We also know that is not the .

    Wesleyan-Holiness theology understands that God’s grace walks the road before us (prevenient grace). This means we (as in all of humanity) are able to know (at least in our souls) that despite our not holiness and despite the mar of sin, God has made a way for us to be not just at the dwelling place (tabernacle, temple, or for today), but to fully live in the of God all the days of our lives and beyond.

    ※Reflection※

    • Do you ever think that you are too dirty for God? Do you ever think that about ?
    • How do you “” your spirit when you get “dirty”?
    • Do you perform regular spiritual checks with others for both yourself and them?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, thank you for your grace that gives us the standing to be in your presence despite what we may have done.

  • Knowing Limits

    Knowing Limits

    Psalm 88; Leviticus 21:1–15; 2 Corinthians 8:16–24

    What is your limit? Or, perhaps, who is your limit? Republicans? Democrats? Communists? Libertarians? Capitalists? Roman Catholics? The homeless? The hungry? A different skin color? A different nationality? A different ? Neighbors? Friends? ? Children? Spouse?

    Relations and are some of the biggest variables in human existence. One child may everything to take care of their parent. Another child may do nothing at all. The driver of the car in front of you may give money to a panhandler, and you may not (a description, not a judgment).

    For early and non-Western cultures, the family was a critical . Not having a family was risky. The family was what defined and supported you. Unless that is, you were the High Priest of Israel.

    Commentators come to different conclusions about what was meant by leaving the temple. Some commentators interpret verse 12 as only apply when family died to keep them safe from defilement. Other commentators propose that the High Priest never left, though none of those commentators could figure out ultimately how that worked.

    Regardless, the COVID-era gave us an idea of the kind of sacrifice required by the High Priest. People lost loved ones they could never visit. Loved ones died and funerals and memorial services didn’t happen. Many people were angry, sad, and hurting for they lost the opportunity for closure. A taste of the High Priest’s sacrifice for us all.

    It may be a stretch, but there is a similarity between the passage of Leviticus and 2 Corinthians; doing right in the eyes of God.

    definitely was concerned about “doing right” in the eyes of others. It was, though, secondary to doing right in the eyes of God. What is the point of being right in the eyes of men, if you will be wrong in the eyes of God? Of course, one has to be careful about that.

    In our era, a person such as the High Priest would be looked down upon for abandoning his family to God in such a way. Granted, our understanding of things has somewhat changed, both in regards to family, priests, and ritual . If we were to meet such a man today, we would probably think there was something wrong with him.

    ※Reflection※

    • Where have you found conflict in your life in pursuing God’s versus the acclaim of man?
    • Have you experienced what you thought was following God’s plan and then discovered it was not?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, help us to know your will. , guide us to learn the right things before you and our fellow humanity. Amen.

  • Fairly Cruci-Formed

    Fairly Cruci-Formed

    Psalm 30; Lamentations 3:22–33; Mark 5:21–43; 2 Corinthians 8:7–15

    Grace. Unmerited favor. Overwhelming love. Not words that would usually be associated with Lamentations. With the content of Lamentations being a result of the fall of Israel (and in particular, Jerusalem), it is peculiar to think of grace.

    Lamentations is poetry, lament, and theology all wrapped into one. In Lamentations, probably more than even in Job, someone (or someones) wrestles with grief, loss, death, the (un)fairness of , and other things that people question when in the throes of significant pain of the .

    Despite all that they have gone through, including their recognition of their and transgressions, God hasn’t abandoned them. For a time, they would be wandering in a new kind of wilderness, but God would not let that way remain forever.

    The world really isn’t fair. We often aren’t fair to the ones we love, or even ourselves. One of the biggest and most painful lessons we learn as children is that the world is not fair. What makes that even more interesting is that no matter how deep that wound is, there is something that we cannot tolerate about things not being fair.

    Even in the verses of Mark, there are “not fair” examples. Some gets to ask Jesus into his home. people wouldn’t get to do that. Some random woman touches his outer garment and is completely healed. There were probably touching Jesus’ garment, and they didn’t get healed. It’s not fair.

    Then Paul dares to ask the Corinthians to send . He doesn’t demand it. He puts it in nice gentle language. He still wants our money. It’s not fair.

    Except, Paul’s point, God’s point isn’t fairness. It’s not even reciprocity. It’s doing right because it is right. Not because it’s fair (or unfair, honestly).

    Fair and right are often at odds. When we add time to the mix, it becomes even more difficult, for the long-term consequences may well what is truly fair and right.

    With this in mind, it is important for us, as followers of Jesus, to pursue fair and right from the perspective of God. Of course, what that means is up for debate in the current era, which is a problem in and of itself. When we are no longer able to determine fair or right, or we really the children of God?

