Devotion.al

Tag: word

  • 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 sign 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 dust 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 . Our purification (progressive then entire sanctification) 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 ourselves to Christ and for cleansing by the .

    ※ Prayer ※

    , Son, and 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?

  • Good Bad Stuff

    Good Bad Stuff

    Good Bad Stuff

    30 August 2020

    Jeremiah 20:7–13; Ephesians 1:17–19

    Have you ever felt deceived by God? How so?

    Depending on the translation, Jeremiah opens today’s verses with deception. פָּתָה, פָּתָה [pathah /paw·thaw/] also means entice, persuade, flatter, allure. The non-deceptive understandings of the word better fit God’s character, though from Jeremiah’s point of view that may merely be semantics.

    Jeremiah is driven to deliver God’s words. He says that God seized him, and later says that God’s words are like a burning in his heart. No matter how much Jeremiah would prefer that he would deliver God’s word, he doesn’t seem to be able to help himself.

    If there is any sense of deception, it is the common assumption that following God’s words and speaking them means that only good things will occur. Jeremiah’s complaint is that he was and a good steward, and yet nothing good is returned.

    The concept of exchange (I do something faithful; God does something good) is one of those issues that has long been a problem in the . Some it the “health and wealth gospel.” Jeremiah seemed to have some sense of that as well. Jeremiah is faithful and gets the short end of the stick.

    Do you think by doing something “good” you earn something from God? If you don’t believe it, do you ever act like it’s true? If you do believe it’s true, how do explain the bad?

    Being “driven” for God would seem to be a good thing. It doesn’t always work that way. There are plenty of people in the world who are faithful, but are endangered (e.g., persecuted Christians) or are not “blessed” by material things or even good health.

    The early church wondered these same things, too. Paul’s words about and revelation are not just to the Ephesians, but to all the church. Often it is only through wisdom and revelation do we see that the bad can bring God , and (over the long haul) bring us .

    In our culture, we can be blinding be wealth and health blessings, and be unable to the greatest type of blessing…spiritual blessings. Spiritual blessings may be as simple as or a deep as peace (that surpasses all understanding).

    Think of a difficult time in your life. What was the spiritual result of that difficult time? Can you imagine a similar result through only positive things?

    ※ Prayer ※

    , help us to look for your wisdom and revelation rather than our own understanding. Amen.

  • Disciple, Baptize, Teach

    Disciple, Baptize, Teach

    Matthew 28:16–20; 1 Corinthians 1:14–25

    One of the measurements of a church’s growth is the annual number of baptisms. If we were to review the church’s (and, by this, generally all American churches), the percentage is not particularly great. It certainly does not the so-called New Testament numbers.

    A lot has changed over the years. In certain traditions, infants are brought to be baptized into the of the church. While the Church of the Nazarene generally dedicates infants, functionally it often ends up being the same.

    Is a good measurement? Yes…and no. Baptism does not a make. It would be nice if it were that easy.

    There is probably a reason why the order is disciple, baptize, teach. The two primary modern pathways are baptize/teach and teach/baptize. seems to not be part of the primary paths.

    Yes, the disciple is used a lot. The actually as a disciple seems to be lacking. But, you say, we have a discipleship class or book or…really, something that teaches.

    The evidence of a lack of discipleship is all around us. Look at our culture. Look at our news. Look at our sports.

    Paul’s words somewhat feed into that. He states that he was not sent to baptize, but to preach. Now we often immediately equate preach to teach (not just because it rhymes). Paul seems to that.

    Especially in the apologetic intellectual Christianity of today, preaching is often used as teaching. Paul calls his preaching foolishness. Paul’s foolishness wouldn’t seem to be the same as today’s preaching.

    It might even mean that the wise, the teacher of the law, the debater of the might very well be the church and its practices. This is not to tear down the church, but to examine it. This is meant to examine us.

    , you commanded your disciples to make disciples. Help us to do our part. Amen.

    1) What is discipleship? What does a disciple look like?

    2) What is the difference between being a disciple and being taught?

    3) Do you think Jesus meant the three (disciple, baptize, teach) in a particular order or to actually separate them? Or do you think Jesus had something else in mind? If so, what?

  • It’s All About…

    It’s All About…

    Psalm 5; 2 Corinthians 10:7–18; James 1:22–27

    In this , getting oneself out in front of potential employers has become a big issue. Whether it is the applicant or the HR Manager, differentiating is an issue.

    Out of this has come the concept of a “personal brand”. In many regards, it often seems that personal branding is all about boasting and shining the spotlight on oneself. There is training for one’s “personal brand”.

    Boasting isn’t all bad. By definition, boast means to have a strong affirming opinion of or confidence in a person. In black and white, that looks like a very positive. Already, we can see an issue.

    The definition of boasting is not often the one we use. Our general definition (though the context may that) is that it is groundless or overly inflated opinion of another, but usually oneself.

    The Hebrew actually goes along well with the “official” definition. Often, such as in Psalm 5, it is translated as exult or and with God usually being the subject of it. That is very reasonable.

