Be of one mind

Finally, all of you be of one mind, sympathetic, lovers of your fellow believers, compassionate, and modest in your opinion of yourselves. Don’t pay back evil for evil or insult for insult. Instead, give blessing in return. You were called to do this so that you might inherit a blessing. For

those who want to love life
    and see good days
should keep their tongue from evil speaking
    and their lips from speaking lies.
They should shun evil and do good;
    seek peace and chase after it.
The Lord’s eyes are on the righteous
    and his ears are open to their prayers.
But the Lord cannot tolerate those who do evil.

Who will harm you if you are zealous for good? But happy are you, even if you suffer because of righteousness! Don’t be terrified or upset by them. Instead, regard Christ the Lord as holy in your hearts. Whenever anyone asks you to speak of your hope, be ready to defend it. Yet do this with respectful humility, maintaining a good conscience. Act in this way so that those who malign your good lifestyle in Christ may be ashamed when they slander you. It is better to suffer for doing good (if this could possibly be God’s will) than for doing evil. Christ himself suffered on account of sins, once for all, the righteous one on behalf of the unrighteous. (1 Peter 3:8-18a, CBE)

Do good and be of one mind.

I know this is hard, being of one mind with all people. Working along side people who see things differently and sharing love.

Buy God asks us to focus on the things that unite us and be loving. To love like Jesus. Never repay evil for evil but in everything you do be loving.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Saved by grace through faith

At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God. You used to live like people of this world. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience. At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else. However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace! And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus. God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. (Ephesians 2:1-10, CEB)

I normally like the Common English Bible (CEB). However the translation for verse 8 here falls a little short for me.

You are saved by grace because of your faith. This makes my salvation about me and my faith. Other translations say saved by grace through faith. And the construction of the Greek is not clear whose faith it is. I like to think of it and believe it is not my faith but Christ’s faith to follow the plan through. He asked to have the cup removed but faithfully follow God.

It is not my doing or your doing. It is God’s love that saves us.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

tempted

About that time, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. While he was coming up out of the water, Jesus saw heaven splitting open and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him. And there was a voice from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I dearly love; in you I find happiness.” At once the Spirit forced Jesus out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. He was among the wild animals, and the angels took care of him. After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!” (Mark 1:9-15, CEB)

At once the Spirit forced Jesus to the wilderness.

This was a beautiful moment. Jesus coming up out of the water and God saying he is the beloved and the Spirit steps in and ruins the picture.

Everything in Mark happens at once, or as the NRSV always translated, and immediately.

That is the urgency of the Gospel. At once we should share grace. And immediately we should share mercy. And at all times we should love.

Follow Christ and at once share the overflowing love.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

What!?!?

People brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a cot. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man who was paralyzed, “Be encouraged, my child, your sins are forgiven.” Some legal experts said among themselves, “This man is insulting God.” But Jesus knew what they were thinking and said, “Why do you fill your minds with evil things? Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“Get up, take your cot, and go home.” The man got up and went home. When the crowds saw what had happened, they were afraid and praised God, who had given such authority to human beings. As Jesus continued on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at a kiosk for collecting taxes. He said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him. As Jesus sat down to eat in Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners joined Jesus and his disciples at the table. But when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor, but sick people do. Go and learn what this means: I want mercy and not sacrifice. I didn’t come to call righteous people, but sinners.” (Matthew 9:2-13, CEB)

Why were the paralyzed man’s sins forgiven?

Nothing he did. Not his faith. Not because God loves him, well ok it is ultimately because God loves him.  But our text says that people brought a paralyzed man to Jesus on a cot and when he saw their faith he forgave him.

Their faith. Not his. The community that cared for the man. Their faith forgave him.

We have the power as community to forgive and share love. When we are united in love the world is changed.

Love like Jesus.

Let’s change the world!

Loving People. Loving God.

Commussion…

I’m giving you this commission in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearance and his kingdom. Preach the word. Be ready to do it whether it is convenient or inconvenient. Correct, confront, and encourage with patience and instruction. There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will collect teachers who say what they want to hear because they are self-centered. They will turn their back on the truth and turn to myths. But you must keep control of yourself in all circumstances. Endure suffering, do the work of a preacher of the good news, and carry out your service fully. (2 Timothy 4:1-5, CEB)

There will come a time when people will not tolerate sound teaching. They will fall on tradition and what they were taught ignoring the moving of the Spirit and the leading of understanding.

They will be self centered abd unwilling to hear a view point that is different than theirs.

Their hearts will be hardened and love will be far away from them.

They will not hear your words. But share love any way. Preach the Gospel. Tell of Grace and Mercy.

Love like Jesus. Even when it’s hard.

Loving People. Loving God.

