03.31.09
“INTERNAL DEFILEMENT”
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INTERNAL DEFILEMENT
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Mar 7:14-23 NIV
14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.
15 Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’ “
17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable.
18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’?
19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean.”)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’
21 For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’”
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Rom 14:17 NIV
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit
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These days, people are paying far greater attention to what goes into their mouths. With the recognition that so many health issues are connected with the quality of the food we eat; people are even opting for “organic” options over the normal fare which is increasingly genetically modified, over processed, and riddled with pesticides and hormones.
The people of Jesus’ day were also very careful with what went into their mouths. The Torah had laid out very specific food laws; which taught them that what they ate had spiritual ramifications. It was understood that eating a non kosher food item defiled them; and excluded them from God’s presence.
In an effort to demonstrate piety, great emphasis was placed on satisfying the external letter of the law. As laudable as the effort might have been; the result was no less than deadly. For in the legalistic keeping of the letter of the law, the teachers of the law (and those who followed them) became blind to the spirit of the law.
Jesus declares in their midst, it is not what enters a man from the outside that makes him unclean, but what comes out. The source of sin and spiritual defilement isn’t external as much as it is internal. Impure thoughts and desires, which fester and breed defiling actions is what separates men from God; not the” righteous” prescribing to a kosher or vegan diet.
This temptation to exclusively externalize our religious focus is a very tempting option. For in one way, it reduces the spiritual life into something we can manage; something tangible and evaluative. But in a way, it can lead to a deadly blindness; whereby in our emphasis on the external we have taken our eye off the deadly corruption within. Like coating walls infested with toxic mold with a clean coat of primer and paint; dealing with the external only leaves one all the more vulnerable.
External observance alone isn’t the final stop in the journey of the spiritual life. The Kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit who comes to inhabit one who is in Christ brings our focus to not external but internal defilement. And when He does, we can continue past the external to atonement and transformation.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you ponder on and praise the character of the one who came to redeem you whole; inside and out; who liberates you from the trap of external religiosity, that you might live righteousness peace, and joy in the Spirit?
- Will you reflect: how might you be reducing the life in the Spirit to matters of eating and drinking? If you are practicing Lent, how might you move beyond the external to the matters of the heart and of the Kingdom?
- If you’ve been burned or bondaged by a form of religion which is exclusively external in force; would you come to Jesus who has the power to free, cleanse and fill you with the living Spirit of God? If you know of someone else caught in this wicked trap, will you pray that they would encounter Christ, and enter the Kingdom?
This devotion was written by Pastor Martin
03.30.09
“FUTILITY OR FRUITFULNESS”
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FUTILITY OR FRUITFULNESS
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Psalm 127 NIV
1 A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
2 In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat– for he grants sleep to those he loves.
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.
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Mark 4:26-29 NIV
26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.
27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.
28 All by itself the soil produces grain–first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
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Though possessing unparalleled abilities amongst God’s creatures, man has long recognized his dependence upon forces outside his control. For the farmer, not matter how skillful his agricultural techniques are applied, there is no way to ensure a fruitful harvest during a season of drought. So much depends on the choices we make, but so much more depends on the gift of God.
Psalm 127 reflects on this very dynamic, whereby security, sustenance, sleep, and sons are seen as a direct function of God’s gracious gift. We can strive to build, guard, toil, and even impregnate; but unless God is in it, there is naught but futility. On the flip side, God’s touch in the big and small cannot help but overflow in fruitfulness. Even if not in the short term; fruitfulness in season is never questioned for those who love, trust, and fear the LORD.
What is true for creation is true for the Kingdom as well. Mark records a parable of Jesus where the Kingdom is portrayed as a fruitful seed. A man scatters seeds; and with a power and momentum not of his own, the seeds grow. Even while he sleeps, the seeds grow. Though he has no idea how, they grow. All by itself, the seed and soil progress to the point where fruit has emerged; ready for harvest.
So much has been given us in terms of power and responsibility for our fruitfulness. But at the same time, so much is not in our hands. Praise be to our God whose very touch in our lives turns futility into fruitfulness; as we sow and sleep in faith.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you express your praise for the God of life whose work of creation and redemption results in teeming life. Will you thank Him specifically for the fruit He has already borne out in your life; as well as that which He has promised.
- Will you reflect on your work, your arenas of your laboring? Have you built, guarded, and toiled without trust and obedience? Will you ask for wisdom and discernment to know how to work with God; to labor in the context of His defined seasons?
- For the things outside your control, will you release your grasp, so that you can grip God’s grace instead?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
03.28.09
“APPETITE OF THE ENTITLED”
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APPETITE OF THE ENTITLED
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Numbers 11:4-9 NIV
4 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, “If only we had meat to eat!
