All you need

Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self control, and self control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you. (2 Peter 1:1-11, NRSV)

God has given you everything you need for life.

The scriptures nor God ever promised that being a disciple was going to be easy and all of your problems would disappear when you started understanding the love God has for you and sharing that with others…

But God has given us everything we need to overcome the pressures and downfalls of this world.

So trust in the promises and hold tight to Jesus and know He will always see you through!

forgiven!

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’, and you forgave the guilt of my sin.Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. You are a hiding-place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. (Psalm 32, NRSV)

Happy are they…

Are you happy?

Well according to David you should be if there is no deceit in your spirit… If all of your dealings are upright and trust worthy!

David also says you should be happy if the Lord imputes no iniquity to you…

Ok I admit I had to look up imputes. While I can come up with meaning from context, what does it really mean…

Merriam-Webster defines impute as: to say or suggest that someone or something has or is guilty of (something)

So you should be happy when the Lord says you are not guilty of committing sin. When you have been forgiven.

Now forgiveness of the sins we have committed and imputing no iniquity is not the same. We are forgiven, and then told that we are not guilty of committing any sins. So we are truly clean and because of that we are happy.

We can be forgiven and made clean by God, and that should make all of us very happy!

Do

“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.
(Matthew 21:28-32, NRSV)

Have you ever told someone you could not do something for them, but then went and did it any way?

Have you ever told someone you would do something, and then didn’t actually do it?

This last one, I bet we all have done.

I have spoken with lots of followers of Christ, who say they have told someone they would pray for them or their need, and then never did pray. We tell people all the time, I’ll pray for you, and how many of us actually do? We say, “yes I can pray for you and I will…” then life gets in the way and we don’t. Why?

You see in the reading the prostitutes and tax collectors are those who say they will not do, but then through God’s consistent and overwhelming love they repent, they change, and they do. And we, as the Pharisees, say we will and we don’t follow what God has asked us to do.

As for praying for others, why not when they ask?

What is wrong with praying in Wal-Mart, or JCPenney, or Kohls, or whatever store you are in? At the football, basketball, soccer game? At the mall, the restaurant, the bowling alley, or wherever you are? You can pray on the phone, on Skype… When someone asks you to pray for them, stop and pray right there. Do what has been asked, rather than giving ourselves an out, just be the saint God has made you and go to your father in pray for the need of the other.

Live your faith out loud and be a dealer of hope!

Humble thy self…

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”   Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ( 1 Peter 5:1-11, ESV)

Pastors need to lead the flock they are with. Not under compulsion but with a willing and joyful heart!

But also we all must humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and do that which He has placed before us.

We should not grumble about our circumstances and tell God we will serve Him when the conditions meet our needs or our standards.

God has called you and placed you where He needs you now! So look not for greener pastures, but serve God where you are with a joyful heart!

Intellect…

Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in my God. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory. “There is no Holy One like the Lord, no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble gird on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry are fat with spoil. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, he also exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world. “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness; for not by might does one prevail. The Lord! His adversaries shall be shattered; the Most High will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed.” ( 1 Samuel 2:1-10, NRSV)

Hannah prayed that the lord is her strength. And then she said, “for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.”

We have to use our understanding and intellect when we come to God. It is not about blindly following and questioning people when their ways do not match our ways. We need to use the intellect God has given us and think things through.

We also must remember that we are not the judge. God is the judge and a God of knowledge and by Him all things are weighed and judged.

So use your head and follow God.

How embarrassing…

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:9-14, NRSV)

Have you ever done anything embarrassing?

Where people pointed their fingers and laughed at you?

Have you ever laughed at someone else when they did something embarrassing?

When I think about moments like this I am taken to a moment in Star Wars Attack of the Clones, where Ob1 goes to Yoda because the planet he is looking for is not on the maps. And Yoda teaching a class of younglings says, “Lost a planet Ob1 has, how embarrassing, how embarrassing.”

We have all done things which will get fingers pointed and people laughing, but should we?

You see the parable in today’s text tells us that we should not point out the downfalls of others, but should look out for ourselves. We should not compare ourselves with others but only ask God to help us with our short comings. And if we hear Jesus, we only have to tell God to help us, because He already knows what needs work! So if we can open our selves up to Him and allow Him to work in and through us, we will become more like Him.

So the next time you are ready to compare yourself to someone else, stop and know you on,y need to worry about becoming more like Jesus and not your neighbor.

rescued…

Now you have observed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions, and my suffering the things that happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. What persecutions I endured! Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving others and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:10-15, NRSV)

Sometimes life seems to hard to handle.

Everything seems to be going against us.

We can not seem to get a footing and find our way.

We feel all alone and left out in the wilderness by ourselves…

But God has never left us nor forsaken us.

Just as Paul tells Timothy, even in the prison, God was with him.

We have to remember that even in the valley when it seems there is no where to go, that God is leading us on the path even when we can not see where we are going or think we are going the right way.

He will rescue us if we just believe in the promises He has given us.

boast

Thus says the Lord: Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me, that I am the Lord; I act with steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord. The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will attend to all those who are circumcised only in the foreskin: Egypt, Judah, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, and all those with shaven temples who live in the desert. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart. (Jeremiah 9:23-26, NRSV)

Have you ever bragged on yourself?

Have you ever bragged on your kids?

If you don’t have children you probably haven’t bragged about something your kids have done, but I believe it is safe to say we have all at some point in time bragged about something we have done.

We get caught up in the moment and start talking about how good we are and all of the great things we have done. But is this what we are suppose to be doing?

Boasting about our skills and how wonderful we are?

You see the prophet Jeremiah told the people that we are not to boast in our skills, or ourselves. We are to only boast about the Lord and what He has done for us.

So watch your bragging and boasting, and only boast in the Lord!

live where?

How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise. Happy are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain also covers it with pools. They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion. (Psalm 84, NRSV)

Have you ever been homeless?

It is not an easy thing to take. A few years ago we were in kind of the situation we are now. Only we did not have jobs, nor the savings we did have recently (thanks in part to Dave Ramsey!).

At that point in time we were living with some friends, because they had a house big enough for the 2 of them and the 5 of us. we were very fortunate. But then they were adopting and needed to do a home study, and with us there it was not going to work…

So for a while we wondered where we wold live. We had not found a call, and we needed to be out of the house we were living in quickly so they could start the family we had been talking about for a long time. So we were almost homeless. We did find a place to stay and were taken care of.

And you see that is the point of the psalmist today. We need to rest and live in the house of the Lord. Does the swallow or the sparrow fret about where they will live? No they find a place, and if you are resting in the Lord, He will take care of you, just like He provides for the sparrow and the swallow!