Awaken, O Sleeper!

Monday, January 23, 2023

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.  Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.  He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.  Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you.  Such sins have no place among God’s people.  Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you.  Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.  You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God.  For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.  Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him.  Don’t participate in the things these people do.  For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord.  So live as people of light!  For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.  Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.  Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.  It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret.  But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible.  This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”  Ephesians 5:1-14

Some Biblical passages require zero commentary, except perhaps, an honest glimpse in the mirror.  The image of people sleeping in all the wrong places is a stark reminder that there is a time to sleep, and a time to wake-up.  We’re not talking about getting up to arrive at work on time, or get the kids off to school.  The “wokeness factor” is about how we approach life’s darker areas.

The apostle Paul reminds the believers at Ephesus that sexual sins (which is any sexual activity outside of marriage), obscenities (language, pornography, etc), and materialistic greed are what people do when they don’t have a clue about God. 

Disciples of Jesus don’t participate in the activities of darkness for two reasons:

1.    Sexual impurity obscene language and foolishness, as well as materialism, lead to the darkness of societal downward-spiral.  It’s destructive!

2.    Because a believer has received Christ, the light of God’s goodness dwells within any disciple of Jesus, and that darker side of life will diminish our view of that for which we were created and saved.

We have, as apostle Peter declared, been called out of the darkness to serve Christ:

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.  1 Peter 2:9

It is totally inconsistent to be a believer who proclaims the light of Christ from the shadows.  If there is any hope for this generation’s ability to witness of God’s saving and sanctifying grace, it will be for the church of Jesus Christ to walk in that light to which Jesus calls us.

For You Today  

There’s enough darkness…time to stop sleeping through life; believers wake-up, and walk in the light.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,000 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road Devotions library.  To dig deeper on today’s topic, explore some of these: 

Emptying the Church - Part 1  and  Drunkard Road

Images:  Title Pixabay.com   Images without citation are either personal property of the author, or in public domain.

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

Moving Shadows

 

Monday, March 21, 2022

I said to myself, “I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say.  I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me.”  But as I stood there in silence—not even speaking of good things—the turmoil within me grew worse.  The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words:  “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.  My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.” Interlude

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.  We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.  And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?  My only hope is in you.  Rescue me from my rebellion.  Do not let fools mock me.  I am silent before you; I won’t say a word, for my punishment is from you.  But please stop striking me!  I am exhausted by the blows from your hand.  When you discipline us for our sins, you consume like a moth what is precious to us.  Each of us is but a breath. Interlude

Hear my prayer, O Lord!  Listen to my cries for help!  Don’t ignore my tears.  For I am your guest—a traveler passing through, as my ancestors were before me.  Leave me alone so I can smile again before I am gone and exist no more.  Psalm 39:1-13

A shadow has little substance.  Now that is  more than an obvious truth; it opens a host of cans of worms for us humans.  Our shadow is a subtle reminder of where we go, and what we do.  And when the track of the shadow moves away from God, or without connected relevance to God, it is rebellion unmasked; our deeds give us away.  When we prefer the shadows we give traction to what Apostle John wrote about the incarnation of Godly substance:

And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.  John 3:19

The Psalmist admitted this well before John wrote about it:

 Darkness is my closest friend.  Psalm 88:18b

Both the Old Testament Psalmist, and New Testament Apostle give rise to the shadow David wrote about in the beloved 23^rd Psalm, a valley of shadows, announcing death like a foreboding spectre.

The point of bringing the shadows into the light for our examination is not a morose elevation of gloom, but rather the warning intended by Scripture’s overwhelming juxtaposition of light and darkness.  God’s Word shows us the difference between rebellion’s darkness, and the purpose of God’s light of truth.  God’s desire is to bring us out of the darkness, into His marvellous light.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people.  You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9

For You Today

We understand darkness because we are fallen creatures, living in a fallen, twisted, rebellious-towards-God-world.  But we cannot come up with one sound reason as to why we are fascinated-by, and pulled towards the darkness.

But we also understand the call of God (as C.S. Lewis put it) to leave the Shadowlands of darkness behind.  We are called to walk in His light; there is no blind stumbling there.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title image: Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©    

Epiphany's Child

 

Friday, January 7, 2022

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.  Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him.  They have no sense of shame.  They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.  But that isn’t what you learned about Christ.  Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.  So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.  And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”  Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.  If you are a thief, quit stealing.  Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need.  Don’t use foul or abusive language.  Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.  And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.  Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.  Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.  Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.             Ephesians 4:17 – 5:1

Yesterday’s devotion was of “Epiphany” the dawning of the light, coming of the Day Star, Jesus, born to set us free, to become Epiphany’s children of the light.