5 We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost–also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic.
6 But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!”
7 The manna was like coriander seed and looked like resin.
8 The people went around gathering it, and then ground it in a handmill or crushed it in a mortar. They cooked it in a pot or made it into cakes. And it tasted like something made with olive oil.
9 When the dew settled on the camp at night, the manna also came down.
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Deuteronomy 8:16-18 NIV
16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you.
17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.”
18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
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For those who assume the posture of one entitled, suffering through the monotonous and mundane can even feel like a curse. Ever hungry for a new experience, the latest fashion; the same old-same old becomes an insult to the status of one who just deserves more. Whole industries have been formed to profit off of the cavernous appetite of a consumer class perpetually unfulfilled.
How odd is it then to see the freshly redeemed Israelite s assume the posture of entitlement? Having “suffered” through a season of mere manna, the rabble rouse up a resounding mantra: “if only we had meat to eat!” Remember what we lost…cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlic. Sure, this manna stuff is a unique miraculous gift; but what of all that fish we ate in Egypt, at no cost!
How is it they remembered the supposed variety of cuisine in Egypt, and not their broken and bloodied backs at the mercy of the foremen’s whips ; the generational-genocide of their born sons at the mercy of drowning Nile. How did their cries turn so swiftly from groaning from their slavery, to their groaning for their tragic loss of their former menu options; now even their very appetite?
Is it not a strange mystery, how swiftly hearts can turn. How the long oppressed can assume so easily the seat of the oppressor. Even an empire built with industrious and ingenuity is but one generation away from decadence and depravity.
Battling the ugly specter of entitlement in the desert, God tests and humbles His people with manna. Having come down from heaven, every morsel was a reminder that their very sustenance was not a product of their resourcefulness, but the power and love of their God. Every manna-meal was to be a counter to the mantra “my power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” A demonic philosophy which already threatens to possess their hearts in the promised land. Forty years of monotonous manna, to break the illusion of self wealth production; with the driven intent that in the end, it would go well for God’s people in the land He was giving them.
Now for us, both immersed in the season of Lent and a lagging economy; should we not embrace the humbling and transforming gift of manna? Ought we not celebrate every manna meal as joining in the divine assault, aimed at dismantling the appetite of the entitled?
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you worship and praise the grand wisdom of the far seeing God: who has prepared not only an inheritance of a promised land for us, flowing with milk and honey; but is preparing our hearts to be able to receive the Kingdom in full?
- Will you reflect, what kind of groaning is going on in your heart? How have you responded to the “manna” God is bringing down from heaven for you?
- Will you pray for continued transformation of your appetites, that they would be echo that of a covenant inheritor of the Kingdom? Pray the same for your family, church, and even nation.
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
03.27.09
“RANSOMING LEADERSHIP”
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RANSOMING LEADERSHIP
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Mar 10:42-45 NIV
42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.
43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.
45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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1Ti 2:1-6 NIV
1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.
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There is no dearth when it comes to leadership books, or leadership models. From Machiavelli to Maxwell, key thinkers have understood the power and role of leadership; the boon or curse for those who follow in their wake. But it is Jesus who establishes the only authentic expression of lasting leadership, i.e. one which divests self for others.
This morning’s passage in the book of Mark records Jesus’ response to a situation brewing in the midst of his disciples. As they are drawing closer and closer to Jerusalem, some are jockeying for position. John and James make a private request of Jesus, to hold the seats to the very right and left of Jesus. Jesus in turn asks them if they know what they are asking for. For the occupation of those seats involve an immersion in the cup of self divestment and suffering. When the other disciples hear that John and James have asked for privileged positions, their response is unrighteous indignation. Insulted by the presumption of any lordship over them, the true colors of their incipient leadership model emerges.
Here Jesus echoes for a fourth time what it means for Him to be Messiah. Three times previous he prods his disciples’ dullard senses by declaring that He would be rejected, mocked, flogged and put to death; only to rise on the third day. But they cannot imagine that prime leadership would come to that. In their system of belief, God would not allow it. And so as they accompany Jesus, who is gathering momentum to run to the cross; they bicker over the spoils of privilege.
Jesus turns the tables and declares that while the Gentiles kill for lordship and the scepter of authority, greatness of leadership in the Kingdom means voluntary enslavement, and the payment of one’s life for others. He invokes the very title of uncontested authority, i.e. the Son of Man (cf. Dan. 7:13-14) as one whose leads by giving his life as a ransom for many.
