in God

Paul stood up in the middle of the council on Mars Hill and said, “People of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way. As I was walking through town and carefully observing your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: ‘To an unknown God.’ What you worship as unknown, I now proclaim to you. God, who made the world and everything in it, is Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in temples made with human hands. Nor is God served by human hands, as though he needed something, since he is the one who gives life, breath, and everything else. From one person God created every human nation to live on the whole earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands. God made the nations so they would seek him, perhaps even reach out to him and find him. In fact, God isn’t far away from any of us. In God we live, move, and exist. As some of your own poets said, ‘We are his offspring.’ “Therefore, as God’s offspring, we have no need to imagine that the divine being is like a gold, silver, or stone image made by human skill and thought. God overlooks ignorance of these things in times past, but now directs everyone everywhere to change their hearts and lives. This is because God has set a day when he intends to judge the world justly by a man he has appointed. God has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” When they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some began to ridicule Paul. However, others said, “We’ll hear from you about this again.” At that, Paul left the council. Some people joined him and came to believe, including Dionysius, a member of the council on Mars Hill, a woman named Damaris, and several others. (Acts 17:22-34, CEB)

The only way we exist is in God. In God we live, move, and exist. We were created through Adam and now live in God.

God is in all things and works through all things to make their love known.

We all need to hear about God and speak about God so all will know who and where their existence comes from and is from.

Live in God and allow God to live in you.

Share God’s love in everythign you do.

without

Jesus sent these twelve out and commanded them, “Don’t go among the Gentiles or into a Samaritan city. Go instead to the lost sheep, the people of Israel. As you go, make this announcement: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and throw out demons. You received without having to pay. Therefore, give without demanding payment. Workers deserve to be fed, so don’t gather gold or silver or copper coins for your money belts to take on your trips. Don’t take a backpack for the road or two shirts or sandals or a walking stick. Whatever city or village you go into, find somebody in it who is worthy and stay there until you go on your way. When you go into a house, say, ‘Peace!’ If the house is worthy, give it your blessing of peace. But if the house isn’t worthy, take back your blessing. If anyone refuses to welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet as you leave that house or city. I assure you that it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on Judgment Day than it will be for that city. (Matthew 10:5-15, CEB)

Give without demanding payment…

We are not supposed to take a bag or a money belt, extra clothes, or shoes. We need to rely on the hospitality and generosity of others. And Jesus assures them it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than the city that does not welcome you. Because the sin of Sodom was being unwelcome, and uncaring, and maintaining power.

We need to welcome the stranger nd sojourner and provide for them. Because we never know when we are entertaining angels.

Love like Jesus. Big and always.

stand your ground

Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and his powerful strength. Put on God’s armor so that you can make a stand against the tricks of the devil. We aren’t fighting against human enemies but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens. Therefore, pick up the full armor of God so that you can stand your ground on the evil day and after you have done everything possible to still stand. So stand with the belt of truth around your waist, justice as your breastplate, and put shoes on your feet so that you are ready to spread the good news of peace. Above all, carry the shield of faith so that you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. Offer prayers and petitions in the Spirit all the time. Stay alert by hanging in there and praying for all believers. As for me, pray that when I open my mouth, I’ll get a message that confidently makes this secret plan of the gospel known. I’m an ambassador in chains for the sake of the gospel. Pray so that the Lord will give me the confidence to say what I have to say. (Ephesians 6:10-20, CEB)

The sword we wield here is the word of God. It is not an instrument of death, but of life.

The word of God is a living word that comes to us and gives us courage, strength, and sensitivity to show others love and mercy.

We are not warriors sent to conquer. We are standing firm for the love of God.

Stand firm and show love in all you do.

gall of Paul

At this point in Paul’s defense, Festus declared with a loud voice, “You’ve lost your mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you mad!” But Paul replied, “I’m not mad, most honorable Festus! I’m speaking what is sound and true. King Agrippa knows about these things, and I have been speaking openly to him. I’m certain that none of these things have escaped his attention. This didn’t happen secretly or in some out-of-the-way place. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.” Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you trying to convince me that, in such a short time, you’ve made me a Christian?” Paul responded, “Whether it is a short or a long time, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are listening to me today will become like me, except for these chains.” (Acts 26:24-29, CEB)

Oh, we all had the gall of Paul.

Paul knew who he was in Christ and wanted all to be like him. He spoke with boldness and fire.

Do you have the gall of Paul? I know not many Lutherans who do. We are much more reserved and not known for being speakers of the faith.

Although I would hope that we all have the fire of Paul and the brazenness to stand and speak of the love that is God’s that covers all people.

We all need the gall of Paul to speak the truth to power.

We need to have the

Healed you…

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men with skin diseases approached him. Keeping their distance from him, they raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, show us mercy!” When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” As they left, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus replied, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.” (Luke 17:11-19, CEB)

Your faith has healed you.

Jesus healed ten men. We can assume from Jesus’ line, “No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” The others were Jewish. And the only one that noticed they were healed and returned was the one that really did not need to show themselves to the priest, except maybe to get back into town.

Maybe the other nine went to the priest as Jesus told them to do, to be reinstated to the community. They were in the region between Samaria and Galilee because they were not allowed in town. After all, no one else wanted what they had.

So were the others not actually healed? Or is healing and being cleansed two different things?

