Devotion.al

Tag: vision

  • Incomplete Armor

    Incomplete Armor

    Psalm 27; Zechariah 10:12; Ephesians 6:10–18

    This passage from Ephesians is one of those common favorites. Building and putting on the armor of God is still a popular activity for children. As a tool, it was and remains powerful.

    From the point of the Ephesians, they were very familiar with the attire of the Roman soldiers. Ephesus was an important city in the region. The Roman soldiers would be stationed there. With its importance, many military excursions would start and end in Ephesus.

    However, while grasped a powerful visual (and, for modern children, a reinforcing activity), it wasn’t complete. As far as Paul was concerned, he delivered what he needed for conveying deep truths to the Ephesians.

    Yet, there is still something missing. When I was younger, people often thought I was an “Army brat”. Even to this day, some I’m ex-military. Most of this is a childhood affection (with, yes, a lot of military tradition in the family). So, when I look at Paul’s list, I’m a bit bothered.

    There are 2 significant pieces that are missing from Paul’s list: the javelin (or bow, depending on the unit) and the kilt. Also, certain Roman ensembles had shin guards, too (that makes 3).

    What does that matter, you might ask? The javelin (again, or bow) was used for long-ranged attack; the javelin could also be used as a defensive tool against cavalry. We could use the long-range aspect as a “look ahead” and “” for what is coming. In other words, don’t just react to the world; be prepared to confront it.

    Regarding defense, the javelin would need to be set against the ground to be effective. Again, be for what is coming toward you.

    The kilt? Other than cultural Scottish attire, it protected the lower area of the body. It may not seem like a kilt could protect much, but much of the strength of the lower body is centered in that area. Wounds would deeply affect effectiveness. From a modesty sense, well, that’s probably obvious. That could represent purity.

    Purity in this day and is hard. Putting on the armor of purity may be more essential than we realize.

    The shin guards are a little harder. They do keep you from getting kicked, and they would protect you from ramming your leg into a coffee table (you winced, didn’t you?). So, perhaps we could look at the shin guards at that which protects us (somewhat) from our own stumbling.

    There is a fun addition to the helmet. Normally, the helmet was unadorned. However, during parades, the higher one’s rank the crest on the helmet would be brightly colored. Kind of similar to the flames of Pentecost, perhaps?

    ※Questions※

    1) Which armor piece is most significant for you? Why?

    2) If you were to choose aspects of the spiritual that the 3 additional pieces would represent, what would they be? Why?

    ※Prayer※

    God, thank you for the and of your Paul whose words, inspired by you, guide us today. Amen.

  • Pounding the Pavement

    Pounding the Pavement

    Luke 12:16–34

    We often use the words of out of context. When we do so, we often lose their original meaning. “Don’t worry about what you eat…or what you will wear” is often used to say don’t worry about “worldly” things, except…it isn’t.

    When we look at the rich man’s productive harvest, we get the greater idea of what Jesus is driving at. It isn’t wanting more or better; it is caring for one’s fellow. The successful harvest was going to be kept solely for him. He saw nothing wrong with not sharing the bounty.

    For many years, we have heard of trickle-down economics. It is real. It is true. It still isn’t God’s way. Communism (the Communism of Tolstoy, Mao, Lenin, Castro, Kim, or ) of force used to “level” the playing field by removing all incentive and initiative, and crushing it isn’t God’s way either. God’s way is somewhere in between.

    God’s way isn’t about what we can grasp, but what we . The treasures we are to store up are hearts. Not literally, that would be disgusting. We are talking—as you already knew, of course—about the “spiritual ” that is turned over to Jesus.

    The bumper sticker that reads, “(S)He who dies with the most toys wins,” is a lie. Toys, as such, are useless trinkets that rust and decay. Souls (or spiritual hearts) are forever. We only get to bring souls with us into Heaven.

    We are watching many of the rich (such as Bill Gates) begin to somewhat understand it, though they still miss the part. This has happened many times over the years. Andrew Carnegie left a fantastic of libraries all over the country, truly seeking to give “working class” children a better start than he got.

