true holy place…

So it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be cleansed with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things had to be cleansed with better sacrifices than these. Christ didn’t enter the holy place (which is a copy of the true holy place) made by human hands, but into heaven itself, so that he now appears in God’s presence for us. He didn’t enter to offer himself over and over again, like the high priest enters the earthly holy place every year with blood that isn’t his. If that were so, then Jesus would have to suffer many times since the foundation of the world. Instead, he has now appeared once at the end of the ages to get rid of sin by sacrificing himself. People are destined to die once and then face judgment. In the same way, Christ was also offered once to take on himself the sins of many people. He will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:23-28, CEB)

Christ didn’t enter the holy place (which is a copy of the true holy place) made by human hands. We all say that God is in the temple, the congregation, the place of worship. And according to this reading that is merely a copy of the true holy place.

And yet, we believe that God is everywhere and everywhere God is is holy. So wouldn’t everywhere be a true holy place?

We need to stop judging where God is and where God isn’t, because we do not control God.

Our calling is to love the creation of God around us and make sure that all get an equal share. Don’t look for the holy place, look for where God is leading you to be light, love, grace, and mercy.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

God’s Temple

I laid a foundation like a wise master builder according to God’s grace that was given to me, but someone else is building on top of it. Each person needs to pay attention to the way they build on it. No one can lay any other foundation besides the one that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ. So, whether someone builds on top of the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, grass, or hay, each one’s work will be clearly shown. The day will make it clear, because it will be revealed with fire—the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. If anyone’s work survives, they’ll get a reward. But if anyone’s work goes up in flames, they’ll lose it. However, they themselves will be saved as if they had gone through a fire. Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and God’s Spirit lives in you? If someone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person, because God’s temple is holy, which is what you are. Don’t fool yourself. If some of you think they are worldly-wise, then they should become foolish so that they can become wise. This world’s wisdom is foolishness to God. As it’s written, He catches the wise in their cleverness. And also, The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are silly. So then, no one should brag about human beings. Everything belongs to you— Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, life, death, things in the present, things in the future—everything belongs to you, but you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God. (1 Corinthians 3:10-23, CEB)

You are God’s temple. God’s Spirit lives in you. And me, and everyone else. So everyone is God’s Temple. Anyone who destroys God will destroy that person, and since everyone is God’s temple, when you use someone for your own gain or degrade them because they do not fit into the box you have for them, you are destroying them.

When we do not allow people to be who they are created to be or make them live up to our expectations, or fit into our box, we are destroying them. You are not in control of anyone but yourself. Making others fit your box is destroying them, and by doing this you will be destroyed by God.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Watch me…

It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple those who were selling cattle, sheep, and doves, as well as those involved in exchanging currency sitting there. He made a whip from ropes and chased them all out of the temple, including the cattle and the sheep. He scattered the coins and overturned the tables of those who exchanged currency. He said to the dove sellers, “Get these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a place of business.” His disciples remembered that it is written, Passion for your house consumes me. Then the Jewish leaders asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things? What miraculous sign will you show us?” Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple and in three days I’ll raise it up.” The Jewish leaders replied, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and you will raise it up in three days?” But the temple Jesus was talking about was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered what he had said, and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. (John 2:13-22, CEB)

WWJD was a lot bigger about a decade ago, but yet still today you see it. What Would Jesus Do? Flipping tables and driving people out of the Temple with a whip is not out of the question. And to make the point even more poignant, Jesus made the whip himself. He didn’t find it, he took the time to put something together to use as a whip.

Because people were abusing those who were coming to worship. Charging them more than they should and making a profit off of people doing their liturgical duty according to the scripture.

We should not take advantage of people. We are called to love, not abuse.

so the next time someone says, “What Would Jesus Do?” Reply, “Watch me whip!”

Love like Jesus. Stop the abusing.

Loving People. Loving God.

