Why do you follow?

One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Gennesaret when the crowd pressed in around him to hear God’s word. Jesus saw two boats sitting by the lake. The fishermen had gone ashore and were washing their nets. Jesus boarded one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, then asked him to row out a little distance from the shore. Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he finished speaking to the crowds, he said to Simon, “Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch.” Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because you say so, I’ll drop the nets.” So they dropped the nets and their catch was so huge that their nets were splitting. They signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full that they were about to sink. When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord, for I’m a sinner!” Peter and those with him were overcome with amazement because of the number of fish they caught. James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were Simon’s partners and they were amazed too. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be fishing for people.” As soon as they brought the boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus. (Luke 5:1-11, CEB)

I have always wondered after this story, did Peter follow because of the miracle?

Was it the catch of fish after they had been doing it all night and catching nothing and then Jesus says, “row out and drop the nets for a catch?” And they get a huge catch.

I mean did Peter follow because of this?

Do we follow for what we will get?

Why do we follow Jesus?

Loving People. Loving God.

First and now…

Theophilus, the first scroll I wrote concerned everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning, right up to the day when he was taken up into heaven. Before he was taken up, working in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus instructed the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom. While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:1-5, CEB)

Luke was Acts Volume 1, or is Acts Luke Volume 2?

Interesting that those who decided on the books in the canon (Bible) decided to separate the 2 by John.

But, Luke tells of the stories of Jesus while he was here on earth and Acts gives the story of the disciples after Jesus went back to be with God. But now how could Jesus go to be with God if/since he is God (that is a post for another time).

We just need to know the stories, much like we know our families’ stories that were never written down. They are a part of who we are, just as Luke and Acts and all the rest of the books are a part of our story.

Know your story and share the love.

Loving People. Loving God.

who you tryin to please?

I’m amazed that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ to follow another gospel. It’s not really another gospel, but certain people are confusing you and they want to change the gospel of Christ. However, even if we ourselves or a heavenly angel should ever preach anything different from what we preached to you, they should be under a curse. I’m repeating what we’ve said before: if anyone preaches something different from what you received, they should be under a curse! Am I trying to win over human beings or God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I wouldn’t be Christ’s slave. Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that the gospel I preached isn’t human in origin. I didn’t receive it or learn it from a human. It came through a revelation from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:6-12, CEB)

Paul here can’t believe the Galatians are turning away from what he and his companions had taught them about the Gospel. And asks during the discussion who am I trying to please? God or people.

So who are you trying to please?

You will never please people, and you don’t need to please God.

But if you try to please people, you will definitely not please God, because people will lead you away from where God wants you to be.

So don’t make people happy, but follow God and stay true to God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Hope

Jesus knew what they intended to do, so he went away from there. Large crowds followed him, and he healed them all. But he ordered them not to spread the word about him, so that what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled:

Look, my Servant whom I chose,
        the one I love, in whom I find great pleasure.
I’ll put my Spirit upon him,
        and he’ll announce judgment to the Gentiles.
He won’t argue or shout,
        and nobody will hear his voice in the streets.
He won’t break a bent stalk,
        and he won’t snuff out a smoldering wick,
            until he makes justice win.
And the Gentiles will put their hope in his name. (Matthew 12:15-21, CEB)

And the Gentiles will put their hope in his name.

Jesus is the name to hope in.

Promises are kept.

Love is shared.

Believe in Jesus.

Share the love God gave you through Jesus with the world!

Loving People. Loving God.

People listen

Those who had been scattered moved on, preaching the good news along the way. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and began to preach Christ to them. The crowds were united by what they heard Philip say and the signs they saw him perform, and they gave him their undivided attention. With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many people, and many who were paralyzed or crippled were healed. There was great rejoicing in that city. Before Philip’s arrival, a certain man named Simon had practiced sorcery in that city and baffled the people of Samaria. He claimed to be a great person. Everyone, from the least to the greatest, gave him their undivided attention and referred to him as “the power of God called Great.” He had their attention because he had baffled them with sorcery for a long time. After they came to believe Philip, who preached the good news about God’s kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Even Simon himself came to believe and was baptized. Afterward, he became one of Philip’s supporters. As he saw firsthand the signs and great miracles that were happening, he was astonished. (Acts 8:4-13, CEB)

This is one example out of Acts where people were struck with the message of the Gospel and gave their full attention to the message. Is this what you experience when we see the gospel shared today? Are we seeing people give their full attention to God and the message of love we share?

Not really people don’t believe it, and why?

I would venture it is because a lot of people who say God loves say, “God loves everyone, but LGBTQIA+ aren’t welcome because they are sinners.” Any time we say God loves everyone, but, the but means God doesn’t love everyone. So either the first statement is true or the but is.

