enduring

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands: 2“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.5Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:1-7, NRSV)

We need to endure with what we have been given to do. Even when it seems we are done we need to hold fast.

The people of Ephesus were bold in their love of God and followed after God testing those who came in God’s name. But they forgot their first love and moved away from that. We need to hold tight to our fist love and allow that to carry us through and not look for more beyond that.

Follow after God and remember what God has given you to be and to do.

Share God’s love with all the world, and never lose sight of how God holds on to you.

secret made known

24“A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; 25it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household! 26“So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 27What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30And even the hairs of your head are all counted. 31So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32“Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; 33but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven. 34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. 37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 10:24-39, NRSV)

God knows your worth because God created you. And everything that people think they do in the dark and undercover God knows. And so will everyone else. It will be made known.

So proclaim what God has told you and do not worry about what society will do to you. Because they might be able to destroy your fleshly body, but they can not destroy you. Only God can do that. So be bold and share God’s love. Even when the world pushes back. We need to be witnesses to the love and mercy that God showers on us.

We must share God’s grace in everything we do.

Beware the yeast of the Pharisees

53When he went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile toward him and to cross-examine him about many things, 54lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say. Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy. 2Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. 3Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops. (Luke 11:53—12:3, NRSV)

They wanted to catch him in something he would say. They were baiting him to say what he believed and felt and wanted to use that against him.

So many times in life we are asked questions not so others can learn about us but so they can find something to use against us.

What if we never went into a conversation with motives other than to love others and get to know them better?

Because a little yeast spoils the whole batch and once it is in you can’t get it out.

We must be careful how we are and act towards others, and not let our lives cause issues or trouble for others. We are called to love as God loved us.

Prison break

17Then the high priest took action; he and all who were with him (that is, the sect of the Sadducees), being filled with jealousy, 18arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. 19But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors, brought them out, and said,20“Go, stand in the temple and tell the people the whole message about this life.” 21When they heard this, they entered the temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching. When the high priest and those with him arrived, they called together the council and the whole body of the elders of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22But when the temple police went there, they did not find them in the prison; so they returned and reported, 23“We found the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24Now when the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were perplexed about them, wondering what might be going on. 25Then someone arrived and announced, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26Then the captain went with the temple police and brought them, but without violence, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. (Acts 5:17-26, NRSV)

Today is the celebration of Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, the day the Emancipation Proclamation was read to enslaved African Americans in Texas by Gordon Granger. Texas was the last Confederate State to have the proclamation announced, after the end of the American Civil War in April of that year. Texas was the most remote of the slave states, and minimal fighting meant there were few Union troops present to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation until after the war ended.

It is interesting to me that this devo falls on today. Those who were held as slaves were freed when they should have already been freed and the apostles who were imprisoned wrongly were freed. God works in ways we do not understand.

How can we help the world see that God created us all in a wonderful tapestry of beauty that needs to be seen? How can we all show God’s love to the world and love as God first loved us?

We are all called to set the captive free where ever we see that. Lift up the lowly and help those in need.

That is what God called us all to.

human beings

5Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? 7You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, 8subjecting all things under their feet.” Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them,9but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (Hebrews 2:5-9, NRSV)

What are humans or mortals that you care for them?

Why does God care for us?

Because God created us. That is why God cares for us. We are the creation of God, knit together in our mother’s womb, and a blessing to our parents.

Each of us is a gift to the world.

And we each have a purpose here. Do not let anyone tell you different.

God created you and you are loved.

Take time to pray

12Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. 13And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:14Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon, who was called the Zealot, 16and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. 17He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. 18They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. (Luke 6:12-19, NRSV)

Jesus took time to pray. During the day and at night. Jesus spent time with the Father.

How do we take time to pray?

There are lots of things to do. We all have to-do lists longer than we want, but the thing at the top of that list should be prayer.

When you start your day with prayer and end it in prayer things will go better.

Always Say A Prayer!

God chose you

13But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.15So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. 16Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you, 2and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. 3But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. 4And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will go on doing the things that we command.5May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. (2 Thessalonians 2:13— 3:5, NRSV)

Hold fast to the traditions you have been taught. But what if tradition is something that holds another down?

God chose you to be one who would share God’s love and mercy with all of the world. Not just with those who we have been taught or heard should hear about love and mercy. God loved us and chose us when we could not be with God. When our sin was covering us and we could not be in God’s presence. And because of this, we need to share that love and mercy with everyone. Not those we deem fit because God would not have deemed you fit.

God chose you to make a difference. So go and share the love you received, knowing it will never run out.

 

destined for

Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we decided to be left alone in Athens; 2and we sent Timothy, our brother and co-worker for God in proclaiming the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you for the sake of your faith, 3so that no one would be shaken by these persecutions. Indeed, you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for. 4In fact, when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer persecution; so it turned out, as you know. 5For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith; I was afraid that somehow the tempter had tempted you and that our labor had been in vain. (1 Thessalonians 3:1-5, NRSV)

Paul told the Thessalonians he was destined for persecution.

What are we destined for?

Greatness or lowliness?

Are we destined for persecutions or rewards?

I know what will come in the very end, an eternity with God. And it will be marvelous and better than I could ever imagine.

But on the way there there will be strife and hardship, persecution, and evil. It will not be an easy road because things will have to change when God’s love comes in and we do not like change. We want things to remain the same as they have always been, so it will be uncomfortable, but remember what we are destined for.

Remember.

sent

35Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;4Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him. 5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 9Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. 11Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12As you enter the house, greet it. 13If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; 18and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. 19When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; 20for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; 22and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. (Matthew 9:35—10:23, NRSV)

Notice that Jesus said if you are welcomed stay and if not shake the dust off your feet. It is not your place to change anyone’s mind. If someone will listen to you, then have a conversation and tell them about God’s love. If they will not listen, then move along and don’t waste your time. We are not put here to make people change their minds. We are to go and help and share God’s love with the world and if people accept that, then God will change them, and if they don’t accept God’s love, God will change them. You see it is God that changed you and will do the work to change others.

We just need to be faithful to go and share the love that has been shared with us if people are willing to hear it.

So go and share. Love as you were loved and don’t worry about changing anyone.

wash your hands…

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them.3(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) 5So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 7in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ 8You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” 9Then he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition! 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ 11But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban’ (that is, an offering to God)— 12then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, 13thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this.” (Mark 7:1-13, NRSV)

How many of you have ever been in a restroom and seen someone walk out without washing their hands?

It is disgusting. And we have all learned here in the past 3 months just how much we all need to wash our hands. And wash them for at least 20 seconds. Say the Lord’s Prayer while you wash them.

But is it really about following traditions for the sake of following them or for understanding why we do them?

We should love God and neighbor and through keeping the traditions this should allow us to love others, but when the traditions get in the way of loving others, we must do away with traditions.

We have come to a time in history where we must stop doing things the way we always have and listen to each other and move forward together.

Wash your hands and listen to your neighbor. And love them as God loved you.