Devotion.al

Tag: voice

  • Storms in Store

    Storms in Store

    Psalm 77; Job 4:1–21; Ephesians 2:1–10

    I recently l read a pointed quip (one could call it an insult) at a man who had to remain celibate rather than have a with another man. The person wrote, “…This guy needs [religion] as an emotional crutch. Pity.”

    Eliphaz is not accusing Job of this. Yet, at the same time “religion” is being used as a bludgeon. “Your religion,” is indicative of Eliphaz. Is Eliphaz not an Israelite? Or is it the dismissal of Job’s consistent acts?

    Eliphaz is what many Christians experience from other Christians during hard times, harshness. There is a form of condemnation delivered to Christians going through hard times. Often Christians are the worst about it. We can try to encourage others when they are going through rough times, but then be judged as lacking when we our own struggles.

    Eliphaz is the metaphorical voice of experience of far too many people. Sometimes, even more sadly, it may be the “voice” in our heads (and hearts) that attacks us and leaves us breathless.

    The tragedies that Job’s life had suddenly gone through would be traumatic for anyone. No matter what we think of the last year or four…no, they aren’t Job’s life. Yes, many of us have experienced great , , , and anger. Job got it all.

    Christians have been given the antidote to this. The and grace of God and salvation. While these may often seem “just words” they can also be the life preserver when we are in a .

    It might seem strange to bring this in when Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is about disobedience and doing what feels good. Oddly, standing strong in God’s grace, mercy, and salvation is often harder when all we want to do is and stew in misery.

    Perhaps, just perhaps, Eliphaz was a shot of cold water that each of us needs to jar us out of our whirlpool of misery. However, most of the time such a person just pushes us deeper into the .

    We are called to pull people out of the maelstroms of life, not shove them further, no matter who they are.

    ※Reflection※

    Are you a person to pull or to push? Does it depend on the person? Does it depend on the reason?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, make in us a resolution to follow through relationship to pull people out and not shove them in. Amen.

  • Beyond Confessing

    Beyond Confessing

    Psalm 25:1–10; Daniel 9:1–14; 1 John 1:3–10

    “But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and us from everything we’ve done wrong.” —1 John 1:9

    Have you said those words to yourself lately or ever? The and in those simple words are awe-inspiring.

    Daniel understood this. He analyzed Jeremiah’s words and recognized that there was no quick way back to the way things were. Daniel, being the faithful God-follower that he was, likely wasn’t eager to the way things were, as they hadn’t been working, especially in regard to Israel’s relationship with God.

    Daniel recognizes—confesses—that Israel went its own way and purposefully ignored the of God through the and the prophets. Unlike many people, whether Jeremiah’s,  Daniel’s, or our day, Daniel notes that it is not the fault of God that Israel (or anyone) wanders away from God. Especially in the case of Israel, there was no blaming God. The penalties and (ultimately) exile were the result of the path Israel chose to walk in spite of God’s persistent voice calling them to repentance.

    Repentance may be a bigger stumbling block than confession. The Roman Catholic practice of confession could lead to a confession of words without repentance of the heart. Roman Catholicism isn’t the only one. The opening words of 1 John are stated weekly in the Lutheran churches. Other words of confession are spoken in other liturgical traditions (Orthodox, Episcopal, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.). People say these words, but they may not actually repent of that which they confessed.

    Most Evangelical traditions, like the of the Nazarene, don’t have a confessional creed. The confession has moved into specialized small groups (general Bible studies not fitting that mold), where people actually live . Here repentance has the opportunity to occur in ways other methods often don’t. In these groups, we can be shaped personally and be held accountable.

    Regardless, if we are not willing to confess, repent, and change, we should really question if we are Christ-followers. Being a Christ-follower means being willing to be changed.

    ※Reflection※

    • Thinking about your confessional, repenting, and changing activities, where can you improve?
    • How would you rate the difficulty of each: confessing, repenting, changing? Why in that order?

    ※Prayer※

    , guide our hearts to confess and repent all that we have done against your will for our lives. Work in us and through in our lives so that we are shaped from the inside out into Christ-shaped people. Amen.

  • Willing to be Sharpened

    Willing to be Sharpened

    Proverbs 27:17; Acts 15:36–41

    I’m sure you’ve never fought. Ever. With anyone. I’m sure that you’ve never raised your voice or yelled in anger or frustration. Ever. At anyone.

    was strong-willed and opinionated. Barnabas was a person who seemed to always be the forgiving type. He was known as an encourager.

