who needs a doctor?

2 People brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a cot. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man who was paralyzed, “Be encouraged, my child, your sins are forgiven.” 3 Some legal experts said among themselves, “This man is insulting God.” 4 But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you fill your minds with evil things? 5 Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“Get up, take your cot, and go home.” 7 The man got up and went home. 8 When the crowds saw what had happened, they were afraid and praised God, who had given such authority to human beings. 9 As Jesus continued on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. He said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. 10 As Jesus sat down to eat in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples at the table. 11 But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard it, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. 13 Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:2-13, CEB)

“Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do.”

I guess I’m sick, because I see a doctor every 6 months at least. I mean if you know me, you know I am over weight, you may not know that I have High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Type 2 Diabetes, and I am sure other health issues. But I am not sick, I’m unhealthy but on the healthy side of it, my meds help control my issues, and the doctor helps me. But Jesus isn’t speaking of preventative medicine if that was even a thing in those days, he is speaking about life or death.

Those who are in the right with God don’t need Jesus. They have already been given life and therefore do not need a savior, but those who do not know God need to know God, and if we wait for them to come to us we will be waiting a long time. Jesus is the model that shows us to go to the people.

We need to be where the people are and show them God’s love.

Love People, Love God.

not tolerate

I’m giving you this commission in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearance and his kingdom. 2 Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction. 3 There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will collect teachers who say what they want to hear because they are self-centered. 4 They will turn their back on the truth and turn to myths. 5 But you must keep control of yourself in all circumstances. Endure suffering, do the work of a preacher of the good news, and carry out your service fully. (2 Timothy 4:1-5, CEB)

I wonder where the world has gone and care for the other. It seems like we are just out for ourselves.

There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching, and will go after their own desires and wants. They will surround them selves with people who tell them what they want to hear and already believe. They will not want to hear anything different.

But we need to always say what is right and true and follow where God is leading us. Knowing that the truth will always prevail. Whether it is convenient or inconvenient. We need to preach the gospel at all times.

Love People, Love God.

Integrity

3 What we have seen and heard, we also announce it to you so that you can have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy can be complete. 5 This is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: “God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.” 6 If we claim, “We have fellowship with him,” and live in the darkness, we are lying and do not act truthfully. 7 But if we live in the light in the same way as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. 8 If we claim, “We don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong. 10 If we claim, “We have never sinned,” we make him a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:3-10, CEB)

Integrity. Doing the right thing even when no one is looking.

Being a person who is always the same. It is a quality not found a lot now. People will say to you what you want to hear and then turn around and say the exact opposite of what they told you to someone else, because that is what they want to hear. In some circles this is called keeping the peace, but according to John it is lying and not being truthful, walking in darkness.

As children of God we are called to have integrity. It is hard, but God will help us.

Be a person of integrity.

Love People, Love God.

be careful

“Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. 3 But when you give to the poor, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing 4 so that you may give to the poor in secret. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. 5 “When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get. 6 But when you pray, go to your room, shut the door, and pray to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees what you do in secret will reward you. 16 “And when you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They distort their faces so people will know they are fasting. I assure you that they have their reward. 17 When you fast, brush your hair and wash your face. 18 Then you won’t look like you are fasting to people, but only to your Father who is present in that secret place. Your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 “Stop collecting treasures for your own benefit on earth, where moth and rust eat them and where thieves break in and steal them. 20 Instead, collect treasures for yourselves in heaven, where moth and rust don’t eat them and where thieves don’t break in and steal them. 21 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21, CEB)

Where do you practice your faith?

Do you do things for all to see? So you get the thanks for a job well done?

Or do you serve secretly knowing that the reward you receive from God will be better than any accolade you could receive here and now?

We should not make our serving known, but do everything for the glory of God and not so we get recognized. So be careful in your motives, and serve the world as God serves you.

Love People, Love God.

Who is Jesus?

14 I hope to come to you quickly. But I’m writing these things to you so that 15 if I’m delayed, you’ll know how you should behave in God’s household. It is the church of the living God and the backbone and support of the truth. 16 Without question, the mystery of godliness is great: he was revealed as a human, declared righteous by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached throughout the nations, believed in around the world, and taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:14-16, CEB)

This is a great Reader’s Digest version of who Jesus is: he was revealed as a human, declared righteous by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached throughout the nations, believed in around the world, and taken up in glory.

He was born as a human, made righteous by the Spirit at His baptism, revealed through declaration before us and through us and after us, and taken back into glory, to come again for all of us.

So we can all go and share His love.

Love People, Love God.

What we know

This is why it’s necessary for us to pay more attention to what we have heard, or else we may drift away from it. 2 If the message that was spoken by angels was reliable, and every offense and act of disobedience received an appropriate consequence, 3 how will we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? It was first announced through the Lord, and then it was confirmed by those who heard him. 4 God also vouched for their message with signs, amazing things, various miracles, and gifts from the Holy Spirit, which were handed out the way he wanted. (Hebrews 2:1-4, CEB)

What we have heard or been taught is important to our understanding of who we are in Christ.

