What did he say?

9 Brothers and sisters who are poor should find satisfaction in their high status. 10 Those who are wealthy should find satisfaction in their low status, because they will die off like wildflowers. 11 The sun rises with its scorching heat and dries up the grass so that its flowers fall and its beauty is lost. Just like that, in the midst of their daily lives, the wealthy will waste away. 12 Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward. 13 No one who is tested should say, “God is tempting me!” This is because God is not tempted by any form of evil, nor does he tempt anyone. 14 Everyone is tempted by their own cravings; they are lured away and enticed by them. 15 Once those cravings conceive, they give birth to sin; and when sin grows up, it gives birth to death. 16 Don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. (James 1:9-16, CEB)

The poor should find satisfaction in their high status?

The wealthy should find satisfaction in their low status?

What does that mean? It seems the author of James is not sure what they are saying. But then we get, that no one should say God is testing them when they are tested because we are led into testing because of our own cravings. God doesn’t give us what we an handle, God walks with through what we are facing.

And the one who stands firm regardless of what comes their way is the one who will know God is with them.

So stand firm, and trust that God is always with you.

Love People. Love God.

Need Wisdom?

From James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the twelve tribes who are scattered outside the land of Israel. Greetings! 2 My brothers and sisters, think of the various tests you encounter as occasions for joy. 3 After all, you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 Let this endurance complete its work so that you may be fully mature, complete, and lacking in nothing. 5 But anyone who needs wisdom should ask God, whose very nature is to give to everyone without a second thought, without keeping score. Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask. 6 Whoever asks shouldn’t hesitate. They should ask in faith, without doubting. Whoever doubts is like the surf of the sea, tossed and turned by the wind. 7 People like that should never imagine that they will receive anything from the Lord. 8 They are double-minded, unstable in all their ways. (James 1:1-8, CEB)

How many of us need wisdom?

And what do we do to get it?

Wisdom will certainly be given to those who ask for it. Ask in faith. Without question.

God will give wisdom to those who seek wisdom.

God is good to those who believe and follow.

So ask for wisdom and trust you will receive it.

Love People. Love God.

Wouldn’t be sinners…

16 You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. 17 I give you these commandments so that you can love each other. 18 “If the world hates you, know that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, I have chosen you out of the world, and you don’t belong to the world. This is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you, ‘Servants aren’t greater than their master.’ If the world harassed me, it will harass you too. If it kept my word, it will also keep yours. 21 The world will do all these things to you on account of my name, because it doesn’t know the one who sent me. 22 “If I hadn’t come and spoken to the people of this world, they wouldn’t be sinners. But now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me also hates the Father. 24 If I hadn’t done works among them that no one else had done, they wouldn’t be sinners. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 This fulfills the word written in their Law, They hated me without a reason. (John 15:16-25, CEB)

In verse 22, Jesus says, “If I hadn’t come and spoken to the people of this world, they wouldn’t be sinners.” And he says it again in verse 24. Which when I read that I was wondering what it meant, but the more I think about it the more it makes sense.

The religious leaders all think they have it right and figured out, that they are the only ones in right standing with God, and therefore are not sinners. Everyone else is sinning because they are not like us. We know the law and understand what it means to love God and follow where God is leading.

But since Jesus came and explained it to us all and showed us what it means to love and follow God, we now see the leaders aren’t doing what they should be and are actually far from God.

Jesus showed them to be sinners, just like us.

We all fall short of God’s glory, but thanks be to Jesus for coming and telling and showing us what we need to do to follow God.

Love People. Love God.

Messengers

21 Tychicus, my loved brother and faithful servant of the Lord, can inform you about my situation and what I’m doing. 22 I’ve sent him for this reason—so that you will know about us. He can reassure you. 23 May there be peace with the brothers and sisters as well as love with the faith that comes from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 May grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ forever. (Ephesians 6:21-24, CEB)

Brothers and sisters, cousins, siblings. There are all kinds of names for our fellow workers in the kingdom. We all bear a message from God to the world.

Let us share our message and keep our fellow workers informed and up to date on others.

Be on prayer, and remember those who walk with you daily.

Love People. Love God.