It is quite possible that Timothy reflects on this as he calls the church to pray for the kings and those in authority. That through the influence and intercession of those who bear the name of Christ, that even the Gentile lords would encounter the ransoming leadership of the Son of Man.
How contrasting is Jesus’ leadership to the current assumption to executive privilege? Ransoming crucifixion vs. rancorous retention bonuses? How necessary are our prayers in such a time as this?
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you worship at the foot of the all authoritative Son of Man; who submitted to illegitimate crucifixion in order to ransom you to Himself. Will you apply the price as paid in full; extricating yourself from the illegitimate claims of sin and Satan on your soul?
- Will you reflect on your presuppositions about executive role and privilege? What kind of leadership are you seeking to attain? What kind are you currently exerting? What might it mean to follow the path of the Son of Man in your context?
- Will you intercede for your leaders, in your family, church, nation, world? That they would encounter and espouse the ransoming leadership of Jesus?
This devotion was written by Pastor Martin
03.26.09
“IN MEMORY OF HER”
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IN MEMORY OF HER
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Mar 14:1-11 NIV
Mark 14:1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.
2 “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
3 While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.
4 Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume?
5 It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.
6 “Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me.
7 The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me.
8 She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.
9 I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.
11 They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.
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Sometimes deeds have more importance than names. Anonymous acts of life saving heroism, or life changing philanthropy are all the more beautiful; for they are done with purity of purpose. Not for fame or personal reknown, but love.
Here in this morning’s passage we see an anonymous deed, which does not go forgotten. A woman comes and anoints the head of Jesus with the most precious of perfumes. What significance is to be found in such a lavish act? Criminal squandering of a year’s wages by a callous wastrel? Or a beautiful act of anointing, for one who is facing a criminal’s death; the only kind of death which precludes an anointing?
Make no mistake, death is plainly in view; Jesus’ death is in the plans. The gospel writer Mark sandwiches this story in between the scheming of priests & teachers of the law, and Judas’ covenant of betrayal. Passover is but two days away; the day whereby a passing over by the angel of death is effected by the vicarious death and shed blood of a blemishless lamb.
How could it be that this woman is the only one who puts the pieces together? Did not Jesus tell his disciples three times over that he is to face death in Jerusalem (Mk. 8:33, 9:33, 10:34-35)? But all they can see is a wasted wages which could have been diverted to almsgiving as customary on the cusp of an approaching Passover.
Juxtaposed between the devious violence of his enemies and even intimate friend, and the dullness of his chosen disciples; Jesus’ heart is refreshed by this beautiful act of worship. Precious nard, kept in an alabaster jar, served frequently as a woman’s dowry. In her breaking of the jar’s neck to release the costly fragrance, could she be echoing the costly covenant love which drives Jesus headlong toward the cross?
Of all those in the room, in the city; Jesus alone understands the significance of her act. And in response, he declares that she will be remembered globally. Wherever the gospel is preached, her act of selfless worship will be declared, in memory of her.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you bow before the Lion of Judah; who gave his body and self up as the Lamb of God for you and I? Will you express thanksgiving and loyalty to the one who suffers the devious scheming of enemy, betrayal of friend, and dullness of disciple on the way to the cross?
- For those of us practicing Lent, a season whereby we wrestle with the suffering and death of Christ; will we ask ourselves by what deeds will we be remembered? What beautiful act of worship arises in your soul as you rivet your attention on the lavish sacrifice of our beautiful savior Christ?
- Will you remember the “poor”, in funds and in spirit? Lifting them up in prayer and almsgiving, that they would encounter gracious provision for body and soul; in the person of Jesus?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
03.25.09
“POSTMODERN POTTER”
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POSTMODERN POTTER
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Isa 45:4-9 NIV
4 For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. 5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,
6 so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.
7 I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.
8 “You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it.
9 “Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?
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Accountability and criticism go hand in hand with democracy. Given human nature, measures must be taken to ensure the integrity of government that is of, by, and for the people. But for the hyper skeptical, how do you go from a system where every decision is scrutinized to one of absolute trust in an absolutely good and wise leader?
Despite our technological prowess, those of us operating out of the massive distrust of authority so endemic to the postmodernic perspective find ourselves hamstrung in our key relationships. Trust is a rare commodity for those who have clung to altar of hyper critique.
To reach us, God comes to us; in the flesh. But He remains not sequestered at our level; rather He ascends to His rightful place, i.e. the heavens. And for our very good, we are reminded that we are but clay in the potter’s hand.
