Devotion.al

Tag: surrender

  • Give It Up

    Give It Up

    Psalm 123; Jeremiah 7:27–34; Matthew 8:18–22

    There was this guy who science. He loved nature. He pursued the academics to take care of the wilds. Except he was stubborn. You see, what he loved wasn’t the science, but . In fact, he wasn’t good at it at all. He stuck with that choice for 4 years. Sadly, no one gave him wise advice (not that he would have listened) to give it up. It wasn’t meant for him. 4 years of misery and disappointment vanished into smoke. You might know such a stubborn person.

    The basic gist of God’s words to Jeremiah: give it up. No matter what you do, they won’t listen. No matter what acts of penance and remorse they act out…they are acting and their hearts aren’t in it. The people of Judah seemed to revel in their disobedience to God. Blaspheming the of God with idols of false gods. Killing their sons and daughters and them to fires.

    Give it up, Jeremiah. They won’t see the errors of theirs ways until the places of these sacrifices are filled with corpses of war, famine, and pestilence, and these so-called sacred places of sacrifice are themselves blasphemed. Oh, and maybe not even then. Give it up.

    We are in a time and place where even conversations with friends and acquaintances are “given up” as there can be no discussion or resolution. The hearts are hard and the ears are closed. Sometimes all we can do is give it up. That is until it comes to us.

    Jesus’ words seem somewhat harsh to our ears. Yet, they hold a profound truth that much of Western Christianity, especially the US iteration, is in the process of rediscovering. Give it up.

    The legal expert would have had a decent home and security. Jesus told him, basically, give it up. The disciple (since unnamed, probably not one of the 12) says, let me bury my father. In other words, let me wait to follow you until my father wouldn’t disown me or be ashamed of me. Jesus responded, who is your father in comparison to me? Give it up.

    We have become far too comfortable. Whether it is being the majority confessed (rather than followed) , or the “majority” skin color (if you are), or the nice buildings, or our ties to political power, or our ties to monied power, or the practices we hold dear, or the ability to speak openly about Jesus, we’ve been comfortable.

    Jesus’ point to these two was that isn’t the …Jesus is the call.

    In certain Christian traditions that hold only men may be pastors/priests, they are struggling to find men to fill the roles. Often the is that they should accept women. Those who that way will often point to those denominations (like the Church of the Nazarene) that do ordain women. Yet, the real question, the real deficit, is that people don’t want to give it up. They don’t want to give up their lives.

    None of us do, really. Even those denominations that do ordain women still have a problem, and that is the people themselves who don’t want to give it up for Jesus. It is not a matter of men or women. It is not a matter of , money, race, or other things. It is that people don’t want to give it up for Jesus.

  • Sackcloth and Ashes

    Sackcloth and Ashes

    Psalm 115; Ezra 9:5–15; John 16:16–24

    Collective has been on the top of many lists in the last year. Regardless of your political, philosophical, or religious of the collective guilt issues, it does allow us to better understand the pressure that Ezra felt…somewhat.

    Ezra was trying to make up for generations of against God. Granted, with the of slavery, it’s not as if the US doesn’t have its own weight to bear. Yet, it is not the same insofar as the US is not Israel (whether ancient or modern). There were expectations of ancient Israel that they chose not to follow. The were clear. They forgot God and disregarded God so much that they followed false gods made of metal and/or wood.

    Ezra knew that there really was no way to “make up” what had occurred. The order of Ezra’s actions should be noted. Ezra “ended” his penitential acts and THEN prayed to God, asking for forgiveness and acknowledging that it would only be by God’s will, , love, mercy, and grace that the Israelites could be forgiven.

    While many reject the US guilt-debt, the guilt-debts are really quite small in comparison to all the guilt and shame we bear because of our personal, family, and corporate sin (this is not to belittle them). As an overly individualistic culture, we object to being held to account for something we think we have no responsibility for. Perhaps it is not the US collective guilt that will be the big turning point for the US and the church. Perhaps it will be the recognition that scripturally we do have corporate responsibilities, and it is our individualistic framework that has led us to ignore them.

    This continues to be a cultural time of learning. We are learning about ourselves (both good and bad). We are learning about (again, both good and bad). It’s not as if this is particularly different than how it should be. The exception is that the world is holding a mirror to the church, and the church doesn’t like what it sees. One might argue that the world is holding up a distorted mirror, except that much of the church sees the same distortion as the world.

    This pain that we are feeling is one of death and birth. The old self must die. The new one must come alive.