    Paul and Barnabas had been on . They had been in trouble together. They had seen God’s together. They had seen the Spirit move people. By all accounts, they were successful missionary partners.

    From Paul’s letters, we know that he really cared about the people gathered into the churches. There was probably a strong motivation to make sure they were okay and hadn’t fallen prey (again) to non-Christians (both Jew and Gentile).

    Then we come to Mark. It is unclear why Mark had left them in Pamphylia. Based on context, some commentators believe that Mark left Paul (going to Jerusalem) because Mark didn’t believe that Gentiles should not have ties to Judaism. The thought process was that Paul would not have been so opposed to Mark if it had not been something serious (versus being young and unaccustomed to travel, as other commentators have said).

    Here is where we see the . Barnabas and Paul were not opposing each other regarding the mission (i.e., they were united). One could even say their disagreement proved that they both believed in the mission. What they disagreed on was Mark’s part in the mission.

    They couldn’t agree. They parted ways.

    Paul’s was sharp and straightforward (one might say similar to an oncoming train). Barnabas was the type who sought to lift up. What is interesting here is that Barnabas chose to “lift up” Mark, despite Paul’s insistence.

    Whether in , work, or home, there will be times where people do not agree in approach. All too often, the only option seems to be separation. Yet, when two such “opposites” sharpen each other, that which comes from it will often be greater than the only one. The trick is how to make it happen.

    We do know this, though. Mark and Paul were . Mark and Timothy (Paul’s protege) became ministry partners.

    ※Reflection※

    • Have you ever seen two people whose goal is the same, but their methods are different? How did that go?
    • What does it take for two people of significantly different approaches to try to work together?
    • If you’ve found yourself in such a situation, are you more like Paul or like Barnabas?

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, we can quickly fall apart on our differences. Help us to take these differences to make a symphony for you. Amen.

  • Heart of God, Speak

    Heart of God, Speak

    Deuteronomy 18:15–20; Mark 1:21–28

    speech is not unique to the Judeo- community, not by a long shot. In the current world, there are many forms of prophetic voice.

    A short list (i.e., not exhaustive) of prophetic voices: environmental collapse; sustainability (related, but not the same as environmental collapse); gender identification; minority redress (including, but not limited to, white privilege); economic growth; and so much more.

    From a Judeo-Christian standpoint (and certainly from a number of political points within the church), it might seem dangerous to these “prophetic.” The Global Wesleyan Dictionary of Theology says that prophecy is, “…an urgent message from God to an audience.”

    That being said, the only similar words with the same underlying (i.e., surpassing the human condition) meaning are revelation (firmly culturally tied to Christianity), apocalypse (mostly having turned into meaning the fall of the modern world), oracle (too new--y even for many new-age-ers), and vision (which has too many meanings to be useful).

    The reason this is important is that for many of these “prophetic” voices they are sharing the urgent message from their “god”. In some of these cases, it should be understood that we are not talking about gods as if they were God. We are talking about a world understanding framework that for Judeo-Christians we would think God. This means that is as much a part of their prophetic voice as God is part of ours.

    On the other hand, there are many prophetic voices in these areas that are believers in and followers of Jesus Christ. For them, there is a direct tie between God, their voice, and the issue. As with many important human issues, it’s quite a mess.

    The great sage, Ben Parker, once said, “With great , comes great responsibility.” Christians have been given a unique power, that of the Holy Spirit. In combination with the of God (the Bible), we have the ability to influence , and thus must be very careful in using what we have. This is especially true when used with other believers.

    What has become also very evident is that people are disregarding prophetic voices that don’t agree with their line of thinking. This is the most dangerous. When we disregard the prophetic voices solely because they do not align themselves with our brand of Christianity (including denomination, political-alignment, lifestyle choices, or national origin), we are in grave danger of repeating the patterns of the Israelites…casting out the voices into the , while condemning ourselves.

    ※Reflection※

    What prophetic voices have you been hearing? What makes them prophetic? What, if any, in your life have they prompted?

    ※Prayer※

    Holy Spirit, you are living and active in this world right now. Give us the heart, wisdom, and discernment to hear the prophetic promptings of your people called by your name. Amen.

