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Devotion.al

Tag: together

  • God’s Work Working

    Exodus 20:1–21, Exodus 32:1–19, Exodus 34:1–9

    The first “printing” of the 10 Commandments was wholly a God printing. God made the tablets. God wrote on the tablets. Imagine holding something like that in your hands. You witnessed yet another miraculous happening. Out of a mountain God created tablets, then God wrote on them.

    In a fit of (righteous) anger, Moses (unrighteously) broke the miraculous and holy tablets.
    God gives you something special, created in front of you…and you broke them.

    There is a transformation there. Moses transforms from leader (follow me) to shepherd (I lay down my life). This isn’t just about the failure of the Israelites, it is also about the transformation of Moses.

    God then does something…odd. Now, Moses is to make the tablets. God writes on them. God does talk about writing on hearts His law, and God calls our hearts stone. Does this mean the tablets are symbolic of our hearts and the Commandments symbolic of God’s Law? Probably not.

    What it is symbolic of is that instead of God doing it all again, God has Moses (humanity) put some sweat into it, and then does the true work. This is symbolic of how God does work through us. God chooses not to do it all. Instead, God chooses us to partner with Him. It is not because God needs us. It’s because we need God and because we have a need to be valued. God shows us that God values us by having us be part of God’s work.

    1) God wants YOU to work together with God to do God’s work. When you reflect on that, what are your thoughts?

    2) At times, God will take our bad decisions and doing something (later) that is positive. Other times, God doesn’t. Why do you think that is? How do you not get discouraged or troubled when God doesn’t transform negative to positive?

    3) God created us in God’s image. What does that mean to us when we think of doing God’s work here on earth?

  • Sharpening and Armor

    Matthew 15:10–20, Luke 6:39–42, Ephesians 6:12–18

    In our current political and cultural climate, there are plenty of sharp barbs being thrown out. If we wanted to, we could say flaming arrows, which is metaphorically accurate. It’s pretty nuts, and certainly unloving, unpeaceful, impatient (i.e, doesn’t bear), unkind, bad (i.e., not good), unfaithful, ungentle, and lacks a lot of self-control (see Galatians 5:22–23, for what it should be). The sad part? That’s what we see from Christians. Christians are placing themselves firmly in the world on one “side” of the (left/right) political aisle. It’s very sad.

    While much of it is happening over social media (written), it really is more akin to speech (i.e., coming out their/our mouths). Jesus calls us to task, saying that these words are coming out from our hearts. Ouch! What you write on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or what you “like” comes from your heart? What does that tell you about what is inside your heart? What about that question that you posed about the other “side” of the political aisle? Was it honesty inquiry, or was it spite-filled rhetoric?

    It is so, so very easy to respond. It makes us feel better. Yet, is that the right response? Sadly, the rush (and rash) response is not conducive to sharpening one another. It actually hardens hearts for all involved. How is this living a Christ-filled, -following, -honoring life?

    Of course, the problem often is that those that need to hear and take the lesson to heart will often use the splinter and plank story to justify disregarding the lesson. There is some wisdom in that. This is why both of these parables should be taken as a pair, to prevent either from being taken too far, one way or the other. The other necessary part of this is community, true community (i.e., not Facebook). Facebook and other social mediums are quick to call their platforms a community, but community is only formed when doing life together continually, not just highlights.

    Often the reason we respond the way we do is that we feel threatened. This is where the final tool in this comes out. The Full Armor of God passage can be used in many ways. Why not take it a different way? “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full clothing of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like a strong shirt on your chest, and your feet booted with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the gloves of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the hat of salvation and the book of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:12-18 (CSB with Ian’s revisions).

    We are so accustomed to the war-like clothing that Paul is talking about that we can miss the intimacy of it all. Changing the armor to something we actually wear these days—rather than what the Ephesians were accustomed—may help you better understand the Armor of God. The pieces may be different but have the same result. Imagine as you are putting on your shirt saying, “I am putting on God’s righteousness.” As you put a belt on saying, “I am putting God’s Truth on.” Gloves may not work when it’s not Winter, so choose something else. The Full Armor of God is an allegory. Reframe it in modern terms to help you when you feel attacked, or even better, feel “armored-up” before you walk out the door.

    1) When you trust the armor-maker (yes, armorer), can you calmly trust the armor to take the hit for you? Do you?

    2) How should you respond when someone attacks (whether actual or perceived) a firmly held belief? Do you?

    3) How do you handle people when they honestly come to a different conclusion on what the Scriptures say than you do? What happens when the resulting behavior from those different conclusions appears to be in conflict?

  • Open and Closed

    Jeremiah 15:19–21, Mark 2:1–12, Matthew 11:20–24

    “One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.” Romans 10:10 (CSB)
    “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 (CSB)

    Confession and repentance resulting in salvation is a constant theme in the Scriptures. As the nation of Israel would wander away from God, come back, wander away, and so on, there was a perceivable and constant ebb and flow in the story.

