Judgment

29 “How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 You say, ‘If we had lived in our ancestors’ days, we wouldn’t have joined them in killing the prophets.’ 31 You testify against yourselves that you are children of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, complete what your ancestors did. 33 You snakes! You children of snakes! How will you be able to escape the judgment of hell? 34 Therefore, look, I’m sending you prophets, wise people, and legal experts. Some of them you will kill and crucify. And some you will beat in your synagogues and chase from city to city. 35 Therefore, upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been poured out on the earth, from the blood of that righteous man Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. 36 I assure you that all these things will come upon this generation. (Matthew 23:29-36, CEB)

How we will be judged. And how we judge!

The people who killed Jesus, the powers that be of the religious order of the time who killed the prophets that God sent to warn them and show them how to live, and then wound up killing God’s Son.

But the interesting thing to me as I read this today was, “the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.” Between the temple and the altar…

Where is Between the Temple and the Altar?

The Altar is the place of sacrifice and the Temple contains the altar doesn’t it? Well here the Altar is probably the altar for burnt offerings which stood outside the Temple which contained the altar where sacrifices were done, which is the Holy of Holies. So they killed Zechariah in the place where God was worshipped.

Have we come so low that we do this?

How have we belittled God with our actions?

Bring

As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the good news. 16 But everyone hasn’t obeyed the good news. As Isaiah says, Lord, who has had faith in our message? 17 So, faith comes from listening, but it’s listening by means of Christ’s message. 18 But I ask you, didn’t they hear it? Definitely! Their voice has gone out into the entire earth, and their message has gone out to the corners of the inhabited world. 19 But I ask you again, didn’t Israel understand? First, Moses says, I will make you jealous of those who aren’t a people, of a people without understanding. 20 And Isaiah even dares to say, I was found by those who didn’t look for me; I revealed myself to those who didn’t ask for me. 21 But he says about Israel, All day long I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people. (Romans 10:15b-21, CEB)

You have been called to take the message of the love of God to the world!!!

Seem like a huge task?

Well in actuality it is. But realize you are not doing it alone, you along with all of God’s children are sharing the love of God with the world.

You just need to be faithful with taking the message and living a life that points people to God’s love for them.

You will show those who don’t love God God.

You are a beautiful messenger for the Lord!

A Visit

11 I’ve become a fool! You made me do it. Actually, I should have been commended by you. I’m not inferior to the super-apostles in any way, even though I’m a nonentity. 12 The signs of an apostle were performed among you with continuous endurance through signs, wonders, and miracles. 13 How were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I myself wasn’t a financial burden on you? Forgive me for this wrong! 14 Look, I’m ready to visit you a third time, and I won’t be a burden on you. I don’t want your things; I want you. It isn’t the children’s responsibility to save up for their parents but parents for children. 15 I will very gladly spend and be spent for your sake. If I love you more, will you love me less? 16 We all know that I didn’t place a burden on you, but in spite of that you think I’m a con artist who fooled you with a trick. 17 I haven’t taken advantage of you through any of the people I sent to you, have I? 18 I strongly encouraged Titus to go to you and sent the brother with him. Titus didn’t take advantage of you, did he? Didn’t we live by the same Spirit? Didn’t we walk in the same footsteps? 19 Have you been thinking up to now that we are defending ourselves to you? Actually, we are speaking in the sight of God and in Christ. Dear friends, everything is meant to build you up. 20 I’m afraid that maybe when I come you will be different from the way I want you to be, and that I’ll be different from the way you want me to be. I’m afraid that there might be fighting, obsession, losing your temper, competitive opposition, backstabbing, gossip, conceit, and disorderly conduct. 21 I’m afraid that when I come again, my God may embarrass me in front of you. I might have to go into mourning over all the people who have sinned before and haven’t changed their hearts and lives from what they used to practice: moral corruption, sexual immorality, and doing whatever feels good. (2 Corinthians 12:11-21, CEB)

Would you ever be embarrassed to visit someone you knew?

Why?

Paul here tells the Corinthians that he is coming to visit, but he might be mourning over those who have sinned and not returned to God.

Where are we with our faith?

Where are you with God?

We can and do turn away from God, but God is always there to accept us back when we turn around and come back.

Would Paul be mourning over you?