WOW

21 and submit to each other out of respect for Christ. 22 For example, wives should submit to their husbands as if to the Lord. 23 A husband is the head of his wife like Christ is head of the church, that is, the savior of the body. 24 So wives submit to their husbands in everything like the church submits to Christ. 25 As for husbands, love your wives just like Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. 26 He did this to make her holy by washing her in a bath of water with the word. 27 He did this to present himself with a splendid church, one without any sort of stain or wrinkle on her clothes, but rather one that is holy and blameless. 28 That’s how husbands ought to love their wives—in the same way as they do their own bodies. Anyone who loves his wife loves himself. 29 No one ever hates his own body, but feeds it and takes care of it just like Christ does for the church 30 because we are parts of his body. 31 This is why a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife, and the two of them will be one body. 32 Marriage is a significant allegory, and I’m applying it to Christ and the church. 33 In any case, as for you individually, each one of you should love his wife as himself, and wives should respect their husbands. 6 As for children, obey your parents in the Lord, because it is right. 2 The commandment Honor your father and mother is the first one with a promise attached: 3 so that things will go well for you, and you will live for a long time in the land. 4 As for parents, don’t provoke your children to anger, but raise them with discipline and instruction about the Lord. 5 As for slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling and with sincere devotion to Christ. 6 Don’t work to make yourself look good and try to flatter people, but act like slaves of Christ carrying out God’s will from the heart. 7 Serve your owners enthusiastically, as though you were serving the Lord and not human beings. 8 You know that the Lord will reward every person who does what is right, whether that person is a slave or a free person. 9 As for masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Stop threatening them, because you know that both you and your slaves have a master in heaven. He doesn’t distinguish between people on the basis of status. (Ephesians 5:21—6:9, CEB)

There is so much in this text that is taken out of context today by so many.

Wives submit to your husbands…

How many people still hear those words at weddings? I have, and I’ve seen the look in the eyes of the spouse.

Marriage is supposed to be 50/50 right? Nope marriage is 100/100. We need to give all to the other person all the time. It isn’t about being only 50% of the relationship. It is about all of us being committed to the spouse as Christ is committed to the church. We are invested in the relationship and give 110% all the time!

We are all a part of the body and connected to each other. We need to love others as Christ loves us.

Love others and do not control them because control is not love, but love is trust and allowing others to do and be who God has created them to be. There is no control in love, but freedom. God loves us as God created us, not as God wants or needs us to be.

So do not control, but love.

Love People. Love God.

Where would we go?

56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in them. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me lives because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. It isn’t like the bread your ancestors ate, and then they died. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” 59 Jesus said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Many of his disciples who heard this said, “This message is harsh. Who can hear it?” 61 Jesus knew that the disciples were grumbling about this and he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 What if you were to see the Human One going up where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life and the flesh doesn’t help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 Yet some of you don’t believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning who wouldn’t believe and the one who would betray him. 65 He said, “For this reason I said to you that none can come to me unless the Father enables them to do so.” 66 At this, many of his disciples turned away and no longer accompanied him. 67 Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” 68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We believe and know that you are God’s holy one.” (John 6:56-69,CEB)

This is a hard teaching who can hear this?

Who can do this?

Do you want to leave?

Well, actually yes, but there isn’t any place else we can go. You are giving us the things we need to live.

Let’s be honest, If you were in the place of the disciples that is the answer you would have given. And if not that is the answer I would have given if I was there.

Jesus we don’t get it, but I want to stick around and try to understand it.

So read the hard teachings, and wrestle with them.

Ask questions.

Live in the doubt.

God is big enough for it.

And help others see the love.

Love People. Love God.

Here we go again…

5 He also said to them, “Imagine that one of you has a friend and you go to that friend in the middle of the night. Imagine saying, ‘Friend, loan me three loaves of bread 6 because a friend of mine on a journey has arrived and I have nothing to set before him.’ 7 Imagine further that he answers from within the house, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.’ 8 I assure you, even if he wouldn’t get up and help because of his friendship, he will get up and give his friend whatever he needs because of his friend’s brashness. 9 And I tell you: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 Everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. To everyone who knocks, the door is opened. 11 “Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? 12 If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion? 13 If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Luke 11:5-13, CEB)

Seems like we just had this verse in a different gospel. Ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened.