Yet I also remember the my Old Testament Professor in seminary told us the very first day of class, “Everything you have learned is a lie and I’m going to teach you the truth.” Which also reminds me of the great line from the classic movie, Return of the Jedi, “What I told was the truth, from a certain point of view…”

We all come to everything from the point of view we are in, and that point of view is based on what we have learned and what we were taught as we grew. But here again we can not beat ourselves up for not knowing then what we know now, or be afraid to let go of what we learned because that was the best those who were teaching us could do for us. God helps us all to grow deeper in faith and following as we grow in age.

Always do you best to love as you go and give yourself space and others space to know that change is needed and has to happen.

Love People, Love God.

Hello my name is…

2 Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, 3 and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white. 4 Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”6 He said this because he didn’t know how to respond, for the three of them were terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!”8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human One had risen from the dead. (Mark 9:2-9, CEB)

I always laugh when I first read this passage because I wonder how Peter knew it was Moses and Elijah. I assume they did not have pictures of them. I mean were they wearing name tags, Hellos my name is Moses, Hello my name is Elijah?

But then there is the weird thing that Peter says, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But really what would you have said if you were on a mountain top with Jesus, Moses, and Elijah? He was dumbfounded and at a loss for words. But here we see that it is ok to be in the midst of the recreation of the world and not understand it. I mean Peter, James and John saw some pretty amazing things, and yet none of them were to be found when Jesus was crucified, and Peter denied Jesus 3 times before his trial. We are in good company when we don’t get it.

So know your name and go and tell the world about Jesus and all He has done even when you may not understand it.

Love People. Love God.

wept over it

41 As Jesus came to the city and observed it, he wept over it. 42 He said, “If only you knew on this of all days the things that lead to peace. But now they are hidden from your eyes. 43 The time will come when your enemies will build fortifications around you, encircle you, and attack you from all sides. 44 They will crush you completely, you and the people within you. They won’t leave one stone on top of another within you, because you didn’t recognize the time of your gracious visit from God.” (Luke 19:41-44, CEB)

Have we missed it? Jesus says that our enemies will encircle us and destroy us because we didn’t recognize the time of our gracious visit from God. Did we miss it?

When has God visited us and we missed it?

When have we seen Jesus in the face of a stranger or a refuge or a homeless person and ignored them rather than helped them? When have we heard the call from a friend to help them and we had something else to do that was too important to change?

Is Jesus weeping over us as we miss the opportunity to do unto the least of these and unto Jesus?

Look for when Jesus comes to visit, because He is always coming to be with you.

Love People, Love God.

poured

12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength because he considered me faithful. So he appointed me to ministry 13 even though I used to speak against him, attack his people, and I was proud. But I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith. 14 Our Lord’s favor poured all over me along with the faithfulness and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I’m the biggest sinner of all. 16 But this is why I was shown mercy, so that Christ Jesus could show his endless patience to me first of all. So I’m an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the king of the ages, to the immortal, invisible, and only God, may honor and glory be given to him forever and always! Amen. 18 Timothy, my child, I’m giving you these instructions based on the prophecies that were once made about you. So if you follow them, you can wage a good war 19 because you have faith and a good conscience. Some people have ruined their faith because they refused to listen to their conscience, 20 such as Hymenaeus and Alexander. I’ve handed them over to Satan so that they can be taught not to speak against God. (1 Timothy 1:12-20, CEB)

Have you ever known someone one and then haven’t seen them for a while and when you see them again they are a completely different person? When I see people I graduated from high school with, who haven’t really been close to me and they find out that I am a pastor, they are a little taken aback. Not because I was some hellion in high school, I was a good kid, but not really the church going type. So it is a little weird to them. That is why we really can not judge people by their pasts, or who they were, because God changes hearts.

When God pours her favor over our lives we are changed and what we knew is no longer what we know or who we are. But we can not shame ourselves for what we were. We did the best we could with who we were then, and God changed us to be the person we were created to be.

Know God is constantly working on you and your life. And God loves you as you are becoming your perfect self.

So go into the world and share that love as you go.

Love People, Love God.

Smell like Christ

12 When I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, the Lord gave me an opportunity to preach. 13 But I was worried because I couldn’t find my brother Titus there. So I said good-bye to them and went on to Macedonia. 14 But thank God, who is always leading us around through Christ as if we were in a parade. He releases the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere through us. 15 We smell like the aroma of Christ’s offering to God, both to those who are being saved and to those who are on the road to destruction. 16 We smell like a contagious dead person to those who are dying, but we smell like the fountain of life to those who are being saved. Who is qualified for this kind of ministry? 17 We aren’t like so many people who hustle the word of God to make a profit. We are speaking through Christ in the presence of God, as those who are sincere and as those who are sent from God. (2 Corinthians 2:12-17, CEB)

We all smell like Christ!

Our lives give off the aroma of Jesus and we show the world who God is and how God loves us in everything we do.

None of us a good enough or qualified to do this, but we are honored to do this because Jesus loves us and equips us to do this.

So go and spread Christ’s smell!

Love People, Love God.