Who am I?

13 Now when Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Human One is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 He said, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Then Jesus replied, “Happy are you, Simon son of Jonah, because no human has shown this to you. Rather my Father who is in heaven has shown you. 18 I tell you that you are Peter. And I’ll build my church on this rock. The gates of the underworld won’t be able to stand against it. 19 I’ll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Anything you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. Anything you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-19, CEB)

Who do others say you are?

We spend a lot of time trying to make the right impression sometimes we get lost in the shuffle. We are not our authentic self and we put on masks to fit in or make others like us. Jesus didn’t do that. This passage comes from a time when Jesus and the disciples were in Caesarea Philippi, which was an interesting place, and Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do others say I am?” And “Who do you say I am?” But here is the twist, Jesus was always his authentic self. He did not change to please people, he stayed the course of what he knew was right and needed to be said. He was not concerned about how people liked him. He always told the truth and live love out loud.

So don’t worry about how others see you, or like you. God loves you as God made you. Live out Loud, Love out Loud, and be who God created you to be.

Loving People. Loving God.

Love

9 Love should be shown without pretending. Hate evil, and hold on to what is good. 10 Love each other like the members of your family. Be the best at showing honor to each other. 11 Don’t hesitate to be enthusiastic—be on fire in the Spirit as you serve the Lord! 12 Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people, and welcome strangers into your home. 14 Bless people who harass you—bless and don’t curse them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and cry with those who are crying. 16 Consider everyone as equal, and don’t think that you’re better than anyone else. Instead, associate with people who have no status. Don’t think that you’re so smart. 17 Don’t pay back anyone for their evil actions with evil actions, but show respect for what everyone else believes is good. 18 If possible, to the best of your ability, live at peace with all people. 19 Don’t try to get revenge for yourselves, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath. It is written, Revenge belongs to me; I will pay it back, says the Lord. 20 Instead, If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. By doing this, you will pile burning coals of fire upon his head. 21 Don’t be defeated by evil, but defeat evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21, CEB)

Love each other like the members of your family. I was struck by this sentence as I read this. And to be honest, my initial thought was, do I really always love my family?

But the point of Paul here is we need to love everyone because repaying evil with evil is not going to work. The only way we defeat is evil is love.

Love is the answer.

Loving People. Loving God.

do with me?

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and 2 Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.” 4 Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn’t come yet.” 5 His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter,” and they did. 9 The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. The headwaiter called the groom 10 and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now.” 11 This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. (John 2:1-11, CEB)

There is so much in this text.

First off Mary, Jesus’ mother, tells Jesus the party they are at is out of wine, and Jesus responds, “Woman…” Now I don’t know about you but if I called my mother woman there would be hell to pay. But she just says, do what he tells you.

And the 6 stone jars are huge. Jesus makes 180 gallons of wine…

Jesus likes to celebrate and have fun in life. We should do the same.

In everything you do drive to bring joy into the world and show the love God has for us all.

Loving People. Loving God.

A house divided

14 Jesus was throwing out a demon that causes muteness. When the demon was gone, the man who couldn’t speak began to talk. The crowds were amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He throws out demons with the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons.” 16 Others were testing him, seeking a sign from heaven. 17 Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he said to them, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland, and a house torn apart by divisions will collapse. 18 If Satan is at war with himself, how will his kingdom endure? I ask this because you say that I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul. 19 If I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 20 But if I throw out demons by the power of God, then God’s kingdom has already overtaken you. 21 When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his possessions are secure. 22 But as soon as a stronger one attacks and overpowers him, the stronger one takes away the armor he had trusted and divides the stolen goods. 23 “Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me, scatters. (Luke 11:14-23, CEB)

People were saying Jesus was casting out demons by the power of Satan…

People are saying…

That is the most hated statement by ordained leaders and nonordained leaders in the church. It is not liked because usually it is the person telling you people are saying that is actually saying, or the people who are saying it do not have the actual gumption to stand up for what they think is wrong.

But here Jesus knew who was saying what and told them, that if a house is divided it can not stand. If Satan casts out demons, then Satan’s house will fall.

We can not fight against ourselves and continue to exist.

Share love, and help others see the love God has for them.

Loving People. Loving God.

a gift…

Now, about what you wrote: “It’s good for a man not to have sex with a woman.” 2 Each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband because of sexual immorality. 3 The husband should meet his wife’s sexual needs, and the wife should do the same for her husband. 4 The wife doesn’t have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband doesn’t have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Don’t refuse to meet each other’s needs unless you both agree for a short period of time to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come back together again so that Satan might not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 I’m saying this to give you permission; it’s not a command. 7 I wish all people were like me, but each has a particular gift from God: one has this gift, and another has that one. (1 Corinthians 7:1-7, CEB)

We look at sex in society as bad and dirty. It is something we do not talk about because it is something very personal.

It is taboo and a topic we do not want to discuss.

But it isn’t dirty, or bad, or something to hide or run from. Sex is a gift. Given to us by God.

It is a way for us to be intimate with another human and to meet the needs and desires they have. These are also gifts from God.

Let us celebrate the gifts God gives us and live into them.

Loving People. Loving God.

Buy God?

