Podcasts about perhaps jesus

Today, we will be focusing on verses 29-38. Jesus finishes thisprophetic discourse with a parable about the “fig tree, and all the trees”.  First,let's summarize what we've learned. This message primarily applies to theJewish nation, and deals with the events that will take place in the Seven-YearTribulation, but it has many practical applications for each believer today aswe near the end of the age. The church age has been ongoing for 2,000 yearssince Jesus ascension into heaven and the Day of Pentecost.  Myunderstanding of prophecy and this passage, though Bible scholars may offerdifferent viewpoints, is that the next event on God's agenda is the rapture ofthe church. Jesus comes in the air for His bride, as described in 1Thessalonians 4:13-18, and 1 Corinthians 15. Also, in Revelation 2 and 3, Jesushas John write the seven letters to the seven churches in Asia, which appear topicture the characteristics of the different periods of the church age.  Thenin Revelation 4, John hears a voice like the sound of a trumpet say, "Comeup here," which we believe pictures the catching away, the rapture, ofthe church. Then, the seven-year tribulation begins when the Antichrist signs apeace treaty with Israel, as mentioned in Daniel 9, marking the start of Daniel's70th week, which is also called the time of Jacob's trouble in the OldTestament. Onlybelievers are raptured to heaven, leaving no believers on earth immediatelyafter. Both believing Gentiles and Jews will be raptured. The Seven-Year Tribulationbegins with no believers anywhere on planet earth. However, Jesus sends His twowitnesses to preach the gospel (Revelation 11), and 144,000 Jews—12,000 fromeach tribe—are sealed (Revelation 7), respond to their message and get savedand they begin proclaiming the gospel throughout the rest of the Tribulation.Millions upon millions of people will be saved during the Tribulation. But ifthey don't take the “mark of the beast” they won't be able to buy or sell andwill be hunted down like animals and be killed. (Revelation 13:16-18).  Ipersonally believe that this passage in Luke 21:29-38 applies primarily to the believersin that period. In Scripture, the fig tree usually represents Israel (Hosea9:10), and here Jesus indicates that it comes back to life. Some studentsinterpret this parable to mean that the emergence of the State of Israel on May15, 1948 was the "sign" that the Lord would soon return. Surely it isa significant thing that Israel is now a free nation after so many centuries ofpolitical bondage. But Luke added "and all the trees" (Luke 21:29),suggesting that more than one nation is involved. Perhaps Jesus was saying thatthe rise of nationalism around the world is the thing to watch. In recent yearswe have certainly seen the growth of nationalism and the emerging of newnations, and this may be a "sign" that the coming of the Lord isnear. However,the basic idea here is that of knowing what is going on. As the budding of thetrees indicates that summer is near, so the occurring of these signs indicatesthat the Lord's return is near (see Luke 12:54-57 for a similar passage). Theimportant thing is that the believer knows that God is keeping His promises andthat His Word will not fail (Josh. 23:14).The term "this generation"may refer to the nation or race of Israel, which Satan has always sought todestroy. The Jews are the greatest witness that the Bible is God's Word, thatJesus is the Messiah, and that God keeps His promises. Duringthe tribulation, especially the last three and a half years, Jesus is encouragingall believers both Jews and Gentiles that they should keep looking up and avoidthe temptations of the world (vv. 33-36). Jesus is coming with great power toset up His kingdom.  Heavenand earth will pass away, but His Word will not (v 33). Trust this, and don'tget confused trying to figure it all out. Just keep looking up, as Jesus iscoming soon.

Luke 6: 27-49 The New Way of Jesus Part 2. Kingdom Ethics Luke’s Sermon on the Plain continues. We read together Luke 6: 27-49 This is a shorter version of Matthew’s sermon but it still contains no less than 22 separate points! We will look at them in groups. 1. Love your enemies v27, 28 It is easy to miss some of the practical implications of these statements. They mean, for instance, that a Christian will never refuse to speak to someone, whatever they may have said or done. And it will affect our behaviour towards someone who wants the same job as we do. Question 1: What effect will it have on us if we force ourselves to speak kindly in those sorts of situation? Where else can you think of where obeying Jesus might have some positive results in our everyday and family life? Pause. Even if we have to force ourselves to speak well in that sort of situation doing so will have a good effect on our underlying attitudes towards that person. If we fall out with someone at work we must be careful to greet them in exactly our usual cheerful way the next morning. They will find it very hard to respond in anything other than the same way. It is hard to obey Jesus when the inevitable problems of family life occur. Are you the person who is always the first to try and mend a damaged relationship? 2. Not standing up for our rights v29-31 Is it really possible to act like this in the real world? What happens if someone takes my bicycle? Do I give them my motorbike? Perhaps Jesus is making one of his outrageously impossible statements (camels through needles; plucking out eyes etc.) so that we remember better the principle behind what he said. Total obedience to what Jesus taught here would rapidly lead to us having no money at all! Question 2: What should we do in the practical things of every day to put the principle behind these statements into practice? Pause. I think the only possible answer to this is to say we have to be careful not to put ourselves first in what we do but put others in front of ourselves. It is, of course, a great deal easier to say that than to actually do it in the real world we live in. It is also, of course, a great deal easier to hear it said and mentally agree than to go out and do it! 3. Doing better than expected v32–35a Probably ‘lending’ in that culture, as in many, was a nice way of talking about giving somebody something. Question 3: Should we ever lend like that without expectation of a return? Shouldn’t we call it what it is from the beginning if that is what we intend, rather than using such double talk? Pause. Not all the things our culture wants us to do are necessarily what we should do as followers of Jesus. In some cultures it is more important to say something that pleases the person we are talking to than to tell the truth. Jesus said he was “the way, the truth, and the life”. That means we must be in all things as truthful as we can possibly be even if that is against our culture and traditions. 4. The results of this behaviour v35b, 36 We will probably see that we will have all sorts of problems in living up to what Jesus said. It is so difficult to obey what he said and still live life in the real world. Perhaps it is impossible. But Jesus was probably doing this deliberately to make us see that we can never in ourselves be good enough to appear before the Lord God. We can only rely on his mercy and goodness consequent on the self-sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross for our acceptance. Question 4: Why does Jesus call us sons, or children, in this context (v36b)? Pause. This is to emphasize that we are in a personal relationship with the Father God. And that again can only be through the acceptance that Jesus obtained for us by his death on the Cross. When we call God our Father that means we accept all our fellow Christians as our brothers and sisters. 5. What we give will be what we get v37, 38 The first sentence in v37 is sometimes used to suggest we should never judge anything or anybody at all. But, of course, we do! If we didn’t, how could we ever correct anyone and life in and out of the church would be impossibly difficult. Question 5: How should we understand v37 in such a way as to be realistic and yet follow Jesus properly? Pause. Matthew adds ‘in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’ (Matt 7: 2). If we are prepared to face the truth and be judged by it we may make other people face the truth. If not, not! Verses 37b and 38 could be taken to mean simply the better you are the better your life will be. Life is never as easy as that (Ps 73: 1-5, 13, 14). Question 6: How, then, do we understand what Jesus meant? Pause. Some people teach a false gospel which promises obvious material blessing to the believer. This is clearly not the way the Kingdom in the world works as Ps 73: 2, 13, 14 points out. The book of Job and Luke 13: 1 –5 say much the same. What we are promised is reward for faithfulness in the day of the Lord when the world comes to an end. We are to look to our own reward and not make judgments on what should happen to other people. 6. How to live for the Kingdom v39–45 The parables of the blind, the student and the plank all, in different ways, emphasize that we need to be walking in the Way of Jesus if we want to be good and do things that matter in the kingdom of the Spirit. We need to be able to see, to be properly trained and not be blinded by things that should not be there. Then the parable of the good tree emphasizes that we need to be the right sort of tree. Being a better thorn bush will not lead to fruit, just bigger thorns! Question 7: How can we tell whether someone, or ourselves, is the right sort of tree? Pause. When we set out to follow Jesus we are told that we shall be saved at the final day. But we are also told that account will be taken of the whole of our lives as followers (Rom 14: 10, 12; 2 Cor 5: 10). It is hard to see how these two teachings fit together. It is best to take them both as the Lord’s word to us and strive to live in the light of both of them. 7. The Summary v46-49 Luke’s version of this story is slightly different from Matthew’s perhaps more familiar one. It is often called ‘the parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders’. That is a good title for the parable in Matthew, not so good for this one of Luke’s! Question 8: What title would more accurately summarize this parable? Pause. The word ‘foundation’ is the most important one in this parable. It ties this parable to many other Biblical verses. Perhaps the most significant is Isaiah 28: 16 which refers to the temple but is used by Peter (1 Pet 2: 6) of Jesus. In Peter’s little picture Jesus is the all important foundation. Peter, like Jesus, emphasises that we are to do the building. Click or tap here to save/download this as a MP3 audio file

Those people. The people who bring out the worst in us. It's easy to feel judged by them and to, in turn, judge them. But this is not a healthy way to live our lives--feeling judged and judging others. How can we get to the place of helping one another flourish? Perhaps Jesus has something to say about this.THE BIG IDEA: Pick up the mirror before you pick up the magnifier.

Introduction: How Do You React... (Matthew 5:38–42) ...When you are INSULTED? “Eye for an Eye” or REFUSE RETALIATION? (Matt 5:39b) 1 Peter 2:23 – When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. ...when people are HEARTLESS? “Eye for an Eye” or GRATUITOUS GRACE? (Matt 5:40) Romans 12:21 – Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ...when forced to OBEY? “Eye for an Eye” or DOUBLE Your DUTY? (Matt 5:41) 1 Peter 2:16 – Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. ...when someone wants your STUFF? “Eye for an Eye” or RELEASE Your RESOURCES? (Matt 5:42) 1 John 3:17 – But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Philippians 2:5–7a – Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant... Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 5:38-42What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Tell of a time you were offended and retaliated. Why did you do what you did? What would you do differently if you had another chance?Why do you think “eye for an eye” (revenge) is our natural default response?Why do you think how you react is a good gauge of where your heart is?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT And before we dig into God's Word together, let's just pause.I'm going to ask you just take a moment and please pray for me to be faithful,to clearly communicate God's Word.And I will pray for you to have your heart open to receive what it isthat the Lord wants to teach us today. Let's pray.Father in heaven, your Word challenges us and convicts us and we thank you for that.We didn't come in here today looking for a stamp of affirmation on how we already are.We've come in here to encounter you and allow your spirit and your Word to conform us into the image of your Son.That's why we're here.So Father, I pray to that end you would open our hearts.Your spirit would speak to every heart, the wisdom that you have recorded in your Word.That we walk out of here different people than how we were when we walked in.Thank you Father for the promise of your Word.We pray in Jesus' name.And all of God's people said, "Amen."I have a nonverbal Son, as many of you know.But years ago, I was with a group of pastors and one pastor was commenting on the fact that I had a nonverbal Son.And he said, very compassionately, he said,"It must be very difficult for you to not have a conversation with your Son."And I said, "It is."But the way I look at it, we'll have all of eternity to catch up.And a different pastor said, if he's elect,and I said, "I feel like you're predestined to take a weapon."And I was a prophet that day.Okay, I made that last part up.But I still think about that.I still think about retaliation.Getting even.Why are we like that?Why are we like that people, that there's something in all of us that makes us demand respect?Hey, you can't talk to me that way.You know I am?You can't treat me like that.There's something in us that we demand our rights.We say things like, "I don't get mad. I get even."And you're not going to get away with this.You're going to pay for what you did.Our hearts are naturally, sinfully retaliatory.I was listening to a sermon about a month or so ago from one of my favorite preachers, Ron Don.It was a sermon on meekness.And he reminded me of something that I loved when I was a kid.He was a little comic book.Do you remember the Charles Atlas ads in the old comic books?Do you remember those?It was a little one page, it was a little comic strip in the book.Well, in this little comic strip, there was this little weakling, like a little skinny guy,on the beach and this bully was like kicking sand in his face.And all the girls were like, "Tee hee hee hee."And the kid takes Charles Atlas course.The skinny kid.And in 90 days, he was kicking sand in the other guy's face.And there's something innocent.We're like, "Yes! Yeah!"We love that stuff, don't we?Don't we love that revenge stuff?Oh, come on.Don't you leave me up here.Don't we love that revenge stuff?The getting even stuff?Yes, you do.Yes, you do.There are many of the plot lines of movies.Like, and your soap operas and your westerns and your superhero movies.I was thinking about this this week. It's everywhere.That's what Popeye is.Popeye is nothing but a cartoon about a guy that gets even.We love that stuff.We love the guy that is not going to take it.Payback.Because the guy that gets the sand kicked in his faceand belittled and humiliated and he just takes it.Well, that guy is a coward, right?Weak.It's like, dude, punch that bully in the trot.Don't take it.Right?There's biblical precedence for this, isn't there?An eye for an eye.Right?An eye for an eye.Oh, I like that.Because that's in the Bible.You know what that is?Eye for an eye.That is biblical permission to get even.No, no, no, no, no. I'm sorry.That's a biblical command to get even, isn't it?Well, the scribes and the Pharisees thought so.And many people sitting here even and watching thisand listening to this podcast later, still believethat an eye for an eye is our biblical mandates to get revenge.Well, let's see, shall we?Look at verse 30.Why don't we say verse 38? Yes.Jesus continuing the Sermon on the Mount.He said, "You have heard that it was said,an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."Yeah, that's a real Old Testament quote.Yes.100%.And it's also one of the most misinterpretedand misused verses in the entire Bible.Because the scribes and the Phariseesand we take this verse way out of context.Is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?Is that our charge to get even?No, it's not.All right, then what does it mean?I'm so glad you asked.Let's get biblical, shall we?Mark and I shows up three times in the Old Testament.Three times.It's in Exodus 21, it's in Leviticus 24,and it's in Deuteronomy 19.Don't look now, but you look later,and you're going to see in every one of those passages,every single one of them,the context of that verse areit's God's instructions for Israel's courts and judges.Eye for an eye, that was for Israel's courts,not for personal vendetta.And eye for an eye was a guideline for Israel's judges,not for Batman, okay?So what's the purpose?Eye for an eye.What does eye for an eye mean?Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.What does that mean?It just simply means this.The punishment should fit the crime.In court, justice demands being fair.So judges in court, God's instruction for Israel,when you punish someone,the measure of punishment should fit the measure of the crime.That's what eye for an eye means.And God is saying an eye for an eyemust be determined by the courts.The courts determine that. Why?Why did God leave that up to the courts?Why? I'll tell you why.Because when we're wronged,we, by nature, want to retaliateway beyond the level of the offense.Here's what I mean.Our mindset is this.You dinged my 93 Toyota.You owe me a new car.Fair is fair.We take it way too far.We say things like,"Hey, we were messing around.We were playing basketballand you accidentally elbowed me in the mouthand broke my tooth.You owe me a set of grills."Justin, do the kids still wear grills?Do they still wear a thing?The cool ones.You are right.You could not be righter.But that's the point.We take it too far.You owe me way more thanyou should have to pay.So God's like, "No, no, no, no.Leave that to the courts."So here it is. Here it is.If a crime has been committed against me,if I've been wronged in any way,I'm not going to take the law into my own hands.I'm going to take the courts to be fairin the way God commanded the courts to be fair,which is an eye for an eye.A tooth for a tooth.Be fair.So in Jesus' day, the ascribes and the Pharisees,and again us, we take this way out of contextand we take it out of the courtsand we take it as our command,our personal responsibility to get even.But look at verse 39.You probably saw this coming.Jesus says, "But I say to you,do not resist the one who is evil."Do not resist. What does that mean?It literally means this.When someone wrongs you,when someone offends you,when someone is against you,Jesus says, "Do not set yourself against him."Now let's be clear.Jesus is not saying,He is not saying,"Do not protect yourself.Do not protect your own."He's not saying that.If you break into my home,my dog will shoot youand my wife will bite you.Wait.No, no, that's right.He's not saying, "Don't protect yourself."He's not saying, "Don't protect your church."Jesus isn't preaching passivity here.Like, "Okay, go ahead.Go ahead. You can sin,and you can abuse me all you want.I don't care because Jesus said not to resist."That's not what He's saying.He's also not saying,"Don't confront sin."He's not saying that.Because the Bible is clear that sin must be confronted.It must be addressed and dealt with in the church.Here's what Jesus is sayingby this statement.And it's going to be crystal clearbecause Jesus actually illustrateswhat He's teaching here.But here's what Jesus is saying.He's saying,"Don't start a feud.Don't try to get even.Don't try to get even.If you think that your rights were violated,you don't need to fight about it."That's what Jesus is saying.We are not to be a peoplewhose knee-jerk reactionis to be retaliatory.That's what Jesus is saying.In the Sermon on the Mount,we've seen it over and over.Jesus is saying, "My people are different."My people are different in how they act.They're merciful. They're hungry for righteousness.They're salt and light. They're influencers.They reconcile with broken relationships.They cut off lust and they take marriage seriously.And they keep their word.My people act differently.Because when Jesus Christ enters us,when you receive Christ,when you turn from your sin and believethat He died for your sinand He rose from the dead to give you eternal life,when you believe that the Bible saysGod's Holy Spirit lives within you.And when God's Spirit lives within you,you are called to something greater.And you demonstrate that you belong to Christby how you act.God wants your heart.And your heart is revealed by how you act.But perhaps more so,your heart is revealed by how you react.You can show me what a man is made ofby how he acts.And I can show you what a man is made ofby how he reacts.So let me ask you,how do you react?How do you react when you have been personally offended?How do you react when you've been insulted?How do you react when you've been disrespected?Do you react in kind?As your mind said immediately,"No, no, no, no, no, no, no.You're not getting away with this.I'm getting even."As your mind said,"An eye for an eye."Wrongly interpreting it like the Pharisees.Or do you not resist?As our Lord said,do you refuse to emotionally reactand retaliate in the flesh?And I'm sure there's somebody here,self-deluded, that's like,"Oh, my pastor's got to hang it along with everybody."I never respond negatively when I'm offended.I just bake them muffins.Okay.But I think there's something here for the rest of us.Because Jesus elaborateson how His followers should reactto difficult peopleand difficult situationsby giving four scenarios.So that's what we're going to ask ourselves today,a little self-examination.We're going to ask ourselves, "How do you react?"How do you react?Number one, how do you reactwhen you are insulted?When you are insulted, how do you react?Eye for an eye?Or do you refuse retaliation?Look at verse 39.Jesus says, "But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek,turn to him the other also."Stop there.To the Jews,this was the absolute most insulting thingto be slapped.In fact, I read this past week that a slave in those days,a slave would rather be whipped than slappedbecause a slap was utterly humiliating.And you know the worst was the backhand slap.That's why Jesus said, "Right cheek?"Sorry about that.That's why Jesus said, "Right cheek?"Because when you get a backhand with a right hand,it's going to hit you in the right cheek.That was the worst insult in their mind.We get it.Nothing's really changed there. We get it.If somebody walks up to you and just...That's just total disdain.It's like you're nothing to me.You're not even worth arguing withbecause you're nothing.It's just a complete, complete insult.And all the moment I'm insulted,I want to retaliate.Eye for an eye, right?Oh, okay, now I get to slap you.And I bet I can slap harder.Wait, wait, wait, wait. What does Jesus say?He says, "Turn to Him the other also."You're like, "Aha, okay. That's very gracious."He gets two slaps in on me and then it's go time.No.If you're believing that,then you completely missed the point that Jesus was making.Because here's the thing.It's not even about the slap.It's about being insulted.That's the point.How do you respond when you're insulted?Because look,unless you're Chris Rocket and Smacked by Will Smith,you're probably not going to get a slap.You probably are not.But you're going to be insulted in other ways, aren't you?Verbally.How about social media?All these keyboard warriors out there?Because they know they won't get slapped in the teeth.They're real strong and brave throwing out their insults at youfrom behind their keyboard.Maybe that nasty text or email that you get,you're going to be insulted.It's all the same application here from our Lord.At the same point, Jesus says, "Turn to Him the other."He's saying, "You're insulted?Have you been grossly insulted?"Jesus says, "Let Him do it again."You.You refuse to retaliate.Like, "I shouldn't be insulted.Don't you know who I am?I should be respected."Yeah.I agree.You should be respected.But you won't be.Someone is going to insult you.So you can react the world's way."I" for an "I"?Like, "Oh, you're going to insult me?I'm going to go full-dawn wrinkles on you."You have brought a knife to a gunfight, my friend.That's "I" for an "I."Or you could respond the kingdom way,which is refusing to retaliate.And right now, somebody's sitting there going,"Oh, okay.So you're saying, when people insult me,I should just take it?"Now you're thinking like Jesus.Because 1 Peter 2, 23, he says,when He was reviled,He did not revile in return.When He suffered, He did not threaten,but continued in trusting Himself to Him,who judges justly.How do you react when you're insulted?Number two, how do you react when people are heartless?How do you react when people are heartlessand "I" for an "I"?Or gratuitous grace?Look at verse 40.Jesus said, "And if anyone would sue youand take your tunic,let them have your cloak as well."Okay, Jesus isn't saying,"Everybody consume me for everything."Now, He's obviously,He's talking about being suedwhere there is some justification in the lawsuit.That you went to court and legally,you were sued and lost your tunic.Like, what's a tunic?Well, in those days,the tunic was the long undergarment.It was like a long, basically, the shirt.It was your shirt.And look, they didn't have a closet full of themwith a bag of them for the good will sitting in the garage.Most of them would have had one or three at the most.And this was more than just your shirt.It was also your blanket.That's the thing that kept you warm at night.So I think this is quite a shocking thingfor our Lord to say that someonewould sue you for the shirt off your back.And look, in court,if someone sues you for the shirtthat's on your back that you're wearing,that's a little more than I for an I, isn't it?That's pretty heartless.The reality is, people do sue heartlessly.It's like suing a Christian school.Like, why would you do that?Unless there was a real egregious crime going on.But a lot of times, it's just spite.And I believe that's what Jesus is saying here.Perhaps Jesus was being hyperbolic,like saying even if somebody sues youfor the shirt that you're wearing.Well, you could react the world's way, couldn't you?Like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.I'm not giving you the shirt that I'm wearing.That's unreasonable and it's unfair.And I will fight you all the way up to the Supreme Courtover my shirt.Or you could react the kingdom way,which is, did you lose your shirt in a lawsuit?Well, show them you're really sorry for whatever the offense was.And give them your coat too.You know, it's an interesting way that Jesus worded thisbecause in Jewish Old Testament law,you were not allowed to sue a man for his coat.That was illegal.Do you think Jesus is making a point?Hey, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.Okay, so you're saying it was illegal to sue a man for his coat.So if somebody sues you for your shirtand you give them your coat,that would be awfully gratuitous.Now you're thinking like Jesus.Romans 12-21 says, "Do not be overcome by evil."But overcome evil with good.Don't retaliate.Show them that you're willing to give even more than they asked for.So how do you react?How do you react?Number three, when forced to obey.Eye for an eye or double your duty?Look at verse 41.Jesus, next illustration.He says, "And if anyone forces you to go one mile,go with them two miles."Now the Romans had a law.And that was actually a variation of an old Persian postal law.But here is the Roman law.An official could on the spot recruit a citizenfor official duty to perform a task.You know the most famous example of this?This commissioning Simon of Cyrene to carry our Lord's cross.That was law.Specifically here, what Jesus is referring to was legally,legally a Roman soldier could recruit a citizento carry his pack, his gear, one mile, and no further.You think about it from a Jewish standpoint,that's, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm.You mean my enemy, a Roman soldier,is going to make me carry his stuff for a mile?So Jew, that would have been very degrading and disgusting.I think here our Lord is speaking to man's natural resentmenttowards the demands of the government.Does anybody remember COVID?Well, you can react the world's way.Right?You can react the world's way.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.You can act the way you want.The entire way.Give me your stuff.Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo doo.Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.Never mind, I'll carry it myself.That's the world's way.Or you can react the kingdom's way.What's according to our Lord is what?Go two miles.Did you carry his stuff for a mile and you're like,"You know what? I'm just getting limber.I'm just getting warmed up.I'll go another mile."It's like giving the cloak, right?Same principle.Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.So you're saying,"I should give more than the law demands.I should give double of what's required of me."Now you're thinking like Jesus.Because 1 Peter 2.16 says,"Citizens, live as people who are free.Not using your freedom as a cover up for evil.But living as servants of God."Don't just do what's demanded.Go beyond.Force them to ask,"Why in the world is she acting like that?"And then you have the opportunity to talk about grace.Number four.How do you react when someone wants your stuff?How do you react when someone wants your stuff?Eye for an eye?Or do you release your resources?Look at verse 42.Jesus says, "Give to the one who begs from youand do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.It just got real, didn't it?My money?My possessions?Bless you.We get so...We get so possessiveover things.Jesus is saying if somebody begs,if somebody wants to borrow,He's not talking about beggars along the side of the road.This implies a real need,a need that's known and a need that's verified.That's what Jesus is talking about.And again, we have the two options before us.We can react the world's way.Someone comes to you with a real need.Eye for an eye means...All right, look, look, look.I'm going to give this to you, but you owe me, okay?And you're... Listen, you're going to pay me backevery cent that I'm giving you.Do you understand me?I want it in writing.That's the world's way.And when we have that attitude,it just demonstrates that we care more about things than people, right?Well, why are you entitled to my stuff?Go get your own stuff.Where you can react the kingdom way.Jesus, what's the kingdom way?He says give the one who begs and do not refuse.The one who would borrow.What's the kingdom way?Self-sacrificing generosity.He's like, "Oh, you need something that I have?You know what? Here, take it.You know what? I'll buy another one,or I'll learn to live without it.No begs, whatever. Go ahead.Looks like you need this more than I do.If God thinks I need it,He'll make sure I get another one, all right?That's the kingdom way.Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.So I should just give away everything that I have?Now you're thinking like Jesus.First John 3 verse 17 says,"But if anyone has the world's goods,Jesus' brother, Anid, yet closes his heart against him.How does the love of God abide in him?"It's just stuff.It's just stuff.It's eventual garbage, right?Release your resources. Bless people with it.Look, in Jesus' four scenarios here,in every case, your heart is revealed.Not in how you act,but in how you react.And you're like, "Man, man, how can I live like that?"Right now, I guarantee you,every single person here is looking at us going,"I agree that this is right!"But I don't know if I can actually do it.I mean, to do this,I would have to not insist on my rights.I would have to deny myselfand I would have to act like a slave.Now you're thinking like Jesus.Because, oh, by the way,not insisting on your rights and denying yourselfand acting like a slave.Philippians 2.Have this mind among yourselves,which is yours in Christ Jesus,who though he was in the form of God,did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.He didn't insist on his rights.But emptied himself.Denied himself by taking the form of a servant.He became a slave.When you leave here today,someone's going to offend you.Someone's going to insult you.And somebody's going to stomp all over your rights.What you need to do right nowis decide how you're going to react.Let's pray.Our Father in Heaven,we thank You for Your Word,because this is contrary to how we think.There's something in our heartsthat demands retaliation.That would say getting even is the way to go.We teach our kids that.When Your Son very clearly taught usthat we're to be a peoplethat act opposite the way the world acts.Father, I pray right now thatdecisions are being madeas we sit in the fellowship of the congregation,as we sit under Your Word,as we're sitting in a setting of worship.I pray right now, Father,that we are making decisionswhen we walk out this door.We are not going to be people who retaliate.But instead,we're going to follow the examplethat Your Son gave us,and we're going to trust in the power of Your Spirit,whom You put within us.To Your glory and honor, Father,grab our hearts and minds.We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