    Out of pain, despair, and being overwhelmed, many are understandably asking God, “what next?” It could be regarding finances. It could be about loving and serving your neighbor. It could be about what’s next for “the church”. It could be how to be more like Jesus.

    Jesus told his disciples that they wouldn’t ask for anything from God when Jesus left. This is the true gift of the Holy Spirit. When we are fully in tune with God through the Holy Spirit (rather than wants, desires, and even needs), then we don’t need to ask for anything for we will already be in the midst of God’s will, plan, and action.

    The most dangerous thing to both our individualistic notions and our corporate notions is when we pray to be in God’s will. When we ask that in Jesus’ and mean it from the heart, we begin to surrender our will to God’s…and that truly is only the beginning.

    ※Reflection※

    What is your perspective of collective guilt? What brings you to that?How are collective and personal guilt different? How are they the same?

    ※※

    Lord, our initial turn to you included our repentance. We know that as fallible beings, repentance needs to be a constant companion. Guide us into perseverance and humility to be people who pursue your in the face of our unrighteousness. Amen.

  • Restoration

    Restoration

    Psalm 95; Micah 7:8–20; Mark 14:26–31

    In this passage in Micah, Zion is the personification of Jerusalem and the Promised Land. Zion also takes on the aspect of the people themselves. What is interesting is that Zion proclaims guilt in regards to God, but the actual people weren’t open to that way of thinking.

    The recognition that the consequences of destruction are well-earned is also something many of the people would not understand. If we are honest with ourselves, none of us like the negative consequences of our actions. We only want the positive ones.

    The poetic hyperbole of the rebuilding of Zion is about the speed of restoration versus the speed of falling into one’s own mire. God gave the descendents of Israel plenty of time to allow themselves to descend into the mess of their own making. God also gave them plenty of time to . They chose not to.

    God still them, though, just as God still loves us even when continue to do things that God does not want us to do. That is the beauty and the in the poetic rebuilding of Zion. In many respects, we can see a resemblance to what occurs when a person first truly gives their to Christ. Restoration! Restoration of our with God is always there waiting for our surrender.

    When the disciples made such sure and quick promises to Jesus that they would never him, their words were honest to the best of their understanding. However, once the hard times came, they quickly ran away (granted, after today’s verses). They were truly overwhelmed by the (, religious, cultural, and political) that came to take Jesus.

    They made a rash proclamation and broke it quickly after. Jesus still came and restored the relationship. Restoration is always around the corner.

    ※Reflection※

    • How has God restored you? Can you recall how many times? What lessons were learned from them? What person or people were common in any of these experiences (whether individuals or roles)?
    • What does this tell you about God? What does it tell you about yourself?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, under your grace and , we are always under construction. Thank you for working on us. Help us to surrender each wall, door, or room of our hearts that is not like you. Amen.

  • Throne Encirclement

    Throne Encirclement

    Psalm 95; 1 Chronicles 11:1–9; Revelation 7:13–17

    Thrones are attractive. The concept of a throne involves , wealth, and influence. Depending on “the throne”, it might also have religious and cultural ramifications as well.

    Thrones, or their facsimiles, often draw those who are weak, yet seek . Thrones also draw those who crave power and control over . There, too, are those that seek to use the throne for their own wealth.

    King Saul was dead. The man all these elders surrounded Saul and likely helped keep David away from the throne that God had upon David. To their credit, they recognized that God had indeed bestowed the seat of Israel to David. However, based upon their remarks, they had understood prior to this moment that David was God’s choice, yet it was only now that they approached David.

    We can see similar behavior in our state (or provincial) capitals and our national capitols. While the US (for example) has no throne, Congress and Executive branches have plenty of people surrounding them, brown-nosing and seeking . Washington, D.C., has become the throne.

    This is not to say that all who are around the throne (whether David’s or Washington, D.C.) are bad. In fact, there are more positive, effective, well-meaning, and loyal people than bad ones. It’s just that the bad ones are more capable of doing harm, solely because those that are good don’t even think that way.

    The “throne” of God also attracts many of the same bad kind. Many of these will see their through God, but not recognize that their gain is nothing but vapor.

    On the other hand, those shown in the vision to John were not that kind. Some were likely martyrs. Some had hard lives that brought to God through blood sweat and tears. Others did work where they saw no glory at all, but were and trusted God with their endeavors.

    ※Reflection※

    • What are good reasons to surround the throne of God?
    • What are good reasons to surround the thrones of humanity?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, may we view your throne with hearts of , and may we the thrones of our hearts, souls, and minds to you. Amen.

