Veritas

33 Pilate went back into the palace. He summoned Jesus and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others spoken to you about me?” 35 Pilate responded, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and its chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.” 37 “So you are a king?” Pilate said. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:33-37, CEB)

Truth. What is truth?

It seems there is a lot of going back and forth nowadays about truth, fake news, and the like.

So what is truth? And do you accept it? Can we not accept the truth?

According to Jesus here, those who accept the truth listen to his voice. That would mean they do what Jesus says. Does anyone always do what Jesus says?

How do we know we are following the truth?

We trust and do what we have been called to do and love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

whoever

31 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. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever accepts his testimony confirms that God is true. 34 The one whom God sent speaks God’s words because God gives the Spirit generously. 35 The Father loves the Son and gives everything into his hands. 36 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)

Whoever accepts Jesus’ testimony confirms God is true. God is true, even if we don’t believe, but when we believe what Jesus tells us we confirm God is true.

Whoever believes in Jesus has eternal life and whoever doesn’t God’s angry judgment remains on them. What happens when God’s angry judgment is on them?

How long do we have until we can’t believe? This was always the topic of dorr knockers, if you were to die tonight, where would you go? You don’t know how much longer you have, so decide now. Scare tactics usually do not help people come to faith. But does God’s angry judgment help that either?

Yesterday’s devo was about order and everything happening in God’s time. So how long do we have to believe?

My wonder why didn’t the door knockers ask a different question, not where will you go when you die, but you are alive today, why are you living? I am living to help everyone come to an understanding of the love of God and that God loves them regardless of what anyone else has told them.

You are a whoever. Help others be a whoever.

Loving People. Loving God.

order

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He’s the first crop of the harvest of those who have died. 21 Since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came through one too. 22 In the same way that everyone dies in Adam, so also everyone will be given life in Christ. 23 Each event will happen in the right order: Christ, the first crop of the harvest, then those who belong to Christ at his coming, 24 and then the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he brings every form of rule, every authority and power to an end. 25 It is necessary for him to rule until he puts all enemies under his feet. 26 Death is the last enemy to be brought to an end, 27 since he has brought everything under control under his feet. When it says that everything has been brought under his control, this clearly means everything except for the one who placed everything under his control. 28 But when all things have been brought under his control, then the Son himself will also be under the control of the one who gave him control over everything so that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, CEB)

Death came through a human, so resurrection comes through a human.

And we must wait until all has been fulfilled and all the enemies of God are put under his feet. We will all die an earthly death because that is the last enemy that will be taken care of and when that happens, the new heaven and new earth will be created and we will be fully in the kingdom of God.

Until then we must stand firm and trust in the promises and have faith in God.

Loving People. Loving God.

Your past…

54 Once the council members heard these words, they were enraged and began to grind their teeth at Stephen. 55 But Stephen, enabled by the Holy Spirit, stared into heaven and saw God’s majesty and Jesus standing at God’s right side. 56 He exclaimed, “Look! I can see heaven on display and the Human One standing at God’s right side!” 57 At this, they shrieked and covered their ears. Together, they charged at him, 58 threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses placed their coats in the care of a young man named Saul. 59 As they battered him with stones, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, accept my life!” 60 Falling to his knees, he shouted, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” Then he died. 8 1 Saul was in full agreement with Stephen’s murder.  (Acts 7:54—8:1a, CEB)

Have you ever run into somebody you knew from a long time ago? I have and I tell them I’m a pastor and some of my old friends say, “seriously! you’re a pastor. With all the stuff you use to do?”

Yes. Because what I did in my past doesn’t define who I am today or what God has done in my life.

In the stoning of Stephen passage we read above, a young man named Saul held the cloaks of those stoning Stephen. And he, Saul, was in agreement with Stephen being killed.

This young man would go on to persecute the followers of the way, those who believed in Jesus. And then on the road to Damascus, Saul was blinded and met by Jesus. When he regained his sight he started going by his Greek name Paul and was the greatest missionary for Christ in his time.

We don’t judge Paul by his past as Saul and we should not judge others by their pasts either. Your past doesn’t define you. That is where you were, and God is taking you to way more wonderful places.

Loving People. Loving God.

a rose garden?

9 “Watch out for yourselves. People will hand you over to the councils. You will be beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me so that you can testify before them. 10 First, the good news must be proclaimed to all the nations. 11 When they haul you in and hand you over, don’t worry ahead of time about what to answer or say. Instead, say whatever is given to you at that moment, for you aren’t doing the speaking but the Holy Spirit is. 12 Brothers and sisters will hand each other over to death. A father will turn in his children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them executed. 13 Everyone will hate you because of my name. But whoever stands firm until the end will be saved. 14 “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing standing where it shouldn’t be (the reader should understand this), then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. 15 Those on the roof shouldn’t come down or enter their houses to grab anything. 16 Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. 17 How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. 18 Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter. 19 In those days there will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. 20 If the Lord hadn’t shortened that time, no one would be rescued. But for the sake of the chosen ones, the ones whom God chose, he has cut short the time. 21 “Then if someone says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. 22 False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, those whom God has chosen. 23 But you, watch out! I’ve told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:9-23, CEB)

For all of those who say that following Jesus is an easy life have obviously never read this passage or any of the bible for that matter.

Jesus here says that it is going to be hard. Bad things are going to happen to us, but we have to stand firm in our faith and know that the promises are true and Jesus walks with us as we go.

Jesus never said life would be a stroll through a rose garden when we follow him. He did promise to be with us always.

Stand firm.

