aSacredRebel

unity

The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16, NRSV)

We try to predict the end of the world by Biblical passages and things that are happening.

But if we read this passage, it is clear when the kingdom of God will arrive. When we all have come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.

When we have come to unity in Christ that is when the kingdom will come….

Until then we have been given tools or gifts to use for the building up of the body and for sharing the love we have been given.

We need to use our gifts for the betterment of the body and to show the grace, mercy and love we have received.

given

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, NRSV)

to each…

Not to some. Not to the ones who accept, or acknowledge, but to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good! We are given a gift from the Holy Spirit for the good of the world!

All of these gifts are not the same, but have the same source, and are activated by that same Spirit. And the gift is given so that we may make God’s love known in the world.

So use the gift the Spirit has given you to show forth His love, mercy and grace to all the world. For the common good of the world He created!

parts

For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness. (Romans 12:4-8, NRSV)

In the body there a lot of parts…

Gray’s Anatomy of the Human Body has over 13,000 entries…

And are there parts we can live without?

We can live with only one kidney.

We have many members of society that do not have their tonsils, or appendix, or thyroid, or pineal glands…

But do you know that each of these “useless” parts of the body actually do serve a function.

The tonsils protect the throat from infection, as well as the rest of the body.

The appendix lessens the chances of a person getting leukemia, Hodgkin’s disease, cancer of the colon and cancer of the ovaries.

These parts once thought useless are being shown to actually have a part.

Just as each of us has a part on the body of Christ. We are all needed and none of us are to think of ourselves more highly than we ought.

We are all a part of the body of Christ and we need each other, and are dependent on the other to be there to do their part.

serve

The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:7-11, NRSV)

What is the gift you have received?

Are you good with numbers?

Are you good with kids?

Are you good with listening?

Are you musically talented?

There are so many different gifts and so many ways in which to use them…

So how are you in the game? How are you using the talent that God gave you to spread His love to others?

Love each other with the tools you have been given by God to use, and spread His love through the use of that gift in service to the world!

I was afraid…

As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.’ He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’ Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’ Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’ He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) ‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. (Luke 19:11-26, NRSV)

What would you do if you had no fear?

I mean really what would you do?

The third slave here was afraid of what his master would do, so rather than use the gift he was given, he hid it to keep it safe.

Do we do that with our lives?

Do we hide away and not live our lives out loud, to show what our master has given us?

Are we afraid of God? Now don’t get me wrong, I think God wants us to be afraid of Him, in a holy sort of way, in the way parents want their children to fear them. Not in a way that keeps us from living and using what He has given us.

So do not fear God because He will punish you, but use what He has given you in service of those around you and get Him a return on His investment!

journey

“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Matthew 25:14-30, NRSV)

It is a hard set of verses. For if the master here is God, is God a harsh man?

And how are we to interpret this?

Well we are all given talents, and if we don’t use them then we will have to answer to God for why we did not use them.

But how are we to know how to use them? And did we get it right?

Vocation has become a destination. Our calling in life has become a place we must get to.

But God never intended our gifts to be used in one way and only one way. He never intended for one destination of a calling.

Our lives are meant to be journeys with Him, and His body. We need to use the gifts He has given us in service to Him as we journey with Him and others through this life.

If we use the talents and gifts He has given us, then we are not being lazy, but utilizing what He has given us.

Does that mean we will always do the right thing and everything will be hunky dory? No. We will fail and fall on our faces, but He will be there to pick us up and help us to move forward.

So use you gifts and talents as you journey with God here in this place. Showing forth His love, grace and mercy for all creation.

lie in wait

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from those who work evil; from the bloodthirsty save me. Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Rouse yourself, come to my help and see! You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel. Awake to punish all the nations; spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips—for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?” But you laugh at them, O LORD; you hold all the nations in derision. O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress. My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies. Do not kill them, or my people may forget; make them totter by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield. For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter, consume them in wrath; consume them until they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city. They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill. But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love. (Psalm 59, NRSV)

Have you ever had someone or something lie in wait for you?

You know this when it happens. The attack is swift and seamless and you wonder afterwards what in the world happened, and where that train came from that just ran you over…

We sometimes have no idea it is coming and other times we do.

God! Deliver me from my enemies! Be with me and help me to follow you and not seek retribution, but help me to trust in you!

Your steadfast love will carry me and cover me. You will be my fortress.

Help me to know that even when my foes lie in wait, you will deliver me from the hands of those who mean me harm and use me for good, if I but trust in you.

God be my refuge and strength! My very present help and shelter!

walk in obedience

Bridge 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. 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 1-11, NRSV)

We can not follow the world.

We are to be in the world, yet not of it. We are to follow the Lord and to walk in obedience to Him. We must walk in His commandments and follow them.

Through this we will show the world who is Lord of our life and who we are following.

Through following His commandments we will show other who they should follow.

So follow not those who seek their own gain, but follow the one who laid down His life for you!

guard

Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:29-36, NRSV)

Be on guard!

So that you are not weighed down by the worries and concerns of this life.

Easier said than done Jesus!

I know that myself. How easy is it to worry about your kids, and paying the mortgage, electric, water, car payment, oh and then fix the car when the check engine light comes on. And how do we pay for all of this, and get the right presents for the kid’s birthday and Christmas.

How do we do this?

Do not let this world get to you, but escape these things and allow Him to be the center and focus of your life.

It is not easy, but if you can do it, you will be free to focus on Him and follow where He leads and your life will be filled with joy, even in the midst of struggles.

hope

Woe is me! For I have become like one who, after the summer fruit has been gathered, after the vintage has been gleaned, finds no cluster to eat; there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger. The faithful have disappeared from the land, and there is no one left who is upright; they all lie in wait for blood, and they hunt each other with nets. Their hands are skilled to do evil; the official and the judge ask for a bribe, and the powerful dictate what they desire; thus they pervert justice. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge. The day of their sentinels, of their punishment, has come; now their confusion is at hand. Put no trust in a friend, have no confidence in a loved one; guard the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your embrace; for the son treats the father with contempt, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; your enemies are members of your own household. But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. (Micah 7:1-7, NRSV)

Where do you find hope?

If we look to this world or anything or any one around us, it is doomed to fail.

I learned that the Lord will hear you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. He will be your shelter, when you give up hope in everything but Him.

He is your salvation and your hope.

Trust in Him!