    Confession►Repentance►Salvation

    Jesus was not one to shy away from forgiving sins. Take this story of the paralytic. He seems to have deliberately chosen words that struck at the core of how confession, repentance, and salvation all tie together. Scripture does not say that the paralytic confessed and repented. However, by his friends putting him at his feet, the man was forgiven and healed. Even more interestingly, it appears it was the faith of the paralytic’s friends that resulted in healing and forgiveness.

    Yet, we come to Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum, there seems to be no grace. What happened? If the paralytic man didn’t have to follow “the recipe” why should have Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum? The additional context of Tyre and Sidon gives us an idea. They were cities that were known for their pride and arrogance. Jesus was saying that Chorazin and Bethsaida were more pride-filled and arrogant. Capernaum? Let’s see…Jesus did miracles, a number of them. Yet, Capernaum refused to repent even with the King of the Kingdom of God was right there in their midst! That’s the difference, open versus closed.

    1) Can you see the difference in your life between when you have been open and when you have been closed to God?

    2) What traits—other than pride and arrogance—indicate someone being closed to God?

    3) The people of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum probably viewed themselves a righteous. How can we check that we have not become like them?

  • Frameworks

    Genesis 35:9–15, Genesis 37:1–2

    While the “rest of the story” appears to mostly be about Joseph, it is incredibly important to understand that from a familial perspective, this is the continuing story (in comic book terms, the “origin” story) of Israel, both the man (born as Jacob) and the people (the 12 male descendant lines of Israel).

    Laying the groundwork is very important to understand the framework of the story. In many respects, the story of Joseph and his brothers is told within the larger framework of Israel, which is part of the larger framework of Abraham, and God’s faithfulness to Abraham and his line.

    In fact, we can look at the promise of Abraham as a single line (which it was), until the sons of Israel. With the sons of Israel, the line branched and become a fuller, more complete version of itself. What it also bears a testament to is God’s faithfulness in the midst of brokenness.

    This was a family heritage that was anything but healthy. It was, by any account, a complete and utter mess. God did something beautiful with it.

    1) Have you ever thought that your life was too messy for God to fix? Do you have friends or family who think that?

    2) Imagine if God waited for the Israelite family to get it “all together”. Why do you think people believe that God will only accept them after they have it all together? What can we do to share the grace that says, “come as you are”?

  • Freeing the Rules

    Psalm 119:153–168, Deuteronomy 6, Galatians 5:1–15

    Rules and regulations. We often don’t like them. At the same time, there are many who are calling for more and more rules and regulations. People want to control people’s thoughts and their expressions of their thoughts. People want to control others’ behavior, but don’t want theirs controlled.

    When Paul refers to the Law of the Jews (e.g., circumcision), there is a Jewish understanding that the Jews failed miserably to follow the Law perfectly. So, to do a better job of following the law that they couldn’t already follow, they added more laws.

    The whys of rules and regulations should often be more the focus than the actual rules and regulations. When Moses talks about the whys, it is contained within Deuteronomy 6:4–6. “Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.”

    It’s not that breaking the rules wasn’t serious. It was. What was of primary importance was a relationship with God.

    Note also what comes after that, teaching and guiding others into that same relationship.

    Then, and only then, do we get to the rules. Many Bibles have a heading before verse 10 to the effect of Remembering God Through Obedience. So, the rules aren’t about the rules, they’re about God. For Christians, the “rules” of Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers are more like guidelines, good and healthy guidelines for relationships, but guidelines. They are for a time and place and context, which isn’t ours.

    So, Christians create more rules. These rules are in many ways far worse than the rules of the Law. Many people use the “new” rules to condemn people to Hell, without knowing them. The rules are often used with fear and intimidation. That certainly isn’t the freedom that Paul was talking about.

    1) When you think of rules, what are your feelings? How do you feel when someone else breaks the rule? How about when you break the rules?

    2) Why do you think the rules and remembering are tied together? How does that affect the way you feel about rules?

    3) We all set rules and expectations regarding the behavior of others. What do you do when someone violates them?

  • 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?

  • Outdated or Worthwhile

    Numbers 20:1–13, Jeremiah 35:1–19, Matthew 15:1–20

    Traditions are wonderful things. They can bring peace and order. They can help a person find themselves and understand where they came from, and what has shaped them to this point.

    Traditions can also blind us. While slavery was not a “tradition”, the practices that had to be lived through enforced something very much like the worst instances of tradition, blind adherence. Moses faced the Israelites whose very identities were tied into slavery (perhaps even more than being Israelite). With those tethers severed, the Israelites found themselves wondering who they were. In the midst of trials and fears, they (like us) tried to return to what they knew, even if it wasn’t good for them, or was blind (really, all those rich foods weren’t for them).

    Then there are odd and strongly held traditions that seem to be pointless, but result in something positive. The Rechabites did not drink wine, still lived in tents, and did not act as farmers. All of that because their ancestor said not to. One could easily draw a line saying that the Rechabites’ tradition tied them to their past. In their case, it certainly did. Yet, something has to be inferred here. God praises their seemingly pointless traditions and their faithfulness in following them. With verse 19 we see the “fruit” of the tradition. The Rechabites appear to not only have followed their ancestor’s traditions, they also were faithful to God. The two, it can be inferred, were deeply tied together.

