I am.

Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” Then the Pharisees said to him, “Because you are testifying about yourself, your testimony isn’t valid.” Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, since I know where I came from and where I’m going. You don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. You judge according to human standards, but I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is truthful, because I’m not alone. My judgments come from me and from the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the witness of two people is true. I am one witness concerning myself, and the Father who sent me is the other.” They asked him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You don’t know me and you don’t know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area known as the treasury. No one arrested him, because his time hadn’t yet come. Jesus continued, “I’m going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I’m going, you can’t come.” The Jewish leaders said, “He isn’t going to kill himself, is he? Is that why he said, ‘Where I’m going, you can’t come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I’m from above. You are from this world; I’m not from this world. This is why I told you that you would die in your sins. If you don’t believe that I Am, you will die in your sins.” “Who are you?” they asked. Jesus replied, “I’m exactly who I have claimed to be from the beginning. I have many things to say in judgment concerning you. The one who sent me is true, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” They didn’t know he was speaking about his Father. So Jesus said to them, “When the Human One is lifted up, then you will know that I Am. Then you will know that I do nothing on my own, but I say just what the Father has taught me. He who sent me is with me. He doesn’t leave me by myself, because I always do what makes him happy.” While Jesus was saying these things, many people came to believe in him. (John 8:12-30, CEB)

I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but have the light of life.

This is one of the I am statements from John. This passage, however, includes one of the I am statements that is Jesus claiming the name of God.

Verse 24 in the NRSVue says, “I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” There is also an * after the he, which then says, the Greek says, “ἐγώ εἰμι.” This is what God says to Moses when Moses asks, when they ask the name of the one who sent me, what do I tell them. God said, “ἐγώ εἰμι.” In the translation above, they rearrange the words, but they get the I Am part correct, even capitalizing the Am.

And the leaders still ask Jesus who are you?

Jesus very plainly tells them who He is, and they do not believe Him.

What is Jesus telling us that we just will not hear or believe?

blinded

This is why we don’t get discouraged, given that we received this ministry in the same way that we received God’s mercy. Instead, we reject secrecy and shameful actions. We don’t use deception, and we don’t tamper with God’s word. Instead, we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God by the public announcement of the truth. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are on the road to destruction. The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who don’t have faith so they couldn’t see the light of the gospel that reveals Christ’s glory. Christ is the image of God. We don’t preach about ourselves. Instead, we preach about Jesus Christ as Lord, and we describe ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. God said that light should shine out of the darkness. He is the same one who shone in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay pots so that the awesome power belongs to God and doesn’t come from us. We are experiencing all kinds of trouble, but we aren’t crushed. We are confused, but we aren’t depressed. We are harassed, but we aren’t abandoned. We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out. We always carry Jesus’ death around in our bodies so that Jesus’ life can also be seen in our bodies. We who are alive are always being handed over to death for Jesus’ sake so that Jesus’ life can also be seen in our bodies that are dying. So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. (2 Corinthians 4:1-12, CEB)

Paul wrote, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of those who don’t have faith so they couldn’t see the light of the gospel that reveals Christ’s glory.”

The god of this age seems appropriate today. The god that has us focus on ourselves. I have written and preached about this god before; it is the unholy trinity. Me, Myself, and I.

When we focus on ourselves and our needs, our desires, and not on the body of Christ, we are turned inward and seek to fulfill only our desires and wants. This leads to grace and mercy not being given, and we do not spread light but increase darkness.

Be a beacon of hope and focus on the Holy Trinity and sharing God’s love in all you do.

Looking

God hasn’t rejected his people, whom he knew in advance. Or don’t you know what the scripture says in the case of Elijah, when he pleads with God against Israel? Lord, they have killed your prophets, and they have torn down your altars. I’m the only one left, and they are trying to take my life. But what is God’s reply to him? I have kept for myself seven thousand people who haven’t bowed their knees to Baal. So also in the present time there is a remaining group by the choice of God’s grace. But if it is by grace, it isn’t by what’s done anymore. If it were, God’s grace wouldn’t be grace. So what? Israel didn’t find what it was looking for. Those who were chosen found it, but the others were resistant. As it is written, God gave them a dull spirit, so that their eyes would not see and their ears not hear, right up until the present day. And David says, Their table should become a pitfall and a trap, a stumbling block and payback to them for what they have done. Their eyes should be darkened so they can’t see, and their backs always bent. (Romans 11:2-10, CEB)

If you are looking for God and can not find Them, you can be certain it is not Them that has moved.

