What do you believe?

From Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I’m sent to bring about the faith of God’s chosen people and a knowledge of the truth that agrees with godliness. Their faith and this knowledge are based on the hope of eternal life that God, who doesn’t lie, promised before time began. God revealed his message at the appropriate time through preaching, and I was trusted with preaching this message by the command of God our savior. To Titus, my true child in a common faith. Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our savior. The reason I left you behind in Crete was to organize whatever needs to be done and to appoint elders in each city, as I told you. Elders should be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, and have faithful children who can’t be accused of self-indulgence or rebelliousness. This is because supervisors should be without fault as God’s managers: they shouldn’t be stubborn, irritable, addicted to alcohol, a bully, or greedy. Instead, they should show hospitality, love what is good, and be reasonable, ethical, godly, and self-controlled. They must pay attention to the reliable message as it has been taught to them so that they can encourage people with healthy instruction and refute those who speak against it. (Titus 1:1-9, CEB)

This epistle starts off with “From Paul, a slave of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ.” So one would think this is from Paul, but does Paul start any of his epistles this way?

Plus this epistle was written well after Paul is thought to have died. So did Paul write this?

Does the fact that this epistle probably wasn’t written by Paul make it unuseful to us?

It is still a good tool, it helps us focus on showing hospitality, to be loving, to be reliable, ethical, godly, and show control. This is still a good endeavor to undertake, but we need to realize it wasn’t Paul who wrote this, but someone who wanted to use Paul’s authority to help people live in a way to show their connection to God.

Scripture helps point us to God and to show the love we have received from God.

We should read scripture through the lens of God’s love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Partners in grace

I thank my God every time I mention you in my prayers. I’m thankful for all of you every time I pray, and it’s always a prayer full of joy. I’m glad because of the way you have been my partners in the ministry of the gospel from the time you first believed it until now. I’m sure about this: the one who started a good work in you will stay with you to complete the job by the day of Christ Jesus. I have good reason to think this way about all of you because I keep you in my heart. You are all my partners in God’s grace, both during my time in prison and in the defense and support of the gospel. God is my witness that I feel affection for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. This is my prayer: that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight. I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ. I pray that you will then be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes from Jesus Christ, in order to give glory and praise to God. (Philippians 1:3-11, CEB)

I have good reason to think this way about all of you, and keep you in my heart, because we are partners in God’s grace.

I think fondly of you and remember you always in my heart because we are sharing the story of God’s grace with the world and we are partners in making sure love is sown and shown in the world.

All of us can share the story and share love.

Paul’s prayer for the Philippians should be our prayer for all people: “that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight.” This would allow all of us to be what God called us to be.

Loving People. Loving God.

High Priestly Prayer

“I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from this world. They were yours and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. This is because I gave them the words that you gave me, and they received them. They truly understood that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. “I’m praying for them. I’m not praying for the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours. Everything that is mine is yours and everything that is yours is mine; I have been glorified in them. I’m no longer in the world, but they are in the world, even as I’m coming to you. Holy Father, watch over them in your name, the name you gave me, that they will be one just as we are one. When I was with them, I watched over them in your name, the name you gave to me, and I kept them safe. None of them were lost, except the one who was destined for destruction, so that scripture would be fulfilled. Now I’m coming to you and I say these things while I’m in the world so that they can share completely in my joy. I gave your word to them and the world hated them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world. I’m not asking that you take them out of this world but that you keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world. Make them holy in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. I made myself holy on their behalf so that they also would be made holy in the truth. (John 17:6-19, CEB)

Week 7 of the season of Easter is one part of the High Priestly Prayer from John 17. Because this is year B we get the second part where Jesus prays for the disciples.

The disciples are the extension of Jesus and we are all believers now because of their actions to continue to spread the message after Jesus after his death and ascension. We believe today because the disciples told the story.

Who will believe tomorrow because you tell the story?

Know you are never alone and God is always with you.

Loving People. Loving God.

companion

But I have said these things to you so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them. “I didn’t say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go away to the one who sent me. None of you ask me, ‘Where are you going?’ Yet because I have said these things to you, you are filled with sorrow. I assure you that it is better for you that I go away. If I don’t go away, the Companion won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will show the world it was wrong about sin, righteousness, and judgment. He will show the world it was wrong about sin because they don’t believe in me. He will show the world it was wrong about righteousness because I’m going to the Father and you won’t see me anymore. He will show the world it was wrong about judgment because this world’s ruler stands condemned. (John 16:4-11, CEB)

If I don’t go the companion won’t come…

Right now is the time the church is without Jesus or the Spirit. The ascension was this past Thursday, so 2 days ago, and the Spirit doesn’t come until next Sunday, so 8 more days. So technically we are without Jesus or the Spirit…

But all will be well and we are not alone. God is still with us, as God was with the Israelites in a pillar of fire and clouds.

We are never truly alone.

Know God is always with you.