18 When Simon perceived that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money. 19 He said, “Give me this authority too so that anyone on whom I lay my hands will receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 Peter responded, “May your money be condemned to hell along with you because you believed you could buy God’s gift with money! 21 You can have no part or share in God’s word because your heart isn’t right with God. 22 Therefore, change your heart and life! Turn from your wickedness! Plead with the Lord in the hope that your wicked intent can be forgiven, 23 for I see that your bitterness has poisoned you and evil has you in chains.” 24 Simon replied, “All of you, please, plead to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said will happen to me!” (Acts 8:18-24, CEB)

Can you buy God?

Or do anything to receive the free gift that God gives to all?

This is a hard concept to grasp. In every other place in our lives, we have to do the right things or pay the right price to get ahead or recognition. But with God, we can not earn the gift or do enough to obtain it.

Know the gift can not be bought and you’ll never run out of love from God.

Go always sharing the love you have been given.

Loving People. Loving God.

Can light be darkness?

33 “People don’t light a lamp and then put it in a closet or under a basket. Rather, they place the lamp on a lampstand so that those who enter the house can see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your whole body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore, see to it that the light in you isn’t darkness. 36 If your whole body is full of light—with no part darkened—then it will be as full of light as when a lamp shines brightly on you.” (Luke 11:33-36, CEB)

I was struck as I read this, “Therefore, see to it that the light in you isn’t darkness.”

See that the light in you isn’t darkness.

How can light be darkness?

Any light dispels darkness. So I’m not sure how darkness is light or light is darkness.

I think what is meant is we need to focus on the light and living in a way that shows God’s light in our lives. Not because we have to but because we are so full of light we can not help it.

We need to help dispel the darkness by living out the light.

Let the light shine in your life that others see it and wonder how they can get that light.

Loving People. Loving God.

Have

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of God’s Son so that you can know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence that we have in our relationship with God: If we ask for anything in agreement with his will, he listens to us. 15 If we know that he listens to whatever we ask, we know that we have received what we asked from him. 16 If anyone sees a brother or sister committing a sin that does not result in death, they should pray, and God will give life to them—that is, to those who commit sins that don’t result in death. There is a sin that results in death—I’m not saying that you should pray about that. 17 Every unrighteous action is sin, but there is a sin that does not result in death. 18 We know that everyone born from God does not sin, but the ones born from God guard themselves, and the evil one cannot touch them. 19 We know we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 We know that God’s Son has come and has given us understanding to know the one who is true. We are in the one who is true by being in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols! (1 John 5:13-21, CEB)

How many of us go to worship and read the bible and do the things we do so that we may one day obtain eternal life? Like eternal life is something we will get when Jesus comes back or the kingdom of God comes in its fullness.

Here though the author of 1 John says, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of God’s Son so that you can know that you have eternal life.” So that you know you HAVE.

Not will get if you check all the boxes.

Not will get if you live right.

Not will get when Jesus comes back.

Have. You already have eternal life. It isn’t something we are waiting for but are living right here and now.

We have the assurance, the promise this is true and we are living with and will always be with God.

Live like that. Love like that.

Loving People. Loving God.

who is the enemy?

10 Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and his powerful strength. 11 Put on God’s armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil. 12 We aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens. 13 Therefore, pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything possible to still stand. 14 So stand with the belt of truth around your waist, justice as your breastplate, 15 and put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to spread the good news of peace. 16 Above all, carry the shield of faith so that you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. (Ephesians 6:10-17, CEB)

Who is the enemy?

Here the author of the epistle, or letter, to the Ephesians says, “We aren’t fighting against human enemies”. So then who is the enemy?

If it isn’t another human, because we are called to love all humans, as creations of God. Our fight is not against others, but against the power of evil in the heavens.

It is evil we are to stand against, not other humans. We must fight evil in every waking moment, and work for love in all instances.

So love all as God loves you.

Loving People. Loving God.

1/9/22

15 The people were filled with expectation, and everyone wondered whether John might be the Christ. 16 John replied to them all, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than me is coming. I’m not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 The shovel he uses to sift the wheat from the husks is in his hands. He will clean out his threshing area and bring the wheat into his barn. But he will burn the husks with a fire that can’t be put out.” 18 With many other words John appealed to them, proclaiming good news to the people. 19 But Herod the ruler had been criticized harshly by John because of Herodias, Herod’s brother’s wife, and because of all the evil he had done. 20 He added this to the list of his evil deeds: he locked John up in prison. 21 When everyone was being baptized, Jesus also was baptized. While he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit came down on him in bodily form like a dove. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.” (Luke 3:15-22, CEB)

The reading for today was only supposed to be Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, leaving out 18 through 20. Which always makes me wonder when a portion of scripture is left out. The lectionary leaves out the part where John is thrown in prison because Herod had married Herodias, Herod’s brother’s wife.

But surrounding that is the question of John being the Christ or Messiah, and Jesus’ baptism. Which is John’s baptism and not the baptism we as Christians do. But here the Spirit descends from heaven in the form of a dove, a white pigeon, and the voice declared Jesus God’s son. God takes a trash bird and makes it beautiful to deliver a message of hope.

If God can transform a trash bird, God can transform us and all of creation.

So go showing love.

Loving People. Loving God.