born anew?

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” 4 Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?” 5 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?” 10 “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things? 11 I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. 17 God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:1-17, CEB)

You must be born anew this translation says. If you have read or heard this passage in worship before you probably heard this as born again. This is the place we hear about being born again. And of course of that is what Nicodemus was told he would be confused. I mean how can a person enter their mother’s womb again and be born again? At least anew is a little easier to understand.

But does anew really get it?

The word in the Greek means again, anew, or from above. Which then it makes a whole lot more sense to me. You have to be born of water and of Spirit. Now everyone who is born on earth is born of water. There is a lot of fluid that is water like at a birth. And the Spirit enters a person when God so chooses for it to happen. So if you have the Spirit, you are born of water and the Spirit, and this is born from above, or anew.

Not reentering the mother’s womb, but done by God.

Know you are a part of the kingdom and go and help others know that too.

Love People. Love God.

Hate you

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. 26 “When the Companion comes, whom I will send from the Father—the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You will testify too, because you have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:18-20, 26-27, CEB)

If it feels like you are fighting the world and the world doesn’t like what you are standing for, maybe you are in the right place. Jesus was hated by the established leadership because he stood for something they didn’t. Not that they didn’t love God, it was just that they loved their own power more than what God was calling them to be/do.

Sometimes it is hard for us to let go of what we want and do what God is leading us to.

Sometimes our privilege gets in the way.

Let the world hate you, you will be in good company!

Love People. Love God.

Belong

9 But you aren’t self-centered. Instead you are in the Spirit, if in fact God’s Spirit lives in you. If anyone doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ, they don’t belong to him. 10 If Christ is in you, the Spirit is your life because of God’s righteousness, but the body is dead because of sin. 11 If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your human bodies also, through his Spirit that lives in you. (Romans 8:9-11, CEB)

If the Spirit lives in you you belong to Christ and you are not self centered.

Well honestly then the Spirit comes and goes in me. Because there are definitely times that I am self-centered. That I want what I want and I want it now and don’t get in my way. And according to this passage if that is the case, the Spirit isn’t in me and I’m not a part of Christ.

So how do we know if we belong?

I will say that the moments I am self-centered are fewer than think about the needs of others, so maybe in our humanness we never really get rid of the old Adam, and are in that struggle.

Let God have control over your life and give like God gave to you. In abundance!

Know that when you love others you are bring God to the world and that is what we all need, more love, grace, forgiveness.

Love People. Love God.

Please God

So now there isn’t any condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 God has done what was impossible for the Law, since it was weak because of selfishness. God condemned sin in the body by sending his own Son to deal with sin in the same body as humans, who are controlled by sin. 4 He did this so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us. Now the way we live is based on the Spirit, not based on selfishness. 5 People whose lives are based on selfishness think about selfish things, but people whose lives are based on the Spirit think about things that are related to the Spirit. 6 The attitude that comes from selfishness leads to death, but the attitude that comes from the Spirit leads to life and peace. 7 So the attitude that comes from selfishness is hostile to God. It doesn’t submit to God’s Law, because it can’t. 8 People who are self-centered aren’t able to please God. (Romans 8:1-8, CEB)

People who are self-centered aren’t able to please God.

People who are only thinking about themselves and how they can get what they need will not be able to make God happy, because Christ is the very opposite of self-centered. Jesus stepped down from the throne and became human and gave up what it meant to be God to be like us.

You can not serve your own needs and God. You can not look out for yourself and serve others.

We need to let others worry about us and let the love of God flow through us.

Do not worry about yourself, but share the love you have been showered with with others, and in doing so, others will shower you with love.

We love because God loved us when we were unlovable and made possibly what was impossible through Jesus.

Love People. Love God.

If you…

19 It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “Peace be with you.” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you don’t forgive them, they aren’t forgiven.” (John 20:19-23, CEB)

Jesus met the disciples in the upper room on that day, the first day of the week. This was Easter Evening. And he greeted them in peace and gave them the breath of life in the Spirit.

And in doing this Jesus told them that ” If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you don’t forgive them, they aren’t forgiven.” Jesus just gave all of the disciples the power to forgive and not forgive sins, through the giving of the Holy Spirit.

So wait, does that mean we can all forgive or not forgive sin? If the power comes through the Holy Spirit, and we believe the Holy Spirit lives in us, then we would have the power to forgive or not forgive sins.

So if you forgive sins they are forgiven. And if you do not forgive sins they are not forgiven. That is power that we need to use wisely. And help the world know they are loved.

How will you use your power?

If you love like Jesus loves, maybe the world can change…

Love People. Love God.

Part

12 Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. 13 We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. 14 Certainly the body isn’t one part but many. 15 If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 16 If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does that mean it’s not part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted. 19 If all were one and the same body part, what would happen to the body? 20 But as it is, there are many parts but one body. 21 So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 Instead, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the most necessary. 23 The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we honor the most. The private parts of our body that aren’t presentable are the ones that are given the most dignity. 24 The parts of our body that are presentable don’t need this. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor 25 so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it. 27 You are the body of Christ and parts of each other. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27, CEB)

We are all a part of something bigger than our selves. We have all heard that the world doesn’t revolve around us. We are not the end all be all of everything.

No one person can possible survive without the help of other people.

