Faith

Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. 2 The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith. 3 By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible. 13 All these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth. 14 People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it. 16 But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God—he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham offered Isaac when he was tested. The one who received the promises was offering his only son. 18 He had been told concerning him, Your legitimate descendants will come from Isaac. 19 He figured that God could even raise him from the dead. So in a way he did receive him back from the dead. (Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-19, CEB)

What have you done in faith?

What do you think faith will get you?

Verse 13 says all of these people died in faith, so who are all these people? Well they are those listed in verses 4 – 12. Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah are these people. People who heard God and trusted that what was told them was true, and yet they all died. Faith does not make us immortal in the flesh of our humanity so we don’t die. Faith doesn’t get us out of this world alive. Faith makes death a door way to another life, the life we continue in with God for all of eternity. Weird that faith doesn’t make us fleshly immortal, but it does make us immortal.

Faith in God gets us life with God, not as we know life here, but the life of being forever with our creator.

So trust in the promises we have and you have heard, for God is trustworthy.

Love People, Love God.

Same

8 But he says to his Son, God, your throne is forever and your kingdom’s scepter is a rod of justice. 9 You loved righteousness and hated lawless behavior. That is why God, your God, has anointed you more than your companions with the oil of joy. 10 And he says, You, Lord, laid the earth’s foundations in the beginning, and the heavens are made by your hands. 11 They will pass away, but you remain. They will all wear out like old clothes. 12 You will fold them up like a coat. They will be changed like a person changes clothes, but you stay the same, and the years of your life won’t come to an end. (Hebrews 1:8-12, CEB)

God told Jesus that he would be exalted over all because of His love of righteousness and doing what is right. Everything will pass away except for Jesus, and Jesus will always be the same.

This is good news for us who are constantly changing. Jesus is always the same and we can trust His promises.

Trust in what we have been told and know that Jesus will always be with us.

Love People, Love God.

How quickly we forget…

31 Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “The Human One must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead.” 32 He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. 33 Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” 34 After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. 35 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them.36 Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives?37 What will people give in exchange for their lives? 38 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Human One will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:31-38, CEB)

Do you remember the text for yesterday’s devotion? The text right before this where Peter says, “You are the Christ.” Peter gets it, and then here Jesus tells them what is going to happen and Peter losses it and says that Jesus is wrong, and them Jesus calls Peter Satan!

When we look at how we want things to go and God tells us the opposite it really isn’t our place to tell God that is wrong and the plane needs to work this way. We need to accept that our vision is way to narrow to know the best things and follow God.

Let us not forget who God is and what God has, is and will do for us.

Love People, Love God.

Who is Jesus?

27 Jesus and his disciples went into the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They told him, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” 30 Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about him. (Mark 8:27-30, CEB)

Who is Jesus?

Who do people say that Jesus is?

Some people say he was a man who lived many years ago and was killed.

Some people say He is the son of God.

He is not John the Baptist, or Elijah, or just one of the prophets.

Some say Jesus is the Christ, or Messiah, and some still do not.

So who is Jesus to you?

To me, Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior that came into the world to show us how to love and live as God created us to.

Love People, Love God.

earn

So what are we going to say? Are we going to find that Abraham is our ancestor on the basis of genealogy? 2 Because if Abraham was made righteous because of his actions, he would have had a reason to brag, but not in front of God.3 What does the scripture say? Abraham had faith in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. 4 Workers’ salaries aren’t credited to them on the basis of an employer’s grace but rather on the basis of what they deserve. 5 But faith is credited as righteousness to those who don’t work, because they have faith in God who makes the ungodly righteous. 6 In the same way, David also pronounces a blessing on the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from actions: 7 Happy are those whose actions outside the Law are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Happy are those whose sin isn’t counted against them by the Lord. 9 Is this state of happiness only for the circumcised or is it also for those who aren’t circumcised? We say, “Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 10 So how was it credited? When he was circumcised, or when he wasn’t circumcised? In fact, it was credited while he still wasn’t circumcised, not after he was circumcised. 11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that comes from the faith he had while he still wasn’t circumcised. It happened this way so that Abraham could be the ancestor of all those people who aren’t circumcised, who have faith in God, and so are counted as righteous. 12 He could also be the ancestor of those circumcised people, who aren’t only circumcised but who also walk in the path of faith, like our ancestor Abraham did while he wasn’t circumcised. (Romans 4:1-12, CEB)

Faith is not something we deserve, but is the trust we have for God and the promises that we know to be true because of God’s grace.

Faith was credited to Abraham, and David and all of us. Grace is freely given from God and it is not earned and the trust we have in God because of this is the faith we have that helps us through each day.

You didn’t earn it or create it, it was a gift. Use it to show the love God gave you tot the world so they know they are also loved.

