What do you want?

At that time Herod the ruler heard the news about Jesus. 2 He said to his servants, “This is John the Baptist. He’s been raised from the dead. This is why these miraculous powers are at work through him.” 3 Herod had arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison because of Herodias, the wife of Herod’s brother Philip. 4 That’s because John told Herod, “It’s against the law for you to marry her.” 5 Although Herod wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd because they thought John was a prophet. 6 But at Herod’s birthday party Herodias’ daughter danced in front of the guests and thrilled Herod. 7 Then he swore to give her anything she asked. 8 At her mother’s urging, the girl said, “Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a plate.”9 Although the king was upset, because of his solemn pledge and his guests he commanded that they give it to her. 10 Then he had John beheaded in prison. 11 They brought his head on a plate and gave it to the young woman, and she brought it to her mother. 12 But John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus what had happened. (Matthew 14:1-12, CEB)

You can have anything you want up to half of my kingdom, what would you ask for?

The head of one who spoke against your marriage on a plate…

Herod didn’t want to do this but had to because of the promise he made to her in front of the guests. But it makes us wonder about the question, what do you want?

If you were asked what do you want, what would your answer be?

World peace?
Enough money to not have to worry?
Your family to always be healthy?
People to understand each other?
God’s love to truly reign?

What do you want?

Accept

Therefore, I have a request for the elders among you. (I ask this as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and as one who shares in the glory that is about to be revealed.) I urge the elders: 2 Like shepherds, tend the flock of God among you. Watch over it. Don’t shepherd because you must, but do it voluntarily for God. Don’t shepherd greedily, but do it eagerly. 3 Don’t shepherd by ruling over those entrusted to your care, but become examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory. 5 In the same way, I urge you who are younger: accept the authority of the elders. And everyone, clothe yourselves with humility toward each other. God stands against the proud, but he gives favor to the humble. (1 Peter 5:1-5, CEB)

Listen to those who are trying to help you and guide you. God will have people be in your life to guide you and help you. Sometimes they maybe leaders and sometimes they maybe random people.

All people play a part in the body of Christ and do things for everyone else. We all play a part and need to do that so God’s plan will unfold as God designed.

Accept what God has given to you and allow God to work through your life.

Who is first?

9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, doesn’t welcome us. 10 Because of this, if I come, I will bring up what he has done—making unjustified and wicked accusations against us. And as if that were not enough, he not only refuses to welcome the brothers and sisters but stops those who want to do so and even throws them out of the church! 11 Dear friend, don’t imitate what is bad but what is good. Whoever practices what is good belongs to God. Whoever practices what is bad has not seen God. 12 Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, even the truth itself. We also speak highly of him, and you know that what we say is true. (3 John 9-12, CEB)

Whoever practices what is good belongs to God and whoever practices what is bad has not seen God. OK, who decides what is good and what is bad?

I have to ask this because I am writing this the day after the presidential debate in September of 2020, and there seems to have been a need for a rule that says when your time is up and the other person is talking you must remain quiet and allow the other person to speak. Now silly me, I thought this was an understanding in a debate that each person gets a turn, but in 2020 it seems we need a rule to say this. So who decides what is good and what is bad and who belongs to God and who hasn’t seen God?

Diotrephes probably thought he was fighting for God by excluding people, and that is where it starts, but my thought is that they actually followed God and then were led astray by greed or power, or not wanting to change to follow where God was taking them. It is truly easy to see how things get twisted and we think we are doing what God wants us to be we are really far from where God wants/needs us to be.

So always check yourself with others to see that you are staying with God and not following after the desires of the community. And know that only God can decide what is good, and who isn’t included.