  A Place Called Gethsemane The Passion Week account of Jesus happens during the annual feast of Passover for the Jews.  This is one of three times that every Jew was required to travel to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast.  Jesus being a devout Jew went to the city as well not only for the feast but to complete His awesome mission. Not every Jew in the world could possibly come but it is estimated that 1 to 1.5 million people would be in the city during Passover.  The picture below from the Temple Institute in Israel shows the 1000's entering the city at Passover.  Since Jerusalem was a city of perhaps an estimated population 35,000 to 80,000 depending on the archaeologist, it is clear that the city could not handle such a dramatic increase in population.  Every extra room was rented and those not finding rooms camped out on the hills nearby or they sought lodging in nearby towns like Bethlehem or Bethany.  Many of those who camped out in the hills around Jerusalem would more than likely camp on the beautiful slopes of the surrounding hills like Mount of Olives east of Jerusalem. (Vander Laan 177)       After Jesus and His apostles had completed the Passover Seder meal they went to the Mount of Olives to a place called Gethsemane at the Mount of Olives in an olive grove.  The account can be found in Matt 26:36, Mark 14:32, Luke 22:39 and John 18:1.  The word Gethsemane is the English transliteration of a Greek word which was based on two Hebrew words.  (Picture below from Permaculture Research Institute, is a good idea of what the side of the Mt. of Olives would have looked like in Jesus' day). The first was GAT.  The Hebrew word stands for a press.  The second word is SHEMIN which means oil – like olive oil.  The plural in Hebrew is Sheminim.  Thus, Gat Sheminim means a press for oils and referred to in most cases an olive press.  (Vander Laan 178) Today in Israel one can visit Tel Maresha in the Negev.  At this tel archaeologists found the remains of a perfectly intact olive press.  Olive presses were built in caves close to an olive grove.  The cave itself would have “windows” cut into the walls and an air shaft in the roof.  These “windows” and the airshaft were used to control the airflow and temperature since processing olives required a certain temperature range.  The olives themselves were processed by first smashing them with a millstone to break open the skins.   The smashed olives were then put into special porous bags and crushed under the weight of huge weighted down cypress logs in the main press room.  The olive oil would run down into a basin which had a drain directly into a collection jar below the pile of bags of crushed olive pulp.  The jar of oil would be sealed when filled and made ready to be taken to market.  (Vander Laan 178)  The picture below is of the Gat Sheminim at Tel Maresha Israel courtesy of Israel Travel Inc. Where is this exact location of where Jesus prayed and is there a connection to the Gat Sheminim and the word Gethsemane?  As far as location is concerned, “Christian tradition has always placed Gethsemane on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives – though today the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches hallow different sites.”  (Reader's Digest 186)  Recently, however, archaeologists working at the base of the Mount of Olives made a very interesting discovery.  “A cave nearby was recently identified as containing an ancient olive press.  Early 6th century tradition supports this cave as being Jesus' Gethsemane.” (Vander Laan 179)   Moreover, no archaeological evidence nor evidence from ancient descriptions of the city of Jerusalem and its surroundings as ever found a place called the Garden of Gethsemane.  This name is a modern label attached to an area that tourists would come to experience what the place called Gethsemane in the Bible was like.  “The designation ‘Gethsemane' does not occur outside the gospels.  Even Luke 22:39 omits the name, using the more general description, ‘the Mount of Olives.'”(Flusser 251) What we know for a fact is that the Mount of Olives had an olive grove and near olive groves one will find a Gat Sheminim or an olive press.   One might conjecture the following based upon the fact that in the Jewish culture God taught His people difficult theological truths with the use of pictures – as in the case of the word tekton and 1 Peter 2:4-6.  Jesus went to the Mount of Olives and entered the gat sheminim, or the olive press, to find a secluded place to pray.  He would prefer the seclusion of the press since there were many possible pilgrims camping out on the slopes of the hill for Passover and the press would be located in a quiet cave.  Perhaps Jesus knew the owner and was able to gain private access to the olive press.  Again, all of this is conjecture but it is based on the archaeological evidence that is factual.   In the gat sheminim, or in a location very close, we know that Jesus prayed and was in deep stress and anguish.  In the account found in Luke 22:44 Jesus' sweat was like drops of  blood.  What is intriguing about this picture is a verse found in Isaiah 53:5.  This verse for us Christians says He was crushed for our inequities.  When one makes the connection between the discovery of the olive press and how it was used and these verses it would seem that God is showing us how Jesus was crushed – like an olive crushed by the weight of a huge cypress log with heavy weights attached.  It would seem that God Himself is making use of the archaeological discoveries to open up the world of the Bible to us so that its meaning is enhanced.  Do we know for a fact that Jesus was in the olive press or the Gat Sheminim?  No we do not.  But, these discoveries perhaps are given to us to intensify our understanding of His word and the picture of the gat sheminim can simply be used to help us understand the scope of Jesus' stress and anxiety that horrible night. Works Cited * That the World May Know Set 3 Ray Vander Laan c 1996 Focus on the Family Publishing  Colorado Springs CO * Egypt and Bible History: C. Aling Baker House book Grand Rapids MI c 1981 * “Reader's Digest Atlas of the Bible”, C 1981 Reader's digest, Plesantville, NY * “Jesus”, David Flusser, Magnes Press, Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem, 1998 * Josephus WAR 5:141 * “First Easter: The True and Unfamiliar Story”, Paul L. Maier, Harper and Row, NY 1973. * Archaeology and the Bible: The Best of Biblical Archaeology Review, “The Garden Tomb: Was Jesus Buried Here?”, Gabriel Barkay, Vol. II, Archaeology in the World of Herod, Jesus and Paul.    Rev. Ferret - who is this guy? (John & Robin somewhere in the Middle East) What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0      

Send us a textGood morning! Thank you for taking a few minutes to listen. If you are interested in the Daily Bible Devotional, you can find it at the links below:Amazon - (paperback, hardcover, and Kindle)Spiritbuilding.com - (premium quality paperback)Youtube Video Introducing the ContentFeel free to reach out with any questions: emersonk78@me.comLuke 23 Pilate is a central figure in Luke's crucifixion account. He and Herod both question Jesus and find no guilt in Him. Pilate seeks to release Jesus, but the jealousy of the Jewish people is unrelenting. Pilate lacks the courage to save Jesus, but he demonstrates how an unbiased mind will see Him as holy. As Jesus is crucified, Luke's account notes three things He says on the cross. He asks God to forgive His killers, for they do not know what they are doing. Jesus extends salvation to the repentant criminal. And He commits His spirit into the Father's hands. These statements demonstrate His endless love and mercy and His complete trust in the Father. Following His death, a righteous man named Joseph is permitted by Pilate to bury Jesus.  Pilate is confronted with a choice: to side with an innocent man and risk his standing or to turn from Jesus and give in to the demands of sinners. We know he chose poorly. But if we see Jesus for who He is, then discipleship will be even more than just claiming His innocence. We must defend His honor. Perhaps Jesus' honor is best shown by who He was while dying on the cross. His words reveal the depth of His righteousness. We can see how deeply he loves mankind. In His image, we must prove our character by how we speak and behave under harsh and unkind treatment. Even in death, Jesus trusted that God would take care of Him. Giving Father, You have shown Your grace in giving Your only Son to die on the cross to redeem us from our sins. We pray to have the cross always on our minds and to live each day in the shadow of that sacrifice. Help us to see His unrelenting love so that we will be drawn to Him, even after we have sinned against Him. We are the criminal on the cross, saved by Christ as we repent and turn to Him. Father, we also commit to a character that mirrors our Savior. Help us to shine in the darkness.  -       Pilate is such a tragic character. He knew the truth and lacked courage. What inspires you to stand for Jesus Christ against all opposition? -       Both criminals mocked Jesus. One repented, and Jesus saved Him. What does that say about Jesus' willingness to save those who believe in Him? -       A Centurion saw Jesus die and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” How important is grace under fire in showing righteousness to others?

Jesus’ joy was found in being an obedient servant to Almighty God. He expressed joy in sharing, serving, and suffering. Perhaps Jesus’ most significant example of living with joy is how he focused on God’s promises during his darkest hours and used God’s truth and faithfulness as a way to endure through unimaginable suffering. Luke 10:21-22 Perhaps the most exultant description of Jesus in all of Scripture. Joy in Sharing This is the best saying of Jesus not recorded in the Gospels. There is something about giving that results in more joy than receiving does. Acts 20:35 Joy in Serving Jesus taught that there was joy in service. His life and ministry are a testimony to this. He served others rather than being served himself. John 15:11 John 17:13 Mark 10:45 John 4:34 Joy in Suffering No one was more acquainted with suffering than Jesus. But he faced all the pain with an outlook that was focused on joy. Mattew 5:10-12 Hebrews 12:1-2The post Fruit if the Spirit in Christ 2: The Joy of Christ first appeared on Living Hope.

January 19, 2025 Today's Reading: John 2:1-11Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 44:1-16, 23-29; Romans 9:1-18The master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people had drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:9b-10)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This whole darn account is a weird one. What's the number one rule at a wedding? Don't upstage the wedding couple…  Well, here is this magnificent wedding without a single mention of the happy couple. The only thing that we know about them is that their wedding is about to be the talk of the town because they have run out of wine and none of the guests have run out of party. So here comes Jesus… And I know, I know, Jesus wants to keep things on the down low. He asks His mother why she is trying to get Him involved in their problems, but she doesn't listen.“Do whatever He says,” she tells the attendants, “because whatever He says is going to be good.”And so jugs and jugs of wine are made, miraculously, water transformed. And it's the good stuff, too. The top shelf stuff: a 1945 Romanee-Conti, but not just one bottle, a whole vat of the stuff! Jesus is a “save the best for last” sort of guy, coming in at the end to save the day and keep the wedding party happy.But is this all there is to it? If so, it seems a little bit shallow. One would think that His first miracle would be one with a little more substance. Maybe He is just warming up, making sure that He has all the kinks out before He goes on the road… Or maybe there is something more…Perhaps Jesus' first miracle says less about the actual wedding, and even the miracle, and more about Him and who He is. Maybe this water into wine thing is a sign of something greater, pointing to a wedding feast that has no end, that the Church gets a foretaste of every week in fleshy bread and bloody wine from here until the Last Day. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus is making it known to the entire world that He is the Bridegroom, that He has taken a Bride for Himself, you and me, the Church. And He is going to provide for Her everything that she could ever need.Yeah… that's probably it…In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.-Rev. Eli Lietzau, pastor of Wheat Ridge Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wheat Ridge, CO.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.What makes a church "good?" Come join the fictional family as they test out eight different churches in their brand-new town and answer this question along the way. Will the Real Church Please Stand Up? by Matthew Richard, now available from Concordia Publishing House.

John 20:24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." 26And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" 27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.   The disciples keep on telling Thomas that they have seen the Lord, but Thomas refuses to believe unless he sees for himself.  Remember he is only asking for what the others have already experienced.  So, we will see Jesus make a personal appearance eight days later so that Thomas can see Him and believe. Jesus offers for Thomas to put his finger in His side and in hands where they have been pierced by the nails that held him to the cross.  Then Thomas makes that greatest of all confessions of faith when He says My Lord and my God.  Jesus tells Thomas he is blessed because He saw and believed, but there is a greater blessing for those who just take it by faith that He rose from the grave. He finishes up the chapter by giving us the purpose statement of the whole book of John. He wrote about the seven signs that we might trust in Christ and have eternal life forever because of Jesus. John's previous pictures of this disciple present him as a loyal and courageous, though a somewhat pessimistic, follower of Jesus. His more common identification as a doubter comes only from the present event. Thomas had no doubts that Jesus had died. This is another evidence that Jesus really did die. The Greek text clarifies that the other disciples kept saying (Gr. elegon, imperfect tense) that Jesus was alive. In spite of this repeated verbal testimony by those who knew Him best, Thomas refused to believe (cf. 4:48). He had become so thoroughly convinced that Jesus was dead, as evidenced by his references to Jesus' wounds, that he could not see how Jesus' crucifixion could be overcome. 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. Joh 11:16 How much Thomas missed because he did not meet with the other disciples on the Lord's Day Heb.10:22-25  He had to endure a whole week of fear and unbelief unnecessarily.  25 The other disciples therefore said to him, "We have seen the Lord." So he said to them, "Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." The disciples seem to have been convinced of our Lord's resurrection, except for Thomas who was not there. He did not see the resurrected Lord, nor did he behold the Savior's wounded hands and side. And so it was that when Thomas was told that Jesus had appeared to them, he refused to believe. He insisted that in order for him to believe, he would have to see Jesus with his own eyes. He would have to personally inspect the Lord's nail-pierced hands and His pierced side. Only then would he believe. Before we become too harsh with Thomas, let me remind you that the other disciples did not believe until they saw, either. Thomas is really demanding to see the same things that convinced the others. He is not asking for anything more than what the others saw. Eight days passed. Apparently Jesus did not appear to any of His disciples during this period of time.  26 ¶ And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace to you!" Jesus again materialized in the presence of these disciples as He had a week earlier (v. 19). He also repeated His benediction (v. 21). Perhaps Jesus did these things because the disciples had told Thomas that He had appeared this way and had said these things. This would have bolstered Thomas' faith.  27 Then He said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." 1Jo 1:1 Jesus knew what Thomas had said even though He had not been physically present when he had said it. This is further proof of Jesus' deity. The purpose of this test was not just to satisfy Thomas' curiosity, however. It was to bring him to faith that Jesus was the resurrected Messiah. When Jesus appears to Thomas we have this road of unbelief that goes into a road of belief.  And, again, John's whole effort is to show how people come to faith and believe in Christ.  Thomas had heard the report.  In fact, the text, the word “see” is a very important verb all the way through this whole story.  They had seen Him.  They had seen the Lord.  “I'm not going to believe until I can see.”  It's like I'm putting the finger in the nail print.  Until I can see, I won't believe.  That's the whole context that John's setting up for us.  Thomas is a thoroughly a skeptic. Now, we often call him “Doubting Thomas” and we want to be careful with that.  We want to be careful of overstating the case of any of the disciples.  I've encouraged all of us not to sort of wail on Peter and we'll see Peter one day.  And I don't want to wail on Thomas because we're going to see Thomas one day; and I think Thomas is given to us for all of us who have that little skeptic, unconvinced - Thomas is the spiritual Missouri.  “Unless you show me, I'm not going to believe you.  I've got to see it with my own eyes before I believe it.  I don't believe this thing.”  And the Sunday after resurrection Sunday, the disciples are together, Thomas is now with them, they've tried to convince him, “He still won't believe.”  I think the more profound part of this is not when Jesus says, “Reach here.”  Not that He shows Himself to Thomas.  I think the profound part is He knew what Thomas had said.  In one sense, that's more profound than the miracle, if you will.  Now, play this one out if you want to get a little nervous.  If Jesus Christ knew Thomas' doubt, does He know yours?  Does He know the sin that you and I toy with?  Does He know the fears and the skepticism and the lust of our heart and the lust of our eyes and the pride of our life?  Seems to me it's a pretty good case for omniscience.  I don't necessarily like it, but I believe it and I believe that's one of the main lessons He wants us to see.  Well, Thomas' confession is really unrestrained.  He just sort of blurts out, “My Lord and My God!”  And there's nothing in the text that tells us what he did.  In other words, we don't know if Jesus took his hand and poked his finger in His own hand.  Or if Thomas said, “Okay, let me check this out.” In fact, I think the text is intentionally blank with Thomas' physical process because whatever you'd have done, that's what he did.  In other words, Christ is sort of meeting and condescending to Thomas and I think He does to you and me, too, in our doubts.  So, we don't know precisely what he does, but his response is powerful. Immediately, Jesus turns His attention to Thomas. He summons Thomas to come and to put his finger where the nails had pierced His hands, and to feel His side where the spear had pierced it. He challenged Thomas to forsake his unbelief and to believe. Since John does not tell us that Thomas actually felt the wounds of our Lord, it may well be that after seeing Jesus alive he no longer required this proof. It may have taken this sight to convince Thomas, but once convinced, Thomas got it right. He does not merely profess a belief that Jesus has risen from the dead. Thomas professes to believe in what the resurrection proved—that Jesus was God, and that He was Lord (verse 28). Thomas now has it right.  28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!" For a Jew to call another human being "my Lord and my God" was blasphemy under normal circumstances (cf. 10:33). Yet that is precisely who Thomas believed Jesus was. It is also who John presented Jesus as being throughout this Gospel. Both titles were titles of deity in the Old Testament. Thomas had come to believe that Jesus was his lord in a fuller sense than before, and he now believed that Jesus was fully God. In fact, it is perhaps the climax of the entire Gospel of John, that one sentence.  “My Lord and my God!”  The first person pronoun is unusual when you talk about my Lord and my God.  In fact, you won't find it in the Bible, except under Thomas' declaration.  It's one of the greatest “Aha's” in all the Scripture.  And it serves a wonderful purpose the way John orchestrates His Gospel and puts it all together. The  repeated  pronoun  my  does  not  diminish  the universality of Jesus' lordship and deity, but it ensures that Thomas' words are a personal confession of faith. Thomas thereby not only displays his faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, but points to its deepest meaning; it is nothing less than the revelation of who Jesus Christ is. The most unyielding sceptic has given to us the most profound confession." Now Thomas believed as his fellow disciples had come to believe (cf. v.25). His confession is a model that John presented for all future disciples. It is the high point of this Gospel (cf. 1:1, 14, 18). John's witnesses to Jesus' deity John the Baptist “This is the Chosen One [literally, “Son”] of God” (1:34) Nathaniel              “You are the Son of God” (1:49) Peter                             “You are the Holy One of God!” (6:69) Martha “You are the Christ, the Son of God” (11:27) Thomas                             “My Lord and my God!” (20:28) John the Apostle    “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (20:31) Jesus                            “I am the Son of God” (10:36; see also 4:26; 8:58) Nobody has previously addressed Jesus like this. It marks a leap of faith. In the moment that he came to see that Jesus was  indeed  risen  from  the  dead  Thomas  came  to  see something of what that implied. Mere men do not rise from the dead in this fashion.  The One who was now so obviously alive, although he had died, could be addressed in the language of adoring worship." I want you to notice Jesus' response to Him.  29 Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." 2Co 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.; It confirmed the reality of Thomas' belief, and it prepared for the beatitude that followed (cf. 13:17). "Blessed" (Gr. makarios) does more than just describe the person in view as happy. It also declares him or her acceptable to God (cf. Matt. 5:3-12). Jesus pronounces a blessing upon those who don't get to see and yet have faith in Him.  Jesus is saying, “It's a good thing that you believe, Thomas, as a result of the sign.  But it's a blessed thing if you believe and you don't get to see the proof of the thing that you want proven.” And so we see God in His grace condescending to Thomas but also God in His grace telling us that not all of us are going to get to see the things that would cast our doubts aside. Most believers have believed on Jesus because of sufficient evidence without the physical confirmation that Thomas required (cf. v. 8; 1 Pet.1:8-9). Those were the people whom Jesus had in view when He made this statement. This beatitude does not make believers who live after Jesus' ascension superior to those who saw Him in the flesh. Rather it guarantees their blessing by God. When Jesus makes that blessing statement, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe,” He Absolutely had us in mind. He's thinking of those who throughout the centuries would believe without seeing the resurrection. "Thomas's declaration is the last assertion of personal faith recorded in this Gospel. It marks the climax of the book because it presents Christ as the risen Lord, victorious over sin, sorrow, doubt, and death. It also presents the faith that accepts not only the truth of what Jesus said but also the actuality of what he was—the Son of God. In the experience of Thomas, the writer has shown how belief comes to maturity and how it changes the entire direction of an individual life." "The growth of belief depicted in the Gospel of John thus moves from an initial acceptance on the testimony of another to a personal knowledge marked by loyalty, service, and worship; from assumption of the historicity and integrity of Jesus to a personal trust in Him; from an outward profession to an inward reality; from practicing His teachings to acknowledging His lordship over life. Full belief may not be attained instantly; yet the initial and tentative belief is not to be despised." Based on a story of faith.  Based again on the intrinsic power of the Gospel story.  That He lived, He died, He was buried and He came back from the grave.  And those who trust in that are extraordinarily blessed. There is compelling evidence for the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; but ultimately, even with all of that evidence - It comes down to faith. Reviewing what it would take to cover something like this up.  It's impossible, to cover something like that up.  And to think about these eleven inept men who've run away at the fear of being somehow associated with Jesus a couple of days before are now so emboldened to steal the body and cover it up.  Talk about the extraordinary leap of faith.  It takes more imagination and fiction to think they could pull that off than that Christ really came back from the dead. And the Gospel writers don‘t say it, but we have to be sure that there were many who had a compelling desire to produce the body and demonstrate that this rumor going around that Jesus had been resurrected was just that, a rumor.  But no one was able to demonstrate.  Well, from Caiaphas on down, the most powerful, political religious group of men could not produce a body.  And you know what?  No one ever will. Think about Lee Strobel, the Chicago journalist who has written a number of books to provide evidence for the reality of Christ, the truth of the Scriptures.  And he wrote a book on the case for the cross where he examines the evidence.  And as wild as it may be to consider it, there's no conclusion you can come to that makes any more sense than that Jesus is who He says He was and He was raised from the dead.  It's just one piece of evidence after another. 1Pe 1:8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls. Although you've not seen Him, you love Him.  You don't see Him now, but you believe in Him.  And this is Peter.  This is the Peter who ran away and three times denied His Lord.  And I've got to believe Peter is in the room when He appears again with Thomas.  And I wonder if in the inspired movement of the Spirit of God when these words are penned, if all is not meant for us to piece together. “You've not seen Him, but you love Him.  You've not seen Him but you believe in Him.”  And you're blessed in that process.  If you add up the Synoptics you have thirty-five miracles, little debate on the exact number, but thirty-five miracles, signs, that Jesus performed, John records only seven key ones. Now get the flow of the book.  It's very important.  They've not seen the risen Christ.  They're looking for the body.  The Christ appears resurrected.  The fear is turned to joy.  Doubting individuals are convinced.  Their doubt is now taken away.  He really believes and Jesus says, “When you go out, you proclaim forgiveness as part of this gospel message.  You teach the people that the covenant, the new covenant, provides for forgiveness.  That's what this is all about.”  30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;  Joh 21:25  31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Lu 1:4; Joh 3:15-16; 5:24; 1Pe 1:8-9(NKJV) It's okay if you saw and believed, but you're blessed if you believe and you didn't get to see.  And then John says, “These signs that Jesus has done, a lot more of them happened, but these were written so you'll believe.” What does he want for us to believe?  The signs.  John the Gospel writer has said now for twenty chapters, he said, “I wrote all this so that you'll believe.  And I punctuated it with these miracles so that you'll believe.” Jesus even said, “If someone comes back from the dead they won't believe.” But John says, “I want to record these signs so that you'll believe.” When Jesus Christ performs a miracle it's always for a purpose.  The word sign is a stem of signifying.  The sign signifies something.  Take for example the blind man, John nine.  He's blind from birth.  What's the point?  Jesus has power over creation.  Sure.  That's not the real point.  The real point is all of us are blind and we need new sight and Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.  I am the one who gives you new sight.  I create new hearts.  I create new eyes.  I create new people.”  That's what Jesus' message is.  So the sign of the blind man being cured, being given new eyes, is not just a, “Wow!  He cured somebody.”  It's, we're all spiritually blind and we need curing.  Are you with me?  So John says, “All these signs signify something about Christ and our condition and they're written so you and I will believe.” A SUMMARY OF THE SEVEN SIGNS IN JOHN Sign Significance Belief Unbelief Reference Changing water to wine Jesus' power over life,(source) The disciples   2:1-11 Healing the official's son Jesus' power over distance The official and his household   4:46-54 Healing the paralytic Jesus' power over time The paralytic? The Jews 5:1-9 Feeding the 5,000 Jesus' power over quantity Some people in the crowd   6:1-15 Walking on the water Jesus' power over nature The disciples   6:16-21 Healing a man born blind Jesus' power over creation and misfortune The blind man The Pharisees 9:1-12 Raising Lazarus Jesus' power over death Martha, Mary, and many Jews The Jewish Authorities 11:1-16 His presentation of Jesus as the divine Son of God certainly has universal application. "There cannot be any doubt but that John conceived of Jesus as the very incarnation of God." John's purpose was not academic. It was not simply that people might believe intellectually that Jesus is the divine Messiah. It was rather that they might believe those foundational truths so they could possess and experience the life of God fully (cf. 10:10). This divine life affects the whole person, not just the intellect. Moreover it affects him or her forever, not just during that person's present lifetime. Let's look at a couple of lessons John's clear purpose statement concludes the body of this Gospel. The graveside can bring incredible grief in life, but the faith of the believer moves on beyond the grave. We're separated and we miss people bitterly because we love them.” That's what death is, a separation, right?  And we long to see them.  And it's very common for people to dream about a reunion and I think Mary is sort of that person.  She's hanging on and she's hurt and Jesus says, “Mary.” And she turns.  The point of that:  turn away from the graveside and see the resurrection.  Turn away from your grief and see life is beyond the grave, right?  And we must do the same as we process through our grief.  Grief is tough, it's not meant to be simple.  It's tough.  But the believer in Christ has hope that the world doesn't have. Suffering is universal, misery is optional.” Some of you know the name Charles Wedemeyer.  He was a very successful coach who is now a quadriplegic and can't even speak.  One hundred percent dependent upon other people.  And he says, through her interpretation, “Suffering is universal, misery is optional.” And, you know, all of us are going to suffer and hurt and grieve in life, but to remain miserable is an option and the believer in Christ must look beyond the circumstances and say, “You know, this earth is a rotten place sometimes.  My faith is in the next life.”   God's peace only comes through Christ.  John fourteen to John sixteen Christ had gone at length to say, “My peace I leave with you.  Not as the world do I give, but my peace I give to you.  Peace be with you.” Earlier it said his spirit was troubled and He says, “I'm going to give you peace.”  Three times in this text, “Peace be with you.  Peace be with you.  Peace.” They're afraid of the Jews, they are fearfully grieving their loss.  “Peace be with you.  Peace.”  He's dispelling their anxiety.  Isa 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Ps 4:8 I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Phil 4:6-9 Paul says a peace that surpasses all comprehension that will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.  How many of us have never even come close to understanding that?  And that's the resurrection peace that Christ gives.  Jesus Knows Everything - If Jesus Christ knew Thomas' doubt, does He know yours? Does He know the sin that you and I toy with? He knows the fears and the skepticism and the lust of our heart and the lust of our eyes and the pride of our life? "Thomas's declaration of personal faith marks the climax of the book because it presents Christ as the risen Lord, victorious over sin, sorrow, doubt, and death. It is our example. Romans 10.9-11 What proof do you seek?  See, the reasons we don't believe, the reasons we doubt are not because we're so smart or clever.  The reason we doubt is because if we believe, we therefore must submit and obey.  And that's not fun.  It's not fun to do the right thing when sin wants to do the wrong thing.  But the believer in Jesus Christ submits and he says, “You know, God, I don't understand it all, but by Your grace and kindness I'm going to follow You even when I can't see to believe, I believe You.” Mark chapter nine.  The man who has brought his seizure ridden epileptic demonized son to the disciples who can't do anything for him.  Jesus comes back with Peter, James and John from the mount of transfiguration.  An extraordinary passage, where the man wants to believe but what great honesty.  “Help me in my unbelief.  I want to believe you.” And Jesus doesn't condemn him Or shame him or anything, Or say, “What kind of faith is this?”  In fact, the message is really a double-edged message because He says, “Oh unbelieving generation, how long will I be with you?”  That precedes His comment to the father.  I think His primary target is the disciples. It's like when you discipline one child in front of your whole family.  You're telling them all the same issue, but the one's on the hot seat.  And Christ is saying to you, “Don't you get it?  This is not your power.  This is not you.  You have to move beyond that.” And with a few words the Lord does a miracle of healing. Would we say to Jesus, “Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief.” I hope so.  I often do.  I want to believe Him, I hope to believe. And belief and faith are not the little engine that could.  It's not, “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can,” and if I exercise enough of that faith, then God will come through.  Faith is confident assurance of things hoped for.  Meaning, I want this outcome.  With a conviction of things not yet seen.  I don't know the outcome, I don't know the verdict.  So I'm trusting Christ, I'm believing in Him, I'm hoping for this outcome.  I'm convicted in the sense I'm planted, but I don't know what's going to happen. And ultimately your faith is not in the outcome, it is in the one who controls the outcome