No doubt about it

Heaven is declaring God’s glory;
    the sky is proclaiming his handiwork.
One day gushes the news to the next,
    and one night informs another what needs to be known.
Of course, there’s no speech, no words—
        their voices can’t be heard—
    but their sound extends throughout the world;
        their words reach the ends of the earth.
God has made a tent in heaven for the sun.
The sun is like a groom
    coming out of his honeymoon suite;
    like a warrior, it thrills at running its course.
It rises in one end of the sky;
    its circuit is complete at the other.
        Nothing escapes its heat.
The Lord’s Instruction is perfect,
    reviving one’s very being.
The Lord’s laws are faithful,
    making naive people wise.
The Lord’s regulations are right,
    gladdening the heart.
The Lord’s commands are pure,
    giving light to the eyes.
Honoring the Lord is correct,
    lasting forever.
The Lord’s judgments are true.
    All of these are righteous!
They are more desirable than gold—
        than tons of pure gold!
    They are sweeter than honey—
        even dripping off the honeycomb!
No doubt about it:
    your servant is enlightened by them;
    there is great reward in keeping them.
But can anyone know
    what they’ve accidentally done wrong?
    Clear me of any unknown sin
        and save your servant from willful sins.
        Don’t let them rule me.
Then I’ll be completely blameless;
    I’ll be innocent of great wrongdoing.
Let the words of my mouth
    and the meditations of my heart
    be pleasing to you,
    Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
(Psalm 19, CEB)

No doubt about it. It is better to follow the Lord and live out the Lord’s judgment than to follow your own ways.

Only the Lord can clear me of my wrong doing, clear me of my sin. I need the Lord’s help to not succumb to the evil ways of the world and to follow the Lord.

We should every morning say the prayer I pray before every sermon:

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of our hearts and minds
be pleasing to you
O Lord, my rock and redeemer.

May we always seek to live in God’s judgment and live a life pleasing to God.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Follow God?

“Forty years later, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush in the wilderness near Mount Sinai. Enthralled by the sight, Moses approached to get a closer look and he heard the Lord’s voice: ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Trembling with fear, Moses didn’t dare to investigate any further. The Lord continued, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. I have clearly seen the oppression my people have experienced in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning. I have come down to rescue them. Come! I am sending you to Egypt.’ “This is the same Moses whom they rejected when they asked, ‘Who appointed you as our leader and judge?’ This is the Moses whom God sent as leader and deliverer. God did this with the help of the angel who appeared before him in the bush. This man led them out after he performed wonders and signs in Egypt at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness. This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with our ancestors and with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai. He is the one who received life-giving words to give to us. He’s also the one whom our ancestors refused to obey. Instead, they pushed him aside and, in their thoughts and desires, returned to Egypt. They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will lead us. As for this Moses who led us out of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him!’ (Acts 7:30-40, CEB)

God has a plan and a way.

What happens is we get in the way. We think we know what is best and we start to make God’s way into our way. We don’t get the timing or the methods. We want miracles our way, on our timetable. But that isn’t how God works. The movie, My Sister’s Keeper starts out with a black screen and a quote, “If you want to make God laugh, tell God your plans.” Our plans really don’t matter.

We can not just change the plan or ask for something different because we do not understand. We need to follow. Trusting the creator of the universe has it all under control.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Once you weren’t…

Now you are coming to him as to a living stone. Even though this stone was rejected by humans, from God’s perspective it is chosen, valuable. You yourselves are being built like living stones into a spiritual temple. You are being made into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Thus it is written in scripture, Look! I am laying a cornerstone in Zion, chosen, valuable. The person who believes in him will never be shamed. So God honors you who believe. For those who refuse to believe, though, the stone the builders tossed aside has become the capstone. This is a stone that makes people stumble and a rock that makes them fall. Because they refuse to believe in the word, they stumble. Indeed, this is the end to which they were appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God’s own possession. You have become this people so that you may speak of the wonderful acts of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. Once you weren’t a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you hadn’t received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:4-10, CEB)

You are living stones. The true cornerstone was rejected by those who should have known and accepted him, but yet they didn’t. They were focused on their power and status. The things that keep us from loving others. We love our things and status too much to let people get in the way. When we stop loving things and power and using people to keep us there and start loving people and using the things we have and the power we have to make the world right for everyone is when we will be living stones and the foundation for the world God intended.