    This is not to disparage their actions. Quite the contrary. There are the secular (non-religious) acts of Jesus lived out. They should be celebrated and honored.

    They still don’t souls. Often the question in the capital (state or ) is, how much do we “spend” on a person? That can be welfare, grants, contracts, pensions, or well-deserved (and earned) veterans’ benefits. The government thinks in dollars per person.

    God thinks in person per dollars. Sort of. God doesn’t care about the dollars. God cares about the souls of those who earn, give, save, horde, or even burn dollars. John the Revelator saw streets of Gold in his . As an ounce of Gold approaches $2000, it’s still pavement in Heaven.

    God cares about ravens, birds, wildflowers, grass, and you. Gold is just to be walked on.

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, you have given us humanity to walk with. May we seek their good and their entrance into Heaven as we follow your will. Amen.

  • Chained or Unchained

    Chained or Unchained

    Deuteronomy 27:12–28:1; John 8:31–40; Galatians 3:7–14

    There are many wonderful things in life that begin well and then become dead weight. Buying a house is one of those. We are now in an era when people buy houses and pay against a large debt for 15–30 years. It doesn’t take too long for the joy of home “owning” to be faced with the frustrations of maintenance, flaws, age, changes, life changes, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a house. It could be a car. It could be student loans. It could be your job.

    The Law wasn’t intended to be life-. It was intended as God-oriented protection. If you followed the law, there was a framework that guided one into a life.

    Somehow this became twisted, and the Law became life.

    “Whoever does not put this law into practice is cursed.” (Deuteronomy 27:26)

    This does not say that the Law is life. It says that not following the Law results in bad consequences. Within the Law there were “resets” built in. Sins, errors in judgment could be dealt with. Life could move on.

    However, there is a difference when it is a lifestyle. This is not about ignorance. This is not about an unbeliever. This is about those who declare God their God and live in such a way that they have not put God first in their lives.

    What becomes the struggle is “proving” that God is first in our lives. Often, we “prove” it by living a more “holy” life. The of the Nazarene, for example, was long known for its stances against alcohol, smoking, and dancing. Not doing these things was the mark of “” but is what the areas of broken where these things occurred that was the real issue.

    When holiness (or the appearance thereof) become chains rather than , then holiness has become the Law. If that is the case, then that might make a lie out of, “who the Son sets free is free indeed,” because then, it seems, we want to find new chains to live in.

    ※Questions※

    1) What are some Christian “rules” that you can think of? How do you think they became rules?

    2) What rules can you think of that were intended to “” or “preserve” life, but ended up chaining it? Does that make the rule bad?

    3) What is a family rule that you wish wasn’t a family rule? Why?

    ※Prayer※

    , you called us to a life of following you. Help up discern freedom from chains as we try to follow your way. Amen.

  • Graveside Dancing

    Graveside Dancing

    Psalm 30; Hosea 13:4–14

    Yesterday was the birthday of my stepfather. He passed away years ago. For whatever reason, this year his birthday hit me kind of hard. He and I had our good moments. We had our bad moments. Just like any parent-child relationship. I was his only child.

    At his burial, the priest spoke about his baptism sealing him to Jesus Christ. This was spoken pastorally to people grieving. However, scripturally it has some weaknesses. His life, and to my knowledge, and beliefs were not of Jesus Christ.

    On his death bed, my wife shared the Good News of Jesus Christ. He was in a “non-responsive” state. Yet, she felt a response to the invitation to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior. Only in Heaven will I learn if the baptism was “sealing” as the priest said, or whether the physical response truly was an acceptance of Jesus. I can only hope and in God.

    Why share the angst? “I cried to you for help, and you healed me.” In our pain and sorrow, God is there to “turn [our] lament in dancing”. Joy in Christ in the midst of the pains of life is the life we are called to.

    In lament and pain, it is easy for our faith in God to be shaken, while at the same time relying more firmly on God will help us through the pain.