Read OnlineThen Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Mark 9:5–7Just prior to the Transfiguration, Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He would suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, be killed and then rise on the third day. This caused much fear for the disciples as they grappled with this unsettling revelation from our Lord. And even though Jesus remained firm with them and even rebuked Peter for his fear, Jesus also gave three of His disciples a very precious gift.After much traveling, preaching, miracle working and private conversations about His passion with the Twelve, Jesus invited Peter, James and John to go with Him up a high mountain to pray. These disciples most likely had no idea what they would soon encounter.As they made the difficult and arduous journey, their minds must have been pondering not only the mighty deeds done by Jesus in the previous months but also His words about the suffering to come. As they struggled with this, much to their amazement, Jesus “was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.” Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, representing the Law and the prophets. These two Old Testament figures appeared as a way of saying to these disciples that everything that Jesus was telling them was to take place to fulfill all that had been foretold about Him from of old. Perhaps Jesus thought that if His disciples would not fully listen to Him, then seeing Moses and Elijah would help. But Jesus went even further. The Voice of the Father Himself thundered and said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Thus, if these disciples would not ultimately listen to Jesus alone, or if even Moses and Elijah failed to convince them, then the last hope was the Father Himself. And Jesus delivered such a grace.The Transfiguration was a true mercy. These disciples had never seen anything like it before. But it was most likely this act of mercy that ultimately helped them to accept the hard truth that Jesus was trying to teach them about His coming suffering and death. If the Father in Heaven Personally gave witness to Jesus, then everything that Jesus had said was trustworthy.As we read through the Gospels and the many teachings God has given us through the Church, think about whether there are some teachings with which you struggle? Or in your own life, on a personal level, are there some things you know God wants of you but you find it difficult to accept? When confusion sets in, that means we are not listening, are not fully hearing what God is saying to us or are not understanding. And though we will not see the Transfigured Lord with our eyes and hear the Voice of the Father with our ears as these three disciples did, we must choose to believe all that God has said as if it were the Transfigured Lord, with Moses and Elijah, and the Father Himself speaking clearly and directly to us. “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Those words were not only spoken for the good of the disciples, they are also spoken to us.Reflect, today, upon this powerful experience given to these disciples by our Lord. Try to place yourself in the scene so as to witness Jesus transfigured in the most glorious way, with Moses and Elijah and with the thundering Voice of the Father. Allow the Father to speak also to you, telling you that all He has spoken through the Scriptures, the Church and within your own conscience is true. Allow this revelation to convince you on the deepest level to acknowledge not only the divinity of Jesus but also to “Listen to Him” in every way. My transfigured Lord, You are glorious beyond imagination, and You revealed a small glimpse of this glory to Your disciples to help them trust You more fully. May I also trust in You more completely, knowing that all You have spoken to me is true. Please remove any doubt and fear in my life so that nothing keeps me from embracing Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.  Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Transfiguration By Duccio di Buoninsegna, via Wikimedia Commons

Throughout the years of my pastoral ministry, I have often had people come up to me following the worship service and say something like this:"Preacher, you really spoke to me today. Was that sermon meant just for me?" My response is always that I do not preach just to one person.In Matthew's gospel, there is an account of what the chief priests and Pharisees asked Jesus, after he had given them some parables (earthly stories with heavenly meanings). Matthew 21:45 says that "they perceived that he spoke of them."Our subject today is "Personal Preaching." Perhaps Jesus has something to say to you today. Let's listen and find out.We pray that the message today will be a blessing to you. Thank you for worshipping with us today from Ocean Lakes Family Campground.

You've done everything right. You heard God's command and followed it, but things haven't turned out the way you expected them to.  What's going on? Join host Julie Harwick for an incredible biblical teaching on Dealing With Disappointment. *** Welcome to Women World Leaders podcast. I'm your host, Julie Harwick. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God's grace in our lives, in this ministry and around the world.  Karen was about to make the biggest mistake of her life.  We'd gotten close in our high school youth group and she was a somewhat new, but very passionate believer.  We'd talked a lot within our group about seeking God and honoring Him in our romantic relationships.  But now that we were in college, Karen was in love and none of the principles we had committed ourselves to seemed to matter anymore. We were all home on Christmas break and Karen had invited us to her wedding which was to take place the following weekend.  She had met a Palestinian guy who was at the university on a student visa.  He didn't want to go to school anymore, but he wanted to stay in the U.S. so his best solution was to get married. At the ripe old age of 20, she was certain that God had brought this man into her life to be the husband that she had always dreamed of and that their only hope to be together was for her to marry him immediately.  One friend, who was especially close to her, had tried to convince her that marrying him now was a bad idea, but Karen simply refuted every argument. A larger group of us got together to discuss the situation and seek God's direction. Karen's fiance' was not a believer, and she was currently living with him, so those were two issues that we could confront with scripture. Matthew 18:15 also told us 5 “Now if your brother sins[k], go and [l]show him his fault [m]in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the [n]testimony of two or three witnesses every [o]matter may be confirmed, “ We all felt strongly that if we truly cared about Karen, God would have us talk to her about the poor decisions she had already made and the even larger one she was about to make. We looked up and discussed all the relevant scriptures so we'd have a biblical basis for our arguments, and we spent time praying that God would prepare her to really hear us and recognize that what we were saying was coming from love for her and not judgement.  We prayed that our own hearts would be right as we did it and that something  good might even come of it.  Unfortunately, that was not the case.  Her fiancé was there, which made it particularly awkward, and both of their defenses were up.  We suggested that they at least wait to get married since they had known each other for such a short time, hadn't met each other's families and had so many cultural differences.  We asked how they would support themselves since neither had a decent paying job and weren't even close to earning a degree.  They had answers, though not very good ones, for everything. We reminded her of what the bible said about living with someone you're not married to and marrying an unbeliever.  The whole conversation was civil, but tense.  When we had covered every issue and it was clear that she was not receptive to anything we had to say, she thanked us for our concern, and we wished them the best and made our exit. We all shared a very deep sense of discouragement as we left. The last thing I heard about Karen was that she had moved to Gaza with him.  I often wonder what her life has been like and what it might have been. So why did it have to turn out that way?  Were we not faithful to do everything God would have us do?  Going into it, we were confident that if we handled the situation according to scripture, God would work a miracle. Couldn't we look at it sort of like a formula?  God's power + our obedience= a good outcome. But in God's economy, there are no formulas.  Only faith. The prophet Elijah is a perfect example.  First Kings 17 and 18 contain an epic story of how God proved His superiority over any other god in an unmistakable way.  If you're familiar with any of the kings of Israel, one probably stands out because he's part of the worst power couple the nation ever knew.  Ahab and Jezebel were narcissistic, egotistical and just plain evil.  Not only did they lead the people to worship other gods, but they saw the prophet Elijah as the bane of their existence.  Ahab referred to him as, “the troubler of Israel” and Jezebel set out to kill all the true prophets in the country and nearly succeeded. First Kings 16:33 tells us that Ahab did more to provoke the Lord to anger than all the kings of Israel who came before him.  Elijah had the unenviable task of warning Ahab that the entire country would be punished with 3 ½ years of drought because of his sin. As the end of the drought approached God told Elijah to inform the king that he needed to assemble all of Israel on the top of Mt. Carmel, along with all 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Ashera.  Ahab complied and Elijah set the stage for the greatest showdown in Israel's history.   Verse 21 says, “Elijah challenged the people: How long are you going to sit on the fence?  If God is the real God, follow Him.  If it's Baal, follow him.  Make up your minds!”  He then instructed the prophets of Baal to set up an altar and prepare an ox for a sacrifice.  He would do the same, but neither he nor they could light a fire.  They would each pray to their god and the one who ignited and consumed the sacrifice would prove to be the true god.  The prophets of Baal prayed all morning long, but nothing happened.  By noon, Elijah began to mock them, suggesting that Baal didn't answer because he was sleeping or too busy, possibly on vacation or maybe even occupied using the toilet.  As more time passed, they became more desperate, finally resorting to cutting themselves as a sacrifice until they were covered with blood.  But still, there was absolutely no response from Baal. At this point, Elijah declared that their time was up, and he would prepare his sacrifice. The crowd was mystified when he dug a large trench all around the altar and commanded that four buckets of water be poured over the sacrifice and the wood until both were drenched and the trench was filled with water.  Rather than performing mystical rituals or cutting himself, Elijah simply prayed, “Oh God, God of Abraham, Issac and Israel, make it known right now that You are God in Israel, that I am Your servant and I'm doing what I'm doing under Your orders.  Answer me God and reveal to this people that You are God, the true God and that You are giving these people another chance at repentance.”  Verse 38 tells us that immediately the fire of God fell and completely consumed the offering – even licking up every drop of water in the trench!  The people fell on their faces in worship and declared, “God is the true God!”  He instructed the people to capture the prophets of Baal and execute them.  He suggested that King Ahab eat and drink in celebration because the Lord was about to send rain.  Everyone did exactly as they were instructed.  Elijah climbed to the peak of the mountain and began to pray for rain.  Seven times he sent his servant to look toward the sea for signs of rain. On the seventh try, the servant reported a very small cloud, no bigger than a human hand.  Elijah sent him to warn Ahab that he'd better head home quickly before the coming rain stopped him.  Immediately the sky grew dark, the winds picked up and 3 ½ years' worth of rain began to fall.  God supernaturally empowered Elijah to run like no one has ever run before or since.  The chapter closes with Elijah overtaking and running ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to the palace. What a day for Elijah, right?  His prophecies all came true.  He was completely vindicated.  God showed up in a way no one could deny.  The people all acknowledged that He was the one true God and destroyed every false prophet with zeal. Desperately needed rain fell in abundance and Elijah outran a team of horses for miles and miles!  God's power + Elijah's obedience had completely turned things around!  Or had it? Ahab lost no time in bringing Jezebel up to speed on all that had transpired.  But her focus was not at all on the  miraculous events that had just occurred, but on her beloved 450 prophets of Baal who had just been eliminated. She immediately sent a messenger to Elijah informing him that by the next day, he'd be as dead as any of those prophets. Elijah had been on a spiritual high that we can only begin to imagine.  After years of misery, he had finally come out on top and more importantly, God had used him to bring Israel to repentance!  It was as if the day's events had steadily inflated a giant balloon of hope for Elijah, but this message from Jezebel was a pin that unexpectedly popped and completely deflated that balloon.  He and his servant immediately fled to neighboring Judah.  He left his servant and went a day's journey into the desert.  Taking shelter under a bush, he collapsed and begged God to let him die.  Physically and emotionally spent, he fell asleep.  As Elijah slept, God sent an angel to provide food and water for him at regular intervals. The only instructions given to him were to eat, drink and sleep because he had a long journey ahead of him.  When he had regained his strength, he traveled 40 days and nights to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God, where he took up residence in a cave.  Hmmm. Mt. Horeb? Does that name ring a bell?  Or maybe its alternate name of Mt. Sinai?  If it doesn't, I'll give you a clue.  It's called the mountain of God because it's where God met with Moses and gave him the ten commandments. And when I think of Moses, I begin to see some parallels with Elijah's experience.  Moses was also used by God to do extraordinary things for the nation of Israel.  He also prophesied to a king, pharaoh actually, who hated him.  He called the people to follow God and worship Him only. After miracle upon miracle and seeing the burning mountain of God and experiencing His awe-inspiring presence from the foot of the mountain those people declared, “ All that the Lord has commanded, we will do.”  But when Moses spent too much time on the mountain with God, they feared he wasn't coming back and decided to forget the covenant they had made and create a golden calf to worship.  Both Moses and Elijah thought that the miracles they had taken part in had truly changed the people, but their behavior quickly revealed that it had not.  Neither man had asked God for the positions in which they found themselves.  They were reluctant, yet obedient servants.  I wonder if it seemed to them that God was simply toying with them for His own amusement. But that wasn't it at all. He was preparing them for an encounter with Himself that was unlike anything any other human ever experienced.  When God asked Elijah what he was doing on the mountain, he replied, “I have worked very hard for the Lord God of the heavens, but the people of Israel have broken their covenant with You and torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets and only I am left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”  God responded by telling Elijah to stand before Him on the mountain.  “And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain; it was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind.  After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face.”  After this incredible encounter with the Almighty, God gave him further prophecies and the reassurance that there were actually more than 7000 people in Israel who served the true God.  Elijah left the mountain renewed, encouraged and with a completely new understanding of Who God was.  Moses had a similar experience after he had dealt with the people's sin of making a golden calf to worship.  Angry and discouraged by their behavior and overwhelmed at the prospect of leading such people, Moses asked God for a sign that He would actually be present with them for every step of the journey ahead. God warned him not to look at His face.  Moses was to step inside a cleft in the rock on the mountain facing away from God.  God would pass by and Moses could gaze on His glory from behind.  Not only did this experience give Moses the courage and determination to keep leading the people, but it transformed him physically.  When he came down from the mountain, his face was radiant with God's glory, so much so, that the people were afraid to look at him.  It wore off eventually, but there could be no doubt that he had been in the presence of God. I had been familiar with both of these stories for years, but somehow, I had missed the connection.  And it goes even further.  Do you remember who Peter, James and John saw talking with Jesus when He was transfigured?  It was Moses and Elijah. Perhaps Jesus wanted his disciples to think about the special place those two men held in God's heart.  The disciples had equally hard times awaiting them.  Was Jesus preparing them by reminding them of how His Father cared for and rewarded the faithful?  The Apostle Paul undoubtedly heard the story from Peter and it wasn't lost on him.  It may have inspired him to write Romans 5: 1-5 and those words are the perfect way to close. “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in the hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character; hope, and hope does not disappoint.” Thanks for listening to Women World Leaders podcast!  Join us each week as we explore together God's extravagant love and your courageous purpose.  Visit our website at www.womenworldleaders.com to submit a prayer request, register for an upcoming event, and support the ministry.  From His heart to yours, we are Women World Leaders .  All content is copyrighted by Women World Leaders and cannot be used without written consent.

