What will you do?

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus replied, “I assure you that you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate all the food you wanted. Don’t work for the food that doesn’t last but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One will give you. God the Father has confirmed him as his agent to give life.” They asked, “What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?” Jesus replied, “This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent.” They asked, “What miraculous sign will you do, that we can see and believe you? What will you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.” Jesus told them, “I assure you, it wasn’t Moses who gave the bread from heaven to you, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. The bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said, “Sir, give us this bread all the time!” Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:25-35, CEB)

This song above is from many years ago, but it is what I think about when I read in the bible people asking Jesus. Jesus says the signs they are looking for are the wrong ones and sometimes we as people miss the point.

We do not need the signs we think we need. We need to have faith in Jesus and the promises God gives us. It’s not about asking for proof to make us have proof.

Proof is not faith and faith is what we need.

Loving People. Loving God.

Press on

Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me. The goal I pursue is the prize of God’s upward call in Christ Jesus. So all of us who are spiritually mature should think this way, and if anyone thinks differently, God will reveal it to him or her. Only let’s live in a way that is consistent with whatever level we have reached. Brothers and sisters, become imitators of me and watch those who live this way—you can use us as models. As I have told you many times and now say with deep sadness, many people live as enemies of the cross. Their lives end with destruction. Their god is their stomach, and they take pride in their disgrace because their thoughts focus on earthly things. Our citizenship is in heaven. We look forward to a savior that comes from there—the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform our humble bodies so that they are like his glorious body, by the power that also makes him able to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord. (Philippians 3:13-4:1, CEB)

I have not reached the goal, and will not if it is of my power. If you think you’ve made it and have it all together, well think again. We will not have it all together until we are transformed in the completion of God’s kindom.

Be consistent in imitating Paul and doing what God has called us to.

Loving People. Loving God.

who is worldly…

But you, dear friends, remember the words spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the end time scoffers will come living according to their own ungodly desires.” These people create divisions. Since they don’t have the Spirit, they are worldly. But you, dear friends: build each other up on the foundation of your most holy faith, pray in the Holy Spirit, keep each other in the love of God, wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will give you eternal life. Have mercy on those who doubt. Save some by snatching them from the fire. Fearing God, have mercy on some, hating even the clothing contaminated by their sinful urges. To the one who is able to protect you from falling, and to present you blameless and rejoicing before his glorious presence, to the only God our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, belong glory, majesty, power, and authority, before all time, now and forever. Amen. (Jude 17-25, CEB)

Last week I was on the campus of Texas A&M University with Treehouse Ministries passing out popsicles and we had a nice young man come up and ask us about the Reconciled in Christ logo on our sign and we got into a discussion about how LTBTQIA+ people are living in sin, and I told the young man that this statement is not in the Bible and that the word homosexual was written into those passages and the original language does not say that. And our discussion continued and we were not changing each others minds and he said he hopes that we would find the Holy Spirit so we would know the leading of God. I tell you all of that to say as I read this part of Jude above, I wondered what it means to be worldly. Is it following after what conservative Christianity would say is preventing the gospel and saying God created LGBTQIA+ people as they are and it isn’t a choice. Or is worldly saying that God doesn’t change us and our faith needs to be the faith of those who wrote the scriptures down.

As for me and my house and the ministry I serve, I believe the Bible is clear that all people are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God as God intended them to be. LGBTQIA+ people are not making a choice, but are being who God created them to be and to say otherwise is worldly. It is not allow God’s will to be done and is against what God intended and is something we should steer clear of.

So love unconditionally and know that when the Bible says worldly it may not mean what we think it means.

Loving People. Loving God.

anxious

Therefore, my brothers and sisters whom I love and miss, who are my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord. Loved ones, I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to come to an agreement in the Lord. Yes, and I’m also asking you, loyal friend, to help these women who have struggled together with me in the ministry of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the scroll of life. Be glad in the Lord always! Again I say, be glad! Let your gentleness show in your treatment of all people. The Lord is near. Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. From now on, brothers and sisters, if anything is excellent and if anything is admirable, focus your thoughts on these things: all that is true, all that is holy, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovely, and all that is worthy of praise. Practice these things: whatever you learned, received, heard, or saw in us. The God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:1-9, CEB)

Don’t be anxious about anything.

Easier said than done usually for me. If you end that statement there it is kind of harsh.

But Paul doesn’t end it there. He continues, “rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks.” We should be thankful for what God has given us and then tell God what we are anxious about, or what concerns us. What could cause us to be anxious. “Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus.” Then we can let go of what troubles us the live in the peace that Christ gives.

Don’t be anxious, but live in Jesus’ peace.

Loving People. Loving God.