    According to Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes didn’t have their traditions tied so closely with a relationship with God. Jesus was pretty blunt with them. Their traditions blinded them that their relationship with God was damaged, if not non-existent. Which is even more devastating, as the intent of their traditions was to be better Jews, fulfilling the Law perfectly. As we now understand, however, fulfilling the Law perfectly is not quite the same as living it perfectly.

    1) What are your most precious church traditions? Do they truly draw you closer to God? Setting aside your emotional attachment, do they draw others closer to God?

    2) The Rechabites’ traditions echo similar “outdated” traditions of some denominations (like the Nazarenes). How do you think the Rechabites lived it successfully (being called out as faithful by God), while many churches (and denominations) don’t?

  • Deceptive Misery

    2 Corinthians 9:6–11, Matthew 6:16–18

    Misery loves company, so it is said. By misery, we aren’t talking sadness, grief, or mourning. We’re talking about the attitude of heart, soul, and mind that finds the worst in it all and revels in it.

    Sadly, there is often a strain of that in the church. “Look at what I gave up” or “I give to help those…” In holiness traditions, such as ours, that has long been a tendency. What is always amazing is how it is often dressed up in “doing the right thing” or “not being of the world” or “not putting ourselves in the way of temptation”. This might sound a bit snarky. There are a lot of people who honestly mean it. Yet there is a strong (and often loud) group where they want the attention for the activities they avoid, rather than living out the grace bestowed upon all believers by Jesus. They are often miserable.

    When we read Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 9:6–11, we (reasonably and rightfully) see wisdom regarding money and actions. Yet, the “right” actions (including giving money, time, and effort) need a basis of generosity and grace, not misery. Hearts focused on God’s immeasurable generosity and grace will be far more inclined toward sharing it with the world.

    Jesus’ words echo this when talking about those that add to their physical discomfort (hunger) and add a deliberately poor appearance. They were happy together in their misery. They took joy in their misery, using it as a source of pride, control, and influence.

    We can look around us and see many of the same tendencies in the secular world. It is not immune.

    1) As we have the wisdom of God in the scriptures, and the words of Jesus, how can we teach others (in and out of the church) to not live the life of self-righteous misery?

    2) What are your thoughts about how an attitude of grace and generosity can fulfill Paul’s words?

    3) How does fasting and giving in private add or subtract from an attitude of grace and generosity?

  • Restoring Broken Bones

    Deuteronomy 30:1–6, Matthew 18:15–20, Galatians 6:1–10

    In his commentary on this section of Galatians, Earle Wilson wrote, “The church is a family, not a civic or social club. As a family we are knit together supernaturally by the Holy Spirit in common fellowship of love. It is in this context that Paul admonished us to carry one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

    At Generations Community Church, we talk a lot about framily—friends who are like family. The question then becomes, is that who we are? Is this how we are really identified? Is this how we live out the call to be framily? How do we as individuals and collectively truly begin to internalize and live it out fully?

    Restoration is an essential piece of living as framily. However, for something to be restored, something has to be broken and acknowledged as broken. We are all broken in some way. We can be too confident in our learning, too confident in our family, too confident in our state, too confident in our country, and definite too confident in ourselves.

    Are we still keeping up appearances? Are we still putting on our “church” face? Are we working so hard that we are blind to where the Holy Spirit is actually working?

    We are each too scared at times to be truly transparent and vulnerable. Oversharing can be chaotic and emotionally draining, so we cannot take it too far. However, sometimes a broken bone needs to be re-broken so that it heals correctly. Are there bones in our framily that need this?

  • Goal of One

    Psalm 122, Isaiah 14:1–2, John 17:20–26, Acts 1:12–14

    Psalm 122 is a prayer for the flourishing of a community. Love for Jerusalem is symbolic of loving God’s bride, as Jerusalem is often tied to being the bride of God. Loving God’s bride is to be a sign of God’s people.

    Part of Isaiah’s vision is that love of Jerusalem is a shared love of both the Israelite and gentile. And what about the slaves? Note how they (those would be slaves) are those who escort Israel home. Yet, it is more appropriate to think of them as servants, as in the Hebrew they labor for the Israelites. From our perspective, one might even bring in Jesus’ words about serving one another.

    Which brings us to Jesus’ words in John regarding being one. As we look at Scripture, being one is regardless of origin (neither Jew nor Gentile). The “oneness” is what matters. All are servants (and disciples) in the presence of the Master (Jesus). Being one is hard work. Being one starts with love. Being one involves prayer, for, let’s be honest, we need prayer to love and submit to one another.

    After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples regularly gathered. They prayed together and were of one accord. The Greek ὁμοθυμαδόν—homothumadon [hom·oth·oo·mad·on]—is a compound word meaning rushing together. Some linguists put it as praying for the same thing, and others take it as if people were “singing/playing” different notes in the same song. Either way, it resolves into people praying toward the same goal, but not necessarily the same way or at the same time.

    1) Why should prayer be toward the same goal? What should the goal(s) be?

    2) In the midst of our political, cultural, national, denominational differences, how can the church be “one”? What can you do to “aim” to “oneness”?

    3) There is “the other” and there is “one”. How can we be the bridge between these two perspectives?