Is it possible to be cleansed from a disease and still not be healed?

How are you healed?

gathered

Jesus was in one of the towns where there was also a man covered with a skin disease. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged, “Lord, if you want, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do want to. Be clean.” Instantly, the skin disease left him. Jesus ordered him not to tell anyone. “Instead,” Jesus said, “go and show yourself to the priest and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses instructed. This will be a testimony to them.” News of him spread even more and huge crowds gathered to listen and to be healed from their illnesses. But Jesus would withdraw to deserted places for prayer. (Luke 5:12-16, CEB)

News of what Jesus had done spread throughout the land, and “even more and huge crowds gathered to listen and to be healed.” They gathered to hear what He had to teach and for Him to heal them.

If you knew you could be healed from whatever was wrong, would you not go and listen to whatever you had to in order to be healed?

We would all go and listen to that presentation even if it was boring to be healed. We have already endured so much; what is one lecture?

And to have it be the wisdom of the creator of the universe!

Oh, what I would not give to have been able to gether with them.

strength from grace

So, my child, draw your strength from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Take the things you heard me say in front of many other witnesses and pass them on to faithful people who are also capable of teaching others. Accept your share of suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Nobody who serves in the military gets tied up with civilian matters, so that they can please the one who recruited them. Also in the same way, athletes don’t win unless they follow the rules. A hardworking farmer should get the first share of the crop. Think about what I’m saying; the Lord will give you understanding about everything. (2 Timothy 2:1-7, CEB)

Draw your strength from God’s grace. Knowing you will never walk alone.

We are all here to be beacons of God’s hope.

To share God’s love.

Give mercy to those who need it.

To share what we have been blessed with, so all are blessed.

Draw your strength from grace.

where should we stay?

Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you heard from me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Protect this good thing that has been placed in your trust through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. You know that everyone in Asia has turned away from me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord show mercy to Onesiphorus’ household, because he supported me many times and he wasn’t ashamed of my imprisonment. After I arrived in Rome, he quickly looked for me and found me. May the Lord allow him to find his mercy on that day (and you know very well how much he served me in Ephesus). (2 Timothy 1:13-18, CEB)

The author of this letter uses Paul’s reputation to say that we should not turn away from Paul’s sound teaching. But is the basis of our faith Paul’s sound teaching or the living word of God?

Yes, Paul is a beacon of hope who turned from being a persecutor of followers of the way to a champion of the faith, but I believe he would say that his teachings were for us to lift the lowly and stay with God. Not to follow traditions handed down to keep certain people in power.

Even the author says it was given in faith and love of Christ, and in that we should stay. Faith and love of Christ, not traditions of power.

Stay true to the living Word of God.

And love like Jesus.

have faith

The next day, after leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. From far away, he noticed a fig tree in leaf, so he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing except leaves, since it wasn’t the season for figs. So he said to it, “No one will ever again eat your fruit!” His disciples heard this.

Early in the morning, as Jesus and his disciples were walking along, they saw the fig tree withered from the root up. Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look how the fig tree you cursed has dried up.” Jesus responded to them, “Have faith in God! I assure you that whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea’—and doesn’t waver but believes that what is said will really happen—it will happen. Therefore I say to you, whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you will receive it, and it will be so for you. (Mark 11:12-14, 20-24, CEB)

So when I can not do the things I want, does that mean I do not have enough faith, or any faith?

If you do not waver and believe it will happen. I have a hard time believing in myself to get my underwear on in the morning without falling over, let alone believing God will make a mountain move simply because I want it to. What about how God wants it to happen, not if I believe enough and do not waver in my belief? If it is really about my unwavering belief, where is grace?

My faith does not save me or gain me heaven; God’s grace, through Jesus’ faithfulness, gets me that. Unwavering faith is a work and something that can not be done without God’s grace and mercy. It is all God’s doing; we are saved, and what amount of wavering faith I have is enough with God’s hand guiding me.

Stop worrying about your faith and rest in God’s love.

you have…

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God. Whoever loves someone who is a parent loves the child born to the parent. This is how we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep God’s commandments. This is the love of God: we keep God’s commandments. God’s commandments are not difficult, because everyone who is born from God defeats the world. And this is the victory that has defeated the world: our faith. Who defeats the world? Isn’t it the one who believes that Jesus is God’s Son?

I write these things to you who believe in the name of God’s Son so that you can know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence that we have in our relationship with God: If we ask for anything in agreement with his will, he listens to us. If we know that he listens to whatever we ask, we know that we have received what we asked from him. If anyone sees a brother or sister committing a sin that does not result in death, they should pray, and God will give life to them—that is, to those who commit sins that don’t result in death. There is a sin that results in death—I’m not saying that you should pray about that. Every unrighteous action is sin, but there is a sin that does not result in death. We know that everyone born from God does not sin, but the ones born from God guard themselves, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. We know that God’s Son has come and has given us understanding to know the one who is true. We are in the one who is true by being in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols! (1 John 5:1-5, 13-21,CEB)

I write this to you who believe in Jesus, so that you can know that you have eternal life. Not so that you might some day get eternal life, or that you will one day earn it, or anything else. You have eternal life. And it is not something that is coming, but is something you live into here and now.

We should be confident in this fact and live as though we have already obtained this. Showing love in everything we do. And living God’s grace out loud.

Love like Jesus.