one group

So remember that once you were Gentiles by physical descent, who were called “uncircumcised” by Jews who are physically circumcised. At that time you were without Christ. You were aliens rather than citizens of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of God’s promise. In this world you had no hope and no God. But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who once were so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God. When he came, he announced the good news of peace to you who were far away from God and to those who were near. We both have access to the Father through Christ by the one Spirit. So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household. As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11-22, CEB)

God made both Jews and Gentiles into one group.

We who will invent ways to keep us separated have been made one by God.

Jesus reconciled all people to God, and so what we work to keep separate has already been made one. We need to stop working against God and work for the love that God has for all of the world.

Love all people as God does.

Knowing we are already one.

Loving People. Loving God.

Proof!

The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are being destroyed. But it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved. It is written in scripture: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the intelligence of the intelligent. Where are the wise? Where are the legal experts? Where are today’s debaters? Hasn’t God made the wisdom of the world foolish? In God’s wisdom, he determined that the world wouldn’t come to know him through its wisdom. Instead, God was pleased to save those who believe through the foolishness of preaching. Jews ask for signs, and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, which is a scandal to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. But to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom. This is because the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. Look at your situation when you were called, brothers and sisters! By ordinary human standards not many were wise, not many were powerful, not many were from the upper class. But God chose what the world considers foolish to shame the wise. God chose what the world considers weak to shame the strong. And God chose what the world considers low-class and low-life—what is considered to be nothing—to reduce what is considered to be something to nothing. So no human being can brag in God’s presence. It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus. He became wisdom from God for us. This means that he made us righteous and holy, and he delivered us. This is consistent with what was written: The one who brags should brag in the Lord! (1 Corinthians 1:18-31, CEB)

I won’t believe it unless you can prove it without any doubts or questions.

Sorry, that is not how faith works. Faith is the belief in the hoped-for, the unknown. The things of faith do not make sense. They are just believed because that is the promise. There is no proof.

Faith seems like foolishness to those without it. And that is ok.

Do not give up faith.

Loving Jesus. Loving God.

Bacon?!?!

Jesus and his disciples sailed to the Gerasenes’ land, which is across the lake from Galilee. As soon as Jesus got out of the boat, a certain man met him. The man was from the city and was possessed by demons. For a long time, he had lived among the tombs, naked and homeless. When he saw Jesus, he shrieked and fell down before him. Then he shouted, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” He said this because Jesus had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had taken possession of him, so he would be bound with leg irons and chains and placed under guard. But he would break his restraints, and the demon would force him into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had entered him. They pleaded with him not to order them to go back into the abyss. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs. Jesus gave them permission, and the demons left the man and entered the pigs. The herd rushed down the cliff into the lake and drowned. When those who tended the pigs saw what happened, they ran away and told the story in the city and in the countryside. People came to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone. He was sitting at Jesus’ feet, fully dressed and completely sane. They were filled with awe. Those people who had actually seen what had happened told them how the demon-possessed man had been delivered. Then everyone gathered from the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave their area because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and returned across the lake. The man from whom the demons had gone begged to come along with Jesus as one of his disciples. Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell the story of what God has done for you.” So he went throughout the city proclaiming what Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:26-39, CEB)

Jesus sent a demon, or a group of demons, into a herd of pigs, and they ran off a cliff and drowned themselves. Biggest waste of bacon of all time in my opinion.

But you could say, why was there a herd of pigs, remember Jesus is across the lake here, in Gentile territory so pigs were ok.

But Jesus healed the man, returned him to community.

How can we bring people to community?

How can we remove the demons that infect our lives together?

This man was removed from the community and lived among the dead, and people probably feared him and kept him at a distance. Jesus healed him by removing the demon and healed him by restoring him to community.

How do we restore people to wholeness to allow the community to be whole?

Love.

Loving People. Loving God.

As you believe…

As Jesus departed, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Show us mercy, Son of David.” When he came into the house, the blind men approached him. Jesus said to them, “Do you believe I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they replied. Then Jesus touched their eyes and said, “It will happen for you just as you have believed.” Their eyes were opened. Then Jesus sternly warned them, “Make sure nobody knows about this.” But they went out and spread the word about him throughout that whole region. As they were leaving, people brought to him a man who was demon-possessed and unable to speak. When Jesus had thrown out the demon, the man who couldn’t speak began to talk. The crowds were amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.” But the Pharisees said, “He throws out demons with the authority of the ruler of demons.” (Matthew 9:27-34, CEB)

How would you be healed if Jesus said to you, “It will happen for you just as you have believed.”

Honestly, I am not sure how I would be healed in that moment. I doubt and question God’s activity in my life. Not that I doubt the ability of God to do whatever God wants, but if it depends on my belief, then there could be some issue. I stumble and fall and sometimes take up residency in my sinfulness.

I am thankful that God’s presence in my life does not depend on my belief, but on God’s grace.

Know you are loved and you can doubt, and your doubt does not change God’s love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Rules or Promise?

Brothers and sisters, I’ll use an example from human experience. No one ignores or makes additions to a validated will. The promises were made to Abraham and to his descendant. It doesn’t say, “and to the descendants,” as if referring to many rather than just one. It says, “and to your descendant,” who is Christ. I’m saying this: the Law, which came four hundred thirty years later, doesn’t invalidate the agreement that was previously validated by God so that it cancels the promise. If the inheritance were based upon the Law, it would no longer be from the promise. But God has given it graciously to Abraham through a promise. So why was the Law given? It was added because of offenses, until the descendant would come to whom the promise had been made. It was put in place through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now the mediator does not take one side; but God is one. So, is the Law against the promises of God? Absolutely not! If a Law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would in fact have come from the Law. But scripture locked up all things under sin, so that the promise based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ might be given to those who have faith. (Galatians 3:15-22, CEB)

Does the Law change the promise God made to Abraham?

