False prophets

But false prophets also arose among the people. In the same way, false teachers will come among you. They will introduce destructive opinions and deny the master who bought them, bringing quick destruction on themselves. Many will follow them in their unrestrained immorality, and because of these false teachers the way of truth will be slandered. In their greed they will take advantage of you with lies. The judgment pronounced against them long ago hasn’t fallen idle, nor is their destruction sleeping. (2 Peter 2:1-3, CEB)

Many will follow the false prophets because of their unrestrained immorality, and because of them, the truth will be slandered. In their greed, they will use their power to take advantage of you with lies and their lies will become truth.

I know many people who would say that those who are part of the LGBTQIA2S+ community are false teachers and slandering the truth with their lies about inclusion. And yet I do not read this passage as saying they are the false prophets.

False prophets are those that lead us from love, and love is all I hear from the community that wants to be included for who they were created by God to be. Jesus was about radical acceptance and love and lifting up of the oppressed. And the LGBTQIA2S+ community is very oppressed and Jesus is standing with them.

Do not spew hate veiled in bible quotes and call it true teaching when it is a false prophet.

Loving People. Loving God.

integrity

    But,
if you call yourself a Jew;
if you rely on the Law;
if you brag about your relationship to God;
if you know the will of God;
if you are taught by the Law so that you can figure out the things that really matter;
if you have persuaded yourself that you are:
        a guide for the blind;
        a light to those who are in darkness;
        an educator of the foolish;
        a teacher of infants (since you have the full content of knowledge and truth in the Law);
then why don’t you who are teaching others teach yourself?
If you preach, “No stealing,” do you steal?
If you say, “No adultery,” do you commit adultery?
If you hate idols, do you rob temples?

If you brag about the Law, do you shame God by breaking the Law? As it is written: The name of God is discredited by the Gentiles because of you.

Circumcision is an advantage if you do what the Law says. But if you are a person who breaks the Law, your status of being circumcised has changed into not being circumcised. So if the person who isn’t circumcised keeps the Law, won’t his status of not being circumcised be counted as if he were circumcised? The one who isn’t physically circumcised but keeps the Law will judge you. You became a lawbreaker after you had the written Law and circumcision. It isn’t the Jew who maintains outward appearances who will receive praise from God, and it isn’t people who are outwardly circumcised on their bodies. Instead, it is the person who is a Jew inside, who is circumcised in spirit, not literally. That person’s praise doesn’t come from people but from God. (Romans 2:17-29, CEB)

Circumcision doesn’t mean anything in the covenant. Because if you are circumcised but do not follow the law then it is worthless and if you are uncircumcised and follow the law then it is as if you are circumcised.

If you say do one thing and yet do the opposite you are a hypocrite and teaching falsely. Living is about being real and saying what you mean and meaning what you say and walking the walk and talking the talk. It is so easy in today’s social media world to be one thing and present an image of who you are and be the exact opposite. But God calls us to be real regardless of who is watching or who might find out. Being real and honest all the time means you can have a crappy memory because you don’t have to remember the tails you told and who you told them to.

Be a person of integrity and love as God loves you, unconditionally.

Loving People. Loving God.

All Saints Day

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him. He taught them, saying:
“Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad.
“Happy are people who are humble, because they will inherit the earth.
“Happy are people who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, because they will be fed until they are full.
“Happy are people who show mercy, because they will receive mercy.
“Happy are people who have pure hearts, because they will see God.
“Happy are people who make peace, because they will be called God’s children.
“Happy are people whose lives are harassed because they are righteous, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
“Happy are you when people insult you and harass you and speak all kinds of bad and false things about you, all because of me. Be full of joy and be glad, because you have a great reward in heaven. In the same way, people harassed the prophets who came before you. (Matthew 5:1-12, CEB)

I am usually not happy when I am hopeless…

I am usually not happy when I grieve…

I am usually not happy when I’m hungry or thirsty…

I am usually not happy when I am harassed…

I know I am not happy when I am insulted and am spoken badly about and say false things about me.

These are things that make me very unhappy. And yet in all of these things I am not alone. Not only is God always with me, a great cloud of saints surrounds us and is with us.

Know you are never alone.

Loving People. Loving God.

Reformation Day

Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They responded, “We are Abraham’s children; we’ve never been anyone’s slaves. How can you say that we will be set free?” Jesus answered, “I assure you that everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave isn’t a permanent member of the household, but a son is. Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you really will be free. (John 8:31-36, CEB)

We have never been slaves to anyone…

Seriously? You are known as the people that God saved out of slavery? How can you say you have never been slaves to anyone? Maybe the generation that is speaking to Jesus at that moment was never physically a slave of anyone, but as a people, they are the ones God rescued out of slavery.

And when the son makes you a part of the household, you are a part, and no one else can say otherwise.

When the son says you are free, you are free, and as a free member of the house of God you must love all people as God does.

Loving People. Loving God.

Mercy overrules judgment.

You do well when you really fulfill the royal law found in scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself. But when you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, and by that same law you are exposed as a lawbreaker. Anyone who tries to keep all of the Law but fails at one point is guilty of failing to keep all of it. The one who said, Don’t commit adultery, also said, Don’t commit murder. So if you don’t commit adultery but do commit murder, you are a lawbreaker. In every way, then, speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom. There will be no mercy in judgment for anyone who hasn’t shown mercy. Mercy overrules judgment. (James 2:8-13, CEB)

Mercy overrules judgment.

Mercy is more important than telling someone they are wrong.

Mercy is more important than being right.

Mercy is more important than convicting someone.

When you do not give mercy, you will not receive mercy.

Be merciful.

Loving People. Loving God.

