Give thanks

Brothers and sisters, we ask you to respect those who are working with you, leading you, and instructing you. Think of them highly with love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are disorderly. Comfort the discouraged. Help the weak. Be patient with everyone. Make sure no one repays a wrong with a wrong, but always pursue the good for each other and everyone else. Rejoice always. Pray continually. Give thanks in every situation because this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Don’t suppress the Spirit. Don’t brush off Spirit-inspired messages, but examine everything carefully and hang on to what is good. Avoid every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:12-22,CEB)

Respect those around you and give thanks in every situation. Every day is a day to be thankful for. Even in the darkness light still shines.

Be encouraged and encourage those around you. Pray continually and always be about hope.

God is always with you and there is always a reason to give thanks!

Loving People. Loving God.

Thankful

“Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? Notice how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t wear themselves out with work, and they don’t spin cloth. But I say to you that even Solomon in all of his splendor wasn’t dressed like one of these. If God dresses grass in the field so beautifully, even though it’s alive today and tomorrow it’s thrown into the furnace, won’t God do much more for you, you people of weak faith? Therefore, don’t worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ Gentiles long for all these things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:25-33, CEB)

Do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow is a worry enough in itself.

We can not change the future by worrying.

We need to trust that God is a God of the promise and will always be there for us. It may not, actually it probably won’t go the way we imagine it, but it will be the way God had planned it.

So don’t store up treasures here. Spend them lavishly showing love to all.

Loving People Loving God.

P.S. Today and every day I am thankful for those who read these words. I pray they give you hope.

plainly

“I’ve been using figures of speech with you. The time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in such analogies. Instead, I will tell you plainly about the Father. In that day you will ask in my name. I’m not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. The Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and believed that I came from God. I left the Father and came into the world. I tell you again: I am leaving the world and returning to the Father.” His disciples said, “See! Now you speak plainly; you aren’t using figures of speech. Now we know that you know everything and you don’t need anyone to ask you. Because of this we believe you have come from God.” Jesus replied, “Now you believe? Look! A time is coming—and is here!—when each of you will be scattered to your own homes and you will leave me alone. I’m not really alone, for the Father is with me. I’ve said these things to you so that you will have peace in me. In the world you have distress. But be encouraged! I have conquered the world.” (John 16:25-33, CEB)

Jesus says it like it is, sometimes in parables and fewer times plainly, but here he speaks plainly.

God loves us.

We still will fall away and leave Jesus. And God will still love us.

We are never alone like Jesus is never alone.

God is always with us.

Loving People. Loving God.

The Kingdom!

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying,
“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and his Christ,
        and he will rule forever and always.”
Then the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshipped God. They said,
“We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    who is and was,
        for you have taken your great power and enforced your rule.
        The nations were enraged, but your wrath came.
The time came for the dead to be judged.
The time came to reward your servants, the prophets and saints,
            and those who fear your name, both small and great,
            and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the chest containing his covenant appeared in his temple. There were lightning, voices, thunder, an earthquake, and large hail. (Revelation 11:15-19, CEB)

The kingdom of God is made known. The time we all wait for.

When suffering will be no more and we will all live forever with God.

People will be judged and servants will be rewarded.

Life will be eternal and God’s glory will cover everything.

Oh what a beautiful day!

Loving People. Loving God.

Hope!

Then I was given a measuring rod, which was like a pole. And I was told, “Get up and measure God’s temple, the altar, and those who worship there. But don’t measure the court outside the temple. Leave that out, because it has been given to the nations, and they will trample the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. “And I will allow my two witnesses to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, wearing mourning clothes. These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. If anyone wants to hurt them, fire comes out of their mouth and burns up their enemies. So if anyone wants to hurt them, they have to be killed in this way. They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain will fall for as long as they prophesy. They also have power over the waters, to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with any plague, as often as they wish. “When they have finished their witnessing, the beast that comes up from the abyss will make war on them, gain victory over them, and kill them. Their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city that is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. And for three and a half days, members of the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will look at their dead bodies, but they won’t let their dead bodies be put in a tomb. Those who live on earth will rejoice over them. They will celebrate and give each other gifts, because these two prophets had brought such pain to those who live on earth. “But after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear came over those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them. At that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. Seven thousand people were killed by the earthquake, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.” The second horror is over. The third horror is coming soon. (Revelation 11:1-14, CEB)

Measure the temple, the altar, and those who worship there…

But don’t measure the court outside, for it will be trampled and the 2 witnesses will prophesy for a really long time and fire will come from their mouths to burn their enemies. These witnesses will bring pain upon the earth and those they kill will not be removed but left to rot.

And the third horror is coming soon.

Remember this is hope. A letter of hope sent to those in darkness. God is always with us and will be there through anything that comes.

Know there is always hope.

Loving People. Loving God.