In this morning’s passage from Isaiah, God’s people in exile are balking at God’s choice of deliverer, i.e. Cyrus the King of Persia. Putting God in a box, they refuse and reject the choices of Sovereign Yahweh. In response, a rebuke is leveled their way. Who are you, and who am I? Who creates light and darkness? Who engineers the movements of celestial bodies, and determines precipitation levels? Who orchestrates prosperity and disaster? Who is Creator and Redeemer?
Like Job needing a loving rebuke to open up blessing; the people of God are then rightfully prepared to take upon the New Exodus path to redemption.
Is this same dynamic at work in our context? For are we not similarly rebuked in our modernic arrogance; that creation and redemption are in our hands?
As absolute potter, by both power and right God rules with unquestioned sovereignty. The surprise for the us the clay is that the result is our unimaginable good. For this potter works his craft with transcendent genius and love; as we yield to the pressure of His hand.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you delight to be in the Master’s workshop; that He has you on the wheel with grand designs in mind? Will you praise His skill, His love, and His power in shaping you, and even every facet of the universe?
- How might have you drunk this culture’s Kool Aid in arrogantly critiquing God’s rule? What might it mean for you to recant in dust; and yield to the pressure of His hand in your life?
- Will you take time in silence to attend to what God might want to show you or share with you this morning?
This devotion was written by Pastor Martin
03.24.09
“LOGIC OF REDEMPTION”
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LOGIC OF REDEMPTION
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Psalm 103:8-12 NIV
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
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Isa 44:21-22 NIV
22 I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”
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An eye for an eye, tit for tat; quid pro quo: the law of equivalent exchange is a cruel master when it comes to the culpable. It is an earth shattering experience to find that one is in arrears for debt which can only be paid through death; and the reaper has come for what he is owed.
But the scriptures declare that a higher law is simultaneously at work, one which transcends the two dimensional dynamics of sin and penalty. The laws of love and mercy are at work in the universe; for the God of Creation is none other than the God of Redemption.
For those who would fall under this God; who would make application of the higher laws, God redeems by personal fiat. Because of His covenant love, He extricates the upwards of three felony strikes from our rap sheet. Because of His compassion, He lifts the cloud of guilt, shame, and depression. With His blood sacrifice, He utterly bleaches our sin stained souls to wedding dress white.
Beauty for ashes, healing for offense, eternal love for rebellion… the logic of redemption makes no earthly sense. Thanks be to God that this mystery is revealed in none other than in Christ, and in the cross. Every obstacle removed, every excuse debunked; the logic of redemption demands that we return to Him, for He has already redeemed.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you fear and revere the one who chooses to not merely punish, but forgive? Will praise Him for His abounding grace which can outstrip any measure of sin?
- Will you reflect: have you applied the logic of redemption fully in your heart & life? Is there any sin or shame which you have said God wouldn’t or couldn’t forgive? Have you worked to atone, ultimately telling God that the cross is not enough? Will you yield to His law of love, rather than your faulty logic
- Will you pray for those who are either in denial to the law of sin and penalty; or oblivious to the logic or redemption? Will you ask that God removes the veil of obfuscation & separation; and brings them to Himself?
This devotional written by Pastor Martin
03.23.09
“BLIND GUIDED”
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BLIND GUIDED
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Isa 42:16-20 NIV
16 I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
17 But those who trust in idols, who say to images, ‘You are our gods,’ will be turned back in utter shame.
18 “Hear, you deaf; look, you blind, and see!
19 Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD?
20 You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.”
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John 9:39-41 NIV
39 Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
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The ability to see is an ability oft taken for granted. It enables one to assess unfamiliar terrain, and plot a course through a series of navigable options. Bereft of such, one who is blind must either remain in the familiar, or trust in the leadership of a trusted guide. How foolish would it for one without sight to traverse precarious topography from which even sighted novices would refrain. What’s worse, how irresponsible, even criminal would it be for the blind to assume the role of guide.
This is the situation that Yahweh decries in Isaiah 42. The very people who were tasked to be the light to the world ended up deaf and blind. Idolatry dulled their spiritual senses, morphing them to be like that which they worshipped: with eyes but unable to see God; with ears but irresponsive to God’s voice. Having cut themselves off from God, how were they to lead others to the very fountain of salvific life?
The Pharisee’s confronting Jesus model this very travesty. Demanding that they have spiritual sight, they do more than mislead others looking for God; they actively seek to keep them from the sight giver.
They are doubly offended by Jesus: first for healing the blind outside their authority, then for being called blind themselves. Their very attestations to self sufficient sight before the giver of sight indict them of their idolatrous guilt.
