Transfiguration

About eight days after Jesus said these things, he took Peter, John, and James, and went up on a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes flashed white like lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him. They were clothed with heavenly splendor and spoke about Jesus’ departure, which he would achieve in Jerusalem. Peter and those with him were almost overcome by sleep, but they managed to stay awake and saw his glory as well as the two men with him. As the two men were about to leave Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it’s good that we’re here. We should construct three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—but he didn’t know what he was saying. Peter was still speaking when a cloud overshadowed them. As they entered the cloud, they were overcome with awe. Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, my chosen one. Listen to him!” Even as the voice spoke, Jesus was found alone. They were speechless and at the time told no one what they had seen. (Luke 9:28-36, CEB)

I always want to know how Peter, John, and James knew the two men that appeared on the mountain with Jesus, and them were Moses and Elijah.

Did they have a picture book in education classes at synagogue? Were Moses and Elijah wearing name tags?

And Peter does what he normally does of saying or doing the wrong thing. Why tents? Why would they be staying there? After everything that has happened up to this point why would they be staying there?

We are shown these things to help us know that our beliefs are founded in truth. We are given these visions and happenings so we will have a stronger resolve to be in the world.

We are light and salt for the world. Our story needs to be shared.

Go. Love out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.

wise

At that very moment, Jesus overflowed with joy from the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you’ve hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and shown them to babies. Indeed, Father, this brings you happiness. My Father has handed all things over to me. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Happy are the eyes that see what you see. I assure you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they didn’t.” (Luke 10:21-24, CEB)

Sometimes the wise have too much knowledge to be able to see and understand.

Sometimes we need to look at things from childlike wonder and know that we do not have to have all the specifications or answers to understand.

One of the greatest lines from Santa Clause 2 is, “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing.” I don’t have to see God to know that God exists, I know God exists because of all I see that God has done. I can’t see the wind, but I know it exists because of the effects of the wind.

We just need to let go and allow God to lead us where we need to be. We do not need to have all the answers.

Have faith. Believe.

Loving People. Loving God.

Vision

There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion in the Italian Company. He and his whole household were pious, Gentile God-worshippers. He gave generously to those in need among the Jewish people and prayed to God constantly. One day at nearly three o’clock in the afternoon, he clearly saw an angel from God in a vision. The angel came to him and said, “Cornelius!” Startled, he stared at the angel and replied, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said, “Your prayers and your compassionate acts are like a memorial offering to God. Send messengers to Joppa at once and summon a certain Simon, the one known as Peter. He is a guest of Simon the tanner, whose house is near the seacoast.” When the angel who was speaking to him had gone, Cornelius summoned two of his household servants along with a pious soldier from his personal staff. He explained everything to them, then sent them to Joppa. (Acts 10:1-8, CEB)

He clearly saw an angel from God in a vision.

I wonder what we would say if someone told us they clearly saw an angel from God in a vision?

I personally would want to know what the angel looked like because I have done studies on angels from the Bible and they are not really creatures we would want to look at. There is a reason after all most angels say, “Do not be afraid.” when they appear!

Most of us would have a hard time believing this. We would wonder if they are on something or what is going on in their life that they are seeing things.

Sometimes I think these things don’t happen anymore because we have medical ways to explain them, or we are shut off to the possibility. We need to believe what we are told and have seen in the Bible. Visions are real, and God still speaks to us by them.

Open your mind and have faith.

Loving People. Loving God.

Faith

While the healed man clung to Peter and John, all the people rushed toward them at Solomon’s Porch, completely amazed. Seeing this, Peter addressed the people: “You Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why are you staring at us as if we made him walk by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the God of our ancestors—has glorified his servant Jesus. This is the one you handed over and denied in Pilate’s presence, even though he had already decided to release him. You rejected the holy and righteous one, and asked that a murderer be released to you instead. You killed the author of life, the very one whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses of this. His name itself has made this man strong. That is, because of faith in Jesus’ name, God has strengthened this man whom you see and know. The faith that comes through Jesus gave him complete health right before your eyes. (Acts 3:11-16, CEB)

Faith comes through Jesus.

Miracles come through Jesus.

We do not do things of our own power. God works through us to bring healing.

If we follow Jesus, those around us will be healed. But remember healing doesn’t come how we want it, it comes as God gives it.

Believe in the promises we have been given, and have faith in those promises.

Love out Loud!

Loving People. Loving God.

draw where?

Jesus said to his disciples, “Things that cause people to trip and fall into sin must happen, but how terrible it is for the person through whom they happen. It would be better for them to be thrown into a lake with a large stone hung around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to trip and fall into sin. Watch yourselves! If your brother or sister sins, warn them to stop. If they change their hearts and lives, forgive them. Even if someone sins against you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I am changing my ways,’ you must forgive that person.” (Luke 17:1-4, CEB)

We are going to trip and fall into sin, but if you intentionally do that to someone, it is better for you to tie a huge rock around your neck and throw yourself into the sea. If you intentionally cause someone to be drawn away from God you might as well drown yourself…

That is hard, but honestly, if we are loving everyone, then we are not trying to draw people away from God but towards God. We warn them that they are going in the wrong direction and try to help them. We do not take them to a place to walk away from God.

Love out loud, put others first and always try to send people towards God.