God's Word for Today 30 May, 2024 31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” -Mark 3:31-35 ESV WHO ARE MY MOTHER AND MY BROTHERS? Perhaps Jesus' family were a bit worried about the reports concerning Him that they came. For some unknown reason, Joseph is out of the picture, but Mary still has four other sons and at least two daughters (Mark 6:3). His family was skeptical about Him. The people in Nazareth do not accept His authority. They've seen Him always as an ordinary boy growing up and there is nothing special about His family. In that culture, they call Him a bastard—a slight on Jesus by referring Him as the "son of Mary." It was an insult against His parentage (Mark 6:3). Some consider Him insane (Mark 3:21). Obviously, they were not seeking Jesus to find out whether He was true but to keep Him out of trouble and controversy. The reason was for their own. Conversely, we are enjoined to seek God by faith. [Heb 11:6] We must seek Him as He is, not as someone to do our bidding so that our earthly lives are easier, do we? God must be the end not a means. Who is His family? Jesus broadened the concept of His family by saying. “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Jesus is clear that following Him will cause serious tensions within families. He says, "And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name's sake.[ Mark 13:12–13] In Matthew 10:35–36 He says, "'For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.'" Eventually, Mary and at least two of Jesus' brothers join His spiritual family. James becomes the leader of the church in Jerusalem and writes the book James. Judas writes the book Jude. Listen and FOLLOW us on our podcast Spotify: http://bit.ly/glccfil_spotify Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/glccfil-applepcast Google Podcast: http://bit.ly/glccfil-googlepcast Audible Podcast: http://bit.ly/glccfil-audible Follow us on various media platforms: https://gospellightfilipino.contactin.bio #gospellightfilipino #godswordfortoday #bookofMark

Pilate's soul hangs in the balance as he puts Jesus Christ on trial and declares the innocent one guilty. The question lingers... are you doing the same? - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - This morning I had the privilege to sit again in the “Discovering Christ” class, which is a class we have every week to study the person and work of Christ based on the Gospel of Mark. I was struck again as we began the cycle. We're looking at infinite majesty of the person of Christ. That's the purpose of the Gospel of Mark. It depicts Jesus in His remarkable person, His authority, declared to be the son of God at His baptism by a voice that came from heaven when heaven was torn apart and a dove came down and a voice said, "This is My Son whom I love; with Him, I'm well pleased." Then Jesus begins his ministry, teaching in a way that no one had ever heard before with authority, the ability to speak the truth of God in a powerful way, authoritative way- “You have heard that it was said, but I say to you.” Then as a demon possessed young man is there, to be able to instantly drive out the demon with a word. The demons were terrified of Jesus. He had no fear of them; He absolute authority over demons. Then there was every disease and sickness known to man. There was no disease or sickness He could not cure effortlessly, instantaneously, personally, effectively, every disease and sickness. We see His ability to control the wind and the waves when He was in the boat. A raging storm came down and the boat was filling with water. Jesus was asleep, then got up and stretched His hand over the wind and the waves and said, "Peace, be still." Instantly they obeyed His voice. “What kind of man is this? Even the wind in the waves obey him.” He revealed power over death as He raised Jairus's daughter from the dead. He said, "Talitha Cumi, little girl, I say to you, get up,” and her spirit returned to her and she got up. For Him, death and sleep were no different. It's just the same as waking a girl up from sleep. That's how powerful Jesus is over death, but even more, His authority over sin, His ability to declare to a sinner, your sins are forgiven and they are. This man that we've been learning about now in fourteen chapters now going into the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark is on trial before Pontius Pilate, on trial for His life, the only perfectly good man that's ever been. On trial for what? What did He do except love God with all of His heart, soul, mind and strength and love His neighbor perfectly as Himself and didn't break any of God's laws or man's laws ever. He's on trial before Pontius Pilate. Things are not, however, as they appear. If we had been transported back in time and we were there, we'd see this prisoner arrested on trial before the Roman procurator, on trial for his life. But the reality is much different. It was determined in the mind of God that Jesus should die for the sins of the world and that that would be the process whereby it would happen. It was a foregone conclusion. What's really going on in this account of Jesus before Pilot is that Pilot's on trial, actually. Pilot's on trial. In order to make that case and to make it then relevant to us, I'm going to... often I just stick with the words of Mark. But this morning I'm going to be reaching out to all four Gospels. I would say especially John 18:28-19:16 which probably puts the trial of Pilot himself more clearly than any of the other gospels. I'll be leaning on that, but also some things from Matthew. Whereas Pilot thought that he was evaluating and judging Jesus, the reality was that he was on trial and through him, all of us are, we all have a decision to make about Jesus because the Bible reveals that someday we're going to stand before his Judgment Seat. The only way we're going to survive that is if in this world, in this time now we have, come to personal faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. Only that way will we survive judgment day, only that way. So here's Pilot judging, the only perfectly innocent man that has ever lived and by condemning Jesus to death, a man Pilot again and again asserts publicly that He is innocent. A man he may well have believed was supernatural and incarnation of sorts. We'll talk about that. He was actually destroying his conscience and condemning his own soul, he did it, we're told in the text, to please the crowd. Behind that we can say, he was trying to save his life and his job. But Jesus put it so plainly in Mark 8:36, "What would it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and lose his soul?" I don't know if Pilate ever did repent of his sins and trust in Jesus as his Lord and Savior, I have no idea. But if he didn't, he'll spend all eternity wishing for this moment back. The real question in front of all of us, what about us? What about you? Not just that personal moment of repentance and faith in Jesus, but understanding really what this passage teaches us. There's so many lessons here. We're going to see how God orchestrated in providence the condemnation of Jesus before the Roman procurator, before any of these things came to be, that God moved providential wheels to give the Jews, the chief priests, the Sanhedrin power over Pilate, so he would do what they wanted him to do, though he didn't want to do it. We're going to walk through that and learn providence. Now overall, the purpose of this account, like any account in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John is summed up in John's purpose statement in John 20:31, "These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and believing may have life in His name." So that's the purpose today. 1. The Charge Against the Silent Jesus: “King of the Jews” Let's walk through the trial. Let's see what happens in Mark's account, but then looking at the others as well. In the charge against Jesus... Jesus is arraigned before Pilate, the religious phase of the trial is over. The Jewish leaders had come to their decision. Look at verse 1, “Very early in the morning the chief priests with the elders, the teacher of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led Him away and delivered Him over to Pilate.” They have condemned Jesus to death, but they can't kill him, as much as they would like to. The Romans took away the power of that local body to execute people. The Romans retain that right, so they needed Pilate's involvement. They deeply wanted to put Jesus to death. They wanted him killed. Now we notice in John's account the hypocrisy of these Jewish religious leaders. In John 18:28, "Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness, the Jews did not enter the palace because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.” This is disgusting, religious hypocrisy. They maintained an outward appearance of spirituality and legality, but their whole purpose that morning was to murder an innocent man and not just any innocent man but to kill the glorious Son of God. But they're maintaining a certain pattern of religiosity so they can go through their rituals. Pilate asks Him this question, verse 2, "Are you the King of the Jews?" That's how it begins. This was the charge the Jews had figured would work with the Roman governor. They had tried to get him, as we know earlier in Mark's Gospel, on tax evasion, saying you don't need to pay taxes to Caesar, but Jesus openly asserted that they did. "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God, the things that are God's." So that didn't work out, but this “King of the Jews” charge was weighty because it implied a threat to Roman interest in the area. In Luke's Gospel, Jesus’ enemies took another approach. In Luke 23:5, they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." That basically is a charge that He's a rabble rouser, He's an insurrectionist. Ironically, Barabbas, the very one they chose instead of Jesus, was openly an insurrectionist. So are you for or against insurrectionists? In Luke 23:19, "Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city and for murder." Pilate zeroes in on this question, this charge, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus gives a very interesting answer. In verse 2, "You have said it," or, "Yes, it is as you say," there are different translations. In Matthew 27:11, "You have said it." What does that mean? It’s somewhat mysterious. Perhaps Jesus meant the words like this, “Yes, it is as you say, but it's not what you mean or not how you mean. Or, you have said it but you really don't understand it.” In John 18, he goes into it in more detail. In John 18:36-38, "'My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews, but now my kingdom is from another place.' 'You are a king then,' said Pilate. Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying that I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.' 'What is truth?' Pilate asked." That's a more in-depth conversation on Jesus's kingship. Jesus's kingdom is infinitely more powerful and more complex, more spiritual than Pilate could possibly imagine, but it's an entirely different thing than he was thinking when he asked, "Are you the King of the Jews?" So was He? Was Jesus King of the Jews? Answer: Absolutely, yes. As a matter of fact, that's the purpose of the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew, the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. The first thing taught in the New Testament about Jesus is that He is the son of David, meaning King of the Jews. That's true, yes, He was King of the Jews, but not the way anyone thought, not the way His disciples thought, not the way anybody on earth thought. Yes, He's King of the Jews, but certainly not the way Pilate thought. Actually, Jesus is more than just King of the Jews. In Zechariah 9:10 it says, "He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth." So not just King of the Jews, but yes, King of the Jews. Was Jesus a threat? Was Jesus a threat to Pilate? Was Jesus a threat to Caesar? Was Jesus a threat to Rome? Answer: yes and no. Let's say no and yes. Jesus is no threat to lead an immediate political insurrection against Pontius Pilate and Judea or Caesar and the Roman Empire. But Jesus threatened Pilate and Caesar with eternal damnation. Jesus' kingdom is vastly more powerful than any earthly ruler could ever imagine. When Christ returns, He will set up a kingdom that will destroy all other kingdoms and will itself never be destroyed. This is the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2, it says, "In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever.” This is the meaning of the vision of a rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands. The rock that broke the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold to pieces. Those represent empires. All empires come to an end at the Second Coming of Christ, and Jesus's kingdom established will reign forever and ever. The account is given in Revelation 19 of the Second Coming, "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule him with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty and on his robe and on his thigh, he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords." "Jesus is no threat to lead an immediate political insurrection against Pontius Pilate and Judea or Caesar and the Roman Empire. But Jesus threatened Pilate and Caesar with eternal damnation." Is Jesus a threat? Absolutely. Just not the way the Pilate was thinking. Jesus responds in silence, in direct fulfillment of prophecy. Look at verses 3-5, the chief priests accused Him of many things. Again, Pilate asked him, "Aren't you going to answer? See how many things they're accusing you of." But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. This is in direct fulfillment of course, of Isaiah 53:7, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Why not? Why was Jesus silent? There's a horizontal and a vertical aspect of Jesus' silence. Horizontally, He's silent because the trial is completely corrupt and unjust, and there's nothing He can say that will change it, and He's very aware of that. There's no point in Him saying anything. As He says in Luke 22:67-68, "'If you are the Christ,' they said, 'tell us.' Jesus answered, 'If I tell you, you will not believe me, and if I asked you a question, you would not answer.'" So He's openly saying, "What's the point?” Horizontally, there's no point in Him answering. Vertically, He must be silent because He's our sin bearer and there's nothing we can say in response to defend ourselves. We are guilty. We have broken God's laws and He has taken our sins on Himself and cannot reply to Almighty God, and so He must be silent, vertically. Pilate was amazed at the silence. He had never seen any prisoner behave like this man. As procurator with the power of life, death, he was used to seeing prisoners in many different states. Some might beg and plead for their lives, groveling on the ground. Some might be terrified, unable to speak because of terror, paralyzed. Some might be sullen or defiant or louder defiant. But Jesus had a supernatural calm to Him and a peace to Him. In the Gospel account, especially in John, there's a sense that He's in charge of the whole process. He has no fear at all. “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” Pilot's never seen a man like this before. Never. Proverbs 16:32, "Better a patient man than a warrior. A man who controls his temper than one who takes a city." Jesus was in absolute control of Himself, of His emotions, of His reactions at every moment. He was infinitely strong. 2. Pontius Pilate on Trial It really is Pontius Pilate on trial. Look at verses 6-15, “That was the custom at the feast to release a prisoner whom the people requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilot to do for them what he usually did. ‘Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews,’ asked Pilot, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have Pilot release Barabbas instead. ‘What shall I do then with the one you call King of the Jews,’ Pilot asked them. ‘Crucify him,’ they answered. ‘Why? What crime has he committed,’ asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’ Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilot released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.” Pilot's on trial here, though he doesn't know it. As we look at John's account, we can see that Pilot again and again and again tries to release Jesus. It's his top priority it seems, below self-interest. He wants to release Jesus, he wants to set him free. Pilot knows that Jesus is innocent. In our text he says he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him. Pilot has undoubtedly heard about Jesus's miracles and the power that surrounded His ministry. Thirdly, Greeks and Romans frequently believed that the gods and goddesses took on human bodies and mucked around in human life and did human things and got into human affairs, and they believed this. There's biblical support of this conception. In the book of Acts, in Acts 14:11-12 when Paul and Barnabas were ministering in Lystra and did a healing miracle, it says, "When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in Lyconian language, 'The Gods have come down to us in human form.'" That's it right there. Barnabas, they called Zeus, and Paul, they called Hermes. They tried to offer sacrifices to them. This idea of gods taking on human bodies was well established in Greek and Roman culture. Fourthly, we have Pilate's wife who had a dream about Jesus and sends him a message during the trial about the dream, and we'll get back to that in a moment. John's Gospel, therefore, makes it plain that Pontius Pilate was afraid of Jesus. Most of the depictions of the trial do not show this aspect of Pilate, but he was afraid of Jesus. In John 19:7-9, “The Jews insisted, ‘We have a law, and according to that law, he must die because he claimed to be the Son of God.’ When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid and he went back inside the palace. ‘Where do you come from,’ he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer.” What do you think was in his mind when he asked him that question? Are you a God? That's what he's asking. But however afraid he was of Jesus, he was even more afraid of what the Jews would do to him if he didn't do what they wanted. Now to get this background, we have to turn to a Jewish historian named Josephus, who tells us what the early stages of Pontius Pilate's rule was like in Judea. It was bad. Josephus was a Jewish historian who lived shortly after Jesus, and he gives us insights. Pilate ruled the Roman province of Judea from 26-36 AD. Once he was established in his position, he quickly offended the Jews multiple times by his high-handed and arrogant treatment of the Jewish people. Right away he marches into Jerusalem and sets up the Roman Eagles in the temple itself. The Roman Eagles were looked on by the Romans and therefore by the Jews as idols, representatives of Caesar's power. For him to put them physically in the temple was incredibly offensive to the Jews. They assembled and demanded that he remove the Eagles. Pilate refused and threatened the Jewish mob with slaughter if they didn't disperse. Undaunted, the Jews bared their necks and said, "Go ahead and kill us. We're not leaving." So Pilate backed down, losing face and authority with them. Soon after that, he offended the Jews again with his handling of a public aqueduct conflict. Again, the Jews assembled a protest. Pilot had the crowd infiltrated with plain clothes Romans, bearing swords. When the Jews refused to disperse again, Pilot gave the signal and the soldiers slaughtered many of the Jews. Jesus talks about this, how Pilot had mingled their blood with their sacrifices. He killed a lot of Jews that day. But the Emperor Tiberius was so angry at Pilot for his mismanagement because if he's stirring up trouble, Caesar will have to send more troops to the region. This is key. He was under orders to keep things quiet and orderly and get along with the Jews. These two things happened before Jesus's trial. Do you not see the hand of God in all this? He's giving to the Jewish Sanhedrin, the high priests, the chief priests, power over Pilot and they traded it in, in John's Gospel. No doubt about it. It says in John 19:12, "From then on Pilot tried to set Jesus free." You see that statement? He wants to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar's. Anyone who claims to be a king, opposes Caesar." They're clearly threatening to go to Tiberius, to go over his head. There's no doubt about it. Now, as I said, Pilot's conviction is that Jesus was completely innocent. He knew it was out of envy that the chief priest had handed Jesus over to him. Three times in John's Gospel, he declares publicly that Jesus was innocent of any charge at all. John 18:38, "I find no fault in him." John 19:4, "Look, I'm bringing you out to let you know I find no fault in him." And then verse 6, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against." That's three times a public assertion of Jesus's innocence. Set him free, you’re in charge. Set him free if he's innocent. This whole conviction is even more greatly strengthened by his wife's dream. Matthew 27:19, "While Pilot was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message. 'Don't have anything to do with that innocent man.'" Innocent man. "For I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him." What effect do you think that message would've had on Pilot in the middle of this? In John's account, he goes out to the Jews and back to Jesus. He goes out. He's going back and forth. He doesn't know what to do. He's like a trapped animal. All of this was orchestrated by God. Why? Because He wanted to give His only-begotten son, in your place, as an atonement for your sins to bring you to heaven. That's why, and Jesus was equally determined to die for you and me. That's why all this was happening. Now he tries the clever attempt. One of the things he tries is, "Oh wait, yeah, it's the feast. I can release a prisoner. I got an idea. Let's do that.” It was the custom at the feast to release a prisoner whom the people had requested. A man called Barabbas was in prison with the insurrectionists, who had committed murder in the uprising. The crowd came up and asked Pilate to do for them what he usually did. Pilate brings it up in John's Gospel. They both remember this custom. "Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews," asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him. However, this clever attempt to get out of this whole thing was thwarted by the Jewish leaders. In verse 11, the chief priest stirred up the crowd to have Pilate release Barabbas instead. I don't know how they did that, but they were running the show here. They had infiltrated the crowd. They had whispered, they'd called in IOUs, maybe bribed some people, got some people to shout things out for Barabbas and then shout, "Crucify!" for Jesus. They manipulate the crowd into a maniacal frenzy. "What shall I do then with the one you call King of the Jews," Pilate asked them. "Crucify him!" they shouted. "Why? What crime has he committed? He's innocent." But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!” In Matthew's account, "Pilate saw he was getting nowhere, but instead an uproar was starting." It's a frenzy. Satan must've been stirring this whole thing on as well. It was Satan that was in Judas Iscariot to orchestrate this whole thing. Satan's fanning this whole thing into a flame because he was a murderer and he hates the Son of God and wants him killed. The sinlessness of Jesus is clearly established. The roots of the chief priests and elders, their wicked hatred for Jesus was envy, greed, and power. The crowd vacillating just a week before shouting, "Hosanna, Hosanna!" Now they're yelling, "Crucify, crucify!" This is the culmination of Jesus's rejection by His own people. He's been officially rejected by the chief priests and the Sanhedrin. He's officially condemned to death, but now the people are shouting for His death. "He came to his own and his own did not receive him." [John 1:11]. In Matthew 27, this stunning statement is made, "When Pilot saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. 'I'm innocent of this man's blood,' he said. 'It's your responsibility.' And all the people answered, 'Let his blood be on us and on our children.’" 3. Jesus’ Blood on the Jewish Nation (Matthew’s Gospel) Wow, what a statement. What does that mean? “Let his blood be on us,” mean we'll take responsibility. It's a common Jewish expression. Like in Leviticus 20:9, "If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father and mother and his blood will be on his own head." In other words, he's responsible for what's coming to him. That's their way of saying, "We will take responsibility, let his blood be on us and on our children." This is the very thing that Jesus said would happen in Matthew 23, after the seven-fold woes. "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees." After all that He says, "'Therefore, I'm sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you'll kill and crucify. Others, you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town and so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come down on this generation.’" They are going to be responsible for it all. They're willing to take responsibility for the death of Jesus. Later they try to shirk this responsibility. In Acts 5, they said to the apostles, "You filled Jerusalem with your teaching and to determine to make us guilty of this man's blood." Well, you are, you are. So that's the first sense, that's the darkest sense. But there's another sense of “Let his blood be on us and on our children,” a much better sense. Because it is only by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross that our sins are forgiven, that our sins are forgiven. At present through unbelief, the blood of Jesus is upon them and their children for condemnation and for guilt, but if any individual Jewish person repents of his or her sins and trusts in Christ, His blood will be on them to cleanse them from all their sins, just as it's on us for salvation and cleansing. For God delivered Jesus over as a propitiation, a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. It is by the blood of Jesus, by the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. I believe that at the end of history, there'll be a massive turning of ethnic Jews physically descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to faith in Jesus, and His blood will be on Abraham's children for salvation. As it says in Romans 11, "And so all Israel be saved, as it is written. The deliverer will come from Zion; he'll turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” "For God delivered Jesus over as a propitiation, a sacrifice of atonement through faith in His blood. It is by the blood of Jesus, by the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins." IV. The Final Verdict The final verdict is given by Pilot. In verse 15, "Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilot released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed them over to be crucified." Pilot could not evade responsibility. He washes his hands, but he's responsible for what he did. He rendered a verdict, guilty, death on a cross, but it violated his conscience. He knew he wasn't guilty. Was it really Pilot who handed Jesus over to be crucified? It was at the human level, but as I've already said, Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own son but delivered Him up for us all. How will He not also along with Him, graciously give us all things?" Interesting, at the moment that He was delivered over to be crucified, Barabbas was set free. That's marvelous, isn't it? It's an interesting picture. The guilty set free, the innocent dies. This is a picture of substitutionary atonement. As 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ died for sins once for all the righteous, for the unrighteous to bring you to God." Barabbas represents a disgusting, vile murderous sinner who's set free from condemnation death by Jesus. I'm not saying Barabbas is in heaven. I hope so. Wouldn't it be great to meet him and say, "Generations have been talking about you, now here you are." But we don't know. We have no knowledge, but I'm just saying he's a picture of a guilty person set free and not having to pay the penalty that we deserve. Concerning the flogging, it was a hideous punishment. Picture a rod of wood and long leather straps with bits of bone and metal at the end, like a whip, only enhanced. The straps would wrap around the victim's body and then rip flesh off that victim's back. It was a hideous torture. If done enough, it would be lethal. It was done to weaken the victim before the crucifixion, so he ordered that it be done. Why? He was innocent. In John's Gospel, it was used as one of the steps that he tried to appease the people, but it didn't work. Here it is written at the end. It's beautiful because in Isaiah 53:5 it says, "He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our inequities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him. And by his wounds, sometimes translated stripes, we are healed.” As 1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed.” V. Applications First of all, the judgment theme. You've heard the evidence, you have the information. You're sitting, in some sense, in judgment on Jesus. You're deciding about Jesus. God gives you that time to do that. Make a right judgment. Evaluate Him properly. Look at the evidence. I began the sermon with the marvels of the person of Jesus as depicted in the Gospel of Mark. Make a right judgment about Jesus and trust in Him for the forgiveness of your sins and the salvation of your soul. Don't do what Pilate did. Make a right judgment about Jesus. Secondly, understand what's going on here. I've said it two or three times, I'll say it one final time. This account is evidence of God's sovereign control over human history, His orchestration of events, His maneuvering of people and positioning of people because He's sovereign over everything that happens on earth. What He was doing was giving the Jews power over Pontius Pilate so that he would condemn an innocent man to death. What God's intention was to give Jesus as a Savior for your sin. Again here, Romans 8:32, "He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also along with Him graciously give us all things?" What is the “all things”? I've been thinking about different pastoral circumstances that I'm walking through right now with different people in the church. It could be medical, it could be relational, it could be a sin problem, it could be financial. There's all kinds of things going on all the time in the life of the church. I don't know what's happening in all your lives.The things that you're yearning for are significant, they’re important. Romans 8:32 doesn't minimize. It's just saying, "With God already having given his only-begotten Son, everything else in the universe is lesser than that to Him. He would not withhold from you anything that would further His purpose in your life, which is to save your soul, use you in this world, and then take you to heaven.” Understand that's what's going on in this trial here. Thirdly, rejoice in God's sovereignty over wicked, unjust human governments. As we go through a political process in this nation, and we wonder who's going to get elected president or lesser roles, and not just our country, but around the world, we can see evidence of this kind of selfishness and weakness and caving into the crowd and injustice. Isn't it wonderful to know that God is sovereign over that whole thing and rules actively over it for His own purposes, for His own glory, and for the good of His people? Fourth, look at the fickleness of the crowd here. "Hosanna," one week, a week later, “Crucify," and distrust your own loyalty to Jesus. Say, "Prone to wander. Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, Lord. Take and seal it. Seal it for thy courts above. Help me not to be fickle and weak and vacillating in my love for Jesus." Finally, it's time now to get our hearts ready for the Lord's Supper. I'm going to close the sermon time and prayer ,and we're going to transition to the Lord's Supper. Father, we thank you for the word of God. We thank you for its power. We thank you for this account of the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate. Now as we give our attention to the Lord's Supper, we pray that you would be with us in this time. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Only what resides deep inside a person can come to mind under extreme stress. Jesus learned, discussed, prayed, sang and internalized Scripture all his life. We cannot know specifically how the rest of the words of Psalm 22 come to Jesus during crucifixion. But the gospel writers certainly bring this psalm to bear in their description of the vent. Perhaps Jesus medicated upon Psalm 22 in quiet hours before the passion.

Only what resides deep inside a person can come to mind under extreme stress. Jesus learned, discussed, prayed, sang and internalized Scripture all his life. We cannot know specifically how the rest of the words of Psalm 22 come to Jesus during crucifixion. But the gospel writers certainly bring this psalm to bear in their description of the vent. Perhaps Jesus medicated upon Psalm 22 in quiet hours before the passion.

The Journey that Leads to Life, Death and Resurrection Part 2: ObedienceLuke 6:46–49There is an iconic episode of the TV show The Office in which Michael Scott drives a rental car into a lake because the GPS tells him to turn right. Earlier in the show, Michael had spoken glowingly of the capabilities of GPS navigation. However, when attempting to get to a client meeting, Michael misunderstands the GPS directions and drives into a lake—because the voice tells him so.We are all tempted to say, “I know a shortcut,” to God's directions in our lives.  Rather than obeying God's laws about relationships, we may think we know a shortcut to happiness that doesn't involve sacrifice or forgiving. Instead of adhering to God's standards of integrity, we think we may know a shortcut to financial prosperity. There is a name for those shortcuts: sin. And Jesus told us it doesn't end well. Jesus preached the greatest sermon ever—the Sermon on the Mount. His revolutionary teachings changed the world. For two thousand years, philosophers have studied and discussed his principles on money, loving enemies, and judging others. Leaders from Saint Francis to Mahatma Gandhi to Martin Luther King were inspired by Jesus to adopt the strategy of nonviolence. Perhaps Jesus knew many of us would be tempted to admire his words rather than act on them.So, in Luke 6:46–49, he concluded his sermon with a parable about two homeowners. In the parable, one homeowner takes out a construction loan to build his dream home. He budgeted enough to hire excavators to dig deep and lay a foundation on bedrock, even though no one would see it. But it was worth it the day torrential rains came and unleashed flash floods that pummeled his house. No doubt he sighed with relief when he discovered that he had sustained only minor damage to his home.In contrast, another man built his house around the same time. He had scraped together all the money he could to construct a beautiful house. Instead of laying a foundation on bedrock, he saved money by skipping the excavator and building on level ground. But his dream house became a nightmare when those rains hit. The flash floods lifted his house and destroyed it. Jesus said that the homeowner who built on the bedrock was like someone who hears his words and puts them into practice. When life gets hard, he will be able to endure. However, the man who built without a foundation is like someone who hears Jesus' words and does nothing about them. When the storms of life come, he won't be able to hold up. But by ending the Sermon on the Mount with this parable, Jesus was saying: “Don't just listen to this sermon; act on it.”Grace and Peace,Stephen

We live in a multitasking, juggle it all world. But balance is essential to our wellbeing. Perhaps Jesus' example can show us some steps can we take to make sure our priorities don't get lost in all the demands we face.