  • Love Surrendered

    Love Surrendered

    Psalm 118:1–2, 19–29; Deuteronomy 16:1–8; Philippians 2:1–11

    Passover begins very shortly. In fact, there is a great symmetry in this. Passover starts with Israel’s rescue from Egypt (), passing through the Red Sea (), and in more modern understandings of Passover, the last day (or the last 2, depending on nation), is the “future looking” meal with the Messiah as the center (the /).

    Confused, yet? Amazed? The Jewish aspects of theology and symbolism are there in plain sight.

    One of the interesting pieces is that there remains an expectation that the Messiah will come in , glory, and might. This was the expectation of any person claiming to be the Messiah in ‘ day. Thus, when Jesus didn’t fulfill that, most Jews disregarded Jesus as Messiah.

    It is this quest for earthly which continues to haunt all of humanity. The constant pursuit of power, glory, wealth, gain continually seems to be against following God. It isn’t that power, glory, wealth, and gain are against God, but that the means and hearts of people are. Much of this is the desire to be above others, so that others look up to you, and you have those you can look down upon.

    Paul’s observation that Jesus set aside total divinity and became man is one of the linchpins of Christian theology and faith. That Jesus did this shows two things, that God loves those Created, and this is so profound that God became not just identified with humanity, but actually became . That is not a quest for power, glory, wealth, or gain, at least in the normal sense.

    Only God could turn becoming nothing into something beyond understanding.

    ※Reflection※

    • What else does this tell you about God?
    • What does this make you reflect on when comparing your actions to God’s?
    • Who has the harder comparison, a person of Christ or a person of the world?

    ※Prayer※

    God, you have called us to follow your example, and it’s hard. Help us, in our pride, to yield our will to yours. Amen.

  • Get To Your Seats

    Get To Your Seats

    Luke 14:7–14

    When I was young, my insisted on making sure I was appropriately experienced in “high” culture. We went to ballet and opera. My dad said that we were sitting in the Grand Tier (still sounds a bit grandiose). This was the tier above the Opera (i.e.,floor) Seats, and below the Upper Tier, and certainly not the box seats. This would be so we had the best seats to see everything.

    He was right. We were just high enough that barring a really tall conductor (I remember one), our view of the stage allowed to see everything from the top of the sets to the artists’ feed (really important for ballet, not so much for opera). Oddly, the Opera seats were more expensive, and the crane-your-neck-uncomfortably-for-hours box seats were even more so.

    Which seats were the right seats? That depends on why you were there. For those in the box seats, sure there were those for the arts. There were those that were there to be seen. There were those who were there because it was expected of them.

    Depending on the individual and event, what seat a person might choose to in changes. For some people, going to a party is a high-stress environment, and they’ll gravitate toward a “safe” person (if there is one) or a dark corner or wall to “hide”.

    There’s also that person who will jump to the center of the room because they are the of the party, or they will be.

    When talks about the seating at the banquet, it about a lot of things. What we often don’t talk about in this parable is the parallel to Gentile life. This may have been less about the “” seating, but more about how the “pure” “religious” “sanctified” Jews were emulating the behavior of those they despised and feared.

    This a jump for sure from the text to the context. However, when we see the behavior of the powerful or popular there is a strong tendency to emulate it. Romans were in charge. This is how the Romans behaved; therefore, it seems reasonable that the oppressed would copy it, not because they wanted to, but because it’s a natural response to avoid gaining the wrong attention of those in .

    If this is indeed the case (again, which is reasonable), then we have a possible case of syncretism, a combining of two different (often competing) worldviews and/or religions.

    When a person was given the seat of honor due to their religious position in a non-religious setting or honor due to their secular position in a religious setting there is a mixing of two different worldviews that should be in tension with one another, and not in harmony.

    ※Questions※

    1) Where do you see your political and your religious worldview in harmony? Where do you see them in conflict?

    2) Are you comfortable where your politics influence your ? Does your religion affect your politics?

    3) Do you evaluate people’s religious affections based upon their politics? Do you a person’s politics based upon their religion?

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, help us our will to you, that you are the Lord of our religion and our politics. Amen.

  • Rusted Jalopy

    Rusted Jalopy

    Rusted Jalopy

    3 September 2020

    Judges 2:11–23; Ezekiel 24:1–14

    Prior to the discovery of titanium (and development of ways to use it), steel was the material of choice for strength, durability, and being shapable. Even now it remains the primary tool material as it is less expensive than titanium. It does have its issues, however.

    We’ve all seen photos of old rusted/rustic cars. The photos are artistically beautiful, but the cars are useless for what they were built to be.

    Rust is a that the iron in the steel is being “attacked”. Rust breaks down the bonds in the metal to the point that formerly strong steel turns into when touched.

