Be!

God wanted to make the glorious riches of this secret plan known among the Gentiles, which is Christ living in you, the hope of glory. This is what we preach as we warn and teach every person with all wisdom so that we might present each one mature in Christ. I work hard and struggle for this goal with his energy, which works in me powerfully. I want you to know how much I struggle for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who haven’t known me personally. My goal is that their hearts would be encouraged and united together in love so that they might have all the riches of assurance that come with understanding, so that they might have the knowledge of the secret plan of God, namely Christ. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in him. I’m telling you this so that no one deceives you with convincing arguments, because even though I am absent physically, I’m with you in spirit. I’m happy to see the discipline and stability of your faith in Christ. So live in Christ Jesus the Lord in the same way as you received him. Be rooted and built up in him, be established in faith, and overflow with thanksgiving just as you were taught. (Colossians 1:27—2:7, CEB)

Do not be deceived by convincing arguments.

Be:
Rooted and built up in Christ
Established in faith
Overflowing with thanksgiving

Do the things you know you were called to and gifted for. All with thanksgiving for the overflowing grace and love we have received.

Know God is always with you and helping you along the way.

Be who you were created to be.

better part

While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.” The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42, CEB)

What is the better part?

The movie City Slickers has this brief dialogue:
Curly: You know what the secret of life is?
Mitch: No, what?
Curly: This. [and he holds up his index finger]
Mitch: Your finger?
Curly: One thing. Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean shit.
Mitch: That’s great, but what’s the one thing?
Curly: That’s what you’ve got to figure out.

Is it better to serve, like Jesus told us to do with the Good Samaritan, the story that comes directly before this one in the gospel of Luke, or is it better to sit and listen?

Jesus told Martha, “you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary.” Only one thing is necessary, the better one. Do not be distracted by many things. “Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.” So is listening better than serving?

Mary is focused on Jesus. Martha is focused on Mary, or the lack of help Mary is giving her. Martha is not focused on Jesus, she is focused on making things perfect and seeing that Mary is not fulfilling the things that Martha thinks needs to be done.

Mary is focused on Jesus.

Who are you focused on?

What?!?!

When a great crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from one city after another, he spoke to them in a parable: “A farmer went out to scatter his seed. As he was scattering it, some fell on the path where it was crushed, and the birds in the sky came and ate it. Other seed fell on rock. As it grew, it dried up because it had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorns grew with the plants and choked them. Still other seed landed on good soil. When it grew, it produced one hundred times more grain than was scattered.” As he said this, he called out, “Everyone who has ears should pay attention.” His disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “You have been given the mysteries of God’s kingdom, but these mysteries come to everyone else in parables so that when they see, they can’t see, and when they hear, they can’t understand. (Luke 8:4-10, CEB)

“You have been given the mysteries of God’s kingdom, but these mysteries come to everyone else in parables so that when they see, they can’t see, and when they hear, they can’t understand.” This is partly why taking a snippet out of the bible does not give you the whole picture.

Jesus told the parable of the sower. And the disciples asked, ‘What does this mean?’ and Jesus said what I quoted above. Jesus told the disciples they have been given the mysteries, and they see what others can’t and hear what others can’t. But then it ends, so how does that answer the question what does this mean? It doesn’t, but if you continue reading from there in the gospel of Luke, you get the explanation of the parable. So, without the continued story, we really do not get the answer.

Some get it, some don’t, like seeds falling on the ground, it has as much to do with the seed as it does the ground it falls on. We are called to cast seed. And let God do the rest.

So cast seed.

imagine

This is why I kneel before the Father. Every ethnic group in heaven or on earth is recognized by him. I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us; glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus for all generations, forever and always. Amen. (Ephesians 3:14-21, CEB)

What do you imagine God can do?

What do you hope God can do?

Whatever it is, put it aside and stand back as we see the wonders of God. For the things we imagine or hope for only scratch the surface of what God is able to do.

Do not let our imagination get in the way of God’s doing.

all must atone

Every high priest is taken from the people and put in charge of things that relate to God for their sake, in order to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. The high priest is able to deal gently with the ignorant and those who are misled since he himself is prone to weakness. Because of his weakness, he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the people. No one takes this honor for themselves but takes it only when they are called by God, just like Aaron. In the same way Christ also didn’t promote himself to become high priest. Instead, it was the one who said to him, You are my Son. Today I have become your Father, as he also says in another place, You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 5:1-6, CEB)

This passage is interesting. It tells us the High Priest is able to deal gently with the ignorant and those misled, since the High Priest is also prone to weakness. High Priests are able to deal gently with the ignorant… Interesting

And all need to atone for their sinfulness, even the priests, because we all put our pants on the same way, one leg at a time.

