aSacredRebel

Shame?

Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us — eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. (1 John 2:18-28 ESV)

What are you going to do when Jesus comes back?

Have you ever been asked the question, “is your house ready for a visit from God?” Would you want Him to see your home as it is? Would you want to hide magazines or movies or pit stuff I your closets or dresser drawers and not let Him look in them? Does any of this help because He knows everything and goes with you every where you go….

When Jesus comes back will you hide in the back corner and not want to see Him ashamed that you didn’t get it right? Or will you walk up to Him confident that you got it right?

I hope I will run to Him, ashamed of what I have done, but confident that it is not about how I did it, but because I am His child.

encouraging?

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:19-25 ESV)

Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…

Are you encouraging?

Are the words you use helpful or hurtful? A lot can be learned from a pre-K classroom, where a lot of the time is learning how to live in community with people who are not your family. We learn how to get along and play nice with each other. We take time during the day to reflect on our actions. Are they helpful or hurtful? Is what I have done good for the good of the classroom, or is it hurtful?

When we are constantly pointing out others fault and telling them if they do not turn they will burn, is that helpful or hurtful? Is that kind of statement going to help someone seek after God. “You know if you do not stop doing that sinful thing you are doing then God will never want you to be with Him, so you can either stop that or else burn.” That statement to me really says that the cross of Jesus was not enough to cover the sins of everyone, and some peoples’ sins are more than the cross can handle…

Now we know that is not true and “we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus.” Jesus’ blood covers everyone and everything and is good enough to wipe them all away. otherwise none of us can stand by faith in that.

So with everything you do ask if it is helpful or hurtful…

Are you encouraging others to seek after Him, or helping them see Him as someone who could never love them?

Disciple?

Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor? He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me. (John 12:1-8 ESV)

What was Mary thinking here? I mean really, using this perfume that costs more than a years wages for a normal person to clean the feet of Jesus and then she wipes it with her hair! That is very intimate. And very lavish.

We can speculate why she did this. Maybe she was over come with joy and wonder at Jesus just bringing her brother back to life and she wanted to give Him something to repay Him. Maybe she saw what Jesus could do and wanted Him to do something more for her. But the point is not Mary. You see John doesn’t tell us what Mary is thinking or what she hopes to get out of it.

Maybe it’s Judas, who in my opinion gets a really bad wrap in John, but I don’t think it is Judas either. Who is Jesus talking to when He says you will always have the poor? Yes I know He is speaking to Judas, but in John things aren’t always what they first appear to be. He is taking to Judas, but He is also taking to you.

When you first discovered the amount the perfume cost did you not judge Mary’s decision? Would you also have judged Jesus’ decision to wash His disciples feet in the next chapter? What difference does the cost of the perfume make? Mary did something for someone she cared for in the name of God and to show forth God’s love. Why are we not more like Mary? Freely willing to give up our most precious things for the other? The comment about the poor always being with us is not to down play the poor, but to help us see we can not save things or money to save the poor. We need to not worry about tomorrow and lavishly use what we have today.

Are you ready to break open your life and pour it on the feet of your savior by serving the other, by being there for the last, the lost, the least, the little?

Die…

Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the Council and said, What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish. He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but also to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves. They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all? Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him. (John 11:45-57 ESV)

It is better for one man to die for the nation. Did Caiaphas really know what he was saying?

And how can we die? You see the death that Jesus died was actually before the cross. Now don’t get me wrong His death on the cross was a death and one that made us right with God, but His death that led Him to die for the many happened long before the cross or Caiaphas said one should die for the nation.

Jesus was obedient to what needed to be done regardless of His own wants or desires. He followed the plan set out and did not follow His own needs or desires. Jesus died to Himself, and did what God asked.

Are you ready to die to self to follow God where He leads you?

traveling buddy

When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like streams in the Negeb! Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalm 126 ESV)

Have you ever been in a deep dark valley and then got to see the light and rejoiced and gave thanks for what you have received? For the restoration that you have? It is easy to be happy and to know the joys of the Lord when everything is the way we want it to be. We can easily shout the praises of God when everything is going the way we want it to.

We sometimes forget God when things are going our way. When we have everything we think we want or need then we can rest on our own devices and not worry about being with God. We look to God when things are bad, when our lives are in the dumps. But whose perspective is the view that things are so bad?