As Paul says here, no, it does not. The Law was given because of the offenses people were committing in not trusting in the promise.

Do we believe, or trust in the promises of God? Some are easier to believe or trust than others, if I am honest.

We have rules for good community order and to help us do what God has called us to, love.

Love is that easy, and that hard.

But know we are a part of the promise, and love as Jesus loves you.

Loving People. Loving God.

Integrity

 But,
if you call yourself a Jew;
if you rely on the Law;
if you brag about your relationship to God;
if you know the will of God;
if you are taught by the Law so that you can figure out the things that really matter;
if you have persuaded yourself that you are:
        a guide for the blind;
        a light to those who are in darkness;
        an educator of the foolish;
        a teacher of infants (since you have the full content of knowledge and truth in the Law); then why don’t you who are teaching others teach yourself? If you preach, “No stealing,” do you steal? If you say, “No adultery,” do you commit adultery? If you hate idols, do you rob temples? If you brag about the Law, do you shame God by breaking the Law? As it is written: The name of God is discredited by the Gentiles because of you. Circumcision is an advantage if you do what the Law says. But if you are a person who breaks the Law, your status of being circumcised has changed into not being circumcised. So if the person who isn’t circumcised keeps the Law, won’t his status of not being circumcised be counted as if he were circumcised? The one who isn’t physically circumcised but keeps the Law will judge you. You became a lawbreaker after you had the written Law and circumcision. It isn’t the Jew who maintains outward appearances who will receive praise from God, and it isn’t people who are outwardly circumcised on their bodies. Instead, it is the person who is a Jew inside, who is circumcised in spirit, not literally. That person’s praise doesn’t come from people but from God. (Romans 2:17-29, CEB)

Do not tell others to live by a standard if you yourself are not willing to live by that standard. It does no good to teach about keeping the law if you yourself do not keep the law.

You can not say you are a Christian if you do not do what Christ called you to do.

If you trample on anyone for your own gain, you are not doing what Christ called you to do, and you should not tell others they are not following Christ.

Walk the walk and talk the talk, and be a person of integrity.

Honest people do not have to have a good memory.

Loving People. Loving God.

Full of myself!

Mary said,
“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!
    In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.
He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.
    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored
        because the mighty one has done great things for me.
Holy is his name.
    He shows mercy to everyone,
        from one generation to the next,
        who honors him as God.
He has shown strength with his arm.
    He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.
    He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones
        and lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty-handed.
He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,
        remembering his mercy,
    just as he promised to our ancestors,
        to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.” (Luke 1:46b-55, CEB)

“God has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.”

Mary’s words here could be our words. God has looked upon you with favor. God loves you as God created you and wants you to know that and live into that.

I was always skeptical of Mary singing this because she seems so full of herself and just knows she is loved by God. Well, maybe I need to be full of myself and know I am loved by God, too!

God has done mighty and wonderful things, and loves everyone, and I am trying to help people see that, and sometimes it is hard for me to accept for myself God loves me.

But God loves me!
God has favor for me!
God rejoices when God hears me call!

The same goes for you, friend!

You are God’s beloved. Be full of yourself.

Loving People. Loving God.

live wisely

So be careful to live your life wisely, not foolishly. Take advantage of every opportunity because these are evil times. Because of this, don’t be ignorant, but understand the Lord’s will. Don’t get drunk on wine, which produces depravity. Instead, be filled with the Spirit in the following ways: speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; sing and make music to the Lord in your hearts; always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; (Ephesians 5:15-20, CEB)

Do not be foolish and only look out for yourself.

We are all in this together, and the Lord has called us to look out for each other.

Be filled with the spirit and love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Gift

God has given his grace to each one of us measured out by the gift that is given by Christ. That’s why scripture says, When he climbed up to the heights, he captured prisoners, and he gave gifts to people. What does the phrase “he climbed up” mean if it doesn’t mean that he had first gone down into the lower regions, the earth? The one who went down is the same one who climbed up above all the heavens so that he might fill everything. He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers. His purpose was to equip God’s people for the work of serving and building up the body of Christ until we all reach the unity of faith and knowledge of God’s Son. God’s goal is for us to become mature adults—to be fully grown, measured by the standard of the fullness of Christ. As a result, we aren’t supposed to be infants any longer who can be tossed and blown around by every wind that comes from teaching with deceitful scheming and the tricks people play to deliberately mislead others. Instead, by speaking the truth with love, let’s grow in every way into Christ, who is the head. The whole body grows from him, as it is joined and held together by all the supporting ligaments. The body makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does its part. (Ephesians 4:7-16, CEB)

We all have a gift that we should use for the betterment of society.

Martin Luther called it vocation. Not a job, but a calling for the body of Christ and the world.

It s a gift we use to make the world a better place.

We should not envy another’s gift but use ours so that everyone has a better life.

What is your gift?

Loving People. Loving God.

Handle

“I have much more to say to you, but you can’t handle it now. However, when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. He won’t speak on his own, but will say whatever he hears and will proclaim to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and proclaim it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine. That’s why I said that the Spirit takes what is mine and will proclaim it to you. (John 16:12-15, CEB)

Jesus is speaking to the disciples here as they are journeying to garden where he will be handed over to be put on trial and then to death. He is telling the disciples about the coming kingdom and all the truths of God. He says he has much more to tell them, but he knows they can not handle it.

What did Jesus want/need to tell them they could not handle? He was already told them he will be handed over, tried, beaten, killed. What could be worse? What can they not handle?

Sometimes what we do not know is for our own good. I really want a road map of God’s plan, but if I had that, what would I do to screw it up?

Know what you know. Have faith in God to see us through.

Loving People. Loving God.