Unforgivable

22 They brought to Jesus a demon-possessed man who was blind and unable to speak. Jesus healed him so that he could both speak and see. 23 All the crowds were amazed and said, “This man couldn’t be the Son of David, could he?” 24 When the Pharisees heard, they said, “This man throws out demons only by the authority of Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.” 25 Because Jesus knew what they were thinking, he replied, “Every kingdom involved in civil war becomes a wasteland. Every city or house torn apart by divisions will collapse. 26 If Satan throws out Satan, he is at war with himself. How then can his kingdom endure? 27 And if I throw out demons by the authority of Beelzebul, then by whose authority do your followers throw them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 28 But if I throw out demons by the power of God’s Spirit, then God’s kingdom has already overtaken you. 29 Can people go into a house that belongs to a strong man and steal his possessions, unless they first tie up the strong man? Then they can rob his house. 30 Whoever isn’t with me is against me, and whoever doesn’t gather with me scatters. 31 “Therefore, I tell you that people will be forgiven for every sin and insult to God. But insulting the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven. 32 And whoever speaks a word against the Human One will be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit won’t be forgiven, not in this age or in the age that is coming. (Matthew 12:22-32, CEB)

The unforgivable sin is speaking against the Holy Spirit. Everything else can be forgiven.

Saying that a house is divided against itself, saying whatever you want against Jesus and the Father, but denying or speaking against the Holy Spirit is unforgivable.

Every time I read this I wonder if I have done this. Because really what does this mean? I ran away from God when I was called to go to seminary for a long time. Was that speaking against the Holy Spirit? Because I knew who I was and I would say that there is no way that God wants me to be a pastor, even though I knew, I knew that is what was supposed to happen.

How are we sure?

One thing we can always be sure of is God’s love. we are always loved.

Philadelphia

7 “Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
These are the words of the one who is holy and true, who has the key of David. Whatever he opens, no one will shut; and whatever he shuts, no one opens. 8 I know your works. Look! I have set in front of you an open door that no one can shut. You have so little power, and yet you have kept my word and haven’t denied my name. 9 Because of this I will make the people from Satan’s synagogue (who say they are Jews and really aren’t, but are lying)—I will make them come and bow down at your feet and realize that I have loved you.10 Because you kept my command to endure, I will keep you safe through the time of testing that is about to come over the whole world, to test those who live on earth. 11 I’m coming soon. Hold on to what you have so that no one takes your crown. 12 As for those who emerge victorious, I will make them pillars in the temple of my God, and they will never leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God. I will also write on them my own new name. 13 If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. (Revelation 3:7-13, CEB)

Things are going to get rough.

Maybe things already have gotten rough…

And we have little power to do anything about the things happening around. Except to stay true to our faith and calling that God has given us. And when we are victorious in this, God will have those who were not bow at our feet and make them realize that we have been showing them all along the ways of God.

So hold fast in your faith and do not be shaken. We can not change the world, but we can be a witness to the world.

Share God’s love in all you do!

Sardis

“Write this to the angel of the church in Sardis: These are the words of the one who holds God’s seven spirits and the seven stars: I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, and you are in fact dead.2 Wake up and strengthen whatever you have left, teetering on the brink of death, for I’ve found that your works are far from complete in the eyes of my God. 3 So remember what you received and heard. Hold on to it and change your hearts and lives. If you don’t wake up, I will come like a thief, and you won’t know what time I will come upon you. 4 But you do have a few people in Sardis who haven’t stained their clothing. They will walk with me clothed in white because they are worthy. 5 Those who emerge victorious will wear white clothing like this. I won’t scratch out their names from the scroll of life, but will declare their names in the presence of my Father and his angels.6 If you can hear, listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. (Revelation 3:1-6, CEB)

You seem to be alive, yet you are dead…

Seems like the state of Christianity today in the world. We as Christians seem to be more interested in people being just like us and acting in certain ways and not doing certain things before God will love them.

I say we because those who are not Christian, I assume, lump us all into one pot, as we Christians normally do for Muslims, Jews, or insert other religion here. And even this of course is a generalization. We are not all like this, but we get labeled certain things because we say we are Christian.

So how can those of us who haven’t stained our clothes bring God’s love to the forefront of the conversation? How can we bring God’s love to bear on the world?

