Guard?

and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day the deposit I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us. (2 Timothy 1:12-14, NRSVue)

I find it interesting the author of 2 Timothy tells us, “Guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” As if God needs us to protect what God is doing in this place.

I think this has gotten us to where we are in the USA, trying to protect the ways we were taught the Bible wants us to go. Guarding the faith and keeping out those we deem unworthy.

No one is unworthy, and God does not need our guarding.

Do not be ashamed of the one who came and loved and was executed for showing love.

Live Love out Loud.

ashamed

Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace, and this grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day the deposit I have entrusted to him. (2 Timothy 1:8-12, NRSVue)

I wonder if Jesus will be ashamed of us for the gospel we proclaim?

Here, the author of 2 Timothy says, “Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord… For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do.”

I said author because 2 Timothy is attributed to Paul, but probably did not actually write it. So whoever wrote it assumed Paul’s identity and tells us to not be ashamed of living a life worthy of the gospel. But as I read this, I think of all the things currently happening in the name of Jesus that honestly have nothing to do with Jesus. People using the name of God in vain to make a dollar, and to hold people down and give themselves more.

It honestly makes me wonder, will Jesus be ashamed of us?

Do not be ashamed to live love and be who Jesus called us to be in the face of those using his name for self-promotion.

Live love out loud.

Not yet?

On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39, NRSVue)

This passage tells us of Jesus speaking of the future, when the Spirit has been given, and believers are filled with the presence of God through the Spirit.

This is not the future for us. This is now.

Rivers of living water flow from each of us to shower the world with the love God has given us.

Love out Loud.

Helper

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27, NRSVue)

The Spirit helps us.

The Spirit is
Helper
Advocate
Comforter
Counselor
Intercessor

The Spirit knows our innermost needs and intercedes for us when all we can do is sigh.

The Spirit helps us in our distress.

Know you are never alone.

Hope

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? (Romans 8:18-24, NRSVue)

Who hopes in what they have already seen?

If you have seen it, it is not hope.

Belief and faith are the keys to the promises we have received. All of creation was made by one creator, and all of that creation waits in expectation of what is to come in the fulfillment of the promises we hope in.

Hope is everything.

I live every day in the hope of the coming kingdom.

Pentecost

It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you don’t forgive them, they aren’t forgiven.” (John 20:19-23, CEB)

This is the giving of the Spirit in John. It happens on the day of the resurrection.

Jesus appeared to the ten disciples behind the locked doors, because they were scared for their lives. Ten because Judas and Thomas are not there. Judas is dead, and Thomas is somewhere. Maybe not scared out in the world telling about Jesus.

But Jesus appeared, even though the doors were locked, showed them who he was, and breathed on them. As God breathed into Adam, as breath is when the Spirit comes to us.

The word for Spirit in Greek and Hebrew means wind, spirit, or breath.

Maybe it is that we are born of water and spirit. When we are born, there is a lot of water, and when we take our first breath, the spirit enters us, and we cry out.

Breath gives us life.

Spirit gives us life.

Live in the Spirit.

Who we should be

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. He taught them, saying:
“Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad.
“Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth.
“Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.
“Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.
“Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.
“Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.
“Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you. (Matthew 5:1-12, CEB)

Want to post something in public places that shows how we are to live in the light of the love of God and be who God has called us to be? Then you should not post the 10 Commandments. Because, first off, you need to decide which version of the commandments you are posting. That’s right, there are at least three different ways the 10 Commandments are numbered. And these are rules which are impossible to keep, in their given form, and especially in the way Jesus explains them.

But the beatitudes we have here give us a model for a way to live.

Most of us can say we know what it is to be hopeless.
We know what it is to grieve.
We have been humbled at probably one point in our lives.
We have hungered and thirsted for the right thing to happen.
We have shown mercy.

If we can live in a way that brings hope to others, see them in their grief, be humble enough to know we are not always right, to work for the best of all people, to be merciful in all of our actions, to have hearts that seek goodness for all, to work for peace in all things, and to not harass people for being alive, then we will be living as God called us to live.

Stop trying to follow rules you will never actually follow and love.

Period. Just love all and look out for the needs of others first.

Love.

Children without fear

All who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons and daughters. You didn’t receive a spirit of slavery to lead you back again into fear, but you received a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children. With this Spirit, we cry, “Abba, Father.” The same Spirit agrees with our spirit, that we are God’s children. But if we are children, we are also heirs. We are God’s heirs and fellow heirs with Christ, if we really suffer with him so that we can also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:14-17, CEB)

We did not receive a spirit of bondage that leads us to a life of fear. We are freed and made children of God, and if children, heirs to the kingdom.

We do not need to live our lives in fear, but as sisters and brothers of Christ, who can live in the trust and promise of the kingdom.

Jesus is always with us. Live a life without fear!

flames…

When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak. There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the mighty works of God in our own languages!” (Acts 2:1-11, CEB)

This passage actually says two different things.

It says that those gathered were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages. And it says that the crowd heard those speaking, but heard it in their own language. So what really happened? Did people speak in languages they did not know? Did people hear in languages they did not know, but somehow it was translated to their own language, so they understood it? Yes. Both of those happened.

And on top of that, there were flames on their heads.

What a day!

Can you imagine if we all understood each other and worked together for the betterment of the world?

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the people and kindle in us the fire of your love!

Angry Judgment

The one who comes from above is above all things. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all things. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever accepts his testimony confirms that God is true. The one whom God sent speaks God’s words because God gives the Spirit generously. The Father loves the Son and gives everything into his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever doesn’t believe in the Son won’t see life, but the angry judgment of God remains on them.” (John 3:31-36, CEB)

This is why we can not read passages out of context. To read just this passage means that the Spirit is given generously, but if you do not believe in the Son, you won’t see life; only angry judgment of God remains.

But is that what the rest of Scripture tells us?

Did the thief on the cross believe in Jesus? He said he was executed for crimes that did not fit the punishment and was probably hoping that something could happen. He did not trust or believe in Jesus as this passage seems to demand.

According to this passage, the thief should have received angry judgment, not a day in paradise.

So what do we believe?

Angry judgment, or loving father?