    There are many kinds of . The verses of Hosea summarize loss. The people lost (walked away from) God. They had experienced blessing, then they lost it. The vision of loss sounds brutal. Think of it though from God’s anguished .

    “…like a bear robbed of her cubs.” Have you seen a momma bear (or many mothers) separated from their children, with the feeling that the kids are threatened? I’ve seen a recorded version of one and lived the other. Don’t be the one that separates momma from the cubs. Just don’t.

    THAT’S GOD! Something is between momma (God) and the cubs (the children of God)! That is just not going to go well! It could be a kingdom that has the Israel or Judah attached to it.

    THAT is the concept of ransom and redemption. Death and Sheol are not going to be forgiven for taking away the Children of God. The exact mechanism (despite a whole lot of theologians arguing over it for centuries) is unknown. All we know is that heart of God wants to turn our lament into dancing and our sorrow into joy.

    ※Questions※

    1) What’s do you think about dancing at the death of death?

    2) As Christians, why does death still frighten us? If we truly believe that a fellow Christian is in Heaven, why do we grieve?

    3) “Deathbed Conversions” will continue to decrease, as too many don’t know the basics of Jesus. How will you turn regular conversations into God conversations?

    ※Prayer※

    , thank you for redeeming us from death through the death and of your . May the Spirit guide our hearts to speak the words of Christ to the world. Amen.

  • Message Over Mammon

    Message Over Mammon

    Luke 10:1–9; 2 Corinthians 12:1–14

    There are many people who attract attention naturally. Some do it with mere charisma. Some do it with . do it with the words (positive and negative).

    There are others that do it out of gain. Whether it is to gain the attention of people or to feel , or success (all still people-based, really), gaining attraction to puff oneself up isn’t Christ-like.

    When sent out the 72 disciples he gave an interesting direction: don’t houses. In other words, if you were invited into a house in a town, stay at that house until you leave the town. As they were representatives of the famous prophet, they would likely be treated well. It might even mean that people would compete for their presence.

    The concern with this is that the message would lose weight as the disciples would go from house to house. What gravitas would the “ of Heaven” have if its disciples (emissaries, ambassadors) traipsed from one place to another following the food and the sandal-licking (they didn’t have boots, then). If people competed over the fame and flattery of having one of the disciples, would they really care about the message?

    The next concern would be the effect upon the disciples. Being “wined and dined” could have a potentially huge negative effect on their spiritual growth and their witness. It could even lead to some of the same bullying behavior of the Jewish religious leaders. That would have been very bad.

    We see how it did evolve through ‘s letter to the Corinthians. The “super” apostles were, it seems, spiritual abusers. They guilt-tripped people to more money. Based on Paul’s language, the super-apostles used language that implied that the Corinthians were being spiritually blessed by them (the super-apostles) so much money.

    When Paul apologizes that he didn’t ask for money or to be taken care of, there is a realization that the Corinthians had been hoodwinked. They had bought wholeheartedly into the swindle of the super-apostles. In so doing, they lost the vision of the Gospel.

    By succumbing to the words of these super-apostles, they reattached the chains of bondage. Paul was heartbroken. The heart of the message of in Christ had been lost.

  • De-Vine

    De-Vine

    De-Vine

    22 September 2020

    Isaiah 5:1–7; John 15:1–8; Romans 11:13–25

    If you’ve seen ivy or even “domesticated” wisteria and clematis that have been allowed to run free, you can envision a people out of control. A vine does what it does best…spread. There are other plants like the Western Pacific Northwest’s ubiquitous blackberry vines, or the (what becomes) noxious mint plant.

    I like blackberries. I like mint. However, their plants can leave a lot to be desired. If left unchecked, they will conquer a yard (or in the case of the blackberry, the state). I have seen ivy plants choke off and kill beautiful pine trees. I have seen wisteria “worm” its way into decks until the deck is deformed and needs repair.