    ※Reflection※

    • What does fair mean to you? How does “fair” reflect the nature and/or character of God? What does a “fair” Christian do that a non-Christian wouldn’t?
    • What does right mean to you? How does “right” reflect the nature and/or character of God? What does a “right” Christian do that a non-Christian wouldn’t?
    • How do you learn and discern fair and right in your daily life?

    ※Prayer※

    God of judgment, may the and form us to be reflections of you in how we see and do fair and right. Amen.

  • Aiming to Change

    Aiming to Change

    Psalm 30; Lamentations 2:1–12; 2 Corinthians 8:1–7

    The implication of today’s reading in Lamentations is that this came suddenly, or that all the preparations were annihilated. The sad reality is that sometimes things that came “suddenly” were actually quite predictable. God sent multiple prophets. Before the Israelites even entered the Promised Land, Moses had warned them. It shouldn’t have been a surprise.

    We can look around us and see plenty of people who follow this same pattern. Whether they make bad relationship decisions, money decisions, career decisions, education decisions, or something else, they continue to make the same mistake and wonder what went wrong.

    God wasn’t upset with the Israelites for making mistakes or even wandering away, except that they continued to do it until it became the lifestyle.

    God knows that we all will make mistakes. That’s part of the current human condition. That wasn’t supposed to be, but we chose (and choose) to go our own way.

    We are embraced, loved, adopted, and reconciled as we are. We aren’t supposed to stay that way. The world understands this Truth. If you were to actually visit a bookstore (yes, they still exist) or look at the slate of newly published books, the biggest movers and often the greatest number of published titles are all “self-help”. The world knows that we are to improve and . We are not to stay the same.

    Despite that, when the (or the faithful -following community) us to account to , we push back. We say, “no” or “God made me this way.” And before you think (too late, I’m sure) that “they” should know that too (“they” being whomever many progressive or conservative Christians oppose), it isn’t about “them” or “they”, it is about us.

    Paul calls on the Corinthians to be “the best” in regard to , , knowledge, commitment (there’s a really hard one these days), and love (okay, maybe this one’s harder). The best. Not okay. Not good. Not satisfactory. The best.

    We don’t start out as “the best”. As individuals, we may never be “the best” at any or all. Collectively, as the church, we have the potential to be “the best” at them all, but only if we are willing to be changed and work in partnership with the Holy and our fellow believers.

    ※Reflection※

    • What struck you about the passage in Lamentations? Do you see yourself or your circumstances anywhere?
    • What areas of your life have you had the greatest struggle surrendering to Jesus? What areas of your life do you think need the greatest amount of change to be in line with the character and nature of Jesus Christ?
    • “The best” is a high mark. Why should we aim at a mark we probably will never hit? How do we keep from being discouraged when we miss?

    ※Prayer※

    As we seek to do your will, may we be transformed. As we pursue , may we not be discouraged. As we fail and err, may we recognized that it is you who picks us back up. Amen.

  • The Fruit We Yield

    The Fruit We Yield

    Psalm 52; Jeremiah 22:1–9; Luke 6:43–45

    Have you ever been somewhere with a beautiful bowl filled with fruit, then picked up a piece of fruit, and realized that it was fake? It looks pretty and improves the ambiance, but beyond that, it is useless for .

    Christians have a discrepancy (okay, we have many). We understand the “heart” of following Jesus. We also have a general understanding that we cannot earn our way into Heaven (i.e., “works righteousness).

    Yet, here we are stuck in words of actions. There is the reality that actions can form us. This is why the ancient focused so much on disciplines of behavior (bible reading, confession, etc), not because they, in and of themselves, reformed us, but so that the pattern of lives became set. Through that setting, we are more and willing to let the transform us.

    Despite those intentions—we see this in Jewish and Christian traditions—the rules intended to guide the heart became rules to follow. By following the rules, people were able to appear transformed, but their hearts were anything but.

    Jeremiah’s to live a just life continues from yesterday’s (Jeremiah 21:11–14). The battle being waged upon the hearts of Judah is about living life versus following rules. When we only follow rules, rather than live, we are only going to die unfulfilled (Romans 7:5, Romans 8:2). We also will be no better than the fake fruit in the bowl.

    When Jesus talks about “good” fruit—kalos—there is actually a play on words that our translations miss and thus we do not connect other phrasings. Kalos (the Anglicization of καλός) has a focus on the outward appearance, which is similar to Jesus’ accusation of the teachers and Pharisees about being whitewashed tombs (Matthew 23:27). At the same time, there is also the implied meaning that there is still some use for the fruit despite the focus on outward appearance. A lot of big supermarkets have buyers who view the outside of the fruit, because they know what will sell at the market, and it is pretty fruit. That doesn’t mean that the fruit is necessarily really tasty, nor does that mean that there are not hidden issues. You, too, may have experienced buying a “nice to look at” piece of fruit, and then found something less than appealing after a bite or two.