  • Prophetic Testing

    Prophetic Testing

    Deuteronomy 13:1–5

    Prophetic words are very common in times of unrest. Much of the Old Testament are prophetic words during times of unrest. The times of unrest were because the people of Israel didn’t follow God. Since their focus was on the world, God became a bit player in their lives.

    This should sound familiar. The last decade or so has had many “prophetic” words spoken. Most of the ones given attention were of the white evangelical variety.

    Whether they were racist diatribes against Obama, misogynistic diatribes against Hillary Clinton, or (really) attempts at assassinations of any so-called “liberal” , it was out-of-hand. It also shows how much the white evangelical church/culture was in “the hands” of a singular political party.

    However, despite the “airplay” of much of this, there was just as much towards whichever “evil” Republican or “conservative” that was the focus of the day. It just wasn’t publicized.

    Perhaps, someone reading this will say, “See, it’s because ‘they’ are biased!” That isn’t the issue for Christians. The real issue is that the church thinks that it is effective by walking hand-in-hand with earthly .

    The prophetic in this passage in Deuteronomy is interesting. One of the biggest tests of a prophet is, do their words come true? Another part of the test, do miracles happen? The church has done okay on the first, and not-so-good on the second.

    It is the third test, however, that is the crucial one, does this draw us away from God?

    By far, it isn’t solely an (US) American issue. It is an earthly powers issue, and the church is tempted around the world to succumb.

    How’s this for a test? Does the person seek to make the “other” the enemy? Not their struggles, their opinion, even their sins…the person themselves.

    If there really is an (the Image of God) in every being, then is defining the “other” as “the enemy” is defining God as the enemy? This is how earthly politics work.

    The third test, then, becomes does this “prophetic” turn people against the Imago Dei?

    Over the last 4 years, much attention and vitriol have poured out in the US (and then overflowed into the world). Most of it was based upon pain and fear (and here’s another test: did you say to yourself, yes, “their” pain and fear, and not acknowledge yours?).

    Without question, there was a lot of Godly anger. Without question, there was a lot of earthly self-righteous anger. Amid it all, there were Godly prophetic voices and earthly prophetic voices dressed in guise.

    ※Reflection※

    What “voices” do you (really) listen to in your life? What is the spiritual background of those voices? What is the spiritual expression (how do they live out their lives, versus words) of these “voices”? Do the voices ever challenge your way(s) of thinking?

    ※Prayer※

    God, forgive us for not actively listen for and to your voice. Forgive us for not testing the words of against your Word. Amen.

  • Force or Choice

    Force or Choice

    Matthew 20:20–28; Matthew 22:15–22

    The author Robert Heinlein once wrote, “When you vote, you are exercising political authority, you’re using force. And force, my friends, is violence. The supreme authority from which all other authorities are derived.”

    There has been a transformation in our society where this seems to be truer now than when Heinlein wrote it. What may be depressing is that it means that democracy is in many ways no better than any political system. Humanity, through , shows its selfishness.

    During the last presidential election (and probably during this one, as well), there will be people proclaiming that one person or political party is better than the other (especially in regards to the multi-sided political scene that has been forcibly trimmed into 2-sided). They will judge and condemn those that appear to support the other, even if that decision is the perceived lesser of two evils.

    There will be those that will choose a different political party (there are more than 2). There will be those that will not vote. It is the latter that provides the greatest insight into ourselves.

    They are those that believe that a vote is just as much Caesar’s as was the denarius. This is the of politics and even a republic such as the US. Heinlein’s comments may sound harsh. If one compares it to people’s reaction when the “wrong” party gets power, we can see that we subconsciously understand the reality of power.

    ‘ concerns regarding power are not small. There is a very valid reason why many over the years have claimed that the was corrupted when Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and then made it the official religion of the realm.

    On the other hand, if you have a glass of water and do not hand it to a person of thirst, what kind of Christian are you? This is the debate that is truly at the of being a Christian in a democracy or republic.

    Voting is power. Sometimes it feels as if it not. However, if all are of one mind it is indeed quite powerful. Power to coerce is the power of violence. This is not what we are called to do.

    On the other hand, the power to vote is also a responsibility to care for our fellow citizens, and to put a to guide the path the country walks. This is the voice and path that can find , compassion, and for the least, the last, and the lost.

    ※Prayer※

    Jesus, as we look to you for guidance in these trying times, may your ‘s heart guide our decisions. Amen.

  • Who Wears Your Crown?

    Who Wears Your Crown?