Seriously, whatever I ask for I’ll get. And whatever I look for I will find. And whenever I knock the door will be opened.

I don’t know about you but this is not how things have happened in my life. I have had the door slammed in my face, figuratively, way too many times to count.

All of this for me hinges on the word good, and how that plays into God’s will.

If it is good for us, then it could happen, but if it isn’t even if we think it would be the best thing for us it will not happen.

So follow after God and seek God’s will. Then you will get the things God has in store for you.

And all the while shine God’s love to the world.

Love People. Love God.

Live for Christ

11 As you do all this, you know what time it is. The hour has already come for you to wake up from your sleep. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first had faith. 12 The night is almost over, and the day is near. So let’s get rid of the actions that belong to the darkness and put on the weapons of light. 13 Let’s behave appropriately as people who live in the day, not in partying and getting drunk, not in sleeping around and obscene behavior, not in fighting and obsession. 14 Instead, dress yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and don’t plan to indulge your selfish desires. (Romans 13:11-14, CEB)

Why do you do the things you do?

Is it for self gratification?

I found this meme and thought it was great.

If our religion is about controlling others and not ourselves, ten we got it wrong. We need to control our own thoughts and actions.

How do we do this?

How do you live your life, in the expectation of the coming of Christ? Not focused on Christ’s return, but on helping others see the love God has for them?

Live your life so Christ shines through.

Love People. Love God.

When?!?

We don’t need to write to you about the timing and dates, brothers and sisters. 2 You know very well that the day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. 3 When they are saying, “There is peace and security,” at that time sudden destruction will attack them, like labor pains start with a pregnant woman, and they definitely won’t escape. 4 But you aren’t in darkness, brothers and sisters, so the day won’t catch you by surprise like a thief. 5 All of you are children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to night or darkness. 6 So then, let’s not sleep like the others, but let’s stay awake and stay sober. 7 People who sleep sleep at night, and people who get drunk get drunk at night. 8 Since we belong to the day, let’s stay sober, wearing faithfulness and love as a piece of armor that protects our body and the hope of salvation as a helmet. 9 God didn’t intend for us to suffer his wrath but rather to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 10 Jesus died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with him. 11 So continue encouraging each other and building each other up, just like you are doing already. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, CEB)

Are you concerned with when Jesus is coming back?

Or when the end times will be?

This should not be our focus as followers of Christ. Do not get me wrong, Christ’s return will be great, but it should not be our focus.

We need to be focused on living the way Jesus told us to live. Living Love out lout. Loving our neighbor as God loves us.

Allow the love of Christ to shine though your life.

Love People. Love God.

And you still don’t understand?

14 Jesus’ disciples had forgotten to bring any bread, so they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 He gave them strict orders: “Watch out and be on your guard for the yeast of the Pharisees as well as the yeast of Herod.” 16 The disciples discussed this among themselves, “He said this because we have no bread.” 17 Jesus knew what they were discussing and said, “Why are you talking about the fact that you don’t have any bread? Don’t you grasp what has happened? Don’t you understand? Are your hearts so resistant to what God is doing? 18 Don’t you have eyes? Why can’t you see? Don’t you have ears? Why can’t you hear? Don’t you remember? 19 When I broke five loaves of bread for those five thousand people, how many baskets full of leftovers did you gather?” They answered, “Twelve.” 20 “And when I broke seven loaves of bread for those four thousand people, how many baskets full of leftovers did you gather?” They answered, “Seven.” 21 Jesus said to them, “And you still don’t understand?” (Mark 8:14-21,CEB)

And you still don’t understand?

Do you understand?

I know I struggle to get it. But he really isn’t talking about yeast. Jesus is referring to bad teaching, and how a little bit gets in and spreads, just like yeast does. Once you ad a little yeast in, the whole batch of flour is now leavened.

We need to guard our hearts and minds so the wrong teachings do not take hold and get a space.

We need to focus our lives so on Jesus, when the world sees us, they really see Jesus.

Love People. Love God.