On the flip side, acknowledgment of blindness and the willingness to be led by the God of life results in the miraculous. New creation comes into play. Eyes and ears are freshly formed: eyes that behold the countenance of God’s face, and ears that resound with His sweet and thunderous voice. Eyes to survey the broken terrain of the world, ears to hear the cries of the forlorn; empowered to guide the blind to foot of the cross of Christ already in their midst.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you worship in Spirit and in truth; revering the one who delights to cause the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to break out in dance, and the mute to cry our praises?
- Will you reflect, is there any idolatrous activity within your heart; i.e. trust in counterfeit gods for security or significance? If there is, would you turn away from that death dealing drug, and turn to Jesus? Will you ask God for a new sensitivity to see and hear Him this morning?
- Will you pray for new creation in the hearts, eyes, and ears of those wracked by sin and its consequences around you? Will you ask that God would reveal the cross of Christ in their midst, and lead them to Himself?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
03.21.09
“MUTUAL INHABITATION”
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MUTUAL INHABITATION
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Ps 48:12-14 NIV
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,
13 consider well her ramparts,
view her citadels,
that you may tell of them to the next generation.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end.
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1 Cor 3:16-17 NIV
16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
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Despite a short national history, a visit to our capital, Washington D.C. yields constant reminders of our history and values. Monuments to great leaders, as well as transformative events bring home a deep appreciation of where our country has come from, and what will sustain us into our future.
In much the same way, the very structures of the temple and Jerusalem evoked strong awareness of the history of the people of God, and ultimately a profound attachment with the
God who had chosen to abide there.
Psalm 46 is a celebration of Jerusalem and the temple, but ultimately a connected praise to the God who establishes the city and the people. Pilgrims are encouraged to meditate in the temple of God’s character [vs. 9], and let all the physical features [e.g. lofty mountains vs. 2] evoke praise and adoration of God. For intimate knowledge of the structures and the history is intertwined with knowing the God who inhabits the city.
The format of the city itself is like an open invitation to come and know Yahweh. T Toward the end of the psalm, there is a call to reflect on the intricacies of the military fortifications; to count the towers and investigate the citadel. For God inhabits Zion’s citadels, and has demonstrated that He will be her fortress [vs. 3].
Paul dovetails on this theme of inhabitation when he declares to the church in Corinth that they themselves are God’s temple, and that His Presence is living within them! That they ought to celebrate and cherish God’s inhabitation within their community. Could it be that as we inhabit all the more the relationships God has provided within the body, that God would be all the more revealed in our midst? Would we not become all the more an open invitation to the world to come and know Yahweh Jesus, and be all the more equipped to tell of His mercy and might to the coming generation? How significant is the call to mutual inhabitation.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you worship afresh the Great High King who lovingly chooses to inhabit such an unworthy people? Will you praise Him for His might and mercy demonstrated to and for us?
- How intimate are your relationships in the body of Christ? How might you be called all the more to know your brothers and sisters in Christ, that you might grow in your knowledge of God?
- Will you pray for your church, asking God to reveal His love and power even more; and that the body of Christ would be a gateway for the nations and generations near and far to know God?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
03.20.09
“FORTRESS MENTALITY”
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“FORTRESS MENTALITY”
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2 Sam 22:2-4 NIV
“The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior-
from violent men you save me.
4 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I am saved from my enemies.
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Ps 59:16-17 NIV
16 But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
17 O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.
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In the game of chess, a sweeping defensive move can be engaged whereby a threatened king can cross over positions with a rook. This move whereby an exposed king can move into a position of safety is called castling. As the game of chess seeks to echo in some ways the dynamics of the battlefield, seeking protection behind the walls of a well designed fortress can be a wise strategic move to counter the rush of the violent.
King David engaged in many a battle, and suffered the barbs of many a violent man. Whether it was literal spears hurled to pin him to a wall, or verbal ones; David always knew where to run for safety. He repeatedly declares that Yahweh is his fortress, and institutes a “castling” move through intentional worship. For David, this wasn’t a move born of mere cowardice; rather of strategic import. Safe in the tower, he is presumably able to assess and outlast the threat. And ultimately, it becomes God who fights and wins the battle.
In many cases, a fortress mentality actually restricts one from managing the field properly. But when it comes to spiritual battle, there is no better move than to “castle”; to nestle in the protection and favor of our loving God.
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QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- This morning, will you choose to sing to, and call upon the Mighty Fortress who delights in being your shield and salvation? Will you delight in His unbreakable, unshakeable love for you?
- Will you call to Him, for specific threats; to release you from fear of the violence of man and even spiritual opposition?
- What would it mean to adopt this “fortress mentality” in your life right now? How might your choice of words and actions change given a heart secure in God?
This devotional was written by Pastor Martin