Apostle Paul does have a lengthy list here, of what it means to shed the darkness and live in the light.  The list includes an entire change of actions to go with the metamorphosis of mind and spirit.  It’s something like the children’s song:  If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands, stamp your feet, say ‘amen’, do all three!  There’s an echo from the sarcastic among us:  If your heart is happy, tell your face about it. 

Well, sarcasm can be funny, but never when it hits close to home.  The whole point of matching the actions of our lives with the change Christ brings to our hearts, is exiting a life of darkness into God’s marvelous light. ^{(1 Peter 2:9)}  That is no small thing – darkness is easy, because you can do anything you want, and you can blissfully ignore the consequences.  When life falls apart, you just go on to the next thing you want to do and let everyone else bear the mess you left behind.  Living in the light, however, means agape’ love, doing the right thing for your neighbors, family, friends, and even your enemies.  That’s a more demanding way to live, but whoever said following Christ down the Via Dolorosa with a cross on your back would be easy?  If you can think of anyone who said that, make sure you notify the local psyche-ward of their whereabouts; they need supervision!

For You Today

If you’re reading this, or watching on YouTube, go back to the beginning and re-read Paul’s shopping list of light replacing the darkness.  Read it slowly, looking in the mirror.  Is that what Epiphany’s child looks like?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title and Other Images:  Pixabay.com   Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©   

For other posts on this text see Catch and The Fullness of Time

 

Of Politics and Pariahs

 

Thursday, April 8, 2021

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.  A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.  And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.  They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.  They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people.  And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.  Acts 2:42-47

Pariahs, or outsiders, are just that, outside that which is accepted or expected by those on the inside.  In human relationships, that political dynamic equation never changes.  In America the insider (powerful) and outsider are determined at the ballot box; when either Dems of the left, or GOP’s of the right sit in the seat of the top dog, it is the other group who are left standing…outside.  In today’s cultural hot topics it can be expressed this way:

Those on the left or right are pariah to those on the other side.

No matter whether you favor the political left or right, both have in plain view a demonstrable Christian basis (if you dig hard enough in Scripture to find it…and also ignore the plain context that hurts your viewpoint).  The group of Jerusalem believers in Acts lived like “nearly Socialist” left-leaners, selling-off everything for the common benefit.  On the other side of the aisle, “nearly Laodicean, right-leaning capitalists”[1] rested in their wealth to create their perfect environment.  There you have Biblical foundation, much like Judas who was looking for the Messiah, but for all the wrong reasons.  Judas followed Jesus around hoping he would fulfill Judas’ hopes and dreams for a chance at being an insider, ejecting the pariah Roman occupation forces from Palestine.  His was the same line of reasoning rabid uber-nationalists stormed the Capitol in January….if you can’t see and do things the way I see and do things, there’s gonna be a fight to the death!

Political struggles are idealogical, centered in agenda, preferences, and greed.  They are not nearly as much grounded in ethics or moral behavior for the common good.  In the end, political struggles are all about winning and losing, never being our brother’s keeper.

When it comes to political struggles (from a theological viewpoint), those who are truly Christian will be pariah to both the left and right!

Getting back to the belivers at Jerusalem.  All the devotion to prayer, shared meals and generosity was voluntary.  Devotion to God’s ways produces awe/reverence/fear of God, which, in turn produces willingness towards trust, fellowship, brotherhood, joy, and generosity.  That will never come out of Washington.

The other side benefit is the answer to the problem in the church we see today of empty pews….when people start truly living in God’s ways, the trust, fellowship, brotherhood, joy, and generosity will be irresistable to people seeking meaning; the churches would constantly have the (joyful) problem of standing room only!

For You Today

Being a pariah goes against the human natural desire to fit-in, and be liked.  But that is different from what Jesus said (through Apostle Peter):

You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title Image:  Pixabay.com      Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©

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[1] See Revelation 3:17

Thoughts for a New Year Series Part 1 - Arise & Shine

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At the beginning of a new year most people resolve to do better, stronger, slimmer, healthier…or some kind of positive change.  To do that requires looking back over what didn’t go so well, or examining the pain of what has been in order to plan what must be done to change.

For these first few weeks of 2018 I would like us to think some positive new thoughts for a new year.  Let’s begin with Isaiah’s word:  Arise & Shine!