And I for one know God loves everyone. There is no but to that statement.

When followers say God Loves everyone but, I believe they are saying the truth, followed by their understanding. God loves everyone, but I don’t think those people should be included. They are saying what they wished God would say.

That is why people aren’t listening to the good news. Because they can’t believe it when followers don’t live it or believe it themselves.

Believe it. Live it. Shout it from the mountains!

Loving People. Loving God.

Baptism in the Spirit

While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. They heard them speaking in other languages and praising God. Peter asked, “These people have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. Surely no one can stop them from being baptized with water, can they?” He directed that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited Peter to stay for several days. (Acts 10:44-48, CEB)

This is the story of Peter visiting Cornelius and talking with him and his household about God and the story of Jesus. While Peter was talking to them, they were baptized with the Spirit.

As Lutherans we have in our baptismal service a portion where we say the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes, the pastor says as the mark the sign of the cross on the baptized’s forehead, “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” I have always loved this part of the service but also wondered if we could say this is when the Holy Spirit comes. We want to say we understand God and everything God does and saying this is when the baptism of the Holy Spirit happens we get to control God, but the reading above shows us that God does things God’s way and not the neat way we want it to happen.

Know that you can’t control God or the things that God wants to happen.

Let go and know that God is God and you are not.

Loving People. Loving God.

Baptism of Jesus

At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River so that John would baptize him. John tried to stop him and said, “I need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?” Jesus answered, “Allow me to be baptized now. This is necessary to fulfill all righteousness.” So John agreed to baptize Jesus. When Jesus was baptized, he immediately came up out of the water. Heaven was opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove and resting on him. A voice from heaven said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love; I find happiness in him.” (Matthew 3:13-17, CEB)

Sometimes God asks us to do something and we think that it needs to be done a different way. John did that here. Jesus came and said baptize me, and John was like, I think you need to baptize me. But sometimes God’s plan has things we don’t understand and we should just go with it because God knows what God is doing.

Follow where God is calling you and know that God will always be with you!

Loving People. Loving God.

Every

This is why I kneel before the Father. Every ethnic group in heaven or on earth is recognized by him. I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us; glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21, CEB)

Every ethnic group is recognized by God. There is no one who is not known by God.

So should we try and keep anyone from learning about God and being filled with the fullness of God’s love?

No, we should not. We should recognize and accept everyone too because God accepts all, we accept all.

Be filled with God’s love and love all.

Loving People. Loving God.

warned in a dream

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.” When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote: You, Bethlehem, land of Judah, by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah, because from you will come one who governs, who will shepherd my people Israel.” Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route. (Matthew 2:1-12, CEB)

This is the day of Epiphany when the Magi arrived at the home where Jesus was living after he was born. From the passage that comes after this, we can ascertain that Jesus was around two years old when the Magi arrived.

The thing that struck me this year as I read this text was that the Magi were warned in a dream. God spoke to those who we say are outsiders, from different religions to warn them that Herod was bad and that they shouldn’t share the location of Jesus with him, and we are told that they believed this vision and went home a different way as to avoid Herod. God works in and through the world and in many different and surprising ways.

How do we follow what God has asked us to do and how do we help bring light to the world?

Do we love out loud and show grace and mercy in our actions?

How can we not share doom and gloom but be beacons of peace and not say that some are outside of God’s inner circle?

We need to focus on God and share God’s love and let God be God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Fix our eyes

What more can I say? I would run out of time if I told you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Through faith they conquered kingdoms, brought about justice, realized promises, shut the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped from the edge of the sword, found strength in weakness, were mighty in war, and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured and refused to be released so they could gain a better resurrection. But others experienced public shame by being taunted and whipped; they were even put in chains and in prison. They were stoned to death, they were cut in two, and they died by being murdered with swords. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats, needy, oppressed, and mistreated. The world didn’t deserve them. They wandered around in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground. All these people didn’t receive what was promised, though they were given approval for their faith. God provided something better for us so they wouldn’t be made perfect without us. So then, with endurance, let’s also run the race that is laid out in front of us, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Let’s throw off any extra baggage, get rid of the sin that trips us up, and fix our eyes on Jesus, faith’s pioneer and perfecter. He endured the cross, ignoring the shame, for the sake of the joy that was laid out in front of him, and sat down at the right side of God’s throne. (Hebrews 11:32—12:2, CEB)

Faith in God is what gets us there.

And when we fix our eyes upon Jesus, the pioneer and perfected of faith, we will live the way God has called us to.

Jesus questioned the plan and yet followed it by saying in the garden, “not my will but your will be done.” Can we do this?

If we can fix our eyes on Jesus and follow the example we have been given, we will change the world and live the life God has called us to.

We will be grace, mercy, and peace for a world that needs the love God has for it.

Love out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.