Bread of Life

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 26 Jesus replied, “I assure you that you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate all the food you wanted. 27 Don’t work for the food that doesn’t last but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One will give you. God the Father has confirmed him as his agent to give life.” 28 They asked, “What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?” 29 Jesus replied, “This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent.” 30 They asked, “What miraculous sign will you do, that we can see and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” 32 Jesus told them, “I assure you, it wasn’t Moses who gave the bread from heaven to you, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 The bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said, “Sir, give us this bread all the time!” 35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:25-35, CEB)

What God wants us to do is believe in the one whom God has sent.

So do you?

Do you believe that Jesus was sent by God?

Do you believe that God gave the Israelites bread from heaven?

Do you believe Jesus is the bread of life?

Do you believe you can never go hungry and will never be thirsty?

How are you living that shows this?

Or are you like the disciples and the people that searched out Jesus and need a sign or a miracle to show that all of this is true?

Live your life, so that all the above shows in everything you do…

Stand Firm

13 Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. 14 The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. 15 So all of us who are spiritually mature should think this way, and if anyone thinks differently, God will reveal it to him or her. 16 Only let’s live in a way that is consistent with whatever level we have reached. 17 Brothers and sisters, become imitators of me and watch those who live this way—you can use us as models. 18 As I have told you many times and now say with deep sadness, many people live as enemies of the cross. 19 Their lives end with destruction. Their god is their stomach, and they take pride in their disgrace because their thoughts focus on earthly things.20 Our citizenship is in heaven. We look forward to a savior that comes from there—the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform our humble bodies so that they are like his glorious body, by the power that also makes him able to subject all things to himself. 4 Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord. (Philippians 3:13–4:1, CEB)

Paul says to the Philippians that he has not obtained the goal yet, but he is pressing onward, forward towards the goal every day.

We need to leave the old self behind and continue to press forward towards Christ daily. This is how we allow Christ to change us and continue to mold us into the person God created us to be.

We can not let our pasts or those around us pull us to a place we do not want or need to be. We must stand firm in our faith and press on towards the goal of being who God created us to be.

strategy

17 But you, dear friends, remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the end time scoffers will come living according to their own ungodly desires.” 19 These people create divisions. Since they don’t have the Spirit, they are worldly. 20 But you, dear friends: build each other up on the foundation of your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep each other in the love of God, wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will give you eternal life. 22 Have mercy on those who doubt. 23 Save some by snatching them from the fire. Fearing God, have mercy on some, hating even the clothing contaminated by their sinful urges. 24 To the one who is able to protect you from falling, and to present you blameless and rejoicing before his glorious presence, 25 to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, belong glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, now and forever. Amen. (Jude 17-25, CEB)

We have the sure foundation and we need to make sure we are building on that foundation. Then when scoffers and those who are not really in the Spirit come to shake us, we will stand firm.

Now that doesn’t mean that things have to always stay the same, it means the foundation doesn’t change. It means we are firmly planted on Christ and that God is doing the building. We are secure in the basis of our lives on God, and that makes everything true and right.

So keep the firm foundation and allow God to build you up.

Wedding Party

Jesus responded by speaking again in parables: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding party for his son. 3 He sent his servants to call those invited to the wedding party. But they didn’t want to come. 4 Again he sent other servants and said to them, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look, the meal is all prepared. I’ve butchered the oxen and the fattened cattle. Now everything’s ready. Come to the wedding party!”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went away—some to their fields, others to their businesses. 6 The rest of them grabbed his servants, abused them, and killed them. 7 “The king was angry. He sent his soldiers to destroy those murderers and set their city on fire.8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding party is prepared, but those who were invited weren’t worthy. 9 Therefore, go to the roads on the edge of town and invite everyone you find to the wedding party.’ 10 “Then those servants went to the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding party was full of guests. 11 Now when the king came in and saw the guests, he spotted a man who wasn’t wearing wedding clothes. 12 He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to his servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet and throw him out into the farthest darkness. People there will be weeping and grinding their teeth.’ 14 “Many people are invited, but few people are chosen.” (Matthew 22:1-14, CEB)

Why was this man without a wedding garment? There are texts that say that the king provided wedding garments for the guests, so this person would have been given the proper clothing to wear when they arrived at the feast, so then why were they not wearing them? Maybe they didn’t think they needed to wear the clothing. Maybe they didn’t like the way it looked. Maybe they just believed they didn’t need it.

