Denies…

Little children, it is the last hour. Just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not really part of us. If they had been part of us, they would have stayed with us. But by going out from us, they showed they all are not part of us. But you have an anointing from the holy one, and all of you know the truth. I don’t write to you because you don’t know the truth but because you know it. You know that no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar? Isn’t it the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This person is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, what you heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in relationship to the Son and in the Father. This is the promise that he himself gave us: eternal life. (1 John 2:18-25, CEB)

How does one deny Jesus is the Christ?

One can say that Jesus isn’t the Christ. That is simply denying that Jesus is Christ.

But how else?

If you say you follow Jesus and yet:

Don’t love your brothers and sisters. That is denying Christ.
Don’t look out for the last, least, little, lost. That is denying Christ.
Don’t live the truth the scriptures state. That is denying Christ.
Don’t stand for those that the world says don’t belong. That is denying Christ.

There are many ways to show you are denying Christ.

But we know the truth and need to uphold that truth regardless of what society says.

All are children of God. All are welcome at the table.

To deny anyone access to the table and to God is denying Christ.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

more precious

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! On account of his vast mercy, he has given us new birth. You have been born anew into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. You have a pure and enduring inheritance that cannot perish—an inheritance that is presently kept safe in heaven for you. Through his faithfulness, you are guarded by God’s power so that you can receive the salvation he is ready to reveal in the last time. You now rejoice in this hope, even if it’s necessary for you to be distressed for a short time by various trials. This is necessary so that your faith may be found genuine. (Your faith is more valuable than gold, which will be destroyed even though it is itself tested by fire.) Your genuine faith will result in praise, glory, and honor for you when Jesus Christ is revealed. Although you’ve never seen him, you love him. Even though you don’t see him now, you trust him and so rejoice with a glorious joy that is too much for words. You are receiving the goal of your faith: your salvation. (1 Peter 1:3-9, CEB)

Your faith is more precious than gold.

Faith is πίστις.

πίστις is faith. It is trust. it is belief.

Your unwavering trust in God is more valuable than gold.

Your belief in the face of doubt is more precious than gold.

Your faith in the promise God has given in the face of the world is more precious than gold.

You have something everyone should want.

Tell the world.

Loving People. Loving God.

struggle bus…

John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn’t following us.” Jesus replied, “Don’t stop him. No one who does powerful acts in my name can quickly turn around and curse me. Whoever isn’t against us is for us. I assure you that whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly be rewarded. “As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and to be thrown into the lake. If your hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off. It’s better for you to enter into life crippled than to go away with two hands into the fire of hell, which can’t be put out. If your foot causes you to fall into sin, chop it off. It’s better for you to enter life lame than to be thrown into hell with two feet. If your eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out. It’s better for you to enter God’s kingdom with one eye than to be thrown into hell with two. That’s a place where worms don’t die and the fire never goes out. Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? Maintain salt among yourselves and keep peace with each other.” (Mark 9:38-50, CEB)

I always have issues with this verse and it’s parallels, “As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and to be thrown into the lake.”

In all of my preaching and teaching, if I lead one astray it would be better to have a huge stone tied around my neck and thrown into a lake. I would be better dead than to lead someone astray.

I wonder about this as I engage with people who say that my LGBTQIA2S+ siblings are sinful and not a part of the kingdom because that is how some committee translated words that don’t mean that. I wonder about this as I profess love love all and the rest of this verse talks about cutting off hands, and plucking out eyes. But notice that the hands, feet, and eyes part is about you. Now these yous are all plural, 2nd person plural, but being from Texas that’s All Y’all. But is that about me telling someone else to cut off a hand, foot, or pluck an eye or is it for me to do to myself? And if this is happening why do I not see one-handed people and no-eyed people? We don’t police ourselves and look to do it for others.

And in all honesty, I do not believe I have ever led someone astray by telling people to love like Jesus. Telling people how they are living wrong and not right with God when I am unwilling to police my own life would be leading people astray.

Get your life right with God and let that be your concern.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

What?!?

