Praying for you

9 Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. 10 We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; 11 by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; 12 and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. He made it so you could take part in the inheritance, in light granted to God’s holy people. 13 He rescued us from the control of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 He set us free through the Son and forgave our sins. (Colossians 1:9-14, CEB)

We have not stopped praying for you. We are always asking God to fill you with knowledge and understanding of the will of God. We are asking that your lives will be beacons for those around you to see and point towards God.

Do you pray for those who you know like this?

These are people at this point that Paul may not actually know, but he has heard about them. Paul is praying for those who he hasn’t met yet, that they would point people to God.

How can we pray for people in our neighborhood and around the world that they might have knowledge of God’s will and the power to be lights in the darkness?

Love People. Love God.

Lost sheep

All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. 2 The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he is thrilled and places it on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives. (Luke 15:1-7, CEB)

This is the first of three parables in one of my favorite chapters in the bible. Luke 15.

The parable of the Lost Sheep, the parable of the Lost Coin, and the parable of the Prodigal Son as most of us know them.

This parable is interesting because it is about leaving 99 sheep in a pasture and going and looking for the one lost sheep. We leave 99 in danger out in the open with no shepherd to watch them while we go and look for the one that is lost, and when we find the lost sheep we throw a party because what was lost is now found. But is the parable really about the sheep or the shepherd?

The shepherd is the on who had 100 sheep, and goes and finds the lost one. The lost sheep just wondered off and caused issue for the shepherd. The shepherd did the searching and worrying.

God is the shepherd that will leave those who are not in trouble to find us when we stray away.

Be like God.

Love People. Love God.

watch out

17 From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus calling for the church’s elders to meet him. 18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You know how I lived among you the whole time I was with you, beginning with the first day I arrived in the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears in the midst of trials that came upon me because of the Jews’ schemes. 20 You know I held back nothing that would be helpful so that I could proclaim to you and teach you both publicly and privately in your homes. 21 You know I have testified to both Jews and Greeks that they must change their hearts and lives as they turn to God and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22 Now, compelled by the Spirit, I’m going to Jerusalem. I don’t know what will happen to me there. 23 What I do know is that the Holy Spirit testifies to me from city to city that prisons and troubles await me. 24 But nothing, not even my life, is more important than my completing my mission. This is nothing other than the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus: to testify about the good news of God’s grace. 25 “I know that none of you will see me again—you among whom I traveled and proclaimed the kingdom. 26 Therefore, today I testify to you that I’m not responsible for anyone’s fate. 27 I haven’t avoided proclaiming the entire plan of God to you. 28 Watch yourselves and the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as supervisors, to shepherd God’s church, which he obtained with the death of his own Son. 29 I know that, after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and won’t spare the flock. 30 Some of your own people will distort the word in order to lure followers after them. 31 Stay alert! Remember that for three years I constantly and tearfully warned each one of you. I never stopped warning you! 32 Now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all whom God has made holy. 33 I haven’t craved anyone’s silver, gold, or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that I have provided for my own needs and for those of my companions with my own hands. 35 In everything I have shown you that, by working hard, we must help the weak. In this way we remember the Lord Jesus’ words: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 36 After he said these things, he knelt down with all of them to pray. 37 They cried uncontrollably as everyone embraced and kissed Paul. 38 They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see him again. Then they accompanied him to the ship. (Acts 20:17-38, CEB)

“Savage wolves will come in among you and won’t spare the flock. Some of your own people will distort the word in order to lure followers after them.” It’s almost as if Paul was writing to a congregation today.

People will distort the message of God to get what they want. We need to be diligent in our study of the word and following after God. People will try and convince us our understanding of God is misinformed and not what God is leading us to do and be. But we must hold fast to what Jesus has told us and follow where we know God is leading us.

Paul gave us many letters to many communities with different issues that can be a guide. But we must hold true to the gospel and live as God has led us to live.

Love People. Love God.

equip

17 Rely on your leaders and defer to them, because they watch over your whole being as people who are going to be held responsible for you. They need to be able to do this with pleasure and not with complaints about you, because that wouldn’t help you. 18 Pray for us. We’re sure that we have a good conscience, and we want to do the right thing in every way. 19 I’m particularly asking you to do this so that I can be returned to you quickly. 20 May the God of peace, who brought back the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, from the dead by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with every good thing to do his will, by developing in us what pleases him through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory forever and always. Amen. 22 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to put up with this message of encouragement, since I’ve only written a short letter to you! 23 You should know that our brother Timothy has been set free. If he comes soon, we will travel together to see you. 24 Greet your leaders and all of God’s holy people. The group from Italy greets you. 25 May grace be with all of you. (Hebrews 13:17-25, CEB)

No matter what is happening in your lives may you know that God is always with you. And may the understanding that God is with you bring you peace. Knowing that God raised Jesus from the dead and is able to do the same with you. And through this being raised you have the ability to do all that God has for you to do. To share love, grace and mercy with all of the world.