Is there anytime that we don’t wear the clothing God has given us?

God supplies us with garments to wear and yet we want to wear our own things. We want to do it our own way, and while God is a loving God, sometimes there is a need to wear the garment. Because God has so richly dressed us, we dishonor God by not wearing what God has provided. And while wearing it can not earn us a place in the banquet, we are already invited and accepted there, by not wearing it we can upset God.

And maybe these garments are not outward garments, but clothing of our hearts. Meaning we are here in the gathering but our hearts hold animosity and hatred for others and that is seen by God who knows that is not what we should be thinking and feeling.

How can we cloth our lives in the beautiful things God has given us and know that God loves us?

Surrender yourself and your life to God and allow God to cloth you and lead you. And love everyone and pray for them. So that all may know they are welcome at the banquet and have the beautiful garments waiting for them.

fasting

18 John’s disciples and the Pharisees had a habit of fasting. Some people asked Jesus, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but yours don’t?” 19 Jesus said, “The wedding guests can’t fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they can’t fast. 20 But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. 21 “No one sews a piece of new, unshrunk cloth on old clothes; otherwise, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and makes a worse tear. 22 No one pours new wine into old leather wineskins; otherwise, the wine would burst the wineskins and the wine would be lost and the wineskins destroyed. But new wine is for new wineskins.” (Mark 2:18-22, CEB)

Have you ever fasted?

It is an interesting experience to go for several days without food. It focuses your mind on hunger, and yet you can channel that energy to other things. You can focus on God and how the love of the divine is ever present even in your need.

And in the passage here we hear Jesus talk about the timing of things. Sometimes we get so hung up in the way other people practice their religion that it tales away from ours. You need to use the tools that help you to focus on God. If fasting is one of those, use it, if not, then don’t .

Don’t judge others by how they do or do not practice religion. Focus yourself how you need to and let that be enough.

Humble yourself

4 You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. 5 Or do you suppose that scripture is meaningless? Doesn’t God long for our faithfulness in the life he has given to us? 6 But he gives us more grace. This is why it says, God stands against the proud, but favors the humble. 7 Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. 8 Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Cry out in sorrow, mourn, and weep! Let your laughter become mourning and your joy become sadness. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (James 4:4-10, CEB)

This passage always reminds me of the song Humble thy self…

Humble thy self in the sight of the Lord,
Humble thy self in the sight of the Lord,
And God will lift you up, higher and higher,
And God shall lift you up.

if we are humble and not proud about what we have done, then God will lift us up. We will be noticed by God for the things we do, and God will be pleased. Not that we have to do works or things to get God’s favor, we already have that, but God created us to do good works here and now so that all will come to know God’s love.

So stand against the proud and be humble.

Tend the flock

Therefore, I have a request for the elders among you. (I ask this as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and as one who shares in the glory that is about to be revealed.) I urge the elders: 2 Like shepherds, tend the flock of God among you. Watch over it. Don’t shepherd because you must, but do it voluntarily for God. Don’t shepherd greedily, but do it eagerly. 3 Don’t shepherd by ruling over those entrusted to your care, but become examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory. 5 In the same way, I urge you who are younger: accept the authority of the elders. And everyone, clothe yourselves with humility toward each other. God stands against the proud, but he gives favor to the humble. (1 Peter 5:1-5, 12-14, CEB)

Have you ever been a leader in an organization?

Were you asked?

Did you run? And if you ran did you campaign?

And if you ran for a leadership position, why did you do this?

Was it for the power?

Here the author tells us to lead because we can and to look out for others as it is our duty. We don’t do it for honor or prestige. We do it because we have been gifted and have the ability to be a positive impact on the lives of others.

Be humble and allow God to lead through you.