We need each other and we each have a part to play in the way the world works.

So do your part and help those around you and allow others to help you.

Love People. Love God.

Common good

4 There are different spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; 5 and there are different ministries and the same Lord; 6 and there are different activities but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. 7 A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good. 8 A word of wisdom is given by the Spirit to one person, a word of knowledge to another according to the same Spirit, 9 faith to still another by the same Spirit, gifts of healing to another in the one Spirit, 10 performance of miracles to another, prophecy to another, the ability to tell spirits apart to another, different kinds of tongues[a] to another, and the interpretation of the tongues to another. 11 All these things are produced by the one and same Spirit who gives what he wants to each person. (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, CEB)

There are different spiritual gifts, but the same spirit. I have always believed that we all have a part to play in the cosmic plan of God’s kingdom. But recently have been reading articles and having conversations around the gifts we are given and the callings on our lives.

As Lutherans we believe we are a part of the Priesthood of all believers. And that we all have a calling. And sometimes we know what that calling is and sometimes we don’t and we can get hung up on figuring it out. Like it is the magic bullet that will make our life be what it needs to be.

But here is the thing. We all have gifts, and what if using the gifts we have to make our corner of the world brighter is really the calling we have? Meaning your vocation or calling isn’t something huge that will change the whole world all at once. We are all called and gifted to make our world brighter and more filled with love. Our world, and the 20 or something people we surround our selves with. Not something huge or even remotely impressive. Just normal, every day loving of those around us. For the common good.

Kind of like the butterfly effect. A butterfly flaps it wings in Hong Kong and there is a storm in New York. Ripples that go out and effect the world. Love ripples.

So love those around you and change the world, for the common good.

Love People. Love God.

Companion

26 “When the Companion comes, whom I will send from the Father—the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 You will testify too, because you have been with me from the beginning.
you will remember that I told you about them. “I didn’t say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. 5 But now I go away to the one who sent me. None of you ask me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Yet because I have said these things to you, you are filled with sorrow. 7 I assure you that it is better for you that I go away. If I don’t go away, the Companion won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will show the world it was wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment. 9 He will show the world it was wrong about sin because they don’t believe in me. 10 He will show the world it was wrong about righteousness because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore. 11 He will show the world it was wrong about judgment because this world’s ruler stands condemned. 12 “I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. 13 However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you. 15 Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you. (John 15:26-27; 16:4b-15, CEB)

What do you think when you hear companion?

Honestly I think of a Siberian Husky we had as a pet. Tika and I would have conversations and play hard. She was a wonderful part of our family. She was a companion. I remember when we brought our oldest daughter home from the hospital, we have a picture of Tika in the back of the car sniffing the car seat and seeing what was happening. She was so gentle and kind to our daughter. She was truly a loving spirit.

That is how I envision the Holy Spirit, as a traveler with us on the road of life. Someone who will help us and guide us with the right things to say and do, but also just there as a friend along the way.

Jesus said that the Spirit will guide us in all truth, and be a companion.

Let us travel with this companion and help the world see all truth.

Love People. Love God.

Living water

37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, “All who are thirsty should come to me! 38  All who believe in me should drink! As the scriptures said concerning me, Rivers of living water will flow out from within him.” 39 Jesus said this concerning the Spirit. Those who believed in him would soon receive the Spirit, but they hadn’t experienced the Spirit yet since Jesus hadn’t yet been glorified. (John 7:37-39, CEB)

Rivers of living water will flow out from within him.

Living water is water that is moving, not stagnate. Stagnate water is dying and attracts mosquitoes.

Is your life flowing with living water or are you attracting mosquitoes?

Do you exude love in the way you live and shine grace and mercy on people you meet? Or does you life attract the things that make us want to run for brighter days?

You can have the living water flowing from you when you walk in the Spirit and allow God to guide your steps and your days.

Let the love you have been given flow through you to those you meet.

Love People. Love God.

Victory

50 This is what I’m saying, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood can’t inherit God’s kingdom. Something that rots can’t inherit something that doesn’t decay. 51 Listen, I’m telling you a secret: All of us won’t die, but we will all be changed— 52 in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the final trumpet. The trumpet will blast, and the dead will be raised with bodies that won’t decay, and we will be changed. 53 It’s necessary for this rotting body to be clothed with what can’t decay, and for the body that is dying to be clothed in what can’t die. 54 And when the rotting body has been clothed in what can’t decay, and the dying body has been clothed in what can’t die, then this statement in scripture will happen: Death has been swallowed up by a victory. 55 Where is your victory, Death? Where is your sting, Death? (56 Death’s sting is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.) 57 Thanks be to God, who gives us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Corinthians 15:50-57, CEB)

We will be changed in an instant and will be transformed from a being that will die, to a being that will live forever. And how does that happen?

Do we become just spirit?

Do we have a body?

Is it the same as we have now?

Where will we be?

If you can show me the answers to these questions in the scripture I would love to see them. But I wonder do these questions really matter?

I mean they matter to us now because we want to know the answers, but do they really matter?

What really matters is the first thing I said, and quoted from Paul, “All of us won’t die, but we will all be changed— 52 in an instant, in the blink of an eye”

We have victory over death! We will not die, but live forever.

Love People. Love God.