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.

Compare

“How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. You say, ‘If we had lived in our ancestors’ days, we wouldn’t have joined them in killing the prophets.’ You testify against yourselves that you are children of those who murdered the prophets. Go ahead, complete what your ancestors did. You snakes! You children of snakes! How will you be able to escape the judgment of hell? Therefore, look, I’m sending you prophets, wise people, and legal experts. Some of them you will kill and crucify. And some you will beat in your synagogues and chase from city to city. Therefore, upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been poured out on the earth, from the blood of that righteous man Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. I assure you that all these things will come upon this generation. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem! You who kill the prophets and stone those who were sent to you. How often I wanted to gather your people together, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you didn’t want that. Look, your house is left to you deserted. I tell you, you won’t see me until you say, Blessings on the one who comes in the Lord’s name.” (Matthew 23:29-39, CEB)

We shouldn’t compare ourselves to people from the past.

We shouldn’t even compare ourselves to our old selves, unless it is to see how far we have come, knowing we still have miles and miles to go.

We say if we had been there we wouldn’t have done what they did. But we honestly don’t know how mob mentality would effect us. Or what we would have done. We may not have the information we do now and what they did was what seemed like the right choice.

We did what we could with what we knew, and now we know better so we do better.

Do better

Don’t compare…

Loving People. Loving God.

Humility

I don’t want you to be unaware of this secret, brothers and sisters. That way you won’t think too highly of yourselves. A part of Israel has become resistant until the full number of the Gentiles comes in. In this way, all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The deliverer will come from Zion. He will remove ungodly behavior from Jacob. This is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins. According to the gospel, they are enemies for your sake, but according to God’s choice, they are loved for the sake of their ancestors. God’s gifts and calling can’t be taken back. Once you were disobedient to God, but now you have mercy because they were disobedient. In the same way, they have also been disobedient because of the mercy that you received, so now they can receive mercy too. God has locked up all people in disobedience, in order to have mercy on all of them. (Romans 11:25-32, CEB)

We are to be humble in that we do not draw attention to ourselves so that we get recognition. This is not to say we let people walk all over us or we shy away from proclaiming our gifts.

For the longest time, I have downgraded myself as a musician and not told people about that part of my life. I am now living into it and letting people know. I have met many new and wonderful people because of this.

Also, I had a conversation the other day about the ministry I serve and fundraising and I commented that my biggest issue for asking for money for that ministry is that when you boil it down to the brass tax, I am asking people to pay my salary and I don’t like doing that. My friend said, “Why don’t you deserve to get paid?” I have gifts to do the ministry I am doing here and in order for that to happen, I deserve to take care of my family, which means I get paid and compensated for the gifts I have that allow me to do this. This is not bragging so I get noticed, it is lifting up the gifts I have been given by God to be who I am.

Be humble. Don’t draw attention to yourself, but allow your gifts to shine to show who you are in God’s love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Jesus Christ Crucified

When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I didn’t come preaching God’s secrets to you like I was an expert in speech or wisdom. I had made up my mind not to think about anything while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and to preach him as crucified. I stood in front of you with weakness, fear, and a lot of shaking. My message and my preaching weren’t presented with convincing wise words but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power. I did this so that your faith might not depend on the wisdom of people but on the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5, CEB)

I made up my mind not to think of anything except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

This is key to Paul. Jesus was the Messiah and he was crucified and rose from the dead.

We don’t need great speech or wisdom or anything else. All we need is to know Christ and him crucified.

That is the power we need for life.

Loving People. Loving God.

them…

Some people from Jerusalem said, “Isn’t he the one they want to kill? Here he is, speaking in public, yet they aren’t saying anything to him. Could it be that our leaders actually think he is the Christ? We know where he is from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he exclaimed, “You know me and where I am from. I haven’t come on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. I know him because I am from him and he sent me.” So they wanted to seize Jesus, but they couldn’t because his time hadn’t yet come. Many from that crowd believed in Jesus. They said, “When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man does?” The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about Jesus, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent guards to arrest him. Therefore, Jesus said, “I’m still with you for a little while before I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you won’t find me, and where I am you can’t come.” The Jewish opposition asked each other, “Where does he intend to go that we can’t find him? Surely he doesn’t intend to go where our people have been scattered and are living among the Greeks! He isn’t going to teach the Greeks, is he? What does he mean when he says, ‘You will look for me, but you won’t find me, and where I am you can’t come’?” (John 7:25-36, CEB)

What does Jesus mean that he is going where we can’t find him? Is he going to teach them?

Any time we single out a group we make an us and them situation, whether that was our intent or not. The problem with the country we live in and the world is we make to many things an us verses them issue. We are the body of Christ, all of humanity. The longer we make it about them, we keep the body from being whole.

We need to love like Jesus. Unconditionaly.

Loving People. Loving God.