hope gives us…

Therefore, brothers and sisters who are partners in the heavenly calling, think about Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession. Jesus was faithful to the one who appointed him just like Moses was faithful in God’s house. But he deserves greater glory than Moses in the same way that the builder of the house deserves more honor than the house itself. Every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant in order to affirm the things that would be spoken later. But Jesus was faithful over God’s house as a Son. We are his house if we hold on to the confidence and the pride that our hope gives us. (Hebrews 3:1-6, CEB)

We are God’s house if we hold on to the confidence and the pride that our hope gives us.

Our hope is Christ and the life we have in God. The master builder who built the house and gets the most honor.

When we honor God and live in the hope God gives us we show the world the love, grace, and mercy God gives to all.

Live in a way that others see God in your life.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

might be saved

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son. “This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.” (John 3:14-21, CEB)

The best known verse from the Bible in the United States is? Probably John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.”

But I have always said John 3:17 is just as, if not more important. “God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” God didn’t send Jesus to condemn the world. But God sent Jesus so the world might be saved.

God didn’t send Jesus to condemn but to love. And if God didn’t send Jesus to condemn, God isn’t sending you to condemn either.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Nic at night

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew, it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.” Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?” Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?” Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things? I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One. (John 3:1-13, CEB)

Nicodemus is introduced to us in the passage above. Here we see he is seeking out Jesus to ask questions, and he found Jesus at night. Now most scholars assume Nicodemus went at night to avoid being seen seeking Jesus out. Nicodemus was a pharisee and they didn’t agree with Jesus. But Nicodemus had questions.

And it seems to me Nicodemus left that night with more questions than answers.

Sometimes it is the questions that guide us to a deeper understanding.

It is the questions that make us seek the answers.

Do not hide or run from questions. Live into them.

Loving People. Loving God.

down payment

We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding. God revealed his hidden design to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. This is what God planned for the climax of all times: to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design. We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ. You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ. The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, which is applied toward our redemption as God’s own people, resulting in the honor of God’s glory. (Ephesians 1:7-14, CEB)

The Holy Spirit is the down payment on your inheritance!

God made the way for you to be forgiven and for your mistakes to be wiped away.

We get the inheritance because of Jesus and the Spirit. All by God’s doing. Nothing we did will get it for us, and nothing we do will ever take it away.

Know you are loved by God beyond measure. Return that love to the world!

Love Like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

adopted

Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven. God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world. God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. (Ephesians 1:3-6, CEB)

we are destined to be God’s adopted children because of God’s love. We are holy and blameless in God’s eyes.

Know that God looks upon you and sees a beloved child. Please remember you are God’s beloved child, that is how God sees you. The people around you may not agree, but God’s view is the correct view.

Do not be fooled by the world or the evil one to think less of yourself.

The devil knows your name and calls you by your sins, God knows your sins and calls you by your name. God calls you a beloved child.

Share light and love in all you do.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Do not allow abuse…

They came into Jerusalem. After entering the temple, he threw out those who were selling and buying there. He pushed over the tables used for currency exchange and the chairs of those who sold doves. He didn’t allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He taught them, “Hasn’t it been written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you’ve turned it into a hideout for crooks.” The chief priests and legal experts heard this and tried to find a way to destroy him. They regarded him as dangerous because the whole crowd was enthralled at his teaching. When it was evening, Jesus and his disciples went outside the city. (Mark 11:15-19, CEB)

Jesus threw these people out of the temple because they were abusing people coming to worship. They were stealing and mistreating people who had shown up to worship God.

We can not abuse people, or make them fit our box to worship God. God is in control of all things. We need to be beacons of God’s love, grace, and mercy to all the world.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

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.