“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? It’s good for nothing except to be thrown away and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven. “Don’t even begin to think that I have come to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I haven’t come to do away with them but to fulfill them. I say to you very seriously that as long as heaven and earth exist, neither the smallest letter nor even the smallest stroke of a pen will be erased from the Law until everything there becomes a reality. Therefore, whoever ignores one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called the lowest in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps these commands and teaches people to keep them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:13-20, CEB)

“I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Excuss me, Jesus, what does this mean?

So according to this unless we are more righteous than the Pharisees and the legal experts we will not see the kingdom of Heaven. So how can we be more righteous than them?

The law is not done away with until the end of times and heaven and earth are done away with and the new heaven and the new earth comes, that is what is meant by “neither the smallest letter nor even the smallest stroke of a pen will be erased from the Law until everything there becomes a reality.” So it isn’t that we aren’t doing away with the law.

But what does the law tell us? And is this all of the Law, all 613 laws? or is it the 10 commandments?

Well, either way, the law helps us know when we are looking at our own lives and not the lives of others. The commandments point us in the direction of living in loving relationships with God and with others.

So to be more righteous than others, look to others and see their needs and love them. Lift them up and build relationships that show forth love and understanding, grace and mercy. That is how we see the kingdom of heaven, and it won’t be something we wait for, we will see it now.

Love. Unconditionally, like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Puffed up…

Herod had been furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon for some time. They made a pact to approach him together, since their region depended on the king’s realm for its food supply. They persuaded Blastus, the king’s personal attendant, to join their cause, then appealed for an end to hostilities. On the scheduled day Herod dressed himself in royal attire, seated himself on the throne, and gave a speech to the people. Those assembled kept shouting, over and over, “This is a god’s voice, not the voice of a mere human!” Immediately an angel from the Lord struck Herod down, because he didn’t give the honor to God. He was eaten by worms and died. God’s word continued to grow and increase. Barnabas and Saul returned to Antioch from Jerusalem after completing their mission, bringing with them John, who was also known as Mark. (Acts 12:20-25, CEB)

This is an interesting story.

Herrod got dressed to the nines, and sat on a throne, and gave a speech.

Then the people started saying Herrod was a god. Now Herrod could have said, “I am not a god.” However, he did not.

It is important for us to recognize appropriate praise and to give the honor of praise not deserved to the one it should go to.

Do not puff yourself up or allow others to puff you up when it is not your place to be.

Live your fullest life and give credit where credit is do.

Loving People. Loving God.

we can’t keep from speaking

The council was caught by surprise by the confidence with which Peter and John spoke. After all, they understood that these apostles were uneducated and inexperienced. They also recognized that they had been followers of Jesus. However, since the healed man was standing with Peter and John before their own eyes, they had no rebuttal. After ordering them to wait outside, the council members began to confer with each other. “What should we do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem is aware of the sign performed through them. It’s obvious to everyone and we can’t deny it. To keep it from spreading further among the people, we need to warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.” When they called Peter and John back, they demanded that they stop all speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and John responded, “It’s up to you to determine whether it’s right before God to obey you rather than God. As for us, we can’t stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” They threatened them further, then released them. Because of public support for Peter and John, they couldn’t find a way to punish them. Everyone was praising God for what had happened, because the man who had experienced this sign of healing was over 40 years old. After their release, Peter and John returned to the brothers and sisters and reported everything the chief priests and elders had said. They listened, then lifted their voices in unison to God, “Master, you are the one who created the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. You are the one who spoke by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant: Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth took their stand and the rulers gathered together as one against the Lord and against his Christ. Indeed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with Gentiles and Israelites, did gather in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and plan had already determined would happen. Now, Lord, take note of their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with complete confidence. Stretch out your hand to bring healing and enable signs and wonders to be performed through the name of Jesus, your holy servant.” After they prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking God’s word with confidence. (Acts 4:13-31, CEB)

The council told Peter and John to not speak about what God had done.

But they couldn’t!

Can you?

We have a creator who loves us beyond anything we do and does wonderful things in the lives of people around us every day. Why should we be quiet?

Speak about God with confidence.

Knowing that people will scoff, but believe and share the love you have been given.

Loving People. Loving God.