Loving People. Loving God.

Don’t be afraid…

I, John, your brother who shares with you in the hardship, kingdom, and endurance that we have in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and my witness about Jesus. I was in a Spirit-inspired trance on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice that sounded like a trumpet. It said, “Write down on a scroll whatever you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” I turned to see who was speaking to me, and when I turned, I saw seven oil lamps burning on top of seven gold stands. In the middle of the lampstands I saw someone who looked like the Human One. He wore a robe that stretched down to his feet, and he had a gold sash around his chest. His head and hair were white as white wool—like snow—and his eyes were like a fiery flame. His feet were like fine brass that has been purified in a furnace, and his voice sounded like rushing water. He held seven stars in his right hand, and from his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His appearance was like the sun shining with all its power. When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. But he put his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid. I’m the first and the last, and the living one. I was dead, but look! Now I’m alive forever and always. I have the keys of Death and the Grave. (Revelation 1:9-18, CEB)

Don’t be afraid. The Bible says this a lot. I however still get afraid.

Does fear stop us though? I think fear can be something we use to motivate us to be better or to overcome something we are dreading. Fear can be debilitating, and stop us cold, but fear can also motivate us to become more than we are.

In Return of the Jedi Darth Vader actually overcomes his fear when he sees his son being tortured by the Emperor. He picks up the Emperor and throws him over the ledge of the tower they are on, overcoming the fear of power and dread.

We can not let fear hold us back, we need to realize that we are in the hands of our creator and that the promise of God always being with us and never forsaking us are real and true. We are never alone.

Trust in the promise and know that fear doesn’t control you.

Loving People. Loving God.

Ascension of the Lord

Jesus said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the Law from Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. He said to them, “This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and a change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Look, I’m sending to you what my Father promised, but you are to stay in the city until you have been furnished with heavenly power.” He led them out as far as Bethany, where he lifted his hands and blessed them. As he blessed them, he left them and was taken up to heaven. They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem overwhelmed with joy. And they were continuously in the temple praising God. (Luke 24:44-53, CEB)

Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of God.

Jesus blessed the disciples and then was taken into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father. The disciples, just blessed, returned to the city overwhelmed with joy and they were praising God.

Everything was made known to them. We too can be blessed and know that the promises of the scriptures are true and hold them fast.

Know you are loved and Jesus ascended, gave us the Spirit, and will come back. We know we are loved and we will one day be with God.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

went out

After the Lord Jesus spoke to them, he was lifted up into heaven and sat down on the right side of God. But they went out and proclaimed the message everywhere. The Lord worked with them, confirming the word by the signs associated with them.]] (Mark 16:19-20, CEB)

I used to be a part of a denomination that went around knocking on doors asking, “If you were to die tonight, where would you go?” We were looking to save people from the fires of hell.

When I became a Lutheran, my pastor said that was the wrong question. We shouldn’t knock on doors and ask if you die where would you go, we should ask, since you are alive today what are you going to do?

You see, we have the greatest news anyone has ever heard. You are loved as you are. Regardless of what anyone else has told you, God loves you just as you are and since we know this, what are we going to do?

Go out and tell the world!

Loving People. Loving God.

Follow Jesus

I command you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and Christ Jesus, who made the good confession when testifying before Pontius Pilate. Obey this order without fault or failure until the appearance of our Lord Jesus Christ. The timing of this appearance is revealed by God alone, who is the blessed and only master, the King of kings and Lord of lords. He alone has immortality and lives in light that no one can come near. No human being has ever seen or is able to see him. Honor and eternal power belong to him. Amen. (1 Timothy 6:13-16, CEB)

We need to follow Jesus and hold fast to where Jesus leads us.

All of our power and strength come from God.

God is the one who makes all things new and leads us to love as God first loved us.

Love all.

Loving People. Loving God.

Pursue

But as for you, man of God, run away from all these things. Instead, pursue righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness. Compete in the good fight of faith. Grab hold of eternal life—you were called to it, and you made a good confession of it in the presence of many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:11-12, CEB)

pursue righteousness, holy living, faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness.

Love all. Be righteous in your actions, not stuck up but seeking justice for all. Be faithful to God in keeping the commandment to love all as God loves you. Stay strong because living this way will cause others to question you. And live a life that is gentle to all, because we do not know what anyone else is facing.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Remain in my love

“As the Father loved me, I too have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy will be in you and your joy will be complete. This is my commandment: love each other just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I don’t call you servants any longer, because servants don’t know what their master is doing. Instead, I call you friends, because everything I heard from my Father I have made known to you. You didn’t choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you could go and produce fruit and so that your fruit could last. As a result, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. I give you these commandments so that you can love each other. (John 15:9-17, CEB)

Keep the commandments and you will remain in God’s love.

And what is the commandment?

“love each other just as I have loved you” It is that easy.

Love everyone as God loves you.

Accept them and love them.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.