God is with us and always walks where we go. He leads the way and prepares our path. He goes over us to shelter us and beside us to give us companionship. Our whole life should be a celebration of who He is in our lives. Because even the darkest valley has light when we remember who our traveling buddy is.

What does pi sound like?

The Fat Pastor

What does pi sound like? I had never thought of that before seeing this video. The musician in the video makes each digit correspond to a note on a scale. He then “plays” pi for 100 digits. The result is both random and beautiful – which is a perfect description of the number pi.

Pi is an irrational number. It cannot be expressed by a ratio of two integers. Instead, it describes the ratio between the diameter and the circumference of a circle. It goes on forever in randomness. According to wikipedia, pi has been extrapolated to 10 trillion digits (that would make for a very long song).

Pi is one of those pursuits that has endless applications. The more I learn about pi, the more I realize I know very little about it. I find that there is an incredible beauty in mathematics and things like pi and…

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Fear not…

But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:1-7 ESV)

Is it easy to not live in fear?

In the day and age we live in, there are ample times and reasons every day for us to fear our very existence. People are gunned down in the streets that have nothing to do with the crimes that got them killed. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

We can easily get caught up in the evil and darkness around us. We will always go through valleys and pains in our lives, however we do not have to live in fear.

We can live a life of love and not fear because we have the promise that God has named and claimed us and because of this we can live a life filled with love rather than fear of what might happen. We can live without fear of what will happen because no matter what happens God will be with us.

So live without fear because you are God’s!

God provides

Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord , but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves.” And Elisha said to her, “What shall I do for you? Tell me; what have you in the house?” And she said, “Your servant has nothing in the house except a jar of oil.” Then he said, “Go outside, borrow vessels from all your neighbors, empty vessels and not too few. Then go in and shut the door behind yourself and your sons and pour into all these vessels. And when one is full, set it aside.” So she went from him and shut the door behind herself and her sons. And as she poured they brought the vessels to her. When the vessels were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another vessel.” And he said to her, “There is not another.” Then the oil stopped flowing. She came and told the man of God, and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on the rest.” (2 Kings 4:1-7 ESV)

Have you ever needed something and wondered where it would come from?

Many of us have been where this woman is, ready to give up on everything. Ready to pack it in and just lay down and die…

Yet when she was ready to do this the prophet told her to gather jars and pour her little oil until the jars were full then go and sell them to live off the wages…

You see just like this widow, God will use what you have and give you an abundance.

Sabbath

The Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: Speak to the people of Israel and say to them: When you enter the land that I am giving you, the land shall observe a sabbath for the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather in their yield; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of complete rest for the land, a sabbath for the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest or gather the grapes of your unpruned vine: it shall be a year of complete rest for the land. You may eat what the land yields during its sabbath — you, your male and female slaves, your hired and your bound laborers who live with you; for your livestock also, and for the wild animals in your land all its yield shall be for food. You shall count off seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the period of seven weeks of years gives forty-nine years. Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; on the tenth day of the seventh month — on the day of atonement — you shall have the trumpet sounded throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you: you shall not sow, or reap the aftergrowth, or harvest the unpruned vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat only what the field itself produces. In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property. When you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not cheat one another. When you buy from your neighbor, you shall pay only for the number of years since the jubilee; the seller shall charge you only for the remaining crop years. If the years are more, you shall increase the price, and if the years are fewer, you shall diminish the price; for it is a certain number of harvests that are being sold to you. You shall not cheat one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God. You shall observe my statutes and faithfully keep my ordinances, so that you may live on the land securely. The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live on it securely. (Leviticus 25:1-19 NRSV)

Do you take a sabbath? We need to take time to rejuvenate.

Here God tells the people that the land must have time for sabbath and we all just have time for sabbath. So take your time for rest and rejuvenation.

We all need it, God took time during creation, so are we better than God? We need sabbath.

Seek

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. Have those who work evil no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God? There they are, in great terror, where there is no terror! For God scatters the bones of him who encamps against you; you put them to shame, for God has rejected them. Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad. (Psalms 53:1-6 ESV)

Do you seek the Lord?

This psalm says there is no one who seeks the Lord. It says there is no one who does good.

Do you seek the Lord or do you seek to fulfill your own needs? When you seek the Lord you will be moved to do good.

Then God and you and all of creation will rejoice!