    If left alone, most plants go “wild”. A wise and experienced pruner (or gardener or vinedresser or arborist, etc.) will prune and trim to guide the plant toward optimal growth. Interestingly, the vision of different pruners will result in plants that can look similar or can look wildly different.

    A pruner may choose to prune what seems to be good young fruit because they can see that the branch on which that fruit grows may be endangered or will later endanger other branches and fruit if allowed to . Even successful fruit growing branches may be pruned.

    One of the concerns regarding Christians is that many think that once they are on the vine of Jesus, they’ve arrived. Arrival only happens when we stand before the throne of and have to answer for what we have done with the gifts and graces that God had given us.

    There are some who think they are like the vines in Isaiah that are secure behind protective bushes and thick walls. Those that think they are so protected often succumb to arrogance and laziness. This can be because they think they are the “city on the hill” or a “blessed nation”.

    think that because they produce “good” fruit that there will be no trimming or pruning involved. They are firmly based on the “root” (Jesus). They may receive even more trimming and pruning to increase their production of good fruit. The sad part is what fruit might be lost during that pruning. For God’s greater , however, such pruning may be necessary.

    The last group is a cautionary tale for us all. Paul addresses the Israelites who have been trimmed from the trunk. Paul addresses the who have been grafted into the trunk. Over time those grafts are almost as if they were always part of the trunk. Those grafts, however, can be removed.

    There is no surety of maintaining one’s grafting except relying fully on God. The arrogance of being the original (the Jews/Israelites) or the grafted (the Gentiles) is a barrier to bring the unbranched (those that do not yet know Jesus as Lord and Savior), and (honestly) is a barrier to one’s with God.

    There is the surety in in God and through Jesus. There is the danger when that trust turns into an illness that turns hearts away from God.

    ※ Questions ※

    1) What or where is God pruning in your ?

    2) Is God’s pruning where there is fruit, or is God pruning where there is wildness (not conforming to God’s plan)?

    3) How does arrogance or presumption affect one’s salvation relationship with God? How does it impact what others /see about God?

    ※ Prayer ※

    Lord, may we be aware of what you are pruning in our lives. Help us to be faithfully and hopefully looking for what will happen as a result. 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 holiness 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 for cleansing by the Holy .

    ※ Prayer ※

    Father, Son, and , 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?

  • Lamenting Forward

    Lamenting Forward

    Ezekiel 2:1–3:3; Lamentations 3:17–33; Ecclesiastes 3:1–8

    There are two prevailing feelings currently: and anger. Neither one is productive over time. In the , they can destroy a person emotionally and spiritually.

    Ezekiel ate words of lament, mourning, and woe. In the , the edible scroll tastes a sweet as honey. At the same time, there was no in the words themselves.

    One of the biggest lessons that the current atmosphere can teach us is that we need to mourn what we have lost. We are even still in the midst of losing our perception of culture(s), country, and even church. We fight the .

    We don’t want to lose all that we hold dear. At the same time, there is another feeling that is harder to quantify… God is doing something new. We don’t know what that new is, which causes us to be even more emotionally reactive.

    God can (and does) handle our anger and fear. God is greater than that. We, though, need to lament, , and mourn.

    When we lose a loved one, we miss them. We grieve. We mourn. We understand that it is not only acceptable, it is also healthy. We also must—as hard as it is—find a way to .

    That is currently the way many things are right now. One of the great difficulties is to choose what to mourn and move past, and what to struggle for. As the situation around COVID continues, we will continue to have to work and walk together to find a way forward.

    We all must be grace-filled as people struggle with their grief masked in fear and anger. Only the God of can turn the anger and fear into a drive to move forward in . Let us all be people of hope.

    ※Prayer※

    Heavenly Father, guide us to be people of hope, not just any hope, but the hope of the crucified and risen Son. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) What is one thing you are angry about right now? How about fearful? What about grieving?

    2) If you were to rank each of these in order, what would they be, and why?

    3) Which of these has the greatest effect upon your Christian walk? How so?