Arise, Jerusalem!  Let your light shine for all to see.  For the glory of the Lord rises to shine on you.  Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the glory of the Lord rises and appears over you.  All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance. Isaiah 60:1-3^(NLT)

Isaiah spoke/wrote those words roughly 800 years before the birth of Jesus.  But every bit of his ministry proclaimed the Lord’s arrival would be the dawn of a new day.  If you break his prophecy up into two 33 chapter novels they both follow roughly the same three-part story line: 

·       Sin (darkness) of the leaders and people destroyed Israel’s greatness

·       Conquest by invaders brought captivity and despair

·       God gave them a glorious, new light-filled day of release and homecoming

To say that Isaiah’s prophecy relates well to our time is to understate how much like broken Israel we have become.  We are hardly one nation under God in the 21^st century! 

But I would like to get past the darkness this morning and think some positive new thoughts for 2018; today is a new day; time to arise and shine!

Isaiah said the night was over

Obviously darkness represents sin and wandering away from God our Creator.  In the Genesis record Moses tells of God making a very definite statement that light is in contrast to the darkness...the light was very good, and God separated it from the darkness.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters.  And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.  Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good.  Then he separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light “day” and the darkness “night.”  Genesis 1:1-4^(NLT)

Isaiah picked up on Moses’ theme of darkness and light and announced that the Lord’s rising was like the sun rising on a new day; darkness had to slink away. 

Isaiah’s vision and characterization of the people of Israel in darkness is that of a woman shackled in chains.  Her head is bowed-down in shame and despair; it’s the picture of grief, like someone wallowing in the dust of mourning.  Isaiah says that God is calling this woman, God’s treasured Israel, to come out of the darkness, to put away the dust and ashes; He wants her to begin the celebration. 

Both New Testament apostles, Peter and Paul picked up on Isaiah’s theme:

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord.  So live as people of light! for the light makes everything visible.  This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”  Ephesians 5:8, 14^(NLT)

God told Isaiah to paint this picture of the night past because Jesus, the child of promise would be the light…and that light would be very good!

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you:  God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.  So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.  But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.  But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.  1 John 1:5-9^(NLT)

Jesus says our morning is here

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”  John 8:12^(NLT)

This word Jesus spoke to the crowds that day in Galilee were the fulfillment of everything Isaiah came to say about God’s light and life rising for all people. 

And now we need to understand the rest of the story.  Isaiah said that God said:  Arise (out of your darkness)…but God also said:  Shine! 

The light came and was a blessing to save everyone who would receive that light.  But it wasn’t just a light turned-on so we can be saved and blessed.  This light was shined on us so we can also shine…so the light can radiate to all people around the world. 

And this begs our last point:

Jesus wants to shine through us

Do you recall what happened when Moses went up on the mountain to speak with God and receive the 10 Commandments?  Spending time with that intense light of God made Moses’ face shine; he got such a dose of God’s light the people couldn’t stand to look at him.  Moses’ face had to be covered.

This is the key for what God wants in Mt Zion and Pleasant Hill churches this year; this day – He wants all of our faces shining His marvelous light so that the world’s darkness has a difficult time with us.  The problem most of us experience with being that is we’re not like Moses; we spend so little time with God we don’t have the light of Jesus – we settle for this little light of mine!  Beloved, it isn’t your light the world needs; they need the reflection of Jesus’ light radiating from you.

But you are not like [the darkness], for you are a chosen people.  You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession.  As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.  1 Peter 2:9^(NLT)

Do you remember the hymn “Let Others See Jesus in You”?  It can happen if we spend time with Him and allow Him to have control of our lives. 

What to do about what we’ve heard

In light of Isaiah’s prophecy I believe God wants us all to do two things:

1.  Say goodbye to the darkness

What “night” have you faced this year, or this week, or has been dogging you for all your life?  What sin, oppression, sadness, disappointment, disability, disease, pain, sickness…what shackles you to the dust of mourning?

Hear the words of Jesus about all that:

And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.”  Revelation 21:5^(NLT)

Say goodbye to the darkness

2.  Embrace the light…and shine

How do you embrace the light?  Simply open your heart right now to everything God wants for you.  Tell him that in the simplest of prayers:

God…I want everything you want for me.

Have you heard the song, Shine, Jesus, Shine?

Lord, the light of Your love is shining

In the midst of the darkness shining;

Jesus, Light of the World, shine upon us,

Set us free by the truth You now bring us,

Shine on me, shine on me.

Shine, Jesus, shine – fill this land with the Father’s glory;

Blaze Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.

Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy;

Send forth Your word, Lord, and let there be light.

If you can sing that…and you really mean it, Jesus will sing it back to you.  He will sing:  Shine, child, shine, let me shine through you; together we’ll fill this land with the Father’s glory!

Beloved you shine this week, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen!

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[1] Title Image Courtesy of Pixabay.com