Integrity

Jesus continued, “I’m going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I’m going, you can’t come.” The Jewish leaders said, “He isn’t going to kill himself, is he? Is that why he said, ‘Where I’m going, you can’t come’?” He said to them, “You are from below; I’m from above. You are from this world; I’m not from this world. This is why I told you that you would die in your sins. If you don’t believe that I Am, you will die in your sins.” “Who are you?” they asked. Jesus replied, “I’m exactly who I have claimed to be from the beginning. I have many things to say in judgment concerning you. The one who sent me is true, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” They didn’t know he was speaking about his Father. So Jesus said to them, “When the Human One is lifted up, then you will know that I Am. Then you will know that I do nothing on my own, but I say just what the Father has taught me. He who sent me is with me. He doesn’t leave me by myself, because I always do what makes him happy.” While Jesus was saying these things, many people came to believe in him. Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They responded, “We are Abraham’s children; we’ve never been anyone’s slaves. How can you say that we will be set free?” Jesus answered, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave isn’t a permanent member of the household, but a son is. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you really will be free. I know that you are Abraham’s children, yet you want to kill me because you don’t welcome my teaching. I’m telling you what I’ve seen when I am with the Father, but you are doing what you’ve heard from your father.” (John 8:21-38, CEB)

Do you know someone online and in person?

Are they the same person?

Is their online persona different than how you know them in person?

There is a friend of mine who is very shy and reserved in person and online they are way out going and share all kinds of very interesting stuff. They are honest about this in conversations, however, once you get to know them and they get to know you, they are the same in person as online. That is the key.

Are you the same all the time?

Mark Twain said, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.”

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and the world is to be truly ourselves. Do not lie or put on a front. Don’t wear masks.

Be a person of integrity, walk the walk, and talk the talk.

Loving like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

stuffed

Pay attention, you wealthy people! Weep and moan over the miseries coming upon you. Your riches have rotted. Moths have destroyed your clothes. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you. It will eat your flesh like fire. Consider the treasure you have hoarded in the last days. Listen! Hear the cries of the wages of your field hands. These are the wages you stole from those who harvested your fields. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of heavenly forces. You have lived a self-satisfying life on this earth, a life of luxury. You have stuffed your hearts in preparation for the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who doesn’t oppose you. (James 5:1-6, CEB)

How do you live your life?

Do you stuff your home with stuff?

Do you fill your life with things?

Do you keep resources you could share to help others?

Do you only care for yourself?

We should lay up treasures in a place that matters. We have been gifted to be a gift to someone else. We are called to love.

Love like Jesus. Give what you have so all may have enough.

Loving People. Loving God.

240923

Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Cry out in sorrow, mourn, and weep! Let your laughter become mourning and your joy become sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers and sisters, don’t say evil things about each other. Whoever insults or criticizes a brother or sister insults and criticizes the Law. If you find fault with the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge over it. There is only one lawgiver and judge, and he is able to save and to destroy. But you who judge your neighbor, who are you? Pay attention, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such-and-such a town. We will stay there a year, buying and selling, and making a profit.” You don’t really know about tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for only a short while before it vanishes. Here’s what you ought to say: “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But now you boast and brag, and all such boasting is evil. It is a sin when someone knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it. (James 4:8-17, CEB)

We really need to be concerned with our own lives and not worry about others.

We should not judge others. When we do this we judge ourselves and the whole of the nations. We can not change what will happen tomorrow or cause our neighbors to change. We must focus on aligning ourselves with the one who can change us and live in the love that only God can give.

We should so set ourselves with God that God’s love flows freely from our lives.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

first ~ least

From there Jesus and his followers went through Galilee, but he didn’t want anyone to know it. This was because he was teaching his disciples, “The Human One will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him. Three days after he is killed he will rise up.” But they didn’t understand this kind of talk, and they were afraid to ask him. They entered Capernaum. When they had come into a house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about during the journey?” They didn’t respond, since on the way they had been debating with each other about who was the greatest. He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be least of all and the servant of all.” Jesus reached for a little child, placed him among the Twelve, and embraced him. Then he said, “Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me isn’t actually welcoming me but rather the one who sent me.” (Mark 9:30-37, CEB)

Whoever wants to be first will be least and servant of all.

Yet, is being least so you are first what we are to do?

Not in the slightest.

Faith without works is dead and works without faith is seeking attention and puffing up.

We are to serve all and worry about the needs of others, not for what we get but because that is what Jesus asked us to do.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.