Grace

God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ. That’s why scripture says, When he climbed up to the heights, he captured prisoners, and he gave gifts to people. What does the phrase “he climbed up” mean if it doesn’t mean that he had first gone down into the lower regions, the earth? The one who went down is the same one who climbed up above all the heavens so that he might fill everything. He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part. (Ephesians 4:7-16, CEB)

We all have grace in the amount we need.

We all have a place by the grace we receive to help build up the body of Christ.

We have enough grace to stand against the scheming and teachings that would pull us from the place God needs us.

Rely on the grace you have been given and share the love you have been given.

Loving People. Loving God.

Spirit

“I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you. (John 16:12-15, CEB)

There are many things we can not handle. When the Spirit comes we will see things differently.

When we allow the Spirit to be a part of us, we see things the way that God sees them.

Allow the Spirit to move through your life and help you see as God sees.

Loving People. Loving God.

Do you look for Jesus?

Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was 12 years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom. After the festival was over, they were returning home, but the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents didn’t know it. Supposing that he was among their band of travelers, they journeyed on for a full day while looking for him among their family and friends. When they didn’t find Jesus, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple. He was sitting among the teachers, listening to them and putting questions to them. Everyone who heard him was amazed by his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were shocked. His mother said, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Listen! Your father and I have been worried. We’ve been looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Why were you looking for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” But they didn’t understand what he said to them. Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. His mother cherished every word in her heart. Jesus matured in wisdom and years, and in favor with God and with people. (Luke 2:41-52, CEB)

If you were to look for Jesus, where would you look?

Mary and Joseph thought that Jesus was with the party when they left the Temple. But he wasn’t so they looked for him in the travel party and after they couldn’t find him they searched more. And then they found him in the Temple, where Jesus told them he was supposed to be.

Where do we suppose Jesus should be?

Where do we suppose Jesus shouldn’t be?

Is there someplace you think you won’t find Jesus?

Look and you will find.

Jesus is everywhere.

Loving People. Loving God.

Love

Therefore, as a prisoner for the Lord, I encourage you to live as people worthy of the call you received from God. Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love, and make an effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit with the peace that ties you together. You are one body and one spirit, just as God also called you in one hope. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all, through all, and in all. (Ephesians 4:1-6, CEB)

In everything, you do conduct yourself with humility, gentleness, and patience.

Love everyone and work to hold others together.

Everything you do, do in love.

Loving People. Loving God.

enough light

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you. I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers. This power is conferred by the energy of God’s powerful strength. (Ephesians 1:17-19, CEB)

I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light…

to see what is the hope of God’s call
to see what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers
to see what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers.

Enough light. Not too much or not enough, but just enough.

To see hope.
To see richness.
To see greatness.
To see God’s power.
To see God’s call.

We don’t have to see everything or even understand everything.

We need enough light to see hope in God’s call and know the promises will be fulfilled and will carry us through.

Enough Light.

Loving People. Loving God.

Let me be like Mary

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a virgin who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!” She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen since I haven’t had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God.” Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:26-38, CEB)

Every time I read this story I have the same reaction. Yeah right!

Mary, an unwed young maiden, gets a visit from an angel who says he will give birth to a son who will sit on David’s throne and his kingdom will never end, asks how this will happen, because she has never had sex, and after the explanation that the Holy Spirit will make it happen she responds, ok let it be to me as you have said.

Seriously? No, I don’t think you have the right woman, or maybe someone else would be a better fit, or there is no way that I am doing that? Mary just says ok, let’s do this.

I want to be like Mary and be the servant of the Lord and follow without question.

Can we be like Mary?

Loving People. Loving God.

in not of

We haven’t received the world’s spirit but God’s Spirit so that we can know the things given to us by God. These are the things we are talking about—not with words taught by human wisdom but with words taught by the Spirit—we are interpreting spiritual things to spiritual people. But people who are unspiritual don’t accept the things from God’s Spirit. They are foolishness to them and can’t be understood, because they can only be comprehended in a spiritual way. Spiritual people comprehend everything, but they themselves aren’t understood by anyone. Who has known the mind of the Lord, who will advise him? But we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:12-16, CEB)

We have God’s Spirit to understand the things of God. TO me this is another way to say we are in the world, but not pf the world.