Loving People. Loving God.

without correctly understanding

Now I don’t praise you as I give the following instruction because when you meet together, it does more harm than good. First of all, when you meet together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it. It’s necessary that there are groups among you, to make it clear who is genuine. So when you get together in one place, it isn’t to eat the Lord’s meal. Each of you goes ahead and eats a private meal. One person goes hungry while another is drunk. Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on God’s churches and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Will I praise you? No, I don’t praise you in this. This is why those who eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord inappropriately will be guilty of the Lord’s body and blood. Each individual should test himself or herself, and eat from the bread and drink from the cup in that way. Those who eat and drink without correctly understanding the body are eating and drinking their own judgment. Because of this, many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few have died. But if we had judged ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. However, we are disciplined by the Lord when we are judged so that we won’t be judged and condemned along with the whole world. For these reasons, my brothers and sisters, when you get together to eat, wait for each other. (1 Corinthians 11:17-22,27-33, CEB)

You eat the Lord’s Supper to your own damnation is how I remember this passage from my youth. The people of Corinth were gathering when they could get to the place where worship was and ate as they arrived. Meaning the wealthy were there early and the working folks came later. And those who got there first would eat their fill of the Lord’s Supper and not leave any for those who would come later.

When you do not understand that the Lord’s Supper is grace for all, and when you do not share it with all as it was meant then you are taking it in a way that it was not intended and are therefore judging yourself.

But if we understand it isn’t only for us and not for us to get full on but to obtain grace, then we will wait and eat when we are all together.

Community is key.

Loving People. Loving God.

Women…

I praise you because you remember all my instructions, and you hold on to the traditions exactly as I handed them on to you. Now I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered shames his head. Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered disgraces her head. It is the same thing as having her head shaved. If a woman doesn’t cover her head, then she should have her hair cut off. If it is disgraceful for a woman to have short hair or to be shaved, then she should keep her head covered. A man shouldn’t have his head covered, because he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is man’s glory. Man didn’t have his origin from woman, but woman from man; and man wasn’t created for the sake of the woman, but the woman for the sake of the man. Because of this a woman should have authority over her head, because of the angels. However, woman isn’t independent from man, and man isn’t independent from woman in the Lord. As woman came from man so also man comes from woman. But everything comes from God. Judge for yourselves: Is it appropriate for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him; but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? This is because her long hair is given to her for a covering. But if someone wants to argue about this, we don’t have such a custom, nor do God’s churches. (1 Corinthians 11:2-16, CEB)

I read this, and I read it again. I really don’t know what to say about this other than there seems to be a hang-up on heads being covered and uncovered and who should have long hair and who shouldn’t have short or no hair. And whose glory comes from who or whom.

The only thing here that really didn’t make me wonder is “But everything comes from God.” So then if everything comes from God why all the rules?

We think we can keep things nice and neat but sometimes the rules make it harder and push people away. Rules are good for order, but when we go too far it makes a mess of things.

The easiest and hardest thing to do is love. We should love as God loves us.

Loving People. Loving God.

Love your enemies

“But I say to you who are willing to hear: Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other one as well. If someone takes your coat, don’t withhold your shirt either. Give to everyone who asks and don’t demand your things back from those who take them. Treat people in the same way that you want them to treat you. “If you love those who love you, why should you be commended? Even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, why should you be commended? Even sinners do that. If you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, why should you be commended? Even sinners lend to sinners expecting to be paid back in full. Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have a great reward. You will be acting the way children of the Most High act, for he is kind to ungrateful and wicked people. Be compassionate just as your Father is compassionate. “Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good portion—packed down, firmly shaken, and overflowing—will fall into your lap. The portion you give will determine the portion you receive in return.” (Luke 6:27-38, CEB)

This passage and concept is the one thing that keeps many from joining a church or following after Jesus because the “followers” of Jesus they see are not doing this.

Just like a meme I recently saw and shared, it was a picture of Jesus saying “Love your enemies” at the top, and at the bottom, it said, “While I punish those who hate me eternally.”

We need to love people as they are where they are and not expect them to change before they come to worship. We are changed by being in the presence of God and being changed doesn’t mean everyone will be like us, because if we are truly present and open we will also be changed.

We need to love everyone as God has loved each of us.

Love out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.

grace

And why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going to court with your accuser, make your best effort to reach a settlement along the way. Otherwise, your accuser may bring you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you won’t get out of there until you have paid the very last cent.” (Luke 12:57-59, CEB)

We should be open to admitting when we are wrong and working out a settlement with the people we have harmed. If we don’t, it could be worse than we think.

God gave us a bargain when God accepted us as we are. Should we not also look to offer grace when and where we can?

Go in grace, and help those who are in need.

Loving People. Loving God.

Love the world

Little children, I’m writing to you because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus’ name. Parents, I’m writing to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I’m writing to you because you have conquered the evil one. Little children, I write to you because you know the Father. Parents, I write to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I write to you because you are strong, the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one. Don’t love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them. Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one’s possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever. (1 John 2:12-17, CEB)

We are called to love the world but not love the world.

It is kind of like the Jedi loving. They are forbidden to make attachments to things that can be lost, but they are taught to care and stand up for everyone. SO they are to love unconditionally without forming attachment.

We are to love the world as God does, to help them see how much God loves them. But not to love the world so it takes the place of God.

So love the world but do not love the world.

Loving People. Loving God.