    Matthew 5:13–16; Mark 9:43–50; Hebrews 2:1–18

    In a recent Church Leaders Podcast, the host (Jason Daye) said something that should deeply concern all of us. It’s not what was said was false or wrong. It’s that what was said was true.

    “…many people are quicker to their political views—who they think is right, who they think is wrong—than they are to share their faith story; than they are to share the of Christ.”

    Let that sink in…all the way to your gut…where it should feel like a brick of lead or a of nausea.

    In much of our political “discourse” (that’s a generous description at this point), are we really any different than the so-called un-saved? Are we marching to the beat of a political ideology or groupthink that does not honor Jesus Christ first?

    Currently, there is no single political party that fully represents (if that is even possible) the of God. In the mainstream political parties, there are many practicing and devout Christians.

    In those same political parties, there are too many (perhaps far more) that mouth so-called words, but do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.

    It is time for the church to be militant. Militant is an old term that is related to the military but was used to traditionally mean vigorously active. That is the militancy we need. The church must not militant in so far as walking in lockstep with a political party or against one.

    What this first requires is that we vigorously question every political view we have and put it to the Scriptures. This is hard. Often, we can take a verse out of context, and use it to bolster our view.

    For a long time, the church has been guilty of not using the Scriptures when talking about issues and applying them to a view. Instead, the church has been taking a view and using the Scriptures.

    Jesus is King! Long live the King!

    ※Prayer※

    King Jesus, constantly remind us that you are both True king and savior, and nothing and no one of this world could ever be either for us. Amen.

    ※※

    1) When was the last time (outside of your comfortable group) you shared about Jesus? How about ?

    2) When you hear statements condemning everyone of a political party, do you agree?

    3) How can you and the church be the Christian to the world, rather than a political follower?

  • La, La, La, I Can’t Hear You

    La, La, La, I Can’t Hear You

    Jeremiah 26:1–15; Romans 5:1–10 (read online ⧉)

    The news is filled with doom. Doom, doom, doom. Many of our movies and entertainment are filled with doom. In the middle of doom, hope is a of fresh air.

    On the other hand, some times a message of doom in a time of despair isn’t doom upon doom, but a message of God. Granted, the message of God may not seem all that positive. If one is set in their ways, even a message of hope can seem like a message of doom.

    That’s exactly what happens, too. The priests, the (false) prophets, and the people heard the words of Jeremiah. They were very unhappy. “We’re fine.” “The [false] prophets say we’re good.” “The [false] prophets say that God will only bless us.” “God wouldn’t really do that to us. We’re the People of God.”

    Who knows what else they said? We might have a pretty good idea if we were to examine ourselves and the wider Christian community, however. This isn’t about LGBT+. This isn’t about . This isn’t even about racial issues. Yes, each of these is a part. None are the whole.

    Perhaps God is allowing COVID-19 to show what is truly important…a deep and meaningful relationship with God. That same relationship in turn would create deep and meaningful with .

    Yet, there are those who still call this God’s curse as a result of sinful behaviors, though as this is global, it is unlikely (based on Biblical examples). Others look at this as a huge cultural shift that will transform human behaviors and relations for some time to come. They are probably correct. Others are looking at this as a troubling time, but insist on trying to return to pre-COVID-19 ways either too early, or without weighing all the consequences.

    COVID-19 does show a very human tendency. “Hurry up!” God’s timing is not our timing. Yet, in the COVID-19 season, humanity cannot stop being short-sighted. This echoes the people of Israel spoken to by Jeremiah.

    On the other side of COVID-19 (if there is an “other” side), we might look at Paul’s words to the Romans and give God the that God has given us afflictions. Then we might see that we can, did, and will endure to the future. Producing [Godly] in this time might be the biggest gift we receive (though there is misery in the training) at this time.

    All of this should be producing an outpouring of hope, according to Paul. Christians are called to be the of hope in all things, though especially in hard and uncertain times.

    ※Prayer※

    Hope giving God, fill us with hope. With this hope, may we fill the world in turn with the hope it so desperately needs. May we our desires and wants to be the hope. Amen.

    ※※

    1) How’s your hope? Is your hope (or lack thereof) contagious?

    2) What is the primary tone of the conversation that you are seeing in your social media (e.g., Facebook)? What are you doing to bring hope into that?

    3) What place does hope hold in your ? What purpose does hope hold in your life?