You were not a people, but now you are. When you realize that people are to be loved and things used and everyone is to be made equal.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Light

As long as you have the light, believe in the light so that you might become people whose lives are determined by the light.” After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them. Jesus had done many miraculous signs before the people, but they didn’t believe in him. This was to fulfill the word of the prophet Isaiah: Lord, who has believed through our message? To whom is the arm of the Lord fully revealed? Isaiah explains why they couldn’t believe: He made their eyes blind and closed their minds so that they might not see with their eyes, understand with their minds, and turn their lives around—and I would heal them. Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory; he spoke about Jesus. Even so, many leaders believed in him, but they wouldn’t acknowledge their faith because they feared that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. They believed, but they loved human praise more than God’s glory. (John 12:36-43, CEB)

As long as you have light, share that light. Do not love the praise of others more than doing what God has called us to.

That, my friends, is the trouble with the world today. We want the likes. We want the shares. We want people to notice us and remember us. We try to puff ourselves up when that isn’t what life is about.

Life is about being the light in a world that needs love.

Life is about looking out for the other, rather than worrying about yourself.

Life is about helping the unseen be seen, rather than making ourselves more seen.

Be the light.

Share the love.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Seeing…

Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith.By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible.
All these people died in faith without receiving the promises, but they saw the promises from a distance and welcomed them. They confessed that they were strangers and immigrants on earth. People who say this kind of thing make it clear that they are looking for a homeland. If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they would have had the opportunity to return to it. But at this point in time, they are longing for a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God isn’t ashamed to be called their God—he has prepared a city for them. By faith Abraham offered Isaac when he was tested. The one who received the promises was offering his only son. He had been told concerning him, Your legitimate descendants will come from Isaac. He figured that God could even raise him from the dead. So in a way he did receive him back from the dead. (Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-19, CEB)

Faith is hope in what we can not see. This makes me remember the line from The Santa Clause 2, “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing.” We always want proof. And faith is believing in something that can not be proven.

Hebrews chapter 11 is the faith hall of fame. Everyone who trusted God despite everything and everyone being against them. It is a chapter that shows us that we can trust God.

So do not rely on sight. Trust that God is moving and working in your world.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Love/Hate

But he says to his Son,
God, your throne is forever
        and your kingdom’s scepter is a rod of justice.
You loved righteousness and hated lawless behavior.
        That is why God, your God,
        has anointed you more than your companions with the oil of joy.
And he says,
You, Lord, laid the earth’s foundations in the beginning,
        and the heavens are made by your hands.
They will pass away,
        but you remain.
They will all wear out like old clothes.
        You will fold them up like a coat.
They will be changed like a person changes clothes,
        but you stay the same,
        and the years of your life won’t come to an end.
(Hebrews 1:8-12, CEB)

God is a god of Love. God loves righteousness and hates lawless behavior.

God hates those who are self-centered and only considers their needs and what will be best for them. The world is not about us making it higher. We are supposed to love and help others. Everything in this world will fade, except for God and God’s love.

Anything you do that is not loving another part of creation is not what God is leading us and calling us to do.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Know Your Place…

Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: “The Human One must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead.” He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: “Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them. Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? What will people give in exchange for their lives? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Human One will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:31-38, CEB)

I love this text. Jesus says to Peter, “ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, σατανᾶ.” Get Behind me, Satan. Because Peter was trying to dictate how things were going to go and what the plan was. Like he knew better than God what should happen. The thing I really love about this text is the phrase, ὀπίσω μου. Behind me in our text today. But in Mark 1:17 we see this same phrase, ὀπίσω μου, and there it is translated as Follow me.

The words Jesus used to call the disciples to follow him are the same words he says to Peter to rebuke him. Basically in Pastor Jerry’s understanding, this is a know-your-place. You are to be behind me. I have told congregations and classes before that if you do not see the back of Jesus’ head you are in the wrong spot. Maybe the pictures we have of Jesus in our congregations and homes should be the back of his head.

Jesus is the one leading. God is in control, not us. When we think we know better we should hear, “ὀπίσω μου” and know our place.

Remember who is leading, and be a light to the world.

Love Like Jesus.

ὀπίσω μου

Loving People. Loving God.