In this episode Jesus took on another religious group called The Sadducees. They existed between 187 BC up until around the time of the destruction of The Temple in 70 AD. There were various factions and points of view amongst the religious leaders of the first century, and there were ongoing disputes between The Pharisees and The Sadducees. They had different points of views on a number of things. See particularly Acts 23:8 that tells us some of the differences between these two groups. However, they had a common enemy, and it seems that their attacks were relentless, coming every day whilst Jesus was teaching in The Temple during Christ's final week. There are ongoing debates amongst Christians too, some of which have been going on for hundreds of years. Some of these disputes and debates are over minor issues or secondary issues, but yet people are willing to fight one another over them, name call, mock, and cause divisions in the body of Christ. It is ongoing in our day. Perhaps Jesus' words are as applicable to us today as they were to these Sadducees: “You are MISTAKEN, NOT KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES NOR THE POWER OF GOD” (Matt.22:29). This could mean that there were TWO AREAS of IGNORANCE that needed addressing, or that BY KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES and going deeper into them, they would discover THE POWER OF GOD! If you would like to watch the video from church today, just click on this link! The post Matthew 22 Pt.1- What about Resurrection, Miracles, and Angels? appeared first on Living Rock Church.

During Jesus' earthly ministry, he called individuals to “follow” Him. Jesus did not call the leaders of the temple, nor the teachers, and scholars. He called simple fishermen and even people of questionable reputations and some who were despised by their neighbors. Jesus did not call the qualified, He qualified the call. Perhaps Jesus is calling you. Never think you aren't good enough. The message begins at 27 minutes into the service. Now, do you believe in this ministry? If you do, you can keep us on the air as a radio program and as a podcast by visiting our website, https://truth2ponder.com/support. You can also mail a check payable to Ancient Word Radio, P.O. Box 510, Chilhowie, VA 24319. Thank you in advance for your faithfulness to this ministry. Information about Trinity Chapel, where Bob is pastor, can be found at http://trinitychapelvirginia.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/truth-to-ponder/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/truth-to-ponder/support

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Mark 9:5–7Just prior to the Transfiguration, Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He would suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, be killed and then rise on the third day. This caused much fear for the disciples as they grappled with this unsettling revelation from our Lord. And even though Jesus remained firm with them and even rebuked Peter for his fear, Jesus also gave three of His disciples a very precious gift.After much traveling, preaching, miracle working and private conversations about His passion with the Twelve, Jesus invited Peter, James and John to go with Him up a high mountain to pray. These disciples most likely had no idea what they would soon encounter. As they made the difficult and arduous journey, their minds must have been pondering not only the mighty deeds done by Jesus in the previous months but also His words about the suffering to come. As they struggled with this, much to their amazement, Jesus “was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.” Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, representing the Law and the prophets. These two Old Testament figures appeared as a way of saying to these disciples that everything that Jesus was telling them was to take place to fulfill all that had been foretold about Him from of old. Perhaps Jesus thought that if His disciples would not fully listen to Him, then seeing Moses and Elijah would help. But Jesus went even further. The Voice of the Father Himself thundered and said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Thus, if these disciples would not ultimately listen to Jesus alone, or if even Moses and Elijah failed to convince them, then the last hope was the Father Himself. And Jesus delivered such a grace.The Transfiguration was a true mercy. These disciples had never seen anything like it before. But it was most likely this act of mercy that ultimately helped them to accept the hard truth that Jesus was trying to teach them about His coming suffering and death. If the Father in Heaven Personally gave witness to Jesus, then everything that Jesus had said was trustworthy.As we read through the Gospels and the many teachings God has given us through the Church, think about whether there are some teachings with which you struggle? Or in your own life, on a personal level, are there some things you know God wants of you but you find it difficult to accept? When confusion sets in, that means we are not listening, are not fully hearing what God is saying to us or are not understanding. And though we will not see the Transfigured Lord with our eyes and hear the Voice of the Father with our ears as these three disciples did, we must choose to believe all that God has said as if it were the Transfigured Lord, with Moses and Elijah, and the Father Himself speaking clearly and directly to us. “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Those words were not only spoken for the good of the disciples, they are also spoken to us.Reflect, today, upon this powerful experience given to these disciples by our Lord. Try to place yourself in the scene so as to witness Jesus transfigured in the most glorious way, with Moses and Elijah and with the thundering Voice of the Father. Allow the Father to speak also to you, telling you that all He has spoken through the Scriptures, the Church and within your own conscience is true. Allow this revelation to convince you on the deepest level to acknowledge not only the divinity of Jesus but also to “Listen to Him” in every way. My transfigured Lord, You are glorious beyond imagination, and You revealed a small glimpse of this glory to Your disciples to help them trust You more fully. May I also trust in You more completely, knowing that all You have spoken to me is true. Please remove any doubt and fear in my life so that nothing keeps me from embracing Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

John 13:34-35 It's not entirely clear what was new about this commandment from Jesus because the command to love one's neighbour is firmly embedded in the Jewish Law (Leviticus 19:18). Perhaps Jesus was pointing to the new example of love which he had set for his disciples. Certainly, when he died on the cross not long afterwards their understanding of love would be totally transformed. Jesus knew that the most effective way for the good news to be communicated to the world would be through love. Looking back through Church history, there have been attempts to influence the world through power, prestige, grand buildings, art, poetry, books and music. But the only language which is truly effective is love. The tragedy, of course, is that the Church has so often gained a reputation for the exact opposite. Only the other day, I was talking to a friend who doesn't go to church. She was saying that all she heard about one of the churches in her village was that they were “always bickering”. I felt so embarrassed on their behalf. But in all humility, we know churches have often given this impression to the world. At the end of the 2nd century, Tertullian noted that pagans looked at the Church and, to their bewilderment, observed: “See how these Christians love one another.” Let's do everything we can to ensure that's exactly what people see when they look at our churches today. QUESTION What impression do people gain when they look at your church? PRAYER Loving God, thank you for the perfect love that you have always shown to me. Help me to share your love generously with others today. Amen

This sermon on Mark 11:15-18 will close out our sermon series on ‘Cherry Picked Verses.' Some christians have read this story as a justification for combativeness and argumentativeness. Perhaps Jesus is inviting us into a different reading - one that focuses on allowing Jesus to clear stuff out of us before we correct the world.

Did Darwin really say survival is of the "fittest"? and what does it mean to be at home in who we are? Perhaps Jesus had some thoughts on this (as we can see from his interaction with the demon possessed man). Subscribe to Kat's newsletter: katarmas.com/newsletter Follow Kat on social media: @kat_armas 

Bible Study with Jairus – Revelation 7   The Cornerstone Brings Together Jews and Gentile Believers   The end of Revelation unveils the beauty of the New Jerusalem, a magnificent city that has been recently constructed. First Peter 2:5 tells us that we as believers are the living stones that compose that spiritual temple, the New Jerusalem: “You, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Jesus is the cornerstone of the entire structure. First Peter 2:4 states that Jesus is “a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious.” First Peter 2:6-7 also agrees that Christ is the cornerstone. Both Isaiah and Ephesians talk about how Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, unites Jews and Gentiles. As the body of Christ matures at the end of Revelation, the construction of the spiritual temple is completed. Naturally, we would expect to see more about the progress in earlier chapters as well. And that is exactly what we find when we study Revelation. The image of the New Jerusalem from Chapter 21 correlates to the vision in Chapter 7. Chapter 21 says that the New Jerusalem has a great, high wall with twelve gates, and on the gates are written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 21:12). The city has twelve foundations, and on them are written the names of the twelve apostles (Revelation 21:14). And Chapter 7 describes a vision that takes place between the sixth and seventh seal. It encourages believers to stay hopeful when going through suffering because God is already building his spiritual temple. Let's look at the vision more closely. In this vision, God describes 144,000 people from the tribes of Israel who had been sealed (Revelation 7:3-8). He also introduces “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Revelation 7:9). This vision is a vivid depiction of the truths revealed in Ephesians 2. The hatred between Jews and Gentiles has been removed. The Israelites and the multicultural tribe are all united before the throne of God. Because Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, believers from every nation can grow together into the temple of the Lord (Ephesians 2:11-22).   We Need to Understand the Overall Structure of Revelation   When we go for a walk in a forest, there are signposts or maps to guide us. If we do not see the signposts or misinterpret the signs, we will get lost. In the same way, when we read the Scripture, it's easy to get lost. Especially when we read a difficult book like Revelation, we often miss the signposts and take the wrong path. There are signposts everywhere in the Bible. But sometimes we fail to see them. Perhaps they are overgrown with moss or shrubs and we must make extra efforts to find them. In the same way, when reading the Bible, we need help from the Holy Spirit to help us find the signposts. In addition, we must not pay too much attention to the details in the Bible, or we will lose the forest for the trees. We will get lost because we fail to see the big picture. Just like you solve a jigsaw puzzle by creating the outer border and the main picture first, we need to see the outline and the big picture in the Bible. Only then will we be able to fit the details into place. So here is an important question: What is the overall picture of Revelation? The overall structure is that God will judge the church and the world in order to mature the bride of Christ (the New Jerusalem) and prepare her for the second coming of Jesus Christ. In Revelation 12, we see a description of the bride giving birth to a male child. Because he knows that the church is destined to judge the angels, Satan's anger grows exponentially after the male child is born. He begins to persecute the church and the overcomers. This event initiates a three-and-a-half-year tribulation. Let's review the structure of the Book of Revelation: Revelation 1-3 describes the Lord's judgment upon the church. The Lord shows John a heavenly vision of God's throne (4-5). After cleansing the house of God, the judgment of the world begins, which is the purpose of the seven seals (chapters 6-8) and the seven trumpets (chapters 9-11). In between the judgments God includes visions to encourage believers to see God's grace and kindness amid suffering and judgment. The vision between the sixth and seventh seals reveals the foundation the New Jerusalem is built upon: Christ. Through Jesus Christ, the Cornerstone, the Jews and Gentile believers are united (chapter 7). The vision between the sixth and seventh trumpets encourages believers to see that the mystery of God will be fulfilled (10:7). This is the signpost of Revelation. And this is the overarching structure: judgment comes first, then comes encouragement. Then the cycle repeats itself. After Revelation 12, the battle between Christ and Satan intensifies until it culminates in the Battle of Armageddon. Of course, Christ and His bride win the final victory over Satan and his demons. God puts down the rebellion, destroys all evil in His universe, and invites the New Jerusalem to come to earth. We must see the hidden structure of the Book of Revelation so that we will not get lost as if we were in a forest.   The Vision in Revelation 7 Reveals the Foundation of New Jerusalem Revelation 21 mentions the names of the twelve tribes written on the twelve gates, as well as the names of the twelve apostles written on the twelve foundations. The angel has a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, including its gates and its walls (Revelation 21:15). Those who have worked in construction or visited a construction site know that measuring is an important part of the building process. Whenever the Bible is talking about taking measurements, it is often referring to the building process. Both Revelation 21 and Revelation 11 talk about an angel taking measurements. Revelation 11:1 says, “Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there'” (11:1). Here, the idea of measurement may indicate sizing up the building and the building materials. Even though the Book of Revelation contains a lot of judgment, it also contains rebuilding and growth. Paul says it in this way: “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16). God's judgment demolishes the old creation, while God's renewal builds up the new creation. Although the Bible says that the New Jerusalem came “down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2), it does not exclude the possibility of building it on Earth. The word "parousia" contains both the idea of a public appearance and a hidden manifestation. Jesus Christ will return to earth publicly, but he also manifests himself in more subtle ways within the hearts of his followers. He appears quietly, like the morning star mentioned in 2 Peter 1:19. In the same way, the construction of the New Jerusalem has two aspects. On the one hand, she comes down from heaven; on the other hand, she is built up in each of our hearts. This is what Peter proclaims: "You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:5). The themes of tearing down and building up are two main themes of the Book of Revelation. They mirror the concepts of judgment and encouragement. God never tears down if he doesn't intend to build up again. God's work does not stop at tearing down or judging. He also rebuilds and encourages his people, the world, and the new creation. We can see this structure clearly at the beginning of Revelation 7. After the first six seal judgments, the four angels at the four corners of the earth were about to harm the earth and the sea (7:1-2). This judgment would have been part of the sixth seal, because it was happening before the seventh seal. However, another angel asked them to hold back the judgment until he sealed God's servants with the seal of the living God (7:3). The severe judgment was temporarily suspended. Chapter 6:12-14 says, "When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth… The sky... was removed from its place.” Jesus uses a very similar description of the end times in Matthew 24: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Matthew 24:29). In Matthew 24:21, He goes on, "For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be." Then verse 31 says, "And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Jesus' words correlate closely to the vision in Revelation 7. After the angel with the seal of God stops the four angels who want to harm the earth and the sea, the chapter never records that the four angels actually executed their plans. Perhaps Jesus was referring to these four angels when he said that unless these days were cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of God's chosen people, God's grace had cut these days short. In addition, Matthew says that an angel will blow a trumpet to gather His chosen Jews together. This corresponds with the opening of the seven seals. Revelation 7 says that 144,000 Israelites were sealed, and their return to God may have begun during the blowing of the seventh trumpet. However, none of the 144,000 came from the tribe of Dan. Perhaps this tribe comes back to God in Revelation 21. This is beyond the scope of our current discussion.   Let's return to our discussion of tearing down and building up. Judgment is not an end, but only a means to an end. The purpose of judgment is to bring people to repentance and gather God's chosen people—not only the Jews but also the saved people from all nations—to himself. Jews and Gentiles are built together on the cornerstone, Jesus Christ, who is the foundation of the temple. Christ, the Cornerstone, Unifies the Jewish and Gentile Believers Christ is not only the Lamb of God who takes away sin, but he is also the Designer and Architect of the City of God. Speaking of Abraham, Hebrews 11:10 says, "For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God." I believe this city is the New Jerusalem in Revelation. That raises a question: What is the building material? As a spiritual building, the temple is made of living stones. And who are those living stones? Believers! Both Gentile believers and Jewish believers are the living stones that make up this building. The Jewish people rejected Christ as their cornerstone, but he nonetheless became the Chief Cornerstone that united Jews and Gentiles. Acts 4:11 maintains, "This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone." (See also Matthew 21:42.) The Bible refers to Jesus as the cornerstone many times. Isaiah 28:16 says, "Therefore thus says the Lord God, ‘Behold, I am the one who has laidas a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone.'" The cornerstone refers to Christ, who is the foundation of a spiritual building. Obviously, Jesus Christ is not a physical stone; he is a "spiritual Rock … and the Rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:4). Jesus is the foundation of the church, and we are the living stones being built upon it. We are being built into a spiritual temple, the dwelling place of God's Spirit. Nowhere is this building process better described than in Ephesians 2. First, Paul reminds the Gentile believers of how they were formerly separated from the promises God made to the Jews (2:12), but how that hostility was removed through Jesus Christ (2:14). They now have access in one Spirit to the Father (2:18). Paul tells them that the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone (2:20), "in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord.  In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit" (2:21-22). The "whole structure" includes both Jewish and Gentile believers who grow together into a holy temple in the Lord. This temple is the New Jerusalem. Christ, as the cornerstone, must include both Jewish and Gentile believers as he builds his temple. Paul's words can help us understand John's vision in Revelation. If we are not familiar with Paul's writings, our understanding of Revelation will be limited. The Bible is written by different people, but they are all inspired by one Holy Spirit. We must look at the Bible as a whole and interpret the vision in Revelation in the light of the inspiration that Paul saw and received.   The Building of the Foundation in Revelation 7 Is Necessary for the Seventh Seal and the Seventh Trumpet   In the Bible, we see a spiritual principle: God gradually does away with the old as he incrementally brings in the new. He does not get rid of the old too quickly, or the new growth wouldn't have a foundation to stand on. We see this principle in Revelation 7. In the seventh seal judgment and the seventh trumpet judgment, God judges the old creation so he can bring in the new creation. But he will not destroy the old creation before the new creation is fully formed because we still need the old creation to supply the physical needs of our natural existence. In the same way, when we first put our trust in the Lord, the Holy Spirit gives us some sense of repentance, but he doesn't show us all of our problems at once. Instead, as we mature, he gradually reveals more and more sins that we need to deal with. Another example comes from the Old Testament. When God commanded the Israelites to drive out the Canaanites, he didn't allow them to do it all at once. If they had, the wild beasts would have grown and multiplied in the vacated land before they could fully take possession of it (Deuteronomy 7:22). Israel needed to drive out the Canaanites gradually. The Canaanites represent the aspects of the physical body and the physical world that are still useful. In Deuteronomy, the Canaanite's presence served a purpose: to restrain the increase of wild beasts. The same principle applies to us today. We need our physical bodies so we can continue to develop our spiritual lives. Only when we reach heaven or obtain a glorified body will we escape the restrictions of our physicality. Until then, we need our bodies. Although there is no way to escape from the physical body, we can still experience freedom from the bondage of the sinful flesh. Our spiritual maturity determines how well we deal with our flesh. For example, Watchman Nee often held trainings to help brothers and sisters mature spiritually and overcome the flesh. Sometimes when people asked him questions, he would speak out about their spiritual problems very frankly, sometimes even mercilessly. But other times, he refrained from pointing out their shortcomings, instead giving them compliments. People asked, “Why do you have such a strange way of handling questions?” He responded, “Everyone's spiritual life is different. For those who are more mature spiritually, critical words can help them. But for those who are spiritually immature, words of criticism would make them stumble.”   This story illustrates this principle well. Before the old creation can be judged and torn down, the new creation needs to be built up. The seventh seal and the seventh trumpet judgments that take place after Revelation 8 will be even more severe. That's why Revelation 7 is so important. This chapter serves to build up the Jews and the Gentiles and bring them together in reconciliation. As God unites Jews and Gentiles upon the cornerstone, Christ, he lays a solid foundation for the spiritual temple. Only then will the church be able to endure God's harsh judgment on the old creation. We hope that this spiritual principle helps you better understand God's words in Revelation 7.

https://youtu.be/Pe4X8_kOUng Building up the temple Remember that song? It was a Sunday school favourite of mine. Building up the Temple of the Lord… The girls had to shout “Boys come and help us!” after which the boys shouted, “Girls come and help us!” and we all sang together, “Building up the temple of the Lord.” It was a bit of fun, and the leader would make it a competition to see which group shouted the loudest. But what did it really mean to us? We had no idea. We just liked the excuse to shout in church as loud as we could. Messing up the temple On Palm Sunday, after Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, after all the people had cried ‘Hosanna,' Jesus went into the temple and had a look around at everything that was going on. But because it was late, he went to Bethany where he was staying. When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and stopped everyone from using the temple as a marketplace. He said that the temple was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations, but instead it had been turned into a den of thieves. Strong words! (Mark 11) So this temple was important to Jesus. It was a place where people's focus was meant to be entirely on God. They came to God for forgiveness, via the altar, and sought his presence. To turn it into a den of thieves was an outrage to Jesus. Perhaps Jesus saw that the temple symbolism was important for more than just Jewish culture and traditional worship. He clearly wanted to do more than just mess up the temple. He wanted to mess with the Jewish attitude towards the temple. On another occasion his disciples were marvelling at its beauty. Jesus told them, ‘Destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days.' But he was referring to his body, which the disciples later understood (Mark 13, John 2). So Jesus was the first in the New Testament to think of the body as a temple, starting with himself. This is taken further by other New Testament writers. The New Testament Temple In the book of Acts, Steven refers to the first Old Testament temple, built by Solomon 46 “David found favour with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48 However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says, 49‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?' asks the LORD. ‘Could you build me such a resting place? 50 Didn't my hands make both heaven and earth?' (Acts 7:46-50) It's clear to us that God doesn't dwell in temples made by human hands because he still existed and ruled and reigned as God of the universe after the temple was ransacked! It was God who brought the Jews back from captivity to a destroyed Jerusalem. So the first thing we read about the temple in the New Testament is that God does not need it! This is repeated 10 chapters later in Acts 17 when Paul tells his listeners… He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples. (Acts 17:24) God doesn't live in temples. So where does he live? (is that a trick question? Isn't he omnipresent?!) Answer: He still lives in temples!! Just not man-made ones. We are that temple and we are those temples. The whole body of Christ is God's temple Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? (1 Corinthians 3:16) This is a reference collectively to the church body as God's temple. You yourselves (plural) are God's temple (singular). We are individual temples And later in the same book Paul uses the same analogy to show that each of us is individually a temple of God: 18 Flee from sexual immorality.

Have you put off something that you should be doing because you've faced roadblocks, opposition, or doubts? In this episode of Reboot, we'll see that opposition is inevitable but not invincible. We'll see how God chose the least likely convert and put him right to work despite suspicion, opposition, and danger. Perhaps Jesus has something similar in mind for you...

Have you put off something that you should be doing because you've faced roadblocks, opposition, or doubts? In this episode of Reboot, we'll see that opposition is inevitable but not invincible. We'll see how God chose the least likely convert and put him right to work despite suspicion, opposition, and danger. Perhaps Jesus has something similar in mind for you...

This message is a reflection on the Sermon on the Mount as a whole.  During this section of Matthew, Jesus offers some teachings that seem to set the bar impossibly high.  Rather than trying to explain this difficulty away, perhaps it is best to remember that in these teachings Jesus is revealing God's character not just a human ethical ideal.  Perhaps the role of these teachings is to prepare us for grace.  Paul suggests that the law is meant to reveal sin as sin.  Perhaps Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount accomplish the same.  While Jesus does call us to strive toward obedience, his teachings here also remind us of our need for grace.  It is this need which God graciously meets through the cross of Christ.