    Even in the Greek, the issue is the same. What we miss through the is the modifier: empty, shallow, false, or something else. We will imply or infer when we or of “boasting”, but we often mislead when we rely on inference or implication.

    When is talking about boast, the context is crucial to understanding what he means. It is also incredibly important that we see the “emptiness” that Paul is referring to. The false measurement that the nameless are comparing themselves to is…themselves.

    Or, if we take James’ words into account, people who forget who they really are and then measure themselves by a false image.

    Boasting, as said earlier, isn’t necessarily bad. It is groundless boasting that is the issue. People can boast for others (think of a job or personal references). However, the danger in boasting is the foundation upon which it is based.

    When Paul talks about boasting in the Lord, that’s a pretty safe foundation. Yet, when Paul talks about it, it is more along the lines of “look what God did” rather than “look at what God did through me.” Still, either one is better than “look how well I did.”

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, let our hearts be humble towards others and you. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) Is there a difference between bragging and boasting?

    2) How does the mirror concept of James help understand the concept that Paul is trying to convey?

    3) Taking the opening definition of boasting and comparing it to our “street” understanding of it, what other words can you think of that have something similar? How might they affect how you read Scripture?

  • Flying Free?

    Flying Free?

    Isaiah 28:14–22; Luke 4:14–21

    “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.”

    ― Corrie ten Boom

    What does it mean to be a captive? What does it mean to be free?

    In the ongoing COVID season this isn’t quite straightforward. Many people feel captive in their homes (voluntary or not) and captive to government. In , many are proclaiming their freedom (in the US, at least) and acting out some sort of resistance.

    One of the things though about both captivity and freedom is that often what is captivity to one is freedom to another. Take the opening quote from Corrie ten Boom. Certain people live their life believe that they are free to hate. feel free after they have relieved the hate.

    Which person is correct? Both versions are correct…from a certain point of view.

    Take the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They felt themselves to be free after they had, effectively, made an agreement (so-to-) with the god Mot, the Canaanite god of . What is particularly interesting is that Mot was the adversary of Baal, the Canaanite god of life and fertility.

    Baal had long been a god the Israelites then the Jews kept returning to in lieu of God. That in the face of the pending Assyrian regional dominance they chose the antithesis of Baal is truly strange. However, being allied with the god of death was thought to be a shield from surrounding enemies.

    The Jews seemed to view God as their captor. They chose the “freedom” of other gods. As they learned to their dismay, God freed them from…his protection. They learned that the freedom they longed for was actually the chains of captivity.

    Without question, in the middle of these verses from Isaiah the tested stone, precious cornerstone, sure foundation is , at least from a Christ-centered point of view. Jesus is the sure foundation.

    While the Jews are making their alliance with death, God is setting the groundwork for True life…the Messiah.

    When we read the Gospels, we often infer that Jesus is setting all the Jews free from religious trappings and false teachings. He is. However, we should primarily be looking at ourselves to see what Jesus wants to free us from.

    We each have burdens we bear. We each have scars that we have hidden (some well, some not). We also have many things that we believe are freeing but have really become burdens and chains. The problem often is that we view so much from the , and not God’s.

    It’s not that we are God. We do have the to guide us. As we the freedom, let us recall that what we view as right or as a right may not be what God seeks for or from us. It may lead us away from God and into chains.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, open our eyes to your freedom. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) What is a freedom you appreciate? How could it also be a chain of captivity?

    2) What is a cornerstone? How does that apply to Jesus?

  • Crossing the Line

    Crossing the Line

    2 Chronicles 7:12–22; 2 Kings 21:1–17; 2 Corinthians 4:7–17

    A great tragedy occurs every day, babies and children are abandoned. In all and truth, many of the parents are truly afraid of the responsibility and their inability to fulfill it. Some of these are abandoned at hospitals in the same way as babies used to be left at the doors of orphanages.

    If you are a parent, you probably can only imagine the heartache and circumstances that a parent could ever abandon their child.

    Society is at a point where adult children are remaining in their parents’ home longer, whether it is due to jobs, education, lack of opportunity, or lack of romance. The attitude of people is changing as this is becoming too common for it to be solely an issue. Parents are looking at their children, wanting the best, but not desiring to abandon them to the world.

    No matter how much a parent loves their child (or children) however, there can be limits to a peaceful home. There are always rules and boundaries. At some point, violating the rules and crossing the boundaries becomes too much.

    Think of God. His children (of Israel) had abandoned God by actions and by . They willingly walked away from their “parent”. They knowingly and willingly violated the rules and crossed boundaries that God had set in place to protect them.

    From Moses’ in Deuteronomy to God’s admonition to Solomon, God was quite clear that there were consequences. In the admonition to Manasseh, we get the feeling though…abandonment. In the CSB version, “I will abandon the remnant of my inheritance and hand them over to their enemies.”

    Yes, God was angry. Yet, abandon is not a small . It is also not as if God was going to leave them there. However, for a time, it would be as if God were not with them.

    Would God’s heart be breaking? Yes. Would the Israelites be in misery? Yes. Would the Israelites from this? Yes. Did the lessons stay with them? Not so much. The lessons, however, remain with us.

