might

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. 18 Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son. 19 “This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. 20 All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. 21 Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.” (John 3:14-21, CEB)

Everyone knows John 3:16. Even if you have never darkened the door of a church building, or been in a worship service, or cracked open a Bible.

It is seen on billboards and posters at games and places where mass attend. We know, “For 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.” It is almost like something we learned in school. Like if you know a pastor in the Lutheran church ask them the conjugation of the Greek verb λυω. It was ingained in our minds.

But to me the most important verse in this passage is the one after 16, 3:17. “God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

Jesus didn’t come to judge us but that we might be saved through Him. That we might learn how to live through Him.

God knew we were far off the wayside, so we don’t need to be judged, we need an example, we need a savior. Jesus came not to condemn, but to save us.

Believe that you are a child of God and that God loves you and chose you.

Then go into the world and love as you have been loved.

Love People, Love God.

Above or again?

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. (John 3:1-13, CEB)

Good ol’ Nicodemus. How can a person be born again, can they enter the mother’s womb a second time and be born again? Well is that really what Jesus said?

The version above shows us in a different way, Jesus said, “born anew.” Literally the word Jesus uses here can be translated again, and it can be translated as from above. After Nic asks if one can be born again, Jesus says, “you have to be born of water and of Spirit.”

Now most people will say that means you have to be baptized. But does born of water mean baptism? I have witnessed 3 C-sections, as all of my daughters were born through C-sections, and I have to say there was water involved. And in natural child birth there is a lot of water involved. We are all born of water. Every last one of us, and that is not baptism. That is natural.

And so the only thing missing then is the above, the birth of the Spirit, and does this happen at Baptism? Well in the ELCA, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, we say that the baptized is marked with the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit forever. But I have always had issue with this because it is like saying the only way the Spirit works is through this ceremony. And that is just wrong. The Spirit comes to a person when the Spirit wants to come, it doesn’t happen just because some pastor says those words.

So how are you born again? It is done by God, when God feels like it.

Just believe it.

Love People, Love God

Can you get it?

7 We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, 8 which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding. 9 God revealed his hidden design to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. 10 This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. 11 We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design. 12 We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ. 13 You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, which is applied toward our redemption as God’s own people, resulting in the honor of God’s glory. (Ephesians 1:7-14, CEB)

Is there anything you can do to get an inheritance?

I mean there are definitely things you can do to not get an inheritance. People are written out of wills every day for the things they do that upsets the one whose will it is and they remove them. But can you do anything to get an inheritance?

You have no choice who your parents are or what their situation is, so that is not in your control.

You could marry into money but even that could not guarantee an inheritance.

There is really no way you can get an inheritance.

Only the one giving can decide who gets it.

God decided that you would get an inheritance.

God loves you no matter what and chose you.

Go and share what God has given you.

Love People, Love God.

Adopted

3 Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven. 4 God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world. 5 God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan 6 and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. (Ephesians 1:3-6, CEB)

God destined us to be adopted as children.

When one is adopted you usually don’t have a say in what happens, those saying they want you to be a part of their family decide. Now an adopted child could have influence, but ultimately the decision to adopt or not resides with the one(s) doing the the adopting.

God decided we were to be God’s children and adopted us.

You are loved by God so much that God will do whatever it takes to make you a part of God’s family.

Love People, Love God.

WWJD

15 They came into Jerusalem. After entering the temple, he threw out those who were selling and buying there. He pushed over the tables used for currency exchange and the chairs of those who sold doves. 16 He didn’t allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 He taught them, “Hasn’t it been written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you’ve turned it into a hideout for crooks.” 18 The chief priests and legal experts heard this and tried to find a way to destroy him. They regarded him as dangerous because the whole crowd was enthralled at his teaching. 19 When it was evening, Jesus and his disciples went outside the city. (Mark 11:15-19, CEB)

I have mixed feelings about the four letters WWJD.

What Would Judas Do? I have toyed with this change to the letters meaning. Because Judas I think gets a bad rap, but that is a post for another time.

What Would Jesus Do? The phrase makes us think that our actions are too rough, that we are acting with anger more than we should. But we have to remember that WWJD could be turning the tables and driving the money changers out of the place they are.

We need to do what God has called us to do and if that means we whip the money changers and turn some tables, then that is what we do.

Love People, Love God.

What more?

23 So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be cleansed with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things had to be cleansed with better sacrifices than these. 24 Christ didn’t enter the holy place (which is a copy of the true holy place) made by human hands, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears in God’s presence for us. 25 He didn’t enter to offer himself over and over again, like the high priest enters the earthly holy place every year with blood that isn’t his. 26 If that were so, then Jesus would have to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. Instead, he has now appeared once at the end of the ages to get rid of sin by sacrificing himself. 27 People are destined to die once and then face judgment. 28 In the same way, Christ was also offered once to take on himself the sins of many people. He will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:23-28, CEB)

We will all die once and face judgment, just as Christ was offered once to take on all the sins of all people. And yet, Christ will come again, not to take away more sin, as if something more needed to be done than Christ already did, but to take those of us who await Christ back with Him.

This is what really gets me about indulgences. If you have to pay the church in order to get a soul out of purgatory then what did Jesus do?