Scripture Reading: John 17:1-26 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you— 2 just as you have given him authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent. 4 I glorified you on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side with the glory I had with you before the world was created.6 “I have revealed your name to the men you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they understand that everything you have given me comes from you, 8 because I have given them the words you have given me. They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I am praying on behalf of them. I am not praying on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me because they belong to you. 10 Everything I have belongs to you, and everything you have belongs to me, and I have been glorified by them. 11 I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. 12 When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, so that the scripture could be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience my joy completed in themselves. 14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. 17 Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. 19 And I set myself apart on their behalf, so that they too may be truly set apart.20 “I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, 21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 22 The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men know that you sent me. 26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”Main ThemesJesus' Last Will and TestamentChapters 13 to 17 resemble a testament, what we now call a will (the full name being a Last Will and Testament). Chapter 17 is particularly reminiscent of the genre, given the frequency of blessings and wish-prayers in testaments. Although recognizing the “testament flavor” of this chapter does not teach us much theology, it certainly does tell us something about the mood. To Jesus' audience, he sounds like someone who is saying good bye in light of his upcoming death. We should keep in mind this somber tone when reading the text.Praying With Eyes OpenIf we saw Jesus pray, we would probably think his mannerisms were quite strange. As in many modern cultures, we pray with our eyes cast down, probably closed, and our hands together. First century Jews and Greeks prayed quite differently. Their eyes would be open with their gaze directed up to the heavens. Their hands often would be lifted up. This is by no means the main point of this passage, but awareness of our cultural practices is always valuable. If someone does not bow his head to pray, he is not necessarily a heathen.A Fulfilling PrayerChapter 17 is a long prayer. It can roughly be divided into three sections. Jesus prays for himself, then for his disciples, and finally for all future believers. Before we proceed to analyze each section, we should consider how Jesus is fulfilling different Old Testament types.The prayer is thoroughly Jewish while being thoroughly Christocentric. The common Jewish motifs of the unity of God's people; the people's love for God; God's glory; the paramount importance of obedience to God; the setting apart of God's people; and, the crucial role of God's agent are all present. However, each of these themes is reinterpreted through the lens of Christ. Perhaps a better word than reinterpreted is fulfilled. Let's review the Old Testament types that express these themes.Jesus Fulfilling MosesIn chapter 17, Jesus is the greater Moses. Recall Moses' interaction with God immediately after the Golden Calf incident. Exodus 33:3-18 (edited for brevity):[The Lord said to Moses,] “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way.”When the people heard this troubling word they mourned . . . .Moses took the tent and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone seeking the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.And when Moses went out to the tent, all the people would get up and stand at the entrance to their tents and watch Moses until he entered the tent. And whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would speak with Moses. When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his own tent, would rise and worship. The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, the way a person speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.Moses said to the Lord, “See, you have been saying to me, ‘Bring this people up,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, ‘I know you by name, and also you have found favor in my sight.' Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your way, that I may know you, that I may continue to find favor in your sight. And see that this nation is your people.”And the Lord said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”And Moses said to him, “If your presence does not go with us, do not take us up from here. . . .The Lord said to Moses, “I will do this thing also that you have requested, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.”And Moses said, “Show me your glory.”Notice the similar themes between Moses' intercession for Israel and Jesus intercession for his disciples. Particularly, both Moses and Jesus pray for a display of glory. We have discussed glory many times before. It is a pregnant term with a large range of meaning. We normally associate it with exaltation. However, its main (although not exclusive) meaning is revelation. “Show me your glory” could be paraphrased as “show me who you really are; show me all of you.” Besides glory, the other theme strongly shared between Moses' intercessory prayer and Jesus' intercessory prayer is the request that God's presence go with his people.Jesus Fulfilling the High PriestThe comparison between Jesus and the office of the high priest is not an inference—it is made explicit in the New Testament.Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death. For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abraham's descendants. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For since he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:14-18)What was the role of the high priest? Let's consider what a Christian website tells us (edited for brevity):The high priest was the supreme religious leader of the Israelites. The office of the high priest was hereditary and was traced from Aaron, the brother of Moses, of the Levite tribe (Exodus 28:1; Numbers 18:7). . . .Because the high priest held the leadership position, one of his roles was overseeing the responsibilities of all the subordinate priests (2 Chronicles 19:11). . . . [T]he Hebrew people would go to the high priest in order to know the will of God (Numbers 27:21). . . . In the New Testament, we find a reference to the high priest having the gift of prophecy (John 11:49-52).The high priest had to offer a sin offering not only for the sins of the whole congregation, but also for himself (Leviticus 4:3-21). . . .The most important duty of the high priest was to conduct the service on the Day of Atonement, the tenth day of the seventh month of every year. Only he was allowed to enter the Most Holy Place behind the veil to stand before God. Having made a sacrifice for himself and for the people, he then brought the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it on the mercy seat, God's “throne” (Leviticus 16:14-15). He did this to make atonement for himself and the people for all their sins committed during the year just ended (Exodus 30:10). It is this particular service that is compared to the ministry of Jesus as our High Priest (Hebrews 9:1-28).In light of chapter 17, consider the following prayer by the high priest:The Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the way you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:“‘“The Lord bless you and protect you;The Lord make his face to shine upon you,and be gracious to you;The Lord lift up his countenance upon youand give you peace.”'”“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:22-26)There are is an unmistakably common theme between the high priestly prayer in Numbers and Jesus' prayer in John: “Lord make [your] face to shine upon [your people].”Jesus Fulfilling the ProphetsThe main role of the prophets was to receive the word of the Lord and communicate it to the people. However, there were instances in which the prophets acted as intercessors. Consider the prophet Amos:The Sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw him making locusts just as the crops planted late were beginning to sprout. (The crops planted late sprout after the royal harvest.) When they had completely consumed the earth's vegetation, I said,“Sovereign Lord, forgive Israel!How can Jacob survive?He is too weak!”The Lord decided not to do this. “It will not happen,” the Lord said.The Sovereign Lord showed me this: I saw the Sovereign Lord summoning a shower of fire. It consumed the great deep and devoured the fields. I said,“Sovereign Lord, stop!How can Jacob survive?He is too weak!”The Lord decided not to do this. The Sovereign Lord said, “This will not happen either.” (Amos 7:1-6)The intercessory role of the prophets is natural—indeed, nearly inevitable. If the Lord communicates terrible news to you, you could hardly avoid responding, “Oh Lord, relent!”Just like there is a similarity of themes between the messages of Moses and Jesus and the high priest and Jesus, there is a similarity of themes between the words of the prophets and Jesus. Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus has shared not only the words of God but God's very image with the people. In chapter 17, Jesus considers the tribulation to come and prays that God may show favor to his people.Jesus Prays for HimselfAs I pointed out above, Chapter 17 is a long prayer. The first section (vv. 1-5) can be considered a prayer for Jesus himself.Mutual GlorificationJesus begins by highlighting the mutual glorification between the father and the son. Remember, for example, John 12:23-28:Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. I tell you the solemn truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain. The one who loves his life destroys it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards it for eternal life. If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow me, and where I am, my servant will be too. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.“ Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me from this hour'? No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”God receiving glory by glorifying his servants is also commonly found in the Old Testament in relation to Israel. For example:Shout for joy, O sky, for the Lord intervenes;shout out, you subterranean regions of the earth.O mountains, give a joyful shout;you too, O forest and all your trees!For the Lord protects Jacob;he reveals his splendor through Israel. (Isaiah 44:23, emphasis added)Glorification Through HumiliationAbove I said that “glory” has a large range of meaning and that revelation is its primary aspect. Sure, it's primary but certainly not exclusive connotation. Glory also implies honor. Notice how Jesus will be “glorified”: through crucifixion—the most shameful punishment imaginable. To quote Tom Holland (the historian, not Spider-Man):Crucifixion, the Romans believed, was the worst fate imaginable, a punishment reserved for slaves. How astonishing it was, then, that people should have come to believe that one particular victim of crucifixion—an obscure provincial by the name of Jesus—was to be worshipped as a god.To further quote Tom Holland:“We preach Christ crucified,” St Paul declared, “unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness.” He was right. Nothing could have run more counter to the most profoundly held assumptions of Paul's contemporaries – Jews, or Greeks, or Romans. The notion that a god might have suffered torture and death on a cross was so shocking as to appear repulsive. Familiarity with the biblical narrative of the Crucifixion has dulled our sense of just how completely novel a deity Christ was. In the ancient world, it was the role of gods who laid claim to ruling the universe to uphold its order by inflicting punishment – not to suffer it themselves.Holland's statement that “[f]amiliarity with the biblical narrative of the Crucifixion has dulled our sense[s]” hits me quite hard. We have a difficult time understanding the offense of Christ praying, “Glorify your Son,” as he means “May your Son be crucified.”Authority Over All HumanityIn verse 17:2, we read to that Jesus has been given authority over all humanity. Depending on the translation you are reading, your text may read “all flesh” (the literal Greek) instead of “all humanity.” The meaning is exactly what it seems: Jesus has been given authority over all people. This is an attribute exclusive to God, hence emphasizing Jesus' divinity. It is also a powerful restatement of prior teachings, such as:The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. (John 3:35)Now This is Eternal LifeIn a striking statement, Jesus says eternal life is to know God and know Jesus. Because we understand the Jewish conception of eternal life and that Jesus has consistently referred to eternal life as something quite literal, we need not consider a gnostic interpretation of the statement. Instead, we need to understand how eternal life is tethered to having an intimate connection with God.And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:20-21)Jesus Prays for the DisciplesIn verse 6, Jesus begins to pray for the disciples—and I mean his disciples present at the time. In verse 20 there is a shift towards future believers.They Belonged to GodJesus begins his prayer for the disciples by specifying that they “belonged to [God].” We should consider, in what sense? Obviously all creation belongs to God, so the statement must mean something beyond that. There are different interpretations available. One alternative is that these men were part of Israel's remnant—the few Jews still faithful to God. Because they were already true believers, they belonged to God and recognized his voice.Jesus replied, “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds I do in my Father's name testify about me. But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one will snatch them from my hand. (John 10:25-28)Another alternative is that there was nothing particular about the disciples, not even earnest faith. God simply placed them in the right place and at the right time such that they would be the ones to hear and follow Jesus.Regardless of which interpretation one takes, in chapter 17 Jesus makes clear that the disciples have come to believe that Jesus and his words are from God and that they are true (“they accepted them”). Notice, however, that this belief alone will not keep them from deserting Jesus in the darkest hour.Jesus Returns Custody to the FatherThe disciples belonged to God, and God gave them over to Jesus. Jesus watched over them and kept them safe while he was in the world. As Jesus leaves, he returns custody of God's people to God. “Holy Father, keep them safe in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.” (emphasis added) “When I was with them I kept them safe and watched over them in your name that you have given me. Not one of them was lost except the one destined for destruction . . . .” (emphasis added) “They do not belong to the world just as I do not belong to the world. Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.” (emphasis added)Given the context of persecution in the prior chapters and alluded to in verse 14 of the current chapter, the safety for which Jesus prays is partly physical. But notice that the prayer for Jesus' disciples alludes to even greater dangers: deserting or antagonizing the community of believers; being lost and destroyed; and becoming separated from “the truth.” At the expense of opening a theological pandora's box, I think I should point out the prayer at least partially about apostasy.The apostasy that Jesus prays about is hardly theoretical. In John's letters we learn that it happened often.Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all of them do not belong to us. (1 John 2:18-19)Three verses down from the quotation above, John defines an antichrist as follows: “Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22) This verse is most likely referring to the apostates who no longer confess the unity of Jesus and the Father (as opposed to someone who does not make that confession but never made it to begin with).In the World but Not of the WorldThe phrase “in the world but not of the world” is a popular Christian mantra (and I say that without a hint of criticism). It is in fact a true and accurate statement, found nearly word for word in the Gospel of John. Notice that Jesus does not pray for a less awkward situation. Jesus could say, “Father, give them their nation.” Or, “Father, rapture them into the heavens.” But he does not. He says, “I am not asking you to take them out of the world.” (emphasis added) But, “keep them safe from the evil one.”What safety is Jesus praying for? This relates to my prior discussion of apostasy. Of course some level of physical safety is in view here, but the passage returns again and again to the idea of keeping Jesus' disciples “in the truth” (e.g., v. 17). The prayer is that disciples will not fall away or be misguided as the world hates them and the enemy opposes them. Remember the Lord's Prayer:And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. (Matthew 6:13)Forgive me as I go a bit off script here, but I think we should consider a practical application of this “in the world but not of the world” idea. Consider Paul's teaching in 1 Corinthians 5:I wrote you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people. In no way did I mean the immoral people of this world, or the greedy and swindlers and idolaters, since you would then have to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who calls himself a Christian who is sexually immoral, or greedy, or an idolater, or verbally abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. For what do I have to do with judging those outside? Are you not to judge those inside? But God will judge those outside. Remove the evil person from among you. (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)Notice that Paul, in a very practical setting, repeats the theme found in Jesus' prayer. He advises the early church not to take itself out of the world. Not at all. Who are the real problems? To use the words in John, those who are not “one just as [Jesus and the Father] are one;” those who claim to be but are not “in the truth;” those who claim to be found but “are lost.” Indeed, those that John might call “antichrists.”I acknowledge that the words of Paul take a great deal of wisdom to apply. What I have written here is by no means a comprehensive discussion of the topic. The purpose of this detour is to show how the spiritual truths discussed in John have very real, practical applications. Jesus Prays for Later DisciplesBeginning with verse 20, Jesus changes his focus from his current disciples to his future disciples.Those Who Believe Through TestimonyFor centuries now, critics and scholars have attempted to recover the “historical Jesus.” Many claims have been made. Maybe Jesus really was attempting to lead a coup but failed when he died. Perhaps Jesus really thought he was divine but was proven sorely mistaken upon his defeat on the cross. The theories are countless. However, notice that in the Gospel of John we have a clear and accurate prediction of events.(1) Jesus will submit to his persecutors and be killed.(2) Jesus' sacrifice will glorify God, which in turn will glorify Jesus.(3) Jesus will be gone from the disciples for a little while.(4) Then Jesus will appear to them for a little while.(5) Jesus will send another Advocate to play the role of Jesus to his disciples.(6) Then future disciples will be made through the testimony of the current disciples.The plan is crystal clear. And although critics can deny the spiritual implications of these events, no one can deny these events played out exactly as set forth. (Of course, the text could have been written later to conform to the facts, but at least there is consistency between the text and reality.)Moreover, we should pause for a moment when we read that future believers will come through the testimony of current believers. God could have chosen to spread his word differently, but this is the method he chose. We should also remember that the Advocate bears witness with believers. There is a spiritual dimension to what is happening.The Unity of Later DisciplesJesus prays that later disciples will be like his chosen, twelve disciples. All believers ought to be one with one another just like Jesus and the Father are one! In a prior session I remarked how shocking this comparison of unity really is, and now we see clearly that it applies not only to the twelve but to us. And to make matters more spectacular, every believer is to be united not only to one another but to God himself (“I pray that they will be in us.”)! And what is the purpose (or at least one of the purposes) of this unity with each other and Christ? That the world might believe that God sent Jesus.Wait, what? Literally in the prior verse Jesus tells us that future believers will come to faith through the testimony of current believers. A few words later Jesus is telling us that future believers will come to believe by the unity of believers with one another and God. Which one is it? Of course you know where I am headed with this, but it must be made explicit lest we miss it. That testimony in verse 20 is clearly not only words—unity itself is integral to that testimony. This theme of unity as testimony is found all over the epistles of John, so much so I had a hard time selecting just one passage. Nonetheless, here is one example:Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. The person who does not love does not know God because God is love. By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.Dear friends, if God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. (1 John 4:7-14)As a closing thought, consider this shocking comparison:I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony, that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. (John 17:20-21, emphasis added)So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.” (John 11:41-44)Our unity should reveal Jesus like raising a man from the dead revealed Jesus.Love, Love, LoveJesus imminent departure will not mean abandonment. Jesus has and will continue to make God known to his disciples. The result will be unity and that we might know “[God] ha[s] loved [us] just as [God] ha[s] loved [Jesus].” (v. 23, 26) God loves us like he loves Christ. May we rejoice in that forever.

In Luke 12:16-21 we hear from Jesus: "And He told them a parable, saying, 'The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”' But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (ESV) In the verses that follow, Jesus describes what it means being rich toward God with the full weight of our souls resting upon Him for all things necessary in this life. What are the pivotal words in this discourse? TRUST and TREASURE. This world and its god offer many shiny things to entice our fleshly bent towards greed and pleasure. As temporal and fleeting as they are, they still ensnare many. Perhaps Jesus' rhetorical question in Mark 8:36 is one we should all consider: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?" (NKJV) The answer? Nothing!

Scripture Reading: John 9:1-41 1 Now as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him. 4 We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me as long as it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said this, he spat on the ground and made some mud with the saliva. He smeared the mud on the blind man's eyes 7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated “sent”). So the blind man went away and washed, and came back seeing.8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously as a beggar began saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some people said, “This is the man!” while others said, “No, but he looks like him.” The man himself kept insisting, “I am the one!” 10 So they asked him, “How then were you made to see?” 11 He replied, “The man called Jesus made mud, smeared it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and was able to see.” 12 They said to him, “Where is that man?” He replied, “I don't know.”13 They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. 14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the mud and caused him to see was a Sabbath.) 15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight. He replied, “He put mud on my eyes and I washed, and now I am able to see.”16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say, “This man is not from God because he does not observe the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division among them. 17 So again they asked the man who used to be blind, “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” “He is a prophet,” the man replied.18 Now the Jewish religious leaders refused to believe that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned the parents of the man who had become able to see. 19 They asked the parents, “Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 20 So his parents replied, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. Ask him, he is a mature adult. He will speak for himself.” 22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult, ask him.”)24 Then they summoned the man who used to be blind a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing—that although I was blind, now I can see.” 26 Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?” 27 He answered, “I told you already and you didn't listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You people don't want to become his disciples too, do you?”28 They heaped insults on him, saying, “You are his disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man comes from!” 30 The man replied, “This is a remarkable thing that you don't know where he comes from and yet he caused me to see! 31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but if anyone is devout and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They replied, “You were born completely in sinfulness, and yet you presume to teach us?” So they threw him out.35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man replied, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he is the one speaking with you.” [ 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said,] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.”40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard this and asked him, “We are not blind too, are we?” 41 Jesus replied, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains.Main ThemesThe SettingSince the beginning of chapter 7, we have had a continuous sequence of events. Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 are one “scene.” Because the chapters tell one narrative, but we tend to study them separately (out of convenience, not for any theological reason), we need to be intentional in carrying over the information provided in the earlier chapters that apply to the later chapters in this story.For purposes of chapter 9, we must remember the chronology of the Feast of Tabernacles. The feast lasted eight days. It began on a Sabbath (a Saturday) and it ended on the next Sabbath. Beginning with verse 7:37, all the action has been occurring “[o]n the last day of the feast.“ That means chapter 9 is happening during a Sabbath.In chapter 9, Jesus heals a blind man on the Sabbath. Sounds familiar. It didn't go well the first time, how will it go over this time? (Spoiler: not well.)Who Committed the SinAfter Jesus heals a blind man on the Sabbath for the first time (see John 5), Jesus tells the man, “Look, you have become well. Don't sin any more, lest anything worse happen to you.” (v. 5:14) As I discussed during Session 10, Jesus words should not be assumed to mean that sickness will occur as a supernatural result of the man's sin. That very well may be the case, but one could also take Jesus' words in a more ordinary way. Sometimes sin naturally leads to injury and disease. Sexual immorality can lead to sexually transmitted diseases. In some parts of the world, stealing could lead to one's hands being lost. Drug use can lead to addiction and mental illness. The list could go on.However, the first-century world did believe there was a strong connection between ailments and sin—particularly in the case of blindness. Jewish literature provides examples of the connection. For example, according to one contemporary source, one who saw a blind, lame, or otherwise seriously afflicted person should praise God as judge. Presumably, the assumption was that the person must have done something to properly merit such a condition. However, the case should not be overstated. Certainly the contemporary Jewish people understood that sin could cause affliction as a natural consequence (like the examples in the previous paragraph). They also believed that demons could cause disease, so God was not the only available cause.What is curious (to put it mildly) about the blind man in chapter 9 is that he was blind from birth. This limits the range of options. The man could not have caused his own blindness in a natural sense, and no one seems to posit demon possession. Therefore God must have caused his blindness. Moreover, in a further logical leap, it must have been for someone's sin. Who's sin? That is how the conversation begins.Many people at the time would have accepted the possibility that the man's blindness was the result of the parents' sin—most likely of the mother's while she was pregnant. Some people at the time may have also believed in prenatal activity significant enough to constitute sin. This is not a Jewish example but Isis and Osiris were said to have copulated in the womb. (Weird, I know.)As much as our modern sensibilities may be offended by the idea that someone may suffer illness for someone else's sins, Jesus reply may be even more offensive to modern readers. He explains, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him.”God in his sovereignty orchestrated the man's illness such that a great good would come of it. Notice that this is a very powerful response to the problem of evil and suffering in general. Why would a good God allow evil and suffering in the world? Perhaps God has a plan. Maybe he is working all this out for good. In fact, the logical “Problem of Evil” is no longer very popular in the philosophical community. It is impossible to show that God can have no justifying reasons to allow evil and pain. The philosophical battle is now the probabilistic “Problem of Evil.” In other words, given the current state of the world is it more or less probable that a good God exists.Spittle and DirtJesus spat on the ground and made some mud. In the ancient world, spittle was sometimes associated with curative powers. For example, emperor Vaspasian (who postdates Jesus by a few decades) reportedly also healed blindness with spittle. This tradition regarding spittle already existed in the Jewish world, although it was probably borrowed from the Gentile world. Perhaps Jesus uses spittle because his audience would have understood the reference: Jesus was curing someone. The other alternative is that this is an allusion to the creative act of Genesis 2:7. (Genesis 2:7 says, “The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”)There is a potential double entendre in the word “smeared,” which other translations may translate as “applied.” This is the same word as “anoint.” To anoint means to apply oil. Anointing has a powerful religious meaning. Both in the Old and New Testaments, it means one blessed by God. In the New Testament, God anoints with the Holy Spirit (e.g., Acts 10:38). Perhaps Jesus anointing the blind man with mud giving him physical sight is a prefigurement of Jesus anointing believers with the Holy Spirit giving them spiritual sight.Jesus sends the blind man to wash himself in the pool of Siloam. This was the exact same pool used in the water-drawing ritual during the Feast of Tabernacles (remember, the feast going on “right now” in the story world). Jesus uses the “holy water” of the festival for his own purposes. Talk about cultural appropriation.What Will the Neighbors Think?The blind man is healed and the “neighbors” are amazed and confused.In Jerusalem, a man could survive as a beggar though he would remain poor. Jewish contemporaries emphasized charity. Charity towards the destitute was also commanded in the Old Testament. (However, I do not want to give the misimpression that a life of begging was viewed favorably in any way. Jewish contemporaries recognized begging as a shameful condition to be avoided—perhaps even to the point of death, i.e., it would be better to die than to live as a beggar.)The main point is that the “neighbors” were probably Jerusalemites. These were people who had seen the blind man beg on a daily basis since, probably, a very early age. They had probably donated to him regularly. They had indisputable knowledge of the blind man and his condition. When the healing occurred, the neighbors are shocked to the point of denial. Making Mud on the SabbathJesus is doubly guilty of breaking the Sabbath, the Pharisees will claim. Not only did Jesus heal on the Sabbath like he did back in chapter 5, but he made mud on the Sabbath! Sadly, I am not kidding. Notice how the text keeps going back to the mud. “Now the day on which Jesus made the mud and caused him to see was a Sabbath.”The Pharisees do not praise God for the healing. Even if they intend to investigate a potential violation, they do not seek Jesus first to obtain first-hand testimony. They simply accuse Jesus of being a sinner (i.e., he cannot be from God because he does not observe the Sabbath).The TrialThe text immediately shifts into a sort of legal proceeding. The Pharisees treat the blind man and his parents as witnesses.An Epistemological ConflictNotice that there is an epistemological conflict between the Pharisees and the blind man. The Pharisees “know” from their interpretation of the law. They know that the law forbids working on the Sabbath. So they know that Jesus cannot be from God. The blind man “knows” from experience. He knows he was blind. He knows that he can see. So, he knows that Jesus must be from God. For the sake of clarity, I am not trying to make a larger point about epistemology here, like whether we should trust our own experience more than scripture. I think that would be a dangerous conclusion to draw. Jesus never undermines the Torah. Jesus does, however, also appeal to experience. See the miracles and believe. Even through clear and convincing miracles the Pharisees were unwilling to consider that perhaps they did not “know” the Torah as well as they thought. Or, more accurately, the Pharisees were unwilling to recognize their hypocrisy and ill intentions. It's not so much that they “knew” the scriptures condemned Jesus as much as they were committed to that statement because it served their purposes. As we have seen throughout the Gospel of John, this inability to see is not an intellectual shortcoming but a moral one.As an interesting side note, an example of biblical hermeneutics that accounts for both scripture and experience is the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, which considers scripture as the first authority and then also takes into account tradition, reason, and experience. For example, Wesley praises the church fathers because not only did they remain faithful to Christian doctrine “[b]ut still they never relinquish this: 'What the Scripture promises, I enjoy. Come and see what Christianity has done here, and acknowledge it is of God.'“Only a Man of God Could Do ThisThe Pharisees recognize a problem with their argument. They believed that no one would be able to restore blindness like Jesus did unless that man were from God. Remember John 3:1-2: “Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, 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 perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.'” So the Pharisees must deny the healing.Rigging the TrialThe Pharisees call on the blind man's parents to testify. Before the testimony, they rig the trial. Anyone who confesses Jesus as the Christ will be excommunicated. The text does not explicitly say this, but the Pharisees probably hoped that with enough pressure the parents would even deny that their child had really been blind. The parents would have earned great favor with the religious leaders if they had testified that their son had faked his illness to receive charity. The blind man's parents are in fact intimidated. They are only willing to confirm that their son was blind and can now see. How that happened? They won't say. Ask our son, they say instead, he is “mature” or “of age.” That means that the blind man is at least 13 but could be much older.The Blind Man's FaithThe Pharisees call the blind man to the stand once more. Notice the leading the question. They demand (if I paraphrase), “Condemn Jesus as a sinner.” But the blind man is an example of faith. He may not fully know who Jesus is but he will not deny the miracle. “Say what you will about Jesus, but I was blind and now I see.” The Pharisees give him one more chance to recant his statement. “Tell us again what he did to you.” The blind man responds with mockery. “Do you want me to tell you again so you also might believe?” Of course that's not the reason for the Pharisees' question.The Pharisees go on the offensive. They insult the blind man, “You are his disciple!” This works on two levels. First, it is an accusation of bias. The blind man is lying for the benefit of his master. Second, as the Pharisees claim to be disciples of Moses, it is accusing the blind man of betraying their religion and their God. Notice that both the “you are” and “we are” are emphatic in Greek. It is like saying, “I myself had to fix it” to emphasize who performed the action. This is a heated debate filled with accusatory overtones.The Pharisees make one more claim. “We do not know where this man comes from!” We have discussed this idea extensively in prior sessions. Jesus is from above; he is from God; he is from heaven. The religious leaders refuse to see this. In this case, the Pharisees may not only be accusing Jesus of being a stranger to Jerusalem and their religious community but also perhaps accusing him of being an illegitimate child.The blind man goes on the offensive himself. Remember that everyone, the Pharisees included, granted the premise that only a man of God could do the miraculous signs that Jesus was doing. The blind man points this out and leaves the Pharisees with no excuse. Additionally, the blind man's claim that no one had ever heard of a blind man from birth being healed appears to be historical when considered in context. Such claims existed in the Gentile world but they did not seem to exist in the Jewish world.The Pharisees stoop low. Remember the assumption was that the man's blindness was caused by sin. The Pharisees have no issues using that assumption. “You are a filthy sinner and you dare attempt to correct us, disciples of Moses?”Notice that the blind man grows in his belief and understanding of Jesus as more information is presented to him. First Jesu is a “man” (v. 9:11), then a “prophet” (v. 9:17), and finally “Son of Man” (v. 9:35-37).Jesus Comes to JudgeRemember John 3:17-18:For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.The word for “condemn” in John 3 is the same as the word for judge in John 9 when Jesus says:For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.This sure seems like a contradiction at first blush. Let's consider what contradiction means. The law of non-contradiction says that two contradictory propositions cannot both be true in the same sense at the same time. Both verses quoted above refer to the same time: Jesus coming into the world. But, do both verses refer to judgment in the same sense? I do not think so. Consider John 12:47-50:I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not obey them, I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not accept my words has a judge; the word I have spoken will judge him at the last day. For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.What do all three passages in John tell us when read in conjunction? Jesus did not come to judge in the sense of inflicting immediate punishment—i.e., condemn. Those who hear Jesus and disobey he does not condemn. They may continue to do as they please. Jesus is on earth to save not to destroy. However, the revelation that comes through Jesus will eventually judge in the sense of deciding or determining. Jesus' words divide people between those who believe and those do not. And in the last day, at the final judgment, that is the only consideration that will matter.The Great ReversalJesus words at the end of this chapter are enigmatic. “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, and the ones who see may become blind.” Jesus also says, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, but now because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains.”To gain sight is only valuable to one who is blind. To anyone who who thinks that they can already see, that offer is worthless. A doctor is only valuable to a sick man, not to a healthy man. Salvation is only valuable to a condemned sinner, not to a righteous man.Consider these statements found in Matthew 9:12-13:“Those who are healthy don't need a physician, but those who are sick do.”“I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”The word “gospel” comes from “god-spell” meaning a “good story.” Gospel is in turn a translation of the Latin word euangelion that means “good news.” What is “good” about the news of Jesus? Christ has come to save the world. He offers this salvation freely to all who would believe in him. But notice that this message is not just pointless but offensive to someone who thinks that they need no saving. That offense, I think, is why those who see become blind. Whatever truth is held by those who see is intentionally discarded by the offense of the good news. They turn deliberately and vehemently from the truth of the gospel. In this way, those who recognize their need are given all things while those who recognize their good things lose all things.