Christ the King Sunday

Pilate went back into the palace. He summoned Jesus and asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Jesus answered, “Do you say this on your own or have others spoken to you about me?”

Pilate responded, “I’m not a Jew, am I? Your nation and its chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

Jesus replied, “My kingdom doesn’t originate from this world. If it did, my guards would fight so that I wouldn’t have been arrested by the Jewish leaders. My kingdom isn’t from here.”

“So you are a king?” Pilate said.

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. I was born and came into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth. Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.” (John 18:33-37, CEB)

You are a king then?

Jesus said he came into this world to testify to the truth, and whoever accepts the truth listens to his voice.

If Jesus was a king in the realm he was in, his guards would fight so that he would not have been arrested.

He never denied in this passage he was/is a king. He merely said it is not of this realm. His kingdom is somewhere else.

Somewhere we will be when we hear his voice and follow where he leads.

Love like Jesus and listen to his voice.

The King is calling us to create his kingdom here and now.

Love.

Loving People. Loving God.

life

The one who comes from above is above all things. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all things. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever accepts his testimony confirms that God is true. The one whom God sent speaks God’s words because God gives the Spirit generously. The Father loves the Son and gives everything into his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever doesn’t believe in the Son won’t see life, but the angry judgment of God remains on them.” (John 3:31-36, CEB)

Life comes in knowing Jesus is the Son of God.

When we know this we live and we testify to the love that God has for all people.

The Spirit of God gives life abundantly to all who believe and have faith in God.

Be life. Live in God and share love in all you say and do.

Loving People. Loving God.

death

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead. He’s the first crop of the harvest of those who have died. Since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came through one too. In the same way that everyone dies in Adam, so also everyone will be given life in Christ. Each event will happen in the right order: Christ, the first crop of the harvest, then those who belong to Christ at his coming, and then the end, when Christ hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he brings every form of rule, every authority and power to an end. It is necessary for him to rule until he puts all enemies under his feet. Death is the last enemy to be brought to an end, since he has brought everything under control under his feet. When it says that everything has been brought under his control, this clearly means everything except for the one who placed everything under his control. But when all things have been brought under his control, then the Son himself will also be under the control of the one who gave him control over everything so that God may be all in all. (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, CEB)

Jesus is the first crop from the dead, then all of us who believe and have faith will be harvested as well. Then death will be put to death. At the coming of the kingdom, death will be no more. We will die a human death, but we will never die the final death.

All things are under God’s control and we will be with God forever. That is the promise, and we can trust in that.

Trust in God and know even if we die, we will never truly die.

Loving People. Loving God.

enabled

Once the council members heard these words, they were enraged and began to grind their teeth at Stephen. But Stephen, enabled by the Holy Spirit, stared into heaven and saw God’s majesty and Jesus standing at God’s right side. He exclaimed, “Look! I can see heaven on display and the Human One standing at God’s right side!” At this, they shrieked and covered their ears. Together, they charged at him, threw him out of the city, and began to stone him. The witnesses placed their coats in the care of a young man named Saul. As they battered him with stones, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, accept my life!” Falling to his knees, he shouted, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” Then he died. Saul was in full agreement with Stephen’s murder. At that time, the church in Jerusalem began to be subjected to vicious harassment. Everyone except the apostles was scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. (Acts 7:54—8:1, CEB)

It is like a superpower in a video game. The special speed, or skill a character uses to get that burst of energy to defeat the opponent. The enabling of the Spirit.

And like Stephen, we all have that power.

Know that God is always with you and the Spirit enables you to say and do things you do not know you can.

Spirit enabled. God approved.

Loving People. Loving God.

Proclaim!

“Watch out for yourselves. People will hand you over to the councils. You will be beaten in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of me so that you can testify before them. First, the good news must be proclaimed to all the nations. When they haul you in and hand you over, don’t worry ahead of time about what to answer or say. Instead, say whatever is given to you at that moment, for you aren’t doing the speaking but the Holy Spirit is. Brothers and sisters will hand each other over to death. A father will turn in his children. Children will rise up against their parents and have them executed. Everyone will hate you because of my name. But whoever stands firm until the end will be saved. “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing standing where it shouldn’t be (the reader should understand this), then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. Those on the roof shouldn’t come down or enter their houses to grab anything. Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter. In those days there will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. If the Lord hadn’t shortened that time, no one would be rescued. But for the sake of the chosen ones, the ones whom God chose, he has cut short the time. “Then if someone says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, those whom God has chosen. But you, watch out! I’ve told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:9-23, CEB)

We will be persecuted for our proclamation of love but it has to be done.

We must speak of the good news of God, and the love that flows freely from the throne to all people at all times and not worry about what will happen.

Do not worry about what you will say, because it will not be you speaking but the Spirit will speak through you.

Hold fast to God and share love in everything.

Loving People. Loving God.