Joy

What we have seen and heard, we also announce it to you so that you can have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy can be complete. This is the message that we have heard from him and announce to you: “God is light and there is no darkness in him at all.” If we claim, “We have fellowship with him,” and live in the darkness, we are lying and do not act truthfully. But if we live in the light in the same way as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin. If we claim, “We don’t have any sin,” we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from everything we’ve done wrong. If we claim, “We have never sinned,” we make him a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:3-10, CEB)

Joy can be a choice.

We do not need to be clear of conflict to not experience joy.

Some would say we shouldn’t speak of Joy now during Lent. We need to focus on sacrifice and seeing what Jesus did for us. We should look at penitence and seeking to be right with God. But wouldn’t that bring Joy?

Joy is a state of being content regardless of the circumstances we face.

Choose Joy.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

Ash Wednesday

Have mercy on me, God, according to your faithful love!
    Wipe away my wrongdoings according to your great compassion!
Wash me completely clean of my guilt;
    purify me from my sin!
Because I know my wrongdoings,
    my sin is always right in front of me.
I’ve sinned against you—you alone.
    I’ve committed evil in your sight.
That’s why you are justified when you render your verdict,
    completely correct when you issue your judgment.
Yes, I was born in guilt, in sin,
    from the moment my mother conceived me.
And yes, you want truth in the most hidden places;
    you teach me wisdom in the most secret space.

Purify me with hyssop and I will be clean;
    wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and celebration again;
    let the bones you crushed rejoice once more.
Hide your face from my sins;
    wipe away all my guilty deeds!
Create a clean heart for me, God;
    put a new, faithful spirit deep inside me!
Please don’t throw me out of your presence;
    please don’t take your holy spirit away from me.
Return the joy of your salvation to me
    and sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach wrongdoers your ways,
    and sinners will come back to you.

Deliver me from violence, God, God of my salvation,
    so that my tongue can sing of your righteousness.
Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
You don’t want sacrifices.
    If I gave an entirely burned offering,
    you wouldn’t be pleased.
A broken spirit is my sacrifice, God.
    You won’t despise a heart, God, that is broken and crushed. (Psalm 51:1-17, CEB)

We all have things we need to give up.

We all have skeletons we don’t want others to see.

God already knows all these things and loves you as you are.

Remember as we enter Lent:

Satan knows your name and calls you by your sins.

God knows your sins and calls you by your name.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

mystery of godliness

I hope to come to you quickly. But I’m writing these things to you so that if I’m delayed, you’ll know how you should behave in God’s household. It is the church of the living God and the backbone and support of the truth. Without question, the mystery of godliness is great: he was revealed as a human, declared righteous by the Spirit, seen by angels, preached throughout the nations, believed in around the world, and taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:14-16, CEB)

Jesus was born of Mary and the Holy Spirit and lived here as a man to show us how to live. Love unconditionally. Love like God. Show mercy and grace.

Jesus was revealed as a human, made righteous by God, seen by all, and persecuted by the powers of religion and put to death. But the grave could not hold him and he rose to show us that God has power over even death and that nothing in life should keep us from showing love in everything we do.

The mystery of godliness is to show mercy instead of judgment, grace instead of persecution, and love in all circumstances.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.

message

This is why it’s necessary for us to pay more attention to what we have heard, or else we may drift away from it. If the message that was spoken by angels was reliable, and every offense and act of disobedience received an appropriate consequence, how will we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? It was first announced through the Lord, and then it was confirmed by those who heard him. God also vouched for their message with signs, amazing things, various miracles, and gifts from the Holy Spirit, which were handed out the way he wanted. (Hebrews 2:1-4, CEB)

God gave us all a gift of the Holy Spirit. This gift helps us to share the message that has been shared for all time, that the God, the creator of the universe loves all of creation and wants to spend eternity with all of creation.

Do not forsake this message and do not keep it to yourself.

Love like Jesus. Share what you know.

Loving People. Loving God.

Transfiguration

Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain where they were alone. He was transformed in front of them, and his clothes were amazingly bright, brighter than if they had been bleached white. Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus. Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He said this because he didn’t know how to respond, for the three of them were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice spoke from the cloud, “This is my Son, whom I dearly love. Listen to him!” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after the Human One had risen from the dead. (Mark 9:2-9, CEB)

Peter is so eloquently spoken. Caught up in the moment of the bleached whiter-than-white clothes of Jesus and then Moses and Elijah there with Jesus. (I still wonder how they knew they were Moses and Elijah, I mean there weren’t any pictures of them, were they wearing name tags? Hello my name is Moses?)

But in the midst of this mind-rattling occurrence, Peter says, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” I wonder what happened when God actually spoke to them, we do not get that report, just everyone else was gone and Jesus took them down the mountain and told them not to tell anyone until he had risen from the dead.

But now he has risen, so we can tell everyone about the wonders of our God and how God’s love, mercy, and grace cover a multitude of issues and help us make it through.

Share the love, mercy, and grace you have been given.

Love like Jesus.

Loving People. Loving God.