    We have to be careful when we draw too much on the good/bad dichotomy as (for example) good fruit goes rotten, too (thus becoming bad). The agricultural aspect of the “bad” fruit is more along the lines of being grown from a seedling (or volunteer) rather than controlled grafting.

    The fruit from such trees is often inedible and so good for nothing but fertilizer. These trees will always produce fruit that is not edible. There is nothing to be done about it. A good tree will not always produce good fruit. The bad tree will always produce bad fruit.

    Another way to think of this is ornamental fruit trees. They are beautiful. Their fruit is often beautiful to look at (weeping cherry comes to mind). The fruit, though, is not good, nor is there much fruit to go with the seed and skin. The tree is good as an ornament. It is not good for life- food.

    ※Reflection※

    • What challenges you regarding good fruit and good trees versus bad fruit and bad trees?
    • How is the appearance of good fruit similar to a whitewashed tomb? How is it different?
    • How does living a strictly law-abiding life lead to “death” (as Paul calls it)? On the other hand, how can it lead to life?

    ※Prayer※

    , only you can transform us from bad trees to good. We give you permission and we ask for your aid to become good trees producing good fruit beyond measure. Amen.

  • Changing Diapers

    Changing Diapers

    Psalm 74; Isaiah 26:16–27:1; Luke 11:14–28

    When Joni (my wife) was pregnant with our first (to be born) child, we had an odd conversation with another couple. They told us (almost mockingly) that soon our conversation would change to include the color and consistency of our child’s poop. We chuckled. That was ridiculous. Who would talk about poop so much that a couple would bring that up? A few months after our first was born, we had to laugh at ourselves when we realized that was exactly what had happened.

    Before our first was born, we could read lots of books and received lots of advice. Nothing prepared us for being a parent. Conversing about poop was only a minor life change. A weird one, definitely, but only a minor one.

    For those of us on the other side of pregnancy, we tend to forget what we were like before it. When Isaiah talks about pregnancy and childbirth, we envision that, but we neglect the before. Just like we could never imagine talking about baby poop as a topic of conversation, we couldn’t understand the life change of having a child…until it happened.

    The same really can be said of Israel. They didn’t understand. There were a few who got it, but they were (it seems) very few indeed: Moses, Joshua (mostly), maybe a couple of judges (though most were a mess), Samuel, David, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the other prophets (major and minor). To round up, that’s maybe 30 over 1500-ish years. Granted, these are the ones written about. So, if we round up even more to 300 people, every 5 years of Israel’s history (prior to ), a single person gets it.

    Before someone proverbially smacks me, most of the Israelites are followers (and, yes, the numbers are hyperbole). They followed where the leaders led (sometimes). Sounds kind of like us.

    So, when we get to Jesus, we get the testing and questioning and just flat out not believing. Yes, we think we would respond better to Jesus than “those” people obviously did. Except, we are on the other side of the pregnancy.

    We have the Spirit. For us, looking back we see where God was moving. The Jews to this day also see where God was moving, as do the Muslims. We, however, see Jesus. That is the of the Holy Spirit.

    That is the gift that people pre-Pentecost didn’t have (even the disciples). It is the gift of those who know Jesus or who have responded to the nudging of the Holy Spirit through prevenient (that which goes before ) grace.

    Being aware and recalling what we were like before knowing Jesus through the Holy Spirit will help us reach the world. There is a caveat to this. For those who knew Jesus as a child, this may be very hard, unless there was a significant spiritual crisis of some sort in later years (based on my of this). So, if you don’t know the pre-pregnancy (i.e., pre-Holy Spirit) life, that’s okay. God will still use your life and story to reach .

    Many people will question our , not because it is unbelievable (though many will use that word), but because the Holy Spirit has not been ignited in them. We are to that almost all of humanity was like that. We were no different. We them grace and love in this, for God did the same for us.

    ※Reflection※

    If you were a teen or adult when you came to know Jesus, what life like before then? If you were a child when you came to know Jesus, what spiritual “desert” or “wilderness” did you experience that transformed your faith into something greater?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy Spirit, help us to recall what transformed our with God through you so that we are able to translate that into the lives of those yet unsaved. Amen.