“He answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” — Mark 6:37 Near the beginning of this chap­ter, Jesus describes what life will be like for his disciples if they follow him. He says, “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts” (Mark 6:8). His followers were to be dependent on the hospitality of others to feed, clothe, and shelter them. Then, sometime later, they are surprised when Jesus asks them to provide a huge, hungry crowd with food. They wonder, “How on earth can we do that?” Even if they work to provide the money for all the food for these people, they will have to work for a whole year! Perhaps Jesus instructed them to take no bread or money on their journey so that they could experience not only hospitality from others but also the extra­ordinary hospitality of God. Maybe he instructed them not to bring anything so that they could acutely experience their own need and realize that they couldn't rely on themselves for a solution. Do you ever feel like you are being brought to the end of your ability to do what God is asking of you? Could God be inviting you to see what he can do for you that you simply cannot do by yourself? Lord Jesus, sometimes we are like the disciples, unsure and confused and without many options. Sur­prise us with your generosity, and help us to realize that we depend total­ly on you. Amen.

Raising of Lazarus: what a story. Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" What the heck does that mean? Lazarus is still dead. What's going on here? Perhaps Jesus said those things and then John recorded them for us so that we would open up the way we think - to conceive of the world differently - to understand that things aren't always as they seem, not as long as Jesus is around. We don't do this often enough. We like to keep our thinking closed. If we open up our thinking it can also open us up to being wrong - it means we're open to risk and failure. New ways of thinking aren't always bet with enthusiasm and acceptance. But this isn't just an opportunity to open up our thinking. It's also an invitation to change the way we live. We can live a new and different life now. Once Lazarus walked out of the tomb, he had a choice as to how he was going to live. So. If you were to die and then be given a Lazarus opportunity, how would you live? What kinds of things would you do? What would your priorities be? Speaker: Aaron Vis Scripture: John 11:1-44 http://bible.com/events/48941403

John 14:2 In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.      Our Father has planned ahead! There are many places to abide, dwell, or live in our Father's household. In this verse, we learn where Jesus was going to which His disciples were not ready to go. Back in John 13:1 and 3, John's readers were told where Jesus was going, but it wasn't something that was told them at that point. Perhaps it was from this statement that John, with the Spirit's help, understood what was in Jesus' mind—it was time for Him to depart out of this world to the Father. He was going back to God to prepare a place for us. It is interesting that Jesus said there are many dwelling places, but He is preparing one place for all of us. Perhaps Jesus was thinking of preparing a place of right standing before God as Paul wrote of in Romans 5:2  “through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. Or maybe it's the place where God “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenlyplaces in Christ Jesus” as Paul wrote to the Ephesians in chapter 2, verse 6.  The point is that Jesus has gone to His Father and made a place with God for us to dwell or live forever. Out of that place, the love of God flows. Although it is true that God has prepared a place for us in heaven when we die, what we want to notice from the rest of the chapter is that the abiding place Jesus went to prepare in heaven becomes the fountain out of which our lives are sustained and supplied while we are on the earth. It makes it possible for Jesus to come again to us. His coming to us is the primary line of reason in this chapter, not our going to Him in heaven when we die.  Today, be encouraged that Jesus has made a place for us in the presence of God that makes it possible for Jesus' presence to be with us while we live today on this earth. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

Our focus today is the man who runs up to Jesus and falls on his knees in front of him. However, it must be noted that this incident comes hard on the heels of the previous scene. Children were brought to Jesus - only for the disciples to rebuke them. Jesus in turn rebukes his disciples and declares that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (v14). Mark is showing us the ideal kingdom-candidates before we encounter the flawed kingdom aspirant. ‘Paradoxically, the least powerful, least wealthy, least influential have a greater prospect of entering the kingdom than do those who are most powerful, wealthy, and influential.' Word Biblical Commentary receive the kingdom Why are the children able to ‘receive the kingdom' (v15)? We are not told precisely here, but perhaps we get a clue by looking at the contrasting example of the man on his knees. He looked good. He sounded good. He ran to Jesus, he fell upon his knees, he addressed Jesus respectfully (‘good teacher'), he kept the law. Yet something was amiss. He knew it. Why approach Jesus otherwise?  The answer was not what he expected nor wanted. He may have started on his knees, but he ended by turning his back on Jesus. He may have begun by running to Jesus, but he ultimately walks away. He may have arrived with eagerness, but he departed with sadness. no one is good Why does Jesus correct the man? Surely Jesus is ‘good'? Perhaps Jesus is detecting flattery and deflecting it.  ‘The word order places the emphasis on the με, “me”: “Why me do you call ‘good'?”' WBC. Only God is worthy of primary focus, not even Jesus. He has come to reveal God to humankind, not himself. Will this man honour not so much Jesus, but God who is source of all goodness including his good commands? One thing you lack This man has no material needs and no law-needs.  He knows he has other needs, but what are those needs?  Jesus is about to tell him - and it is clearly not what the man expected.  ‘looked' - looking at him. Did Jesus pause to study the man? Was the silent pause an opportunity for him to think, or perhaps a moment for the man to think about what he had just said? Was Jesus giving him space to add something more? the poor Jesus told him to give his money to the poor because once it is given you can't get it back! This command is clearly not for everyone. The extravagance of the woman in Mark 14:5 is a counter-example. Jesus gives each person the challenge they need. come follow me Jesus seems to be saying, “Help me with my mission.”  See Mark 2:14; 8:34; John 1:43; 12:26; 21:19, 21:22. Perhaps the question Jesus is posing to the man is, “Is my mission more important than yours?” “In Jesus' second response to the man, the commandments are assumed and taken for granted. The second response, however, moves beyond command to an abandonment and trust that involve the losing of self in yielding, trustful communion....The move is from willing duty to utter delight.” Walter Brueggemann, Psalms, 196 great wealth “He is told to part with the goods of this age since he is so interested in the next one, but he will not do so. His interest in the next world is not sincere enough to enable him to give up his preocupation with this world.” NIBC, Hurtado, Mark, 164 He wants wealth in both realms, but that is not possible as a demand or precondition of following Jesus. This gives the lie to the prosperity gospel advocates. Jesus' instruction indicates the urgency of the call. This is not simply a call to follow a Rabbi, but a call uttered due to the arrival of the kingdom and its king. first..last The rich man looked like he belonged to those who are “first”, but he will be last. The disciples looked more like they belonged to the “last”, but they would be the first. The rich man calculates and finds the price not worth paying. Fundamentally he does not trust Jesus in the way children trust him. He hedges, attempting to find a way into the kingdom acceptable to God and to himself. That hedging keeps him on the wrong side of the hedge. This scenario makes the disciples wonder if they have the right approach, attitude and understanding. Jesus is challenging and reassuring. They cannot ‘achieve' eternal life, but God can and will make the difference. The costs are high - everything! But the rewards are far beyond anything we could hope for otherwise. For Reflection 1. The main question from this section of Scripture is, “what does this tell us about discipleship?”. What is the discipleship lesson for you personally? 2. Is there ‘one thing you lack' for wholehearted discipleship to Jesus? What is that? Is there someone you could talk to about it? 3. In what ways do the reassurances of Jesus to his disciples about the last being first inspire your spiritual walk? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  God bless, Malcolm

Our focus today is the man who runs up to Jesus and falls on his knees in front of him. However, it must be noted that this incident comes hard on the heels of the previous scene.  Children were brought to Jesus - only for the disciples to rebuke them. Jesus in turn rebukes his disciples and declares that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (v14). Mark is showing us the ideal kingdom-candidates before we encounter the flawed kingdom aspirant.  ‘Paradoxically, the least powerful, least wealthy, least influential have a greater prospect of entering the kingdom than do those who are most powerful, wealthy, and influential.' Word Biblical Commentary receive the kingdom Why are the children able to ‘receive the kingdom' (v15)? We are not told precisely here, but perhaps we get a clue by looking at the contrasting example of the man on his knees. He looked good. He sounded good. He ran to Jesus, he fell upon his knees, he addressed Jesus respectfully (‘good teacher'), he kept the law. Yet something was amiss. He knew it. Why approach Jesus otherwise?   The answer was not what he expected nor wanted. He may have started on his knees, but he ended by turning his back on Jesus. He may have begun by running to Jesus, but he ultimately walks away. He may have arrived with eagerness, but he departed with sadness.  no one is good Why does Jesus correct the man? Surely Jesus is ‘good'? Perhaps Jesus is detecting flattery and deflecting it.  ‘The word order places the emphasis on the με, “me”: “Why me do you call ‘good'?”' WBC. Only God is worthy of primary focus, not even Jesus. He has come to reveal God to humankind, not himself. Will this man honour not so much Jesus, but God who is source of all goodness including his good commands? One thing you lack This man has no material needs and no law-needs.  He knows he has other needs, but what are those needs?  Jesus is about to tell him - and it is clearly not what the man expected.   ‘looked' - looking at him. Did Jesus pause to study the man? Was the silent pause an opportunity for him to think, or perhaps a moment for the man to think about what he had just said? Was Jesus giving him space to add something more? the poor Jesus told him to give his money to the poor because once it is given you can't get it back! This command is clearly not for everyone. The extravagance of the woman in Mark 14:5 is a counter-example. Jesus gives each person the challenge they need. come follow me Jesus seems to be saying, “Help me with my mission.”  See Mark 2:14; 8:34; John 1:43; 12:26; 21:19, 21:22. Perhaps the question Jesus is posing to the man is, “Is my mission more important than yours?” “In Jesus' second response to the man, the commandments are assumed and taken for granted. The second response, however, moves beyond command to an abandonment and trust that involve the losing of self in yielding, trustful communion....The move is from willing duty to utter delight.” Walter Brueggemann, Psalms, 196 great wealth “He is told to part with the goods of this age since he is so interested in the next one, but he will not do so. His interest in the next world is not sincere enough to enable him to give up his preocupation with this world.” NIBC, Hurtado, Mark, 164 He wants wealth in both realms, but that is not possible as a demand or precondition of following Jesus. This gives the lie to the prosperity gospel advocates. Jesus' instruction indicates the urgency of the call. This is not simply a call to follow a Rabbi, but a call uttered due to the arrival of the kingdom and its king. first..last The rich man looked like he belonged to those who are “first”, but he will be last. The disciples looked more like they belonged to the “last”, but they would be the first. The rich man calculates and finds the price not worth paying.  Fundamentally he does not trust Jesus in the way children trust him. He hedges, attempting to find a way into the kingdom acceptable to God and to himself. That hedging keeps him on the wrong side of the hedge. This scenario makes the disciples wonder if they have the right approach, attitude and understanding. Jesus is challenging and reassuring. They cannot ‘achieve' eternal life, but God can and will make the difference. The costs are high - everything! But the rewards are far beyond anything we could hope for otherwise. For Reflection  1. The main question from this section of Scripture is, “what does this tell us about discipleship?”. What is the discipleship lesson for you personally? 2. Is there ‘one thing you lack' for wholehearted discipleship to Jesus? What is that? Is there someone you could talk to about it? 3. In what ways do the reassurances of Jesus to his disciples about the last being first inspire your spiritual walk? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  God bless, Malcolm

Bible Reading: Proverbs 17:17; Colossians 3:12-17"Look there behind you, Mom," said Evie as she and her mother picked raspberries. "Down low. There are some berries you missed.""Oh, I see them," said Mom. "They're nice ones." She bent to pick the berries. "There are more in the bush behind those," Evie told her.Mom looked toward the berries Evie was pointing out, but she shook her head. "No, those aren't ripe enough yet--but I see some hiding in the center of the bush you just finished."Evie laughed as she turned to pick the berries Mom saw. "I guess we should pick each other's bushes." After a moment, she said, "Remember when Nayori and her mom used to come and pick raspberries with us?""Yes." Mom sighed. "How is Nayori doing since her parents got divorced?"Evie frowned. "Not too good. She's always whining and saying she'd rather live with her mom than with her dad. I can't see why. After all, this way she's still in the same house and the same school--and her friends are all here.""I guess it all depends on your viewpoint," Mom replied. "It's like these berries--we miss some ripe ones and think others are ready when they're not. It depends on what direction we see them from. We need to remember that people see things in life in different ways too."Evie nodded slowly. "I guess so.""You see Nayori's problems from a distance," Mom said. "From your viewpoint, there are good reasons for her to live with her dad. But don't forget that she can see things you can't see. From her viewpoint, being with her mom may outweigh other things. I'm sure Nayori misses her a lot." "Yeah, I think she does," Evie replied. "Nayori used to say she could tell her mom anything.""I think she needs understanding more than she needs criticism," Mom said. "Perhaps Jesus can use you to help her through this. He understands exactly what she's going through, and He'll help you be a good friend and show her His love and compassion."Evie nodded thoughtfully. "I'll try to see the situation more from her viewpoint. Maybe…oops!" She pointed to a bush Mom had finished. "You missed some more, Mom," she said with a grin. -Agnes LivezeyHow About You?Do you get annoyed when your friends talk about their troubles? Do you feel like things aren't as bad as they make them out to be? Remember that you're seeing their situation from a different viewpoint. Even if you don't understand everything they're going through, Jesus does, and He'll help you be kind and understanding like He is. Trust Him to help you show compassion and offer encouragement to friends who are struggling. Today's Key Verse:Give to Your servant an understanding heart. (NKJV) (1 Kings 3:9)Today's Key Thought:Be kind and understanding

    Welcome to Redemption Church of Plano Tx! Hello to everyone joining us on our facebook livestream. Praise the Lord to everyone joining us in person. My name is Chris Fluitt, and I am about to open up the powerful, unchanging, life altering, word of God. Who is ready?! Nobody Left Out We are in the 7th week of our sermon series “Nobody Left Out.” That means this upcoming week you who have kept up with the reading plan will be finishing your 40 day devotional.  Let's give everyone who has been reading an applause. My favorite thing about this sermon series is that it has gotten us into our Bibles!   For anyone who is joining us tonight and you are like… “What are they talking about?” We have been doing a sermon series in tandem with a 40 day devotional book called “Nobody Left Out” by author Michael Murray.   If you are just joining us, I want to encourage you to go find this book on amazon and go do this devotional sermon series with us. You can find all our sermons at redemptionplano.com, facebook, or youtube. Available here: https://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Left-Out-Messes-Devotional-ebook/dp/B08MY583G8 Tonight, I want you to turn to Mark 12 where you will be reading about the poor Widow. The Poor Widow We will be reading a short story in Mark 12, beginning at verse 41. This story is only 4 verses long, and that is very different from last week's story that took the entire 9th chapter of John. Mark 12:41-44(NIV) 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.” This story only takes up 4 verses in your Bible, but can I suggest that this story is much larger than 4 verses. Let's look back at verse 41… Mark 12:41 (NIV) 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. What is Jesus doing? Is Jesus people watching? Jesus the people watcher Have you ever gone somewhere to just watch people?  When I first moved to the North Dallas area I would go to a certain Starbucks in Highland Park. I would set up my laptop and get some work done, but I have to admit I was always amazed by the people who would wander in… -the rich…-the maid who worked for the rich…-the child that came from the rich and looked like they were having trouble with college… -the high powered CEO…-the even higher powered soccer mom…-the very eclectic people…-the poor minister in a church plant… oh wait, that was me… I'd set myself up to see all the people that were coming in, and I would try to guess what their story might be.   Now here in Mark 12 we see Jesus sitting down opposite the place where the offerings were put and intently watching the crowd… Jesus is a people watcher.  He watched the people as they gave their offering… Perhaps Jesus was paying close attention to the motivation in which they offered their gift? Now notice the last sentence of verse 41. *Mark 12:41 (NIV) 41 …Many rich people threw in large amounts.  What do you envision when you read “rich people threw in large amounts?” They threw in a large check…They threw in a bit-coin…They made it rain or threw in a tightly wound stack of cash… The word for large is polys (pol-oos'). https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4183/kjv/tr/0-1/ [“a word indicating quantity and number, not size” Alexander Souter, A Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1917), 210.]   Polys (Pol-oos') - Quantity rather than size The word means quantity rather than size. It is likely that the rich would come up to the off...

Jesus' words on divorce jar us today. He might have got away with it back in the day when marriage was all sacred—or was it? Perhaps Jesus was just as jarring back then as today, perhaps even more? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gareth-tyndall1/message

Pastor Taylor Shippy - John 21:1-14 This week we are looking at another resurrection appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ. While Jesus has previously appeared at the Upper Room to His disciples, He now choses to appear to them while they are busy at work fishing. Perhaps Jesus is also willing to be present with us as we too are at work?

• God's love activates the power in our God-given spiritual gifts (chapter 12). Without love, our gifts are nothing. The Corinthians were seeking status & power, using their gifts to be "puffed up," rather than to build up one another in LOVE. Love is power in God's economy.• We cannot manifest love in our own power. We experience God's radical love in order to be a conduit of his love to others. When his love is at the center of our spiritual gifts, we are NOT noisy gongs or clanging cymbals. • Love endures all things: This doesn't mean just grin and bear it, but rather endure here means "abide, tarry with."• Vs. 10 tells us, "when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away." What is Paul referring to? Perhaps Jesus' second coming? When Jesus' comes again, all of our spiritual gifts (prophecy, knowledge) will fade away. But love never ends. • We are fully known and fully loved now. We only "see this in a mirror dimly" now, but eventually will we come to experience this truth face to face (vs. 12). In our pursuit of love, our pursuit of God, we realize that God is continually pursuing us! • Reflection Question: How have you felt God's love in your life? What characteristics of his love that are listed in the text have you experienced?• Reflection Question: We are each on uniquely personal journeys with God. On YOUR journey with the Lord, what might he be calling you further into as you pursue LOVE? As your heart dwells in the Scripture this week, ask Jesus: Lord, how are you inviting me to lean into Love?

• God's love activates the power in our God-given spiritual gifts (chapter 12). Without love, our gifts are nothing. The Corinthians were seeking status & power, using their gifts to be "puffed up," rather than to build up one another in LOVE. Love is power in God's economy. • We cannot manifest love in our own power. We experience God's radical love in order to be a conduit of his love to others. When his love is at the center of our spiritual gifts, we are NOT noisy gongs or clanging cymbals. • Love endures all things: This doesn't mean just grin and bear it, but rather endure here means "abide, tarry with." • Vs. 10 tells us, "when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away." What is Paul referring to? Perhaps Jesus' second coming? When Jesus' comes again, all of our spiritual gifts (prophecy, knowledge) will fade away. But love never ends. • We are fully known and fully loved now. We only "see this in a mirror dimly" now, but eventually will we come to experience this truth face to face (vs. 12). In our pursuit of love, our pursuit of God, we realize that God is continually pursuing us! • Reflection Question: How have you felt God's love in your life? What characteristics of his love that are listed in the text have you experienced? • Reflection Question: We are each on uniquely personal journeys with God. On YOUR journey with the Lord, what might he be calling you further into as you pursue LOVE? As your heart dwells in the Scripture this week, ask Jesus: Lord, how are you inviting me to lean into Love?

Pastor Taylor Shippy - Mark 5:21-24, 35-43 This is week two of our sermon series, "DWJD: Do What Jesus Did." Jesus chose to journey with people who were suffering. He was fully present with people who were in a painful situation. Perhaps Jesus beckons us to do the same with those who are still hurting in our world today?