No one is better than anyone else. We all need grace, and we all fall short.

So love like Jesus and lift others up, and do not think better of yourself than you ought.

Surprise

“Now when the Human One comes in his majesty and all his angels are with him, he will sit on his majestic throne. All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate them from each other, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right side. But the goats he will put on his left. “Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world began. I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’ “Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ “Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Get away from me, you who will receive terrible things. Go into the unending fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry and you didn’t give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink. I was a stranger and you didn’t welcome me. I was naked and you didn’t give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn’t do anything to help you?’ Then he will answer, ‘I assure you that when you haven’t done it for one of the least of these, you haven’t done it for me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment. But the righteous ones will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-46, CEB)

This is the thing about this passage. There are two groups of people, and one is surprised that they did something for Jesus, and the other is surprised that they did not. And the ones who did get the good stuff and the ones who did not get cast away.

So you actually never know who Jesus is so you should always treat everyone like they are Jesus to not mess this up.

Love all, all the time. Period.

like that

This is the message that you heard from the beginning: love each other. Don’t behave like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he kill him? He killed him because his own works were evil, but the works of his brother were righteous. Don’t be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have transferred from death to life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The person who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them. This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. But if someone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help—how can the love of God dwell in a person like that? (1 John 3:11-17, CEB)

How can the love of God dwell in a person like that?

If you have the ability to help and you do not, do you even know love?

We are called to love. Love like Jesus.

Give up everything for the other. Because everything we have comes from God and God can refill the cup.

So do not be like that, but love.

Loving People. Loving God.

evil-minded judges

My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory. Imagine two people coming into your meeting. One has a gold ring and fine clothes, while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags. Then suppose that you were to take special notice of the one wearing fine clothes, saying, “Here’s an excellent place. Sit here.” But to the poor person you say, “Stand over there”; or, “Here, sit at my feet.” Wouldn’t you have shown favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges? My dear brothers and sisters, listen! Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor by worldly standards to be rich in terms of faith? Hasn’t God chosen the poor as heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the wealthy make life difficult for you? Aren’t they the ones who drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who insult the good name spoken over you at your baptism? (James 2:1-7, CEB)

Do not be evil-minded judges. Do not look at the cover of the book, or judge people based on their clothing or appearance.

All people are children of God and deserve the same respect regardless of creed, nationality, or gender. Period. We are all the same in the eyes of God.

Do not judge others. Love them as God loves you.

Loving People. Loving God.

demonstrated mercy

A legal expert stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you interpret it?” He responded, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” But the legal expert wanted to prove that he was right, so he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. He encountered thieves, who stripped him naked, beat him up, and left him near death. Now it just so happened that a priest was also going down the same road. When he saw the injured man, he crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. Likewise, a Levite came by that spot, saw the injured man, and crossed over to the other side of the road and went on his way. A Samaritan, who was on a journey, came to where the man was. But when he saw him, he was moved with compassion. The Samaritan went to him and bandaged his wounds, tending them with oil and wine. Then he placed the wounded man on his own donkey, took him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day, he took two full days’ worth of wages and gave them to the innkeeper. He said, ‘Take care of him, and when I return, I will pay you back for any additional costs.’ What do you think? Which one of these three was a neighbor to the man who encountered thieves?” Then the legal expert said, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:25-37, CEB)

Who was the neighbor to the man, “The one who demonstrated mercy toward him.” Go and do likewise…

Who do you show mercy to?

Those who are like you?
Believe the same as you?
Are a part of the same ethnic group as you?
Won’t make you ritually unclean?

We are to show mercy to all people. To gain eternal life, you must love God and all as yourself.

Demonstrate Mercy at all times!

Loving People. Loving God.

judge

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. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 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. “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. 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. Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.” (John 3:16-21, CEB)

We all think it is our place to judge others. We need to judge ourselves and make our own lives be in line with what God has called us to do and be, not others.

Actually, John 3:17 says it clearly, “God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world,” and if God did not send Jesus here to judge, I am pretty sure They didn’t send you to judge either.

Show love in all you do.

Loving People. Loving God.