Loving People. Loving God.

confidence

32 But remember the earlier days, after you saw the light. You stood your ground while you were suffering from an enormous amount of pressure. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to insults and abuse in public. Other times you became partners with those who were treated that way. 34 You even showed sympathy toward people in prison and accepted the confiscation of your possessions with joy, since you knew that you had better and lasting possessions. 35 So don’t throw away your confidence—it brings a great reward. 36 You need to endure so that you can receive the promises after you do God’s will. 37 In a little while longer, the one who is coming will come and won’t delay; 38 but my righteous one will live by faith, and my whole being won’t be pleased with anyone who shrinks back. 39 But we aren’t the sort of people who timidly draw back and end up being destroyed. We’re the sort of people who have faith so that our whole beings are preserved. (Hebrews 10:32-39, CEB)

Faith is the belief in something we can not see or know for sure is there.

That is confidence in God.

Don’t loss the confidence you have in God. Trust the promises are true and live your life to shine that light in every moment.

Loving People. Loving God.

no longer

26 If we make the decision to sin after we receive the knowledge of the truth, there isn’t a sacrifice for sins left any longer. 27 There’s only a scary expectation of judgment and of a burning fire that’s going to devour God’s opponents. 28 When someone rejected the Law from Moses, they were put to death without mercy on the basis of the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think is deserved by the person who walks all over God’s Son, who acts as if the blood of the covenant that made us holy is just ordinary blood, and who insults the Spirit of grace? 30 We know the one who said, Judgment is mine; I will pay people back. And he also said, The Lord will judge his people. 31 It’s scary to fall into the hands of the living God! (Hebrews 10:26-31, CEB)

This is a little scary to read. If we who have received the knowledge of what Christ did for us sin, then there isn’t anything to make us right again!

There is only expectation of judgment and fire that will devour us.

When the Law was disobeyed the people were killed with no exception.

How will we escape the rather that is to come for those of us who walk all over the blood of Christ as if it is our own?

But what is sin? Sin is that which keeps us from God.

Are you connected to God? then maybe what someone is telling you is sinful really isn’t.

Take heart and know that you are safe in God’s hands

Loving People. Loving God.

No one knows…

As Jesus left the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Teacher, look! What awesome stones and buildings!” 2 Jesus responded, “Do you see these enormous buildings? Not even one stone will be left upon another. All will be demolished.” 3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? What sign will show that all these things are about to come to an end?” 5 Jesus said, “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many people will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the one!’ They will deceive many people. 7 When you hear of wars and reports of wars, don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet. 8 Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other, and there will be earthquakes and famines in all sorts of places. These things are just the beginning of the sufferings associated with the end. (Mark 13:1-8, CEB)

Why are we obsessed with knowing when things will happen, how things will happen, and details around things that are not our concern?

Sometimes we need to just be in life and participate. Sometimes we need to not worry about the details and just be in the moment.

I’ve been on several spiritual retreats where they ask you to not wear a watch or have your phone. You are told to not anticipate but participate. And when you let go of trying to control the things you can’t control and just be in the moment, that is where the spiritual connection happens.

So don’t anticipate but participate and live in the moment.

Loving People. Loving God.

Seriously?!?!

Jesus spoke to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and took a trip. 2 When it was time, he sent a servant to collect from the tenants his share of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they grabbed the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again the landowner sent another servant to them, but they struck him on the head and treated him disgracefully. 5 He sent another one; that one they killed. The landlord sent many other servants, but the tenants beat some and killed others. 6 Now the landowner had one son whom he loved dearly. He sent him last, thinking, They will respect my son. 7 But those tenant farmers said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 They grabbed him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 “So what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this scripture, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 11 The Lord has done this, and it’s amazing in our eyes?” 12 They wanted to arrest Jesus because they knew that he had told the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away. (Mark 12:1-12, CEB)

This parable always makes me shake my head and wonder just what the people were thinking.

The tenants take the land owner’s servants and beat them, killing some and sending others back injured. So the land owner sends his son, and the tenants think, “oh if we kill this guy we can just live here as it is ours.” How does that even work? In what fairy tale do they think they are living? This is not how inheritance works.

But the tenants kill the son. And the owner will come and kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others.

The one thing about this parable that is striking is the people Jesus is telling it to are atleast able to discern it is really about them, and they are the ones that have killed the slaves and workers of the owner, and that they will be killing the son.

What do we get that we are doing that God doesn’t want us to?

How can we not be the tenants?

Loving People. Loving God.

Be Christ

6 So live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received him. 7 Be rooted and built up in him, be established in faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught. 8 See to it that nobody enslaves you with philosophy and foolish deception, which conform to human traditions and the way the world thinks and acts rather than Christ. 9 All the fullness of deity lives in Christ’s body. 10 And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by human hands. The circumcision of Christ is realized in the stripping away of the whole self dominated by sin. 12 You were buried with him through baptism and raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 When you were dead because of the things you had done wrong and because your body wasn’t circumcised, God made you alive with Christ and forgave all the things you had done wrong. 14 He destroyed the record of the debt we owed, with its requirements that worked against us. He canceled it by nailing it to the cross. 15 When he disarmed the rulers and authorities, he exposed them to public disgrace by leading them in a triumphal parade. (Colossians 2:6-15, CEB)

Live your life in such a way that everything you do and everything you say is honest and trustworthy. Love everyone as God has loved us all. Accepting them where they are and loving them as a child of God.

When we say what we mean and mean what we say and act in the same fashion as our words display the world will not know what to do with us. That is why they didn’t get Jesus.

Love like you are loved.

Loving People. Loving God.