Love People, Love God.

all

21 But now God’s righteousness has been revealed apart from the Law, which is confirmed by the Law and the Prophets.22 God’s righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who have faith in him. There’s no distinction. 23 All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory,24 but all are treated as righteous freely by his grace because of a ransom that was paid by Christ Jesus. 25 Through his faithfulness, God displayed Jesus as the place of sacrifice where mercy is found by means of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness in passing over sins that happened before, 26 during the time of God’s patient tolerance. He also did this to demonstrate that he is righteous in the present time, and to treat the one who has faith in Jesus as righteous. 27 What happens to our bragging? It’s thrown out. With which law? With what we have accomplished under the Law? 28 No, not at all, but through the law of faith. We consider that a person is treated as righteous by faith, apart from what is accomplished under the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Isn’t God the God of Gentiles also? Yes, God is also the God of Gentiles. 30 Since God is one, then the one who makes the circumcised righteous by faith will also make the one who isn’t circumcised righteous through faith. 31 Do we then cancel the Law through this faith? Absolutely not! Instead, we confirm the Law. (Romans 3:21-31, CEB)

We are all sinners and do not deserve God’s grace, but because of Jesus we can be made right. And Jesus sacrifice is for all past, present and future sins and for the sins of all people, not just those who had sinned when the sacrifice was made, or whose families were a part of the covenant.

All people are covered by the blood of Jesus.

This isn’t because we upheld the law, but because Jesus died for us all.

By the law we are made to stand in judgement for everything we have done wrong, and yet the sacrifice does not cancel the law, the law still shows us how we are wrong, but because of the sacrifice we no longer need worry about upholding the law we could never uphold.

Jesus died for all and those of us that know that must go and share the news in everything we do.

Love People, Love God.

Since

Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. 2 After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.” 4 Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.” 5 After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, 6 “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” 7 Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.” 8 Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.” 10 Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written, You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” 11 The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him. (Matthew 4:1-11, CEB)

Since you are the Son of God!

The devil is not questioning Jesus here, the devil is saying that Jesus is the Son of God and these are things He can do according to the scriptures.

How often do we test Jesus, or God and question their existence or plan? The devil never questions who Jesus is but tries to get Him to. Know that God always knows who you are and it is the devil that tries to get you to question your identity and if God is there and still loves you.

God always is there and always loves you and you will always be a child of God.

So since you are God’s child, what will you do?

Love People, Love God.

be sympathetic

8 Finally, all of you be of one mind, sympathetic, lovers of your fellow believers, compassionate, and modest in your opinion of yourselves. 9 Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. You were called to do this so that you might inherit a blessing. 10 For those who want to love life and see good days should keep their tongue from evil speaking and their lips from speaking lies. 11 They should shun evil and do good; seek peace and chase after it. 12 The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord cannot tolerate those who do evil. 13 Who will harm you if you are zealous for good? 14 But happy are you, even if you suffer because of righteousness! Don’t be terrified or upset by them. 15 Instead, regard Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts. Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. 16 Yet do this with respectful humility, maintaining a good conscience. Act in this way so that those who malign your good lifestyle in Christ may be ashamed when they slander you. 17 It is better to suffer for doing good (if this could possibly be God’s will) than for doing evil. 18 Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. He did this in order to bring you into the presence of God. Christ was put to death as a human, but made alive by the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:8-18, CEB)

Read the title again. It says pathetic. Be pathetic!

No it says sympathetic, be sympathetic. Lovers of your fellow believers.

What you want isn’t important in the whole picture, it is what is best for the whole.

So be in sync with those around you, not just those that agree with you, but all believers, for that is the mind of God and what is needed in the world.

Let go of what you think you need or want and listen to those around you and do what is best for the community.

And as always, Love People, Love God.

Your Faith…

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. 2 You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. 3 At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else. 4-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! 6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. 7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. 8 You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith.[a] This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. 9 It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. 10 Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. (Ephesians 2:1-10, CEB)

Every Translation falls short at some point and I believe the CEB does in this passage in verse 8.

Now some of you may say this is because this is the Lutheran verse, We are saved by grace through faith not of our own doing that no one my boast. Well no, it isn’t because of that. I also have been known to say as Lutherans we do not take our verse far enough and say only 2:8-9 and we need to include 10, because God created us to do good works.

But no, the CEB says, “you are saved by God’s grace because of your faith.” Because of my faith, it is my work and therefore I can be proud of it. It is something I do. Thankfully the committee left a footnote there that says, “Or through his faithfulness“. Which makes it all God’s work and not ours. Because that’s what grace is, an unearned, unmerited gift. Even with the second half of that verse saying it is God’s gift, the your is really out of place for me. We are saved because Jesus was faithful and trusting in the plan and did what was needed to show us how to live a life that is pleasing to God. That is grace and what saved us, to do good works so that others will know about the love of God.

So go and share the grace you’ve been given.

Love People, Love God.

happiness…

9 About that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. 10 While he was coming up out of the water, Jesus saw heaven splitting open and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him. 11 And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.” 12 At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild animals, and the angels took care of him. 14 After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, 15 saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” (Mark 1:9-15, CEB)

“in you I find happiness. At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness.”

If this is what happens when God finds happiness in you, I’m not sure I want to make God happy.

But seriously, Jesus goes and sees John and is baptized and according to Mark here, Jesus is the only one that sees the dove and hears the voice, so how does anyone else know what is happening?

And this version of the Bible, the Common English Version, takes Marks And Immediately, from the NRSV, and softens it a bit with “at once”. But there is no missing that Jesus was in the water, came out, saw the dove, heard the voice and then was taken to the wilderness to be tested and tempted for 40 days.

So are you ready for what happens when God finds happiness in us?

Love People, Love God.