We exist here in this place at this time, but we are part of God’s kingdom. People who are not a part of the kingdom, i.e. do not have the Spirit to understand the things of God are in the world and or the world. They do not comprehend the things those in the spirit do.

We must live in a way that we share God’s love every day so all may come to know the love God has for them.

Loving People. Loving God.

Be yourself

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I didn’t come preaching God’s secrets to you like I was an expert in speech or wisdom. I had made up my mind not to think about anything while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and to preach him as crucified. I stood in front of you with weakness, fear, and a lot of shaking. My message and my preaching weren’t presented with convincing wise words but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. I did this so that your faith might not depend on the wisdom of people but on the power of God. What we say is wisdom to people who are mature. It isn’t a wisdom that comes from the present day or from today’s leaders who are being reduced to nothing. We talk about God’s wisdom, which has been hidden as a secret. God determined this wisdom in advance, before time began, for our glory. It is a wisdom that none of the present-day rulers have understood, because if they did understand it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory! But this is precisely what is written: God has prepared things for those who love him that no eye has seen, or ear has heard, or that haven’t crossed the mind of any human being. God has revealed these things to us through the Spirit. The Spirit searches everything, including the depths of God. Who knows a person’s depths except their own spirit that lives in them? In the same way, no one has known the depths of God except God’s Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:1-11, CEB)

This passage starts out with Paul saying when he came to Corinth he didn’t pose as if he was better than anyone else there. He didn’t use big words to impress. He simply told the story that he had heard and explained how Jesus was the Messiah.

He plainly told the story so that everyone’s faith might deepen.

God has given us the story to share to show the love God has for all of creation.

Our job is not to impress or win over. Our job is to be ourselves and tell the story.

In telling the story we share love, and allow others to hear and grow in faith.

Go and tell and love.

Loving People. Loving God.

What sign do you need?

8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father; that will be enough for us.” 9 Jesus replied, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you all this time? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I have spoken to you I don’t speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Trust me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or at least believe on account of the works themselves. 12 I assure you that whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. They will do even greater works than these because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask for in my name, so that the Father can be glorified in the Son. 14 When you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it. 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 I will ask the Father, and he will send another Companion, who will be with you forever. 17 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.

25 “I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. 26 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. 27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid. (John 14:8-17, 25-27, CEB)

Could you imagine walking with Jesus for any amount of time and then asking him to show us the Father? We can’t imagine it because we know the whole story and know for certain that Jesus is the Messiah. So would we have asked the question Philip asked?

Philip had walked with Jesus and yet still wanted a sign. We want signs all the time and even when we get them we don’t believe them.

What sign would make you believe 100%?

Or do you believe 100%?

We can know that the promises are true because of the number of times they have been proven true.

Know that Jesus is the Messiah and we are safe in His hands.

Loving People. Loving God.

Don’t be afraid…

5 During the rule of King Herod of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6 They were both righteous before God, blameless in their observance of all the Lord’s commandments and regulations. 7 They had no children because Elizabeth was unable to become pregnant and they both were very old. 8 One day Zechariah was serving as a priest before God because his priestly division was on duty. 9 Following the customs of priestly service, he was chosen by lottery to go into the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense. 10 All the people who gathered to worship were praying outside during this hour of incense offering. 11 An angel from the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and overcome with fear. 13 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah. Your prayers have been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to your son and you must name him John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many people will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the Lord’s eyes. He must not drink wine and liquor. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before his birth. 16 He will bring many Israelites back to the Lord their God. 17 He will go forth before the Lord, equipped with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and he will turn the disobedient to righteous patterns of thinking. He will make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:5-17, CEB)

When Zechariah saw the angel he was startled and overcome with fear. Then the angel said don’t be afraid. Almost every time an angel appears in the bible it says do not be afraid. Why?

Have you looked at the description of angels in the bible? They are scary. Some of them have multiple head and multiple sets of wings. They don’t look like us. So they say don’t be afraid of me, I am not here to harm you.

The angel that appears to Zechariah gives him great news that he will be a father. Elizabeth you is barren will have a son and he will prepare the way for the Messiah.

We will all do things we do not think we can because of God working through us.

Always remember that.

Loving People. Loving God.