    Rust can also build onto itself. So, while it is growing “down” into the metal, it can thicker. Then it can become like armor to the steel or iron, however, there is the risk that while the “armor” may be strong, the underlying metal is very weak.

    There are several techniques to remove rust. One is to blast it with a combination of sand. Another method is to grind or sand it. Another is to dip it into acid. Interestingly, acid is also used to help steel (specifically, stainless steel) become more corrosion-resistant.

    In metallurgy terms, rust is corrosion. Corrosion is not a good thing. Corrosion is built on the same root (in English) as corruption. Corruption, like rust, can start small and almost unnoticeable. However, unless it is cleansed, it will destroy the “host”.

    In many ways, the People of Israel left Egypt with the seeds of corrosion embedded in them. For 40 years, they were “sandblasted” in the desert to remove the corruption. It didn’t last.

    The “seeds” were still there. They succumbed to temptations and became corrupted. The Book of Judges talks about the ebb and flow, but the people never seem to be able or willing to up the seed of corrosion.

    By the time of Ezekiel, the corruption was to the point that their spiritual hearts would crumble to dust at a touch. The rough vision presented is along the lines of the corruption of Israel became the pot that was the crucible of their destruction. They willingly jumped into the pot and became nothing at all.

    We, sadly, are not much different. The seeds of corruption remain in us, even after our salvation. Our purification (progressive then entire ) is a result of our willingness to set ourselves at the feet of God, allowing and asking to be cleansed of everything the separates from the of God.

    While it is easy to look at the world and see its corruption and eventual destruction, we must be aware that we will also fall to corruption and destruction if we do not daily surrender ourselves to Christ and ask for cleansing by the .

    ※ Prayer ※

    Father, , and Holy Spirit, guide us into your perfect will. Help us to follow your will and walk the path that you have laid before us. Amen.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) What’s the first thing you think of with the “corruption”? Why is that the first thing that comes to mind?

    2) Why is it important to understand the ever- of the “seeds” of corruption?

    3) Do you really think that we need “purification” after our salvation? Why or why not?

  • Criminal Christian

    Criminal Christian

    Luke 23:32–43; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11

    A criminal is saved on the cross. Talk about a “bedside” or “execution” ! He was on the cross when he was saved.

    Look at the words the criminal stated. Look at the words that Jesus spoke. We often have longer phrases and understandings (even from Jesus’ own words) of what it takes to be saved. There probably is no quicker salvation story.

    That being said, it could be that the rumors and news about Jesus was so strong and flowing, that the criminal even from prison knew about Jesus. We don’t know what seeds had already be sown when the man sought salvation.

    However, we can say that by all appearances the criminal didn’t meet even the lowest standards of salvation as we often understand it. Does this diminish his salvation? No. It does show the amazing grace and of God.

    Do you want to be the criminal? All done. All saved. All good. Nothing more to do.

    The criminal is not the ideal follower of Jesus. Truly, to a select group the criminal is a beacon of hope. For the of us, though, the criminal is a criminal for something completely unrelated to the cross.

    He doesn’t live out his . He does, for a few hours, but it’s really not the same. Faith and salvation are tested and refined through the long and many trials of life.

    It can be reasonably argued, and has been by many, that salvation is only the beginning. Yes, in our salvation, we walk through the door to . It’s a big kingdom, though. Do you really only want to stay at the entrance?

    The fuller life, the rich life of God, is the full and complete of life with Jesus. We are often satisfied with so much less. Even more disturbing is that so many want salvation, but they don’t want the transformative live with Jesus.

    Some people call this being “on fire” for Jesus, except that it can devolve to being obnoxious in the of Jesus. We don’t really want to be “on fire” for Jesus. We should want to be “on fire” by Jesus.

    For Jesus usually comes from our strength and emotion. By Jesus means that it is fully (and lovingly and..and…and…) reliant upon Jesus to do the work in us through the .

    Is this merely semantics? Perhaps. However, there are a lot of people out in the world trumpeting the church (the Body of Christ), but aren’t living fully within it. Some show up on Sunday. Or, maybe they’ll show up digitally.

    Living the (truly) rich Christian live means living it together in . We must seek, foster, and grow that community. It won’t just come.

    Or we can just be a criminal on a cross.

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, help us to want a full and complete life with you. Help us surrender everything to the Holy Spirit to form and shape us for your will. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) How’s your faith community? Not just church (though that too), but your daily faith community?

    2) How does one know whether one is living the Christian life of the criminal on the cross, or the fullness of the Kingdom come?