Know that you are able to do what God has called you to do and have been gifted with the tools to get the job done.

May you always know that God’s grace is with you.

Love People. Love God.

Rest

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him everything they had done and taught. 31 Many people were coming and going, so there was no time to eat. He said to the apostles, “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.” 32 They departed in a boat by themselves for a deserted place. 33 Many people saw them leaving and recognized them, so they ran ahead from all the cities and arrived before them. 34 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he began to teach them many things. 53 When Jesus and his disciples had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret, anchored the boat, 54 and came ashore. People immediately recognized Jesus 55 and ran around that whole region bringing sick people on their mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 Wherever he went—villages, cities, or farming communities—they would place the sick in the marketplaces and beg him to allow them to touch even the hem of his clothing. Everyone who touched him was healed. (Mark 6:30-34, 53-56, CEB)

If you are a person that finds it hard to say no to someone, this passage is for you. Jesus tells the apostles “Come by yourselves to a secluded place and rest for a while.”

You see everyone needs rest and time away. It is not good to always say yes, not only do you run yourself down, but you do not leave space for others to become a part of the mission.

We all need to rest. Jesus went away by himself to pray and be alone, and we all need this.

Take time away to rest. It is good for everyone!

Love People. Love God.

Blind man…

35 As Jesus came to Jericho, a certain blind man was sitting beside the road begging. 36 When the man heard the crowd passing by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is passing by.” 38 The blind man shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, show me mercy.” 39 Those leading the procession scolded him, telling him to be quiet, but he shouted even louder, “Son of David, show me mercy.” 40 Jesus stopped and called for the man to be brought to him. When he was present Jesus asked, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, I want to see.” 42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight! Your faith has healed you.” 43 At once he was able to see, and he began to follow Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they praised God too. (Luke 18:35-43, CEB)

This passage reminds me of the camp song Blind Man, which is also a sung done by the band The Kry. I have included the lyrics and a video for the song below.

The interesting thing about this passage is the man had heard about Jesus and knew, trusted, believed, had faith that Jesus could heal him and allow him to see.

Do you or I have that kind of trust in God? Do you believe God can heal you? Give you the life that you want/need?

How can we have the faith of this man, and trust that Jesus is the best thing for us and has our best interest at heart?

Love People. Love God.

The blind man stood by the road and he cried 
The blind man stood by the road and he cried 
The blind man stood by the road and he cried 
He cried oh, oh, oh

The woman stood by the well and she cried
The woman stood by the well and she cried
The woman stood by the well and she cried
She cried oh, oh, oh

Show me the way 
Show me the way 
Show me the way 
The way to go home

Jesus hung from the cross and He cried
Jesus hung from the cross and He cried
Jesus hung from the cross and He cried
He cried oh, oh, oh

Show me the way 
Show me the way 
Show me the way 
The way to go home

Jesus rose from the dead and He cried
Jesus rose from the dead and He cried
Jesus rose from the dead and He cried
He cried oh, oh, oh

I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life
And the way to go home
You are the way, You are the truth, You are the life
And the way to go home

Unkown

16 While Paul waited for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to find that the city was flooded with idols. 17 He began to interact with the Jews and Gentile God-worshippers in the synagogue. He also addressed whoever happened to be in the marketplace each day. 18 Certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers engaged him in discussion too. Some said, “What an amateur! What’s he trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” (They said this because he was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) 19 They took him into custody and brought him to the council on Mars Hill. “What is this new teaching? Can we learn what you are talking about? 20 You’ve told us some strange things and we want to know what they mean.” (21 They said this because all Athenians as well as the foreigners who live in Athens used to spend their time doing nothing but talking about or listening to the newest thing.) 22 Paul stood up in the middle of the council on Mars Hill and said, “People of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way. 23 As I was walking through town and carefully observing your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown God.’ What you worship as unknown, I now proclaim to you. 24 God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in temples made with human hands. 25 Nor is God served by human hands, as though he needed something, since he is the one who gives life, breath, and everything else. 26 From one person God created every human nation to live on the whole earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God made the nations so they would seek him, perhaps even reach out to him and find him. In fact, God isn’t far away from any of us. 28 In God we live, move, and exist. As some of your own poets said, ‘We are his offspring.’ 29 “Therefore, as God’s offspring, we have no need to imagine that the divine being is like a gold, silver, or stone image made by human skill and thought. 30 God overlooks ignorance of these things in times past, but now directs everyone everywhere to change their hearts and lives. 31 This is because God has set a day when he intends to judge the world justly by a man he has appointed. God has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:16-31, CEB)

They would sit around all day and talk about what the newest teaching was.

Can you imagine?

But Paul tells them that what they worship as unknown, can be known, and lived here among us to show us that God wanted to be known.

God is not something or someone far removed from our daily lives, but is here with us, and wants to be a part of your life everyday.

God has given us all kinds of proof of God’s existence. It is all around us in nature and in the fact Jesus died and was raised from the dead.