God will never leave us nor forsake us and will chase us to the ends of the earth and beyond. We need to focus our lives and vision of God and seek to always walk with Them.

God will always be there and seeking you. Never give up on God because They will never give up on you.

righteousness

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? It’s good for nothing except to be thrown away and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven. “Don’t even begin to think that I have come to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I haven’t come to do away with them but to fulfill them. I say to you very seriously that as long as heaven and earth exist, neither the smallest letter nor even the smallest stroke of a pen will be erased from the Law until everything there becomes a reality. Therefore, whoever ignores one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called the lowest in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps these commands and teaches people to keep them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:13-20, CEB)

Jesus said, “unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

What is righteousness? Merriam-Webster says: “the quality or state of being righteous : conformity to the divine or the moral law.” So this raises the question of what is righteous. Merriam-Webster says, “acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin.”

So no one is righteous. None of us are free from guilt or sin.

So how will any of us make it to the kingdom?

We need to rely on God and work to be more concerned about others rather than ourselves.

To be a beacon of hope and love for all the world.

Be salt and light and live and share love in all you do.

rule of love

The Pharisees and some legal experts from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. They saw some of his disciples eating food with unclean hands. (They were eating without first ritually purifying their hands through washing. The Pharisees and all the Jews don’t eat without first washing their hands carefully. This is a way of observing the rules handed down by the elders. Upon returning from the marketplace, they don’t eat without first immersing themselves. They observe many other rules that have been handed down, such as the washing of cups, jugs, pans, and sleeping mats.) So the Pharisees and legal experts asked Jesus, “Why are your disciples not living according to the rules handed down by the elders but instead eat food with ritually unclean hands?” He replied, “Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you hypocrites. He wrote, This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human words. You ignore God’s commandment while holding on to rules created by humans and handed down to you.” (Mark 7:1-8, CEB)

Which is more important for a follower of Christ, keeping all of the rules, or loving God and neighbor?

Isaiah wrote, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human words.” Isaiah said the people were more concerned with keeping the rules of the elders, which were human words, rather than keeping the words of God, which are truly what is important.

Rules are necessary for good order, and we should keep them, however when love is needed, and that means breaking a rule, which is more important? Keeping the rule or showing/being loving?

If you said keeping the rules, please try again.

Love wins. Yesterday, today, and always.

Love trumps rules.

Deny the truth

Are any of you wise and understanding? Show that your actions are good with a humble lifestyle that comes from wisdom. However, if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, then stop bragging and living in ways that deny the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above. Instead, it is from the earth, natural and demonic. Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and everything that is evil. What of the wisdom from above? First, it is pure, and then peaceful, gentle, obedient, filled with mercy and good actions, fair, and genuine. Those who make peace sow the seeds of justice by their peaceful acts. (James 3:13-18, CEB)

Are you denying the truth?

When we are jealous of others and build ourselves up with selfish ambition, there is disorder, and we are not focusing on what God has for us to focus on.

When you want more for yourself than you want for others, you are denying the truth.

You see, the truth is we need each other, and the gifts each have, and when we are jealous and wanting, we are denying their part in the body of Christ and denying the truth of God.

Lift each other up. Don’t be jealous.

Believes…

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God. Whoever loves someone who is a parent loves the child born to the parent. This is how we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep God’s commandments. This is the love of God: we keep God’s commandments. God’s commandments are not difficult, because everyone who is born from God defeats the world. And this is the victory that has defeated the world: our faith. Who defeats the world? Isn’t it the one who believes that Jesus is God’s Son? (1 John 5:1-5, CEB)

Everyone who believes Jesus is the Messiah is born of God and a child of God. And if you love God, then you will love God’s children.

So when someone says they believe Jesus is the Messiah, then they are a child of God, and we, as fellow children of God and those who love God, need to love those children.

We can not tell them they do not believe because their lifestyle conflicts with how we think they should live, because they believe Jesus is the Christ, and therefore they are children of God.

So when someone says they believe in Jesus, love them as you love God. And if you do not love them, then do you really love God?

Happy – Blessed???