Can or can’t

John’s disciples and the Pharisees had a habit of fasting. Some people asked Jesus, “Why do John’s disciples and the Pharisees’ disciples fast, but yours don’t?” Jesus said, “The wedding guests can’t fast while the groom is with them, can they? As long as they have the groom with them, they can’t fast. But the days will come when the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. “No one sews a piece of new, unshrunk cloth on old clothes; otherwise, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and makes a worse tear. No one pours new wine into old leather wineskins; otherwise, the wine would burst the wineskins and the wine would be lost and the wineskins destroyed. But new wine is for new wineskins.” (Mark 2:18-22, CEB)

When the groom is with the guests they can not fast. But when the groom is gone, then the fasting can happen.

We put new wine in new wineskins so the wine doesn’t destroy the old worn-out skin and spill the wine.

Some things can not be done without harm and so we avoid them.

But love can be done everywhere and every day.

Love without limit and know that sometimes people expect you to be like them, but be how God made you because that’s the best.

Loving People. Loving God.

lift you up

You unfaithful people! Don’t you know that friendship with the world means hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. Or do you suppose that scripture is meaningless? Doesn’t God long for our faithfulness in the life he has given to us? But he gives us more grace. This is why it says, God stands against the proud, but favors the humble. Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. 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. (James 4:4-10, CEB)

Humble yourself before the Lord and the lord will lift you up.

Do not be friends with the world and follow where they want you to go. I have heard this so much that progressive Christianity is simply following after the world, but if you look at the current state of affairs in the United States it seems that conservative Christianity is following the nation and not what Christ has called us to.

We need to humble our selves and know that God’s ways are not our ways and to say things can not change from what we have always known is saying that God doesn’t change us. God loves us so much God would never leave us as we are.

Be humble and follow God not your own desires.

Loving People. Loving God.

against the proud

Therefore, I have a request for the elders among you. (I ask this as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and as one who shares in the glory that is about to be revealed.) I urge the elders: Like shepherds, tend the flock of God among you. Watch over it. Don’t shepherd because you must, but do it voluntarily for God. Don’t shepherd greedily, but do it eagerly. Don’t shepherd by ruling over those entrusted to your care, but become examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory. In the same way, I urge you who are younger: accept the authority of the elders. And everyone, clothe yourselves with humility toward each other. God stands against the proud, but he gives favor to the humble. I have written and sent these few lines to you by Silvanus. I consider him to be a faithful brother. In these lines I have urged and affirmed that this is the genuine grace of God. Stand firm in it. The fellow-elect church in Babylon greets you, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with the kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5:1-5, 12-14, CEB)

Clothe yourself with humility.

We should be humble and kind in everything.

God stands against the proud, those who claim to do everything on their own.

God gives favor to the humble.

Be humble.

Loving People. Loving God.

One man vs a naiton

Therefore, many of the Jews who came with Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and Pharisees called together the council and said, “What are we going to do? This man is doing many miraculous signs! If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our people.” One of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, told them, “You don’t know anything! You don’t see that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed.” He didn’t say this on his own. As high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would soon die for the nation— and not only for the nation. Jesus would also die so that God’s children scattered everywhere would be gathered together as one. From that day on they plotted to kill him. Therefore, Jesus was no longer active in public ministry among the Jewish leaders. Instead, he left Jerusalem and went to a place near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. It was almost time for the Jewish Passover, and many people went from the countryside up to Jerusalem to purify themselves through ritual washing before the Passover. They were looking for Jesus. As they spoke to each other in the temple, they said, “What do you think? He won’t come to the festival, will he?” The chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where he was should report it, so they could arrest him. (John 11:45-57, CEB)

“You don’t know anything! You don’t see that it is better for you that one man die for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed.” Caiaphas was a prophet for sure but did he really know what he was saying?

Jesus had to die so he could rise again. And when Jesus rose, he made a way for all people to be made right with God. One man dying is better than a nation being destroyed.

“The needs of the many, out way the needs of the one.” Spock knew this and so did Jesus.

Show people love and put their needs before yours.

Loving People. Loving God.

New Creation

So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived! All of these new things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who gave us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ, by not counting people’s sins against them. He has trusted us with this message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors who represent Christ. God is negotiating with you through us. We beg you as Christ’s representatives, “Be reconciled to God!” God caused the one who didn’t know sin to be sin for our sake so that through him we could become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21, CEB)

God is not holding your old sins against you and has made you new.

Be reconciled to God and know that you will be made new.

We are made right and holy in God’s eyes because of Christ.

That is love.

Share that love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Holy Priesthood

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 being made into a holy priesthood.

You are offering sacrifices through Jesus Christ.

You have become this people so you may speak about God and be a witness to the love God has for all of creation.

Know that you are called and gifted to share the story of God’s love in your life. This will help others see the love God has for them.

Loving People. Loving God.