Reformation Sunday

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, in order to shut every mouth and make it so the whole world has to answer to God. It follows that no human being will be treated as righteous in his presence by doing what the Law says, because the knowledge of sin comes through the Law. But now God’s righteousness has been revealed apart from the Law, which is confirmed by the Law and the Prophets. God’s righteousness comes through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who have faith in him. There’s no distinction. All have sinned and fall short of God’s glory, but all are treated as righteous freely by his grace because of a ransom that was paid by Christ Jesus. Through his faithfulness, God displayed Jesus as the place of sacrifice where mercy is found by means of his blood. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness in passing over sins that happened before, during the time of God’s patient tolerance. He also did this to demonstrate that he is righteous in the present time, and to treat the one who has faith in Jesus as righteous. What happens to our bragging? It’s thrown out. With which law? With what we have accomplished under the Law? No, not at all, but through the law of faith. We consider that a person is treated as righteous by faith, apart from what is accomplished under the Law. (Romans 3:19-28, CEB)

The Law does not save us. The Law merely reminds us how bad we are and how we can not get it right.

Even if you could keep the law as written you still would not get the letter of the law as explained by Jesus.

God looked upon us while we were still unable to stand in God’s presence and made a way for us, because God knew we could not do it. And we are made righteous by God apart from the law because of Jesus.

Know it is not your doing. God did it for you.

Loving People. Loving God.

Search…

Examine the scriptures, since you think that in them you have eternal life. They also testify about me, yet you don’t want to come to me so that you can have life. “I don’t accept praise from people, but I know you, that you don’t have God’s love in you. I have come in my Father’s name, and you don’t receive me. If others come in their own name, you receive them. How can you believe when you receive praise from each other but don’t seek the praise that comes from the only God? “Don’t think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, the one in whom your hope rests. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, because Moses wrote about me. If you don’t believe the writings of Moses, how will you believe my words?” (John 5:39-47, CEB)

Examine the scriptures, since you think that in them you have eternal life.

The Bible will not save you. God does that. Not the Bible.

Following the rules is not what it is about.

Jesus here told the religious leaders they didn’t get it. And sometimes I wonder what Jesus is saying about us.

Know that love is the greatest thing. Love God, Love neighbor.

Love

Loving People. Loving God.

In Every Way

in every way. Offer yourself as a role model of good actions. Show integrity, seriousness, and a sound message that is above criticism when you teach, so that any opponent will be ashamed because they won’t find anything bad to say about us. The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It educates us so that we can live sensible, ethical, and godly lives right now by rejecting ungodly lives and the desires of this world. At the same time we wait for the blessed hope and the glorious appearance of our great God and savior Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us in order to rescue us from every kind of lawless behavior, and cleanse a special people for himself who are eager to do good actions. Talk about these things. Encourage and correct with complete authority. Don’t let anyone disrespect you. (Titus 2:7-8, 11-15, CEB)

In every thing you do, be a good role model and show love.

Integrity is being the same person when people are looking as when they are not.

And in everything show how to live a sensible, ethical, godly life that shares grace and mercy.

In everything you do, share love.

Loving People. Loving God.

Is this possible?

The reason I left you behind in Crete was to organize whatever needs to be done and to appoint elders in each city, as I told you. Elders should be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, and have faithful children who can’t be accused of self-indulgence or rebelliousness. This is because supervisors should be without fault as God’s managers: they shouldn’t be stubborn, irritable, addicted to alcohol, a bully, or greedy. Instead, they should show hospitality, love what is good, and be reasonable, ethical, godly, and self-controlled. They must pay attention to the reliable message as it has been taught to them so that they can encourage people with healthy instruction and refute those who speak against it. In fact, there are many who are rebellious people, loudmouths, and deceivers, especially some of those who are Jewish believers. They must be silenced because they upset entire households. They teach what they shouldn’t to make money dishonestly. Someone who is one of their own prophets said, “People from Crete are always liars, wild animals, and lazy gluttons.” This statement is true. Because of this, correct them firmly, so that they can be healthy in their faith. They shouldn’t pay attention to Jewish myths and commands from people who reject the truth. Everything is clean to those who are clean, but nothing is clean to those who are corrupt and without faith. Instead, their mind and conscience are corrupted. They claim to know God, but they deny God by the things that they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and disqualified to do anything good. (Titus 1:5-16, CEB)

Who can be an elder?

Elders should be without fault. They should be faithful to their spouse, and have faithful children who can’t be accused of self-indulgence or rebelliousness, they shouldn’t be stubborn, irritable, addicted to alcohol, a bully, or greedy.

Elders should be without fault. That eliminates everyone first off, but their children need to be unaccusable, and children are children and someone will not like what they do. And they can not be stubborn or irritable or a bully. That describes a lot of leaders in the church don’t you think?

We are only able to be leaders because God has given us the ability.

We can not say people must be perfect, without fault, only one was and he was also God.

Love people as they are and allow God to work in and through you and them.

Loving People. Loving God.

don’t offend…

When the disciples came together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Human One is about to be delivered over into human hands. They will kill him. But he will be raised on the third day.” And they were heartbroken. When they came to Capernaum, the people who collected the half-shekel temple tax came to Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” “Yes,” he said. But when they came into the house, Jesus spoke to Peter first.“What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect taxes, from their children or from strangers?” “From strangers,” he said. Jesus said to him, “Then the children don’t have to pay. But just so we don’t offend them, go to the lake, throw out a fishing line and hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a shekel coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” (Matthew 17:22-27, CEB)

As children of God we do not need to pay a temple tax, but so that Jesus didn’t offend the religious authorities, he paid the tax. So which is right to pay or not to pay?

Yes. We should not offend, and show love to all.

So love as you have been loved and share grace and mercy as you go.

Loving People. Loving God.