Jesus came down from the mountain with them and stood on a large area of level ground. A great company of his disciples and a huge crowd of people from all around Judea and Jerusalem and the area around Tyre and Sidon joined him there. They came to hear him and to be healed from their diseases, and those bothered by unclean spirits were healed. The whole crowd wanted to touch him, because power was going out from him and he was healing everyone. Jesus raised his eyes to his disciples and said: “Happy are you who are poor, because God’s kingdom is yours. Happy are you who hunger now, because you will be satisfied. Happy are you who weep now, because you will laugh. Happy are you when people hate you, reject you, insult you, and condemn your name as evil because of the Human One. Rejoice when that happens! Leap for joy because you have a great reward in heaven. Their ancestors did the same things to the prophets. But how terrible for you who are rich, because you have already received your comfort. How terrible for you who have plenty now, because you will be hungry. How terrible for you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep. How terrible for you when all speak well of you. Their ancestors did the same things to the false prophets. (Luke 6:17-26, CEB)

This is the sermon on the plain from Luke, which is similar to but not actually the same as the sermon on the mount from Matthew.

The version of the scripture in the above passage is the Common English Bible. I usually like this version; however, I am not sure happy is the correct word.

The Greek word here is Μακάριοι, which means happy or blessed. And Blessed is a church word that most people do not get so we go with happy because that is easier to understand. But is one whose spirit is broken and is mourning happy?

Merriam-Webster defines Blessed in many ways, depending on the usage and form but the one that I think connects the most here is “bringing pleasure, contentment, or good fortune.” One does not have to be happy to be content or have good fortune. And Thayer defines it additionally, in my Accordance Bible Software, as joined to the names of God.

You are Μακάριοι when you are broken, hungry, mourning, weeping, hurting because you are joined to God.

In all things know that God is always with you.

Happiness is fleeting, but joy in the Lord is always there. Even in the darkness, and not understanding.

riches…

Pay attention, you wealthy people! Weep and moan over the miseries coming upon you. Your riches have rotted. Moths have destroyed your clothes. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you. It will eat your flesh like fire. Consider the treasure you have hoarded in the last days. Listen! Hear the cries of the wages of your field hands. These are the wages you stole from those who harvested your fields. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of heavenly forces. You have lived a self-satisfying life on this earth, a life of luxury. You have stuffed your hearts in preparation for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who doesn’t oppose you. (James 5:1-6, CEB)

Who or what do you serve?

What is the thing that moves you and leads and guides you?

Is it God?

Is it your wealth?

You came into this world naked and penniless, and you will leave kind of the same way, but whatever wealth you have here, stays here.

Serve God, not your wealth.

Get along

From Paul, who is a prisoner for the cause of Christ Jesus, and our brother Timothy.
To Philemon our dearly loved coworker, Apphia our sister, Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church that meets in your house.
May the grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Philemon, I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers because I’ve heard of your love and faithfulness, which you have both for the Lord Jesus and for all God’s people. I pray that your partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ. I have great joy and encouragement because of your love, since the hearts of God’s people are refreshed by your actions, my brother.
Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to command you to do the right thing, I would rather appeal to you through love. I, Paul—an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus— appeal to you for my child Onesimus. I became his father in the faith during my time in prison. He was useless to you before, but now he is useful to both of us. I’m sending him back to you, which is like sending you my own heart. I considered keeping him with me so that he might serve me in your place during my time in prison because of the gospel. However, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent so that your act of kindness would occur willingly and not under pressure. Maybe this is the reason that Onesimus was separated from you for a while so that you might have him back forever— no longer as a slave but more than a slave—that is, as a dearly loved brother. He is especially a dearly loved brother to me. How much more can he become a brother to you, personally and spiritually in the Lord!
So, if you really consider me a partner, welcome Onesimus as if you were welcoming me. If he has harmed you in any way or owes you money, charge it to my account. I, Paul, will pay it back to you (I’m writing this with my own hand). Of course, I won’t mention that you owe me your life.
Yes, brother, I want this favor from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. I’m writing to you, confident of your obedience and knowing that you will do more than what I ask. Also, one more thing—prepare a guest room for me. I hope that I will be released from prison to be with you because of your prayers.
Epaphras, who is in prison with me for the cause of Christ Jesus, greets you, as well as my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. (Philemon 1-25, CEB)

This is a letter from Paul to Philemon. And it is about Onesimus.

Onesimus was a slave/servant of Philemon’s who somehow got in bad graces with Philemon. Paul is saying, we need to get over the troubles we have with each other, because we are all children of God. And if you can not look past the issues, then see them as a brother or sister in Christ, a fellow child of God.

That should be all we need to lift the other up andfight for their needs.

Love. Because that is what God did for you.