So know that God can be and wants to be known by you and be a part of you life.

Love People. Love God.

enemies in your mind

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the one who is first over all creation, 16 Because all things were created by him: both in the heavens and on the earth, the things that are visible and the things that are invisible. Whether they are thrones or powers, or rulers or authorities, all things were created through him and for him. 17 He existed before all things, and all things are held together in him. 18 He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the one who is firstborn from among the dead so that he might occupy the first place in everything. 19 Because all the fullness of God was pleased to live in him, 20 and he reconciled all things to himself through him—whether things on earth or in the heavens. He brought peace through the blood of his cross. 21 Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies with him in your minds, which was shown by your evil actions. 22 But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death, to present you before God as a people who are holy, faultless, and without blame. 23 But you need to remain well established and rooted in faith and not shift away from the hope given in the good news that you heard. This message has been preached throughout all creation under heaven. And I, Paul, became a servant of this good news. (Colossians 1:15-23, CEB)

“Once you were alienated from God and you were enemies with him in your minds”

This line struck me as I read this passage. We were enemies with God in our minds. We thought that God couldn’t like us and therefore created enmity between us and God in our minds. Our sinful nature caused this.

But God knew this and created a way to get rid of it, by becoming a man and dying for us.

Think about it really, most of the issues in our lives are because we think something is one way when it really isn’t. How can we focus on God and allow the truth of the love we have be the picture we see rather than enmity with God?

Focus on love, and know you are loved, as you love the world.

Love People. Love God.

Wrong

31 “To what will I compare the people of this generation?” Jesus asked. “What are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace calling out to each other, ‘We played the flute for you and you didn’t dance. We sang a funeral song and you didn’t cry.’ 33 John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ 34 Yet the Human One came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunk, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ 35 But wisdom is proved to be right by all her descendants.” (Luke 7:31-35, CEB)

No matter what you do someone will find something wrong with it.

If you play music they won’t like it and won’t dance.

If you sing a funeral dirge they won’t get moved and cry.

If you don’t eat or drink things you shouldn’t they will say you are a prude.

If you drink and have fun with people they will call you a drunk and glutton.

No matter what you do someone will find fault and have an issue with you.

Here is what you do. Hold to the truth that God has given to you and worry about what God thinks of you and not everyone else.

God knows your heart and why you are motivated to do what you do.

Keep love in your heart and flowing for all around you and don’t worry about what people think.

Love People. Love God.

Plotting…

12 The next morning some Jewish leaders formulated a plot and solemnly promised that they wouldn’t eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty people were involved in the conspiracy. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have solemnly promised to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15 You and the council must explain to the commander that you need Paul brought down to you. Pretend that you want to examine his case more closely. We’re prepared to kill him before he arrives.” 16 Paul’s sister had a son who heard about the ambush and he came to the military headquarters and reported it to Paul. 17 Paul called for one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander because he has something to report to him.” 18 He took him to the commander and said, “The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.” 19 The commander took him by the hand and withdrew to a place where they could speak privately. He asked, “What do you have to report to me?” 20 He replied, “The Jewish leaders have conspired to ask that you bring Paul down to the council tomorrow. They will pretend that they want to investigate his case more closely. 21 Don’t fall for it! More than forty of them are waiting to ambush him. They have solemnly promised not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, awaiting your consent.” 22 The commander dismissed the young man, ordering him, “Don’t tell anyone that you brought this to my attention.” 23 The commander called two centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to leave for Caesarea at nine o’clock tonight. 24 Have horses ready for Paul to ride, so they may take him safely to Governor Felix.” 25 He wrote the following letter: 26 Claudius Lysias, to the most honorable Governor Felix: Greetings. 27 This man was seized by the Jews and was almost killed by them. I was nearby with a unit of soldiers, and I rescued him when I discovered that he was a Roman citizen. 28 I wanted to find out why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their council. 29 I discovered that they were accusing him about questions related to their Law. I found no charge deserving of death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed of a conspiracy against his life, I sent him to you at once and ordered his accusers to bring their case against him before you. 31 Following their orders, the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris. 32 The following day they let the horsemen continue on with Paul while they returned to the military headquarters in Jerusalem. 33 The horsemen entered Caesarea, delivered the letter to the governor, and brought Paul before him. 34 After he read the letter, he asked Paul about his home province. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35 the governor said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept in custody in Herod’s palace. (Acts 23:12-35, CEB)

Here is the thing, plotting may seem to get you what you want, but if it isn’t in the will of God then it will fail. You may succeed in getting someone out or causing harm to a person, but in the end it will not be to the end that you desire, because your ideas and thoughts do not align with God.

God uses and works through all things for good, this doesn’t mean that God causes or allows bad things to happen, but because of free will and human nature to sinfulness, sometimes things happen, but God still works in and through all things for good.

Know that God is with you and do not plat for things that are not the will of God.

Love People. Love God.