    The Great Commandment is to God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; love your neighbor as yourself.

    This is the boundary that we must not cross, for wouldn’t we want people to love us, too?

    ※Prayer※

    , let your of love shine in us so that we may shine your light into the darkness. Amen.

  • What a Feast!

    What a Feast!

    Matthew 22:1–14; John 6:53–58

    When you’ve been invited to a party or some sort of celebration, have you ever received a little card that had you select from entree and/or other options? Or have you been to a buffet and been overwhelmed by the selection (or underwhelmed)?

    Over the years there have been many tales of what the feasts in Heaven would look like. Some have used it to recruit people to their or religion. For many, a gathering of family barbecues every day would be fantastic. So, of course, that’s would be what Heaven would be like (all the social introverts just shuddered)!

    Making assumptions about things like that is often unwise, as it can lead to weird thoughts and even bad theology. The more serious part of that is that the primacy of feasts in the Scriptures is not to be diminished. This is especially true when we remember the feast that left to fill the gap while we for his return.

    The feast that we have, though, is peculiar. Those who have been long in the church have been inured to the strangeness that is the . As we read in John…eating flesh and drinking human blood? If someone came to you and said that…how would you respond?

    We read this and we immediately translate it into Christian language and thinking. If someone like Jeffrey Dahmer (real- cannibal) or Hannibal Lecter (fictional cannibal) said something like this, we would not have such a Christianized . That is the horror and revulsion that his hearers and likely even his disciples felt when they heard these words.

    The Christian side of it is that we see the “spiritual” side of this as perfectly reasonable. We do have to keep in mind that for years Christians were accused of cannibalism because of the words of Jesus, and the regular Love Feast.

    The Christian side of it also continues in two ways. First, by associated with blood, Jesus was associating with the Jewish belief of life was in the blood (from Levitical law). Second, by associating with the bread, Jesus was tying himself to the daily necessity (and often only food) of bread.

    Lastly, though not often talked about, is the Jewish concept of eating the of God. This was the Jewish practice of licking (literally) off a slate upon which Scripture was written (the Shema would make the most sense) with honey poured on it. There is some historical question if this was a 1st Century thing or if it developed later. However, there is some precedence from Ezekiel 3:3 who ate the word of God on a scroll.

    Also, we understand that Jesus was the incarnate word of God (John 1:1–4). Thus, eating the word of God takes on a completely different understanding.

    Especially now, when we are not taking (Eucharist/Love Feast) in the communal way we have in the recent past, it is even more important to understand the gravitas of it. It isn’t just a little juice and a wafer (or bread)…it is the Word of God.

    ※Prayer※

    Lord, John Wesley taught us that your feast is a means by which you deliver your to us. Let us not take it for granted and approach your banquet table with thanksgiving [eucharistia]. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) How would you explain the why of Communion to a non-believer? How do you explain “eating flesh and drinking blood” without it sounding weirder than it already does?

    2) Thinking of the king’s feast (Matthew 22:1–14), what does this tell you about coming to “the table” for communion?

  • Stirring

    Stirring

    Isaiah 43:8–13; Romans 11:13–29

    What or who are you fighting for? If you are not fighting for God, then are you fighting for an ?

    Often Christians dismiss the Israelites of the Old Testament as the clueless. They were the people that didn’t get it. This view seems to be reinforced by ‘ words, yet were they really that clueless?

    They valued the word of God. They valued traditions. They valued theology. They valued being Jewish. These values, it seems, were more a barrier between them and God, rather than

    How much are we just like them? Would we really recognize Jesus on the street or the ?

    Christians have been accused of being blind and deaf to Jesus. This has come from Christians and it has come from the world. We are often quick to dismiss these words, rather than contemplate them.

    We are . We will be blind. We will be deaf. In many ways, that is how we are able to go through life without losing our minds or succumbing to .

    There really isn’t a prescription so that we all know and can all be certified to be Christians. That would be nice. It takes practice. It takes a lot of practice.

    The statistics are showing that many churches will not recover post-COVID. Some are saying that only 30% will return. Imagine your church only having 30% of its people.

    Perhaps this will be the winnowing that the church needs.

    This is along the same line of thought, though different, that had regarding his fellow Jews. He knew they were passionate about the word of God, , theology. They still had a problem.

    Paul wanted the Jews to look at the Gentiles and want what they have, freedom in grace and . In addition, the Gentiles (along with the Jews that became Christian) began to develop a community of faith and trust that transcended culture and blood.

    We Christians, though, have now been around long enough that we have developed tradition, a love of God’s word that doesn’t necessarily include reading it, and we have theology.

    We are likely now at the point where we need a Paul to get us stirred up. We need to be what Paul wanted the Jews to be…jealous for God.

    ※Prayer※

    Holy , may we be stirred up for your plan and glory. Amen.

    ※Questions※

    1) What does it mean to be jealous for God?

    2) Why can love for God’s word an incomplete understanding of the word of God in our lives?

    3) Why do you think people won’t return? What can we change to encourage people to stay and return?