Stay focused on Jesus and do what we are led to do and know that God is always with us.

saving vs losing life

21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and legal experts, and that he had to be killed and raised on the third day. 22 Then Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him: “God forbid, Lord! This won’t happen to you.” 23 But he turned to Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are a stone that could make me stumble, for you are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. 25 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me will find them. 26 Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives? 27 For the Human One is about to come with the majesty of his Father with his angels. And then he will repay each one for what that person has done. 28 I assure you that some standing here won’t die before they see the Human One coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:21-28, CEB)

What are you focused on?

Peter was just given the keys to the kingdom, the power to loose sin, and bind sin. He can forgive as Jesus forgives, and here he has lost his focus.

Peter knows what he and the other disciples have talked about happening, but has forgotten that the way we envision things is seldom the way it happens.

To quote a great opening to a movie, My Sister’s Keeper starts out, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans…”

God has things ready to go, and sometimes we get in the way, but God still gets the job done.

So be like Peter from last week, led by the spirit, focused on God. And try not to be like the Peter from this passage that is right after last weeks, stumbling over yourself because you think you understand what needs to happen better than God. Don’t make God laugh, make God smile, by following where God guides you. And know that while you carry your cross, God is always with you.

healing of many people

14 Jesus went home with Peter and saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and served them.16 That evening people brought to Jesus many who were demon-possessed. He threw the spirits out with just a word. He healed everyone who was sick. 17 This happened so that what Isaiah the prophet said would be fulfilled: He is the one who took our illnesses and carried away our diseases. (Matthew 8:14-17, CEB)

Here is a passage that has some issues we think as we read it. Jesus went into Peter’s home and saw Peter’s mother-in-law in bed with a fever. So Jesus healed her and she went and started working in the house again. Now working in the house was where most women were in Jesus’ time, but that is not to say that that is where women shoudl be now. But the point of this is Jesus not only healed her but restored her to the community. She was able to do what she was to be doing when she was not able to by being with a fever.

That is what Jesus did for all He healed. It was not just curing them of infirmities but restoring them to the community.

Has Jesus restored you to the community?

hidden plan

7 The hidden plan to live without any law is at work now, but it will be secret only until the one who is holding it back is out of the way. 8 Then the person who is lawless will be revealed. The Lord Jesus will destroy him with the breath from his mouth. When the Lord comes, his appearance will put an end to him. 9 When the person who is lawless comes, it will happen through Satan’s effort, with all kinds of fake power, signs, and wonders. 10 It will happen with every sort of wicked deception of those who are heading toward destruction because they have refused to love the truth that would allow them to be saved. 11 This is why God will send them an influence that will mislead them so that they will believe the lie. 12 The result will be that everyone will be judged who is not convinced by the truth but is happy with injustice. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, CEB)

Those who are happy with injustice will be judged because they will follow after the one who is lawless.

Who is truly happy with injustice? This is an interesting question for this period in time. Where we have people saying that churches should be open because people are rioting all over the place. It is safe to riot but it isn’t safe to gather in a church. Well first of all, not everyone is rioting. Some are peacefully protesting. And yes it is unsafe for us to be in churches, but that doesn’t mean churches are closed.

You see this passage is actually very relevant today because all of us who perpetuate the system of racism are the ones who follow after the lawless one and are happy with injustice.

All of us who cry for justice for people who got justice while our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) siblings don’t have it are ones who follow the lawless. We need to stand up for justice for all and for some of us that looks like we are getting the short end of the stick, but that is because we have lived in a society that was built on racism and we have gained from it. That means we must change our view and see things from our siblings point of view. It isn’t easy, but it must be done.

Do not follow the lawless, and seek justice for all.

Children of the Light

Therefore, imitate God like dearly loved children. 2 Live your life with love, following the example of Christ, who loved us and gave himself for us. He was a sacrificial offering that smelled sweet to God. 3 Sexual immorality, and any kind of impurity or greed, shouldn’t even be mentioned among you, which is right for holy persons. 4 Obscene language, silly talk, or vulgar jokes aren’t acceptable for believers. Instead, there should be thanksgiving. 5 Because you know for sure that persons who are sexually immoral, impure, or greedy—which happens when things become gods—those persons won’t inherit the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Nobody should deceive you with stupid ideas. God’s anger comes down on those who are disobedient because of this kind of thing. (Ephesians 5:1-6, CEB)

Nobody should deceive you with stupid ideas…

Hold my drink and watch this…

We should not follow after those who lead us astray, but rather follow after Christ and be imitators of God.

We should be thankful for what we have and show the love that we have been given to the world, so that they might know that same love is available for them.

How do you imitate God?