If we have to do more than what Christ already did, how does what Christ did matter?

You see there is nothing beyond the sacrifice that God has made for you that has to be done. Christ died for you.

Now know you are loved and go and love as you are loved.

Love People, Love God.

Temple

10 I laid a foundation like a wise master builder according to God’s grace that was given to me, but someone else is building on top of it. Each person needs to pay attention to the way they build on it. 11 No one can lay any other foundation besides the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 So, whether someone builds on top of the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, or hay, 13 each one’s work will be clearly shown. The day will make it clear, because it will be revealed with fire—the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work survives, they’ll get a reward. 15 But if anyone’s work goes up in flames, they’ll lose it. However, they themselves will be saved as if they had gone through a fire. 16 Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you? 17 If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy, which is what you are. 18 Don’t fool yourself. If some of you think they are worldly-wise, then they should become foolish so that they can become wise. 19 This world’s wisdom is foolishness to God. As it’s written, He catches the wise in their cleverness. 20 And also, The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are silly. 21 So then, no one should brag about human beings. Everything belongs to you— 22 Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, things in the present, things in the future—everything belongs to you, 23 but you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:10-23, CEB)

Did you not know that you are God’s temple and the Spirit lives in you? Meaning all of us are God’s temple and the Spirit of God lives in all of us. So when you destroy God’s temple, God will destroy you.

How does one destroy? Physical destruction of that temple would be to kill, but there are ways to to destroy that are not physical.

We need to head our words and actions towards others. When we mock, make fun of, slander, or otherwise insult others, we are destroying them. And this is not looked upon with favor by God.

Protect your temple and the temple of those around you by loving as God does.

Love People, Love God.

Focus on Jesus

13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 He found in the temple those who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as those involved in exchanging currency sitting there. 15 He made a whip from ropes and chased them all out of the temple, including the cattle and the sheep. He scattered the coins and overturned the tables of those who exchanged currency. 16 He said to the dove sellers, “Get these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place of business.” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written, Passion for your house consumes me. 18 Then the Jewish leaders asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things? What miraculous sign will you show us?” 19 Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple and in three days I’ll raise it up.” 20 The Jewish leaders replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?” 21 But the temple Jesus was talking about was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered what he had said, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (John 2:13-22, CEB)

The temple was massive and took up probably 1/6 of the town of Jerusalem. Some of the stones were 25 feet in length. It was a wonder of the time and Jesus says destroy it and he will rebuild it in three days! It is an insane statement, when you think he is speaking of the actual stone temple.

But Jesus wasn’t speaking of that temple, because he was referring to his upcoming death and resurrection for the world.

And that is why He wanted to purify the actual place of worship. When we make the places we worship more focused on God we will be more focused on God.

How can we help others focus on Jesus?

Love People, Love God.

another chance…

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. (Mark 9:2-8, CEB)

Six days later…

so what happened six days ago?

Well Jesus and the disciples were in Caesarea Philippi and Jesus asked them who the world and they thought He was, and Peter confesses Jesus is the Messiah and then turns around and says the plan Jesus tells them can’t happen and Jesus calls Peter Satan.

Then Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain and they meet with Moses and Elijah and Peter doesn’t know what to say again.

Have you ever been so dumbfounded by what was happening you just started talking and said whatever came to mind. Yeah I know I do that without being dumbfounded. But Peter is really at a loss here and is just fumbling.

But the good news here is that even after Peter got it right and then fell on his face, Jesus gave him another chance, and he fumbled that one, but Jesus will give him another, and another, just like us. Peter is the one who eventually denies Jesus 3 times as he on trial, and Jesus restores Peter.

We will all get a hand back up when we fall, just keep following.

Love People, Love God.

Your story…

30 “Forty years later, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush in the wilderness near Mount Sinai.31 Enthralled by the sight, Moses approached to get a closer look and he heard the Lord’s voice: 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Trembling with fear, Moses didn’t dare to investigate any further. 33 The Lord continued, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have clearly seen the oppression my people have experienced in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning. I have come down to rescue them. Come! I am sending you to Egypt.’ 35 “This is the same Moses whom they rejected when they asked, ‘Who appointed you as our leader and judge?’ This is the Moses whom God sent as leader and deliverer. God did this with the help of the angel who appeared before him in the bush. 36 This man led them out after he performed wonders and signs in Egypt at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness. 37 This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ 38 This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with our ancestors and with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He is the one who received life-giving words to give to us. 39 He’s also the one whom our ancestors refused to obey. Instead, they pushed him aside and, in their thoughts and desires, returned to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will lead us. As for this Moses who led us out of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him!’ (Acts 7:30-40,CEB)

This story is of Moses and the burning bush that led Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and to the promised land, this is all part of the history lesson Stephen gives to those who are wanting to put him to death for his belief in Jesus as Messiah.

Stephen is the first martyr for the faith and is stoned to death with Saul holding the cloaks of those who do the stoning.

Do we know the history of our faith well enough to tell it to those who do not believe? Stephen was able to retell the stories of the Hebrew Scripture in a way that made them come alive as the story of Jesus. These stories are our story and are our family history. We should know them and be able to tell how they tell of us and the way God loved us from the very beginning.

Learn your story. And love as you go.

Love People, Love God.