Fear of God…

Don’t be tied up as equal partners with people who don’t believe. What does righteousness share with that which is outside the Law? What relationship does light have with darkness? What harmony does Christ have with Satan? What does a believer have in common with someone who doesn’t believe? What agreement can there be between God’s temple and idols? Because we are the temple of the living God. Just as God said, I live with them, and I will move among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separated, says the Lord. Don’t touch what is unclean. Then I will welcome you. I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. My dear friends, since we have these promises, let’s cleanse ourselves from anything that contaminates our body or spirit so that we make our holiness complete in the fear of God. Make room in your hearts for us. We didn’t do anything wrong to anyone. We didn’t ruin anyone. We didn’t take advantage of anyone. (2 Corinthians 6:14-7:2, CEB)

I have to say as I started reading this passage I was struck and wondered the book it came from. And then I saw it was authentic Paul.

Righteousness covers that outside the Law and yet we are not subject to the Law. Light shows ud darkness and darkness helps us see the light. Harmony is an interesting choice for Jesus and Satan, and a believer can actually have a lot in common with someone who doesn’t believe. And what exactly are we believing?

We are called to be salt for the earth and a light on a hill. We need to be involved with the lives of those around us to share the light and love of God in everything we do. Now I also see that could mean we are not equal partners with someone who if not a follower of the way of Christ, and yet there are equal partners in many congregations where one or both doesn’t follow the way of Christ.

I was also struck by the fifth to last sentence, “we make our holiness complete in the fear of God.” We make our holiness complete in the fear of God. Is God somethign we shoudl fear? Is the chance we would be sent away from God the reason to make God happy? Are we supposed to only love others because we are afraid of what God will do to us?

God is inhabitating with us and that allows us to be in the world and not of it. Share God’s love as you go and help all see that they are loved.

Loving People. Loving God.

Faith

The promise to Abraham and to his descendants, that he would inherit the world, didn’t come through the Law but through the righteousness that comes from faith. If they inherit because of the Law, then faith has no effect and the promise has been canceled. The Law brings about wrath. But when there isn’t any law, there isn’t any violation of the law. That’s why the inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God’s grace. In that way, the promise is secure for all of Abraham’s descendants, not just for those who are related by Law but also for those who are related by the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us. As it is written: I have appointed you to be the father of many nations. So Abraham is our father in the eyes of God in whom he had faith, the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that don’t exist into existence. When it was beyond hope, he had faith in the hope that he would become the father of many nations, in keeping with the promise God spoke to him: That’s how many descendants you will have. Without losing faith, Abraham, who was nearly 100 years old, took into account his own body, which was as good as dead, and Sarah’s womb, which was dead. He didn’t hesitate with a lack of faith in God’s promise, but he grew strong in faith and gave glory to God. He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised. Therefore, it was credited to him as righteousness. But the scripture that says it was credited to him wasn’t written only for Abraham’s sake. It was written also for our sake, because it is going to be credited to us too. It will be credited to those of us who have faith in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was handed over because of our mistakes, and he was raised to meet the requirements of righteousness for us. (Romans 4:13-25, CEB)

The promise to Abraham didn’t come through the law.

Abraham was not counted righteous because of his adherence to the rules that some say we have to follow. Abraham was counted righteous because of his faith. His trust. His belief in God.

The law doesn’t make us right, it only helps to show how bad we actually are. And if we understand the commandments Jesus gave us, following the rules should be easy. Love God, Love neighbor. But even that we get wrong.

Thankfully we are made right because God chose to. We can trust that promise and know we are in the kindom.

Loving People. Loving God.

mercy

As Jesus departed, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Show us mercy, Son of David.” When he came into the house, the blind men approached him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “It will happen for you just as you have believed.” Their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “Make sure nobody knows about this.” But they went out and spread the word about him throughout that whole region. As they were leaving, people brought to him a man who was demon-possessed and unable to speak. When Jesus had thrown out the demon, the man who couldn’t speak began to talk. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He throws out demons with the authority of the ruler of demons.” (Matthew 9:27-34, CEB)

The two blind men approached Jesus and Jesus asked them, “Do you believe I can do this?”

Do you believe Jesus can heal you?

Do you believe God will have mercy on you?

We tell everyone else that God will heal them and prayers can help, and God gives grace and mercy. Do we believe that?

And more importantly, do you believe God will do these things for you?

You deserve mercy.

You deserve grace.

You deserve healing.

Do you believe Jesus can do this, for you?

Loving People. Loving God.

Kindness

After reaching land safely, we learned that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. Because it was rainy and cold, they built a fire and welcomed all of us. Paul gathered a bunch of dry sticks and put them on the fire. As he did, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, latched on to his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer! He was rescued from the sea, but the goddess Justice hasn’t let him live!” Paul shook the snake into the fire and suffered no harm. They expected him to swell up with fever or suddenly drop dead. After waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and began to claim that he was a god. Publius, the island’s most prominent person, owned a large estate in that area. He welcomed us warmly into his home as his guests for three days. Publius’ father was bedridden, sick with a fever and dysentery. Paul went to see him and prayed. He placed his hand on him and healed him. Once this happened, the rest of the sick on the island came to him and were healed. They honored us in many ways. When we were getting ready to sail again, they supplied us with what we needed. (Acts 28:1-10, CEB)

When the ship made it to land, those who lived there showed great kindness to Paul and his companions.

