walk in love

The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever: Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love. I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it. Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:1-9. NRSV)

This is love that we walk in the commandments and keep them that we have heard from the beginning.

You must walk in the ways of Christ, the ways set before us. This will show the world His love.

So walk in love.

slaves

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are descendants of Abraham; yet you look for an opportunity to kill me, because there is no place in you for my word. I declare what I have seen in the Father’s presence; as for you, you should do what you have heard from the Father.” They answered him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing what Abraham did, but now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are indeed doing what your father does.” They said to him, “We are not illegitimate children; we have one father, God himself.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot accept my word. You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.” (John 8:31-47, NRSV)

I always find this passage to be a bit flabbergasting!

I mean the Jews say they are descendants of Abraham, which is true, but they seem to have forgotten a little period when Moses was here.

All of the Jewish nation was in captivity in Eygpt. They were slaves, that Moses got Pharoh to set free.

They were slaves. And God worked through Moses to free them once and now they have forgotten it and are trying to kill the one who can truly make them free.

All because it doesn’t fit in their box for how life and God should be.

So what are you a slave to because how God wants to handle it won’t fit in your God box?

Truth

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.  (John 14:1-6, NRSV)

“Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

How can we know the truth when so many people are saying they have the “right” way to follow Christ?

Who is right and who is not?

What is the way?

And what is “the life”. I’ve heard people say, “This is the life!” But what does that mean?

That at that moment everything is great and there is nothing wrong? Does that make the life?

So what is the right way to follow?

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, so follow Him and not what others are telling you is Him.

Follow Jesus.

Hail the king

Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard of the palace (that is, the governor’s headquarters); and they called together the whole cohort. And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They struck his head with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. After mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull). And they offered him wine mixed with myrrh; but he did not take it. And they crucified him, and divided his clothes among them, casting lots to decide what each should take. It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him. The inscription of the charge against him read, “The King of the Jews.” And with him they crucified two bandits, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross!” In the same way the chief priests, along with the scribes, were also mocking him among themselves and saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe.” Those who were crucified with him also taunted him. (Mark 15:16-32, NRSV)

Hail the king, but is this how we treat a king?

Spit on him?

Flog him?

Nail him to a tree?

Hang him half-naked for all the world to see?

But when we don’t bring Him to the forefront of our lives, how are we treating him?

So hail the king and give Him the honor He deserves!

What’s in a name?

As soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. They bound Jesus, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” He answered him, “You say so.” Then the chief priests accused him of many things. Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed. Now at the festival he used to release a prisoner for them, anyone for whom they asked. Now a man called Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder during the insurrection. So the crowd came and began to ask Pilate to do for them according to his custom. Then he answered them, “Do you want me to release for you the King of the Jews?” For he realized that it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you wish me to do with the man you call the King of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” Pilate asked them, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him!” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:1-15, NRSV)

What was Jesus’ name?

Ok, many of you probably said, Jesus. Ha ha very funny. But what was His last name?

It’s not Christ, that is a title.

His last name depends on whom His father is. If we say Jesus’ father was Joseph his name would be Jesus BarJoesph.

Which leads us to the man that Pilate releases in the reading. His name is Barabbas. That is his last name and is very revealing…

You see Bar is a prefix that means son of. Jesus heals the blind man Bartimaeus, which is literally the son of Timaeus.

So Barabbas literally means son of the Abbas or Fathers or Father. Barabbas is son of the father. Which is also Jesus’ name isn’t it?

So when they ask for the Son of the Father to be released and crucified do they know what they are asking?

Why do you ask?

Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”  Jesus answered, “Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  (John 18:33-37, NRSV)

Do you ask this of your own accord or did others tell you about me?

Why do we want to know the things we do?

Is it because we are curious or is it because we want to get something out of it?

And if Pilate did want to know of his own accord what would he gain?

What does it matter that Jesus is King of the Jews?

Why would it matter if He had legions of angels to come and fight?

What would it change here?

I believe Jesus is my King, not because of what He can do for me, but because of what He did for me!

And that is all my gain. Not because I did something, but because He did it all.

So hail Christ as King! And sing it from the mountaintops!

take courage

O how abundant is your goodness
that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of everyone!
In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
from contentious tongues.
Blessed be the LORD,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was beset as a city under siege.
I had said in my alarm,
“I am driven far from your sight.”
But you heard my supplications
when I cried out to you for help.
Love the LORD, all you his saints.
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the LORD.
(Psalm 31:19-24, NRSV)

Take courage!

Be Strong! For God is with us!

He will set aside our fears and use us in ways we could not imagine.  He will be our ever present help in trouble and will ease our souls.

So do not let fear get the best of you, but be strong on the Lord!

make you stand


134HBut you, beloved, must remember the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; for they said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts.” It is these worldly people, devoid of the Spirit, who are causing divisions. But you, beloved, build yourselves up on your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God; look forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on some who are wavering; save others by snatching them out of the fire; and have mercy on still others with fear, hating even the tunic defiled by their bodies. Now to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand without blemish in the presence of his glory with rejoicing, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.  (Jude 17-25, NRSV)

Who is the one who makes you stand?

In the end times, which many will say we are in, there will be lots of stuff happening and it will cause some of us to lose our faith. We will waiver and falter and not know what to do.

But He who makes us stand will not leave us nor forsake us.

So remember who makes you stand and rely on Him.

Watch out

Watch out for DeceiversMany deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist!  Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person. (2 John 1:7-11, NRSV)

We have to love others, and provide for their needs, but we also have to protect ourselves and be on watch for those who might lead us astray.

So be on watch and follow Jesus, watching out for those who might deceive you and cause you to fall.

But love all and help everyone see the life we can all have in Jesus.