  • Skies and Hearts Aflame

    Skies and Hearts Aflame

    Psalm 74; 1 Kings 18:17–40; Revelation 20:7–15

    Being made a fool of for Christ is something that Christians have had to deal with through the ages. Whether it’s because of beliefs and practices that go against the norm, or the reality that Christians are just as fallen as the rest of humanity. There is, however, the question of making a fool of Christ by our actions. Bluntly, do you have the faith of Elijah?

    Do you have the , resolve, and faith to believe that God will down fires from Heaven to burn up an offering? You could quickly dissemble this question by saying, we don’t do sacrifices anymore. Except, that isn’t the point.

    We say things such as, “lighting strike me…” or “…catch on fire…” (literally, not spiritually) when we say or do things against God. We don’t really believe it, though. If we did, then being more like Elijah would actually be possible.

    However, we often mock people as Elijah did. Yes, there is a contextual part to Elijah’s mocking, but there often isn’t for us. We just try to make people beneath us by our responses.

    Often we view ourselves as the ones that are suffering the wrath of Gog and Magog, when in fact we are the ones acting like it. We think we are like Elijah, when in fact we are the priests of Baal.

    Just so we’re clear, I put myself in that same place. I recognize my own tendencies and failures. I recognize when I put on the clothes of righteousness, but behave in ways that are unrighteous.

    We have two paths before us. We can be Elijah, or we can be those deceived (Gog and Magog) and/or destroyed.

    Elijah did have a unique with God, and a unique responsibility given to him by God. We cannot, theoretically, call down fires from Heaven. God does not seem to work that way anymore. This also doesn’t mean that God won’t. God does work in many ways far more mysterious and wonderful (think of the ).

    Calling upon God for healing of people, hearts, and nations will more than a few hearts for a short time (the Israelites, unsurprisingly, returned to their old ways). We are indeed to be this era’s Elijah. Instead of the fire of worship (which is really what Elijah called for), we are called to bring the fire of the Spirit to first ourselves, then through the furnace of , bring the fire of God into the lives of …not to burn them.

    ※Reflection※

    • What other responses do you have to the story of Elijah? Where else do you see yourself in it?
    • What are your thoughts regarding the fiery lake in Revelation? How does that fire contrast (if it does) to the fire of Elijah?

    ※※

    Lord, you have refined us through the fire of the Holy Spirit. Help us to carry that refinement into our lives and into the world. Amen.

  • Sighting Evil

    Sighting Evil

    Psalm 74; 1 Samuel 16:14–23; Revelation 20:1–6

    Evil spirits or the “spirit of evil” has a in culture throughout the ages. Even for those who have no deistic belief, there is an understanding that something is completely evil.

    There was nothing positive about the Holocaust. In fact, most people would state that the men and women (for there were both) who created and perpetuated it were evil. There seems to be no question that there was a “spirit of evil” when it came to the Holocaust. The primary spirit of evil took the form of the other. Jews were the (along with gypsies, we often ignore). Jews were blamed for the punitive consequences of World War I, which destroyed the German economy and culture (in some ways). This allowed a person such as Adolf Hitler to become the .

    However, the Christian take on Hitler, as hard as it is, was that there was a possibility of for him (along with all the others). How one could, on earth, move beyond what he led takes more than I could comprehend. The spirit of evil takes on many forms. Some of them seem benign. Some of them being obviously harmful. Christians over many years have argued over what makes something evil, or if something is indeed evil. A number of changes in American culture and law in the last few decades have certainly been at the fore.

    The spirit of evil that Saul had sounds similar to a split personality. In many places, we read that Saul cared for, respected, and relied upon David. Yet, Saul would try to kill David in many ways, including by chasing him down with an army. The divergence of thinking certainly sounds like modern mental illness. Which leads us back to evil. If someone is mentally ill, is it a spirit of evil or is it something else?

    Whatever guise or seeming, until all is over and we are at the throne of God, we will be dealing with a spirit of evil (or many spirits). While the Book of Revelation tells us the (though God’s victory doesn’t really come as a surprise), what it means that evil is bound for a thousand years, but will have to be released for a time after that is beyond us. We can guess, but it would only be a guess.

    This not a suggestion for fatalism. If we believe that God is good, died for us, and that we have the Spirit in us, then evil’s presence is not pre-determined to lead to evil. It is our own thoughts and actions. Our actions, though, cannot be limited to our circle, but must also be part of our community.

    ※Reflection※

    • What do you think the difference is between evil, sin, and mistakes? How might understanding these 3 things adjust our interactions with the world?
    • When was the last time you used “evil” in conversation? Was the context actually that of evil, or was it something different? If it was evil, what made it so? If it wasn’t truly evil, what might have been a better way to phrase it?

    ※※

    Lord, help us to guard our hearts against evil. Help us to understand your view of evil and to be those that bring upon it. Amen.