Paul and all those on the ship survived the waters, but then Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake, but he was not harmed so the islanders thought he was a God. And when he had healed many people they helped them when they were ready to leave.

It is interesting to me they didn’t try to make him stay, or that there is anything written about how Paul reacted to this treatment. We assume Paul would have told them it is not I but God that does this miraculous work.

How would have you handled the treatment if you were Paul, or in Paul’s place?

Would we seek the limelight? Or would we give that to God?

Loving People. Loving God.

Human

These false teachers are springs without water, mists driven by the wind. The underworld has been reserved for them. With empty, self-important speech, they use sinful cravings and unrestrained immorality to ensnare people who have only just escaped life with those who have wandered from the truth. These false teachers promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of immorality; whatever overpowers you, enslaves you. If people escape the moral filth of this world through the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, then get tangled up in it again and are overcome by it, they are worse off than they were before. It would be better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, having come to know it, to turn back from the holy commandment entrusted to them. They demonstrate the truth of the proverb: “A dog returns to its own vomit, and a washed sow wallows in the mud.” (2 Peter 2:17-22, CEB)

It is human nature to want to be your own boss.

To wallow in the mud you know.

We easily go back to our own ways of self-preservation.

Moral Filth of this world is not seeing our fellow humanity in places they should not be and leaving them there. We need to love as God did and help all rise to the place they belong, child of God.

Do not not love. Love as God loves you.

Loving People. Loving God.

Companion

“I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you. (John 14:25-26, CEB)

God never leaves us alone. Jesus was here to teach people how to live and love and when Jesus went to be with the rest of God, God sent the Spirit to be with us.

We always have a companion and are never alone.

Know you are never alone.

Loving People. Loving God.

one Spirit

There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; and there are different ministries and the same Lord; and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit, faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit, performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another. All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person. Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. (1 Corinthians 12:4-13, CEB)

No matter who you are or where you come from, you were brought into the kindom of God through the Spirit.

The Spirit gives us each the gifts we have for ministry and enables us to be part of the kindom of God we are. It is this Spirit that unites us across the barriers we create as humans to separate us.

Y’all means all!

Loving People. Loving God.

ignorant

Brothers and sisters, I don’t want you to be ignorant about spiritual gifts. You know that when you were Gentiles you were often misled by false gods that can’t even speak. So I want to make it clear to you that no one says, “Jesus is cursed!” when speaking by God’s Spirit, and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:1-3, CEB)

Paul doesn’t want the Corinthians to lack knowledge or understanding about spiritual gifts.

There is so much information out there and we wonder what is true.

The thing about this text that really gets me is the second half of the last sentence, “no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” If someone claims Jesus is Lord, then the Holy Spirit is in them.

So even if they say Jesus is Lord and then say that LGBTQIA+ people are not a part of God’s kingdom (which they are, all people are included) they are filled with the Spirit. I wonder how that works really. Seems they are ignorant to what God has told us, and yet I don’t understand so in the dictionary meaning of ignorant, I am ignorant.

Who or what is right and true?

All I can really say is, just love, and follow God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Trinity

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, “I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.” (Matthew 28:16-20, CEB)

This is really the only place the Trinity is plainly named in the Bible. And it might have been added at a later date, but here is the Trinity, the God that is present everywhere and through everything.

The Parent, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. A mystery of faith. God is always in relationship and invites us into that relationship with God.

We doubt the Trinity and things in our life and we are in good company. The 11 disciples joined Jesus on the mountain our reading says, and they worshiped him, but some doubted. Some doubted. I know for a fact the word some was added because if you look at the original Greek there is nothing there for some. It clearly says in the Greek, they worshipped him and they doubted. Now scholars didn’t like this because how can one worship and doubt. But I am a good Lutheran and we are good with shades of gray and things that seem opposed to each other. Plus it gives me hope to know that the 11 disciples saw Jesus and worshipped and doubted what was happening. I can not truly understand or comprehend and still be in faith!

The Trinity is a mystery we take on faith, and if you can’t always believe it, I think God is ok with that. Just stay in that relationship.

Loving People. Loving God.

Commandments

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. I will ask the Father, and he will send another Companion, who will be with you forever. This Companion is the Spirit of Truth, whom the world can’t receive because it neither sees him nor recognizes him. You know him, because he lives with you and will be with you. (John 14:15-17, CEB)

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” This is Jesus speaking here to the disciples. My question when I read this passage is what commandments? We read it and usually, those who claim to be Christian would go to the 10 commandments. But is that what Jesus is referring to? I do not believe that is what Jesus means.

There are two commandments that are indeed the sum of the 10 commandments, and actually, the 613 Levitical Laws that could be seen as the commandments Jesus says to follow.

Jesus says the sum of the law and the prophets, which is the whole of the Hebrew Scripture, is Love the Lord your God and Love your neighbor as yourself.

If you love God, then you need to love God and everyone else. If you do that, then you will have the Spirit.

Do we all love everyone else?

Loving People. Loving God.