John 5:1-9 ESV After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. 3 In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. 5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” 7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” 9 And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. DO YOU WANT TO BE HEALED? The Pool of Bethesda with five roofed porches—colonnades—it would have been a popular shelter from the sun. It was also very close to the temple, making it an ideal gathering place for beggars to sit, hoping for charity. The number of people seeking healing here as "a multitude." Jesus' choice of him—among all of the many people made it a very interesting one. Is the Christian life about the spectacular? This miracle of healing a man crippled for nearly forty years would have made quite a dramatic example of His divine power. There would have been no doubt that the cure was supernatural. These "signs" are neither familiar nor common. An important note is that the gospel is not about physical health—it is a matter of eternal life. Definitely, this guy for having been suffering for 38 years has had a lifetime of suffering considering the short life expectancy during the time. Was his disability a result of some personal sin? an injury, or a disease? We can only speculate. Perhaps Jesus chose him because of the length of time he'd been suffering. He must have been known for having frequented area which made his healing hard to ignore by most. “Do you want to be healed?” is an interesting question of Jesus. Was He asking for confirmation: "Would you like me to make you well?" Or, was He challenging his seemingly apathetic and indifferent attitude, "Do you even want to be healed?" Interesting and quite puzzling, his answer was not a "yes." Details are scarce but there are reasons to think this man might not have wanted to be healed. Rather, it's a shift of blame onto others. Later, he did the same when confronted about carrying his mat on a Sabbath day (John 5:11). Has he simply given up hope, or if he's actually not particularly interested in getting well.? Human beings have a habit, at times, of rejecting solutions to their problems, because they are preferring the pity of others over doing the right thing. Sadly, many act in the same way of justifying sins rather than facing it. Moreover, he has made no requests of Jesus whatsoever even when Jesus asked him (John 5:6). In contrast to the official who wanted healing for his son, he was persistent in asking Jesus for it. And his healing was likewise spontaneous as Jesus commanded him "get up and walk", was it not? This was a clear manifestation that the man was completely and fully healed. Jesus' act of healing had presented some cultural problems. However, this event is taking place on the Sabbath (John 5:9). Thus, it angered the Pharisees for carrying one's mat (or cot, or pallet) was a form of work, and all work was strictly forbidden in the tradition in keeping Sabbath day.

December 26, 2021. Today is the Feast of Saint Stephen, and guest preacher Jon Heerboth's sermon is about following Stephen's example and being about the Father's business in feeding the poor, treating the sick, and supporting the marginalized. Readings: Colossians 3:12-17, Luke 2:41-52 *** Transcript *** In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. "Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen, when the snow lay round about deep and crisp and even." Well, that legend was that the king braved bad weather to take alms to a poor man on the second day of Christmas, the festival of Stephen, deacon and martyr. More on Saint Stephen in a bit. But I want to recognize this day on which we remember the first known martyr of the Christian church. In the Gospel of Luke that we heard today, it's been 12 years or so since Mary sang the Magnificat, her song of praise at the time of her impending motherhood. We at Christ Lutheran Church sang it the last four Wednesday nights — and said it responsively as the psalm last Sunday — so we've heard it a lot. Mary sang about God, who had scattered the proud, brought down the powerful from thrones, lifted the lowly, fed the hungry, and sent away the rich. All of this was to fulfill God's covenant with the ancestors. In this story, the reality of parenthood turned out to be different from the joy of the Magnificat. After several days of parental anxiety and panic, the twelve-year-old Jesus was unmoved when they found him. "Don't you know," he asked them — or "Wist ye not," the King James version asked — "that I must be about my Father's business?" That I have to be in my Father's house? That I am involved with my father's stuff? Don't you know that it is necessary for me to do this? The text says they did not understand what he was talking about. We don't always understand either. We confess that Jesus was truly God and truly human. Here we see what our confession actually looked like in the person and divinity of Jesus at age 12. After Passover, the great Jewish celebration of liberation, Jesus separated from his earthly family to tend to his real Father's business. Jesus sat in the temple, asked questions, learned from scholars, who were experts in the Jewish scriptures. All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers, according to the text. So the temple scholars were amazed, and Mary and Joseph were astonished, as Jesus let them know that he knew who his real Father was and what God's business was with God's creation. Imagine what it would have been like for his parents to have to raise the Savior of the world. Imagine how they felt when they lost him. God didn't choose a wealthy or powerful family to raise God's son. Jesus was a small town boy from a relatively poor family. I'm sure Mary and Joseph were astonished. What in their lives, or in ours either for that matter, would have been preparation for Jesus? After this, an obedient Jesus went back to Nazareth. The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him, according to Luke. It's fascinating to hear how Jesus, who was fully God, could also be fully human, ask questions, learn from others, and develop wisdom. "Why were you searching for me? Don't, you know..." These were Jesus' first words in the Gospel of Luke. Perhaps Jesus was reminding his mother of the outline of Jesus' mission that she had sung so long before in the Magnificat. At any rate, this is all Luke shares about Jesus' childhood. We don't hear from Jesus again, really, until his first sermon in Nazareth in chapter 4. In that story, Jesus went to his hometown synagogue on the Sabbath and read from Isaiah. Listen to what he said. "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon him. And then he said to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." That's what we're doing. The people were amazed again. By the time he finished his entire sermon, the people were so enraged that they tried to kill him by hurling him off a cliff. But he escaped. Jesus is no manger baby anymore. His goals of helping the poor and marginalized, of overthrowing the wealthy and powerful, and offering eternal life to all, eventually led to his death — and then to the resurrection. Mary and Joseph managed to lose Jesus and found him again at his Father's house, doing God's business. We find ourselves here in God's house too, confessing our sins, accepting forgiveness and absolution, receiving Word and Sacrament, and praying for God to use us as tools to accomplish God's will for all creation. Every year, we hear how we lose Jesus in the hubbub of Christmas. But here we are back in God's house on the day after Christmas, worshipping under the open arms of Jesus. We find Jesus when we serve his mission to work for the oppressed and marginalized, and to work for the peace of Christ in our lives, in our congregation, and in our society as a whole. We know that our mission will not be popular among the rich and powerful. We go into the world with a set of values that are in opposition to prevailing views. In Colossians' reading today, Paul tells us how to dress for our job. "Above all," he said, "clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." Today's reading tells us how to live. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful." That is our mission. We usually think of the word "peace" as a noun. The peace of Christ is really a verb. It's something that we must commit to live and demonstrate and practice every day, the goal toward which we work as people of faith. How are we doing? Several weeks ago in the Sunday Forum, the Horns demonstrated that the countries in which Christianity were doing well were those in which people saw benefits from the work of the church. In other countries in which people look to governments for their social safety nets and care, the church was becoming irrelevant as the years passed. Are we relevant in our own country? Are the poor being fed? Are the sick treated? The marginalized supported? How about God's creation as a whole? When we reach out, we take risks. In our society, many want to believe that anyone can get ahead if they work hard. Are people suffering? "They should clean up their act." Poor? "Get a job, or a better job." Need childcare? "Quit having babies." "I don't want my tax dollars supporting someone who ought to be working as hard as I had to work." Those are all comments I copied out of the Post Dispatch in the past week, on a variety of social issues. And I think those are prevailing views among some people. A lot of people. Not here. "Don't you know?" we might respond. "We must be about our heavenly Father's business." Are we making a difference? Saint Stephen found out the hard way what can happen when Christians make a difference and upset the status quo. When Stephen's work and his wisdom upset the powerful, they trumped up some charges of blasphemy against him, dragged him out of the city, and stoned him to death in front of Saul — or St. Paul, as we call him now. St. Paul, the writer of the book of Colossians, who said that we should clothe ourselves in love. That St. Paul. In Acts 8:1 Luke wrote, "And Saul approved of their killing him." This is the day we think about Jesus, both fully divine and fully human, about Mary, who had to raise this child, about our Father's business that turns the status quo upside down, about the potential dangers we may face when we attempt to become relevant to all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray together that Christ Lutheran Church, through our worship in Word and Sacrament and through our outreach to community and Creation, may always be part of doing our Father's business. Let's pray the prayer appointed for today. We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of Stephen, the first martyr, who looked to heaven and prayed for his persecutors. Grant that we also may pray for our enemies and seek forgiveness for those who hurt us. Through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. Amen. *** Keywords *** 2021, Christ Lutheran Church, Webster Groves, sermon, podcast, transcript, YouTube, video, Jon Heerboth,  Colossians 3:12-17,  Luke 2:41-52

Perhaps Jesus knows there's no better way to teach than by example. When he shows us how we can grow and transcend our human biases, his example turns out to be quite surprising. Matthew: 15:21-28, 18:1-5 Music: purple-planet.com

Come and listen in on my dear friend, Eugene Luning, and I discuss the launching of his new book for children called Moments with Jesus- An Encounter Bible. Eugene is someone who has mentored me and guided me personally to encounter Jesus through his own style of leading our church gathering.  I invited him to join me to share what has been bursting within him lately as He has meditated on Jesus himself.  How can we encounter Jesus in the little moments amidst the stories of the Bible is an incredible invitation to us as parents and to our children. The very way Jesus went about his three years of ministry speaks to how really thoughtful He was.  Perhaps Jesus was actually up to something! We talk about: -Jesus calls each of us by name. How were you called by Jesus? -What was Jesus personality like? And how do we get to encounter His personality TODAY -Experience Jesus day to day- What are we (Jesus and I) up to today?  and much more... Listen to Eugene's beautiful encounters on his podcast:  Moments with Jesus Order Moments with Jesus Book- Available October 19th!   

Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Mark 9:5–7Just prior to the Transfiguration, Jesus began to reveal to His disciples that He would suffer greatly, be rejected by the elders, be killed and then rise on the third day. This caused much fear for the disciples as they grappled with this unsettling revelation from our Lord. And even though Jesus remained firm with them and even rebuked Peter for his fear, Jesus also gave three of His disciples a very precious gift.After much traveling, preaching, miracle working and private conversations about His passion with the Twelve, Jesus invited Peter, James and John to go with Him up a high mountain to pray. These disciples most likely had no idea what they would soon encounter. As they made the difficult and arduous journey, their minds must have been pondering not only the mighty deeds done by Jesus in the previous months but also His words about the suffering to come. As they struggled with this, much to their amazement, Jesus “was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white.” Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, representing the Law and the prophets. These two Old Testament figures appeared as a way of saying to these disciples that everything that Jesus was telling them was to take place to fulfill all that had been foretold about Him from of old. Perhaps Jesus thought that if His disciples would not fully listen to Him, then seeing Moses and Elijah would help. But Jesus went even further. The Voice of the Father Himself thundered and said, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Thus, if these disciples would not ultimately listen to Jesus alone, or if even Moses and Elijah failed to convince them, then the last hope was the Father Himself. And Jesus delivered such a grace.The Transfiguration was a true mercy. These disciples had never seen anything like it before. But it was most likely this act of mercy that ultimately helped them to accept the hard truth that Jesus was trying to teach them about His coming suffering and death. If the Father in Heaven Personally gave witness to Jesus, then everything that Jesus had said was trustworthy.As we read through the Gospels and the many teachings God has given us through the Church, think about whether there are some teachings with which you struggle? Or in your own life, on a personal level, are there some things you know God wants of you but you find it difficult to accept? When confusion sets in, that means we are not listening, are not fully hearing what God is saying to us or are not understanding. And though we will not see the Transfigured Lord with our eyes and hear the Voice of the Father with our ears as these three disciples did, we must choose to believe all that God has said as if it were the Transfigured Lord, with Moses and Elijah, and the Father Himself speaking clearly and directly to us. “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Those words were not only spoken for the good of the disciples, they are also spoken to us.Reflect, today, upon this powerful experience given to these disciples by our Lord. Try to place yourself in the scene so as to witness Jesus transfigured in the most glorious way, with Moses and Elijah and with the thundering Voice of the Father. Allow the Father to speak also to you, telling you that all He has spoken through the Scriptures, the Church and within your own conscience is true. Allow this revelation to convince you on the deepest level to acknowledge not only the divinity of Jesus but also to “Listen to Him” in every way.My transfigured Lord, You are glorious beyond imagination, and You revealed a small glimpse of this glory to Your disciples to help them trust You more fully. May I also trust in You more completely, knowing that all You have spoken to me is true. Please remove any doubt and fear in my life so that nothing keeps me from embracing Your holy will. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

I am frequently haunted by my own high standards. I understand that telling the truth and keeping my promises are crucial to my reputation as a Christian and, while I certainly do not wish to minimize the message of Psalm 15.4 which states, “Keep your word even when it costs you,” there must be a deeper meaning here. I occasionally fail to keep my word for a very legitimate and human reason... I simply forgot about the promise I made. That rarely happens but when it does, I am mortified. I literally hate making excuses, even honest ones. Perhaps Jesus has a sense of humor. Sometimes I take myself too seriously. Forgetting an appointment, for example, reminds me of a secondary truth as important as keeping my word... nobody's perfect, including (and especially) me.

Few passages in the Synoptic Gospels have been more disputed in the history of the church than Peter's confession that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and its aftermath (Matt. 16:13–28). Here we may venture only three reflections:(1) Judging by his response, Jesus sees this confession as a significant advance, achieved by revelation from the Father (16:17). But that does not mean that before this point Peter had no inkling that Jesus is the Messiah. Nor does it mean that he understood “Messiah” in the full-fledged, Christian sense associated with the word after Jesus' death and resurrection. At this point, quite clearly, Peter was prepared to accept Jesus as Israel's King, the Anointed One from the Davidic line, but he had no idea that he must be simultaneously Davidic king and suffering Servant, as the ensuing verses show. Both Peter's understanding and his faith were maturing, but still painfully lacking. Part of Peter's coming to full Christian faith on these matters depended absolutely on waiting for the next major redemptive-historical appointment: the cross and the resurrection.(2) Jesus' words, “[Y]ou are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (16:18), have been taken to be the foundation of the Roman Catholic papacy. Even on the most sympathetic reading, however, it is difficult to see how this passage says anything about passing on a Petrine precedence, still less about gradually developing and enhancing the papacy until in 1870 the doctrine of papal infallibility was promulgated. Offended by such extravagant claims, many Protestants have offered exegeses equally unbelievable. Perhaps Jesus said, “You are Peter” (pointing to Peter) “and on this rock I will build my church” (pointing to himself). Or perhaps the “rock” on which the church is built is not Peter, but Peter's confession—which scarcely accounts for the pun in Greek: “you are petros and on this petra.”(3) It is better to see that Peter really does have a certain primacy—what has been called “a salvation-historical primacy.” He was the first to see certain things, the leader gifted by God in the first steps of organization and evangelism after the resurrection (as Acts makes clear). But not only was this leadership bound up with Peter's unique role in redemptive history (so unique that it could not, in the nature of the case, be passed on), but the gospel authority extended to him (16:18–19) is extended to all the apostles (18:18). This is what we should expect: elsewhere we are told that the church is built on the foundation of prophets and apostles (Eph. 2:20, italics added). As the ancient formula puts it, Peter was primus inter pares—first among equals. This podcast is designed to be used alongside TGC's Read The Bible initiative (TGC.org/readthebible). The podcast features devotional commentaries from D.A. Carson's book For the Love of God (vol. 2) that follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan.

Those people—the people who bring out the worst in us. It's easy to feel judged by them and to, in turn, judge them. But this is not a healthy way to live our lives—feeling judged and judging others. How can we get to the place of helping one another flourish? Perhaps Jesus has something to say about this. Subscribe to stay updated with the latest content.  Follow Gwinnett Church:  YouTube Twitter Instagram Facebook Website See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thoughts I'm Coming Soon! What does it mean when God repeats Himself in Scripture? It means that God wants us to pay attention…that this is important. Three times in chapter 22, Jesus says, "I'm coming soon!" Soon. What does soon mean to you? To me it means, not much time will go by before it happens. If I have an appointment at 3 o'clock, and it's 2:45, my appointment is soon. If my birthday is on June 20th and today is June 18th, my birthday is soon. By the way, my birthday is not June 20th. So was Jesus wrong when He told John to write these things? He said soon, right? It's been over 2000 years. It doesn't seem like "soon" means to Jesus what it means to me. But wait. Let's think a little deeper. Perspective A couple weeks ago I was having a conversation with a young man. I'm guessing he was between 20 and 25 years old. As we were talking, he told me that he had a young child. If I remember right, it was a toddler. As a father of three sons and grandpa to four of the cutest kids you ever saw, I told this young man to cherish every moment with his youngster, because before he knows it, that child will be grown and gone. "I remember when my first son was born almost forty years ago", I told him. "I was there at his birth. I actually delivered him! I was the first to hold him. The first to shampoo him. I laid him on his mother's chest. And I remember it like it was yesterday," I told him. It seems like almost no time has passed since my boys were small enough to sit on my lap, hold hands as we walked down the street, or kissed me goodnight. They were born, and too soon, they were grown up men. So "soon" is a matter of perspective, sometimes. Suddenly! But I looked up the word in the original language. It's the Greek word "tachu". Guess what it means. It means "quickly, speedily, without delay, soon, or suddenly". Suddenly. Maybe "soon" is not the best translation. In Matthew 24, Jesus' disciples said to him, "“Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Then Jesus went on to tell them the signs to look for. And then He said, "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." Only the Father knows the day and hour. So Jesus doesn't know when. If He doesn't know when His return is, then why would He say He was coming soon? Perhaps the better translation is this: "I'm coming suddenly!" Perhaps Jesus doesn't know the when, but He does know that once the Father says, "Now!", things will happen very quickly, or suddenly. Other Instances That interpretation meshes nicely with what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ,"51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed." Also in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3, "1Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, 2for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3While people are saying, 'Peace and safety,' destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." And there are other scriptures that talk about events that will happen suddenly when Jesus returns, or the Day of the Lord, as some call it. Only One Knows When The point is, only the Father knows the exact time. Jesus told us the signs to look for, and I believe He told us that once the Father gives the word, there will be no delay. Get Ready! So what are we to do with this information? I think we need to be in a constant state of readiness. We need to be ready for His return at any moment. What does that look like? First, we should not assume that we will have time to "get right with God". Some people think that they will have some sort of wa...

In this passage, we are in the early hours before the crucifixion. Betrayal, arrest, whipping, and crucifixion awaits Jesus, and He knows it. But he mustn't fixate on the tidal wave of agony that is about to break up on Him; instead, he focuses on preparing His disciples for the battle ahead.   As American Christians with sizable religious freedoms, we often read past verses like this rather quickly. But you know who doesn't read past them? The vast majority of our brothers and sisters around the world and throughout history. And who knows? Those of us in America may just need these words sooner than we realize. Perhaps Jesus is preparing us for battle too.   Jesus is preparing his disciples for the suffering, persecution, and hostility they will face in this world. Because followers of Jesus are not like the world, the world views us with suspicion. Because we're different, we're distinct.   We'll look at three points to prepare us for what's coming:   Distinct Allegiance: Christians who are filled with the Holy Spirit and bear Christ's presence in the world have a polarizing effect of both attraction and repulsion. Jesus' followers shouldn't be shocked when they experience the same hatred their Leader did. Why does the world hate us? Because this world is not our true home; Jesus has chosen us out of the world. In other words, we're citizens of Heaven. We follow the way of Jesus and His Kingdom. Jesus is telling us that we will encounter hostility from the world, because we bear the name of Jesus in the world, not because we're obnoxious. If we're encountering hostility because we're winsomely shining the light of Christ to the world, that's to be expected. But if we're encountering hostility because we're tactless and obnoxious, that is nothing to be proud of. Distinct Witness: We embody the convicting presence of God. When we go out into the world… we never go alone. We bear the presence of God into the world, and wherever God goes, people are convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment. It's not our job to convict of sin, righteousness and judgment; the Holy Spirit does that. Our job is to share the good news that Jesus died for our sin, that He offers us his righteousness, and that He has already won the judgment and his victory can be ours if we will believe in Him. Distinct Bearing: We suffer in the glorious strength of the Spirit. All that the Father has is Jesus', and all that is Jesus' is ours through the Spirit. And here's what's amazing: it was Jesus' Hour of suffering that most convicted the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; and it will be our tour of suffering that convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment as well. As we suffer in the glorious strength of the Spirit, we embody the convicting presence of God in the world and proclaim our ultimate allegiance to the way Jesus and his Kingdom. Our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world tell us that a suffering church is an unstoppable church. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. Persecution breeds perseverance, hostility unleashes holiness, and crucifixion is the only way to resurrection.   What if suffering like Jesus grants us access to the depths of all that God is for us?   What if suffering like Jesus is our greatest witness to the world?   Takeaway: Stand strong in the Lord.   As we suffer in the glorious strength of the Spirit, we embody the convicting presence of God in the world and proclaim our ultimate allegiance to the way Jesus and his Kingdom.   John 15:18-16:15   Click here for Sermon Q&A

We have all been a little one, a child, and we stumble, but we can grow from the stumbles, and we can learn new truth and find new hope. I’ve heard many stories of abuse, but some of the worst are when subtle little lies have, with organized precision, been sewn into a child’s life. It’s evil. Knowing the vulnerability of a child’s mind to learning and absorbing new information and behaviors, someone has, with malicious intent, corrupted a mind made in the image of God. Those lies take root and grow into deformed thinking and behaviors far from God’s intended delight. I’ve seen adults with low IQ, intellectually challenged and disabled, being taken advantage of because of their child-like naivety. It was repugnant and evil. I called the Police, but nothing could be done. Then there is another kind of abuse—the one where the child receives messages from another hurting human. Hurt people hurt people. The child hears the messages – verbal and non-verbal and believes them as truth. Words that couldn’t be taken back and words that dug deep into the soul of that little child. A thinking track is laid down in the child’s mind. A small little tiny microscopic pathway, and then the next day, another abuse is added to the brain. This neurological pathway in the brain is gaining strength. That soft, malleable brain takes its cues from the environment around it and shapes its pathways according to what it’s been told. Stumbling blocks and Millstones When the followers of Jesus wanted to know who was the greatest, the one who got the pride of place position at the table, Jesus turned their earthly kingdom thoughts of achievement upside down. He still does. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! Matthew 18:1-7 Everyone one of us has taken a stumble. Jesus said they ‘are bound to come.’ My little two-year-old granddaughter took a nasty fall the other day and hurt her head. She was playing on a small plastic slide and fell from the top of the slide onto the floor. She was crying, and her parents comforted her. After a little while, she got back up and quietly got back into life. I wonder what she learned? Maybe that this world is not as safe as she once thought it was. My daughter and her husband didn’t maliciously set up the slide with the intent of her falling. It was an accident, but they felt bad for what had happened. They could have prevented it by not having a slide, not allowing her to try new things. Wrapping people in cotton wool chokes out the discovery of life. That delightful two old will have many other stumbles in her life, but woe to anyone who sets out to cause her to stumble. Where has the little one stumbled I think we all have stumbled and fallen. Something has tripped us up. Hopefully not with malicious intent, but we have all tripped up in our thinking somewhere along the line. We heard one thing and interpreted it possibly in a manner that it wasn’t intended to be understood, especially by God.  We have interpreted the experience in the most obvious childlike way. Children are excellent recorders of their experiences but poor interpreters. David Riddell Some time ago, I watched a teacher berate a child within their care. It was, to be blunt, a shaming exercise and spoke more about the angry world within the teacher’s thinking than about the slight misdemeanor of the child. But I wonder if the child took the abuse to heart, whether it added on top of any other experiences of being told they stupid. We all have bad hair days, but we need to be aware that explosions spill over to others and trigger responses in them. Willing to become a little one If there is a consistent barrier that I have come across in helping people, it is the resistance to becoming like a child and examining and reinterpreting early life experiences in the light of God’s truth about us. I think it has something to do with not wanting to admit to ourselves and others that we got it wrong. Or that someone has wronged us. We would much rather fix the now, but those earliest conclusions will echo and ghost us until we give them a reason for them not to be around. This requires self-examination, work, the forgiveness of self and others, and being open to new truth. It might mean we come face to face with how we have acted out of our own hurt, which has meant hurt for others. It might mean being honest with our own failings, not just on a surface level but on a level where we feel deep shame and guilt. As I say, it might just mean learning to forgive and have self-compassion. Jesus said we have to become humble like a child. Starting over as a little one I would love to have a time machine to go back to certain times in my life where I stumbled in my thinking. Where I misinterpreted what happened as a child and put a negative twist on something, and I started developing a thinking track that got deeper and deeper, stronger and stronger. I want to become like a child again. To have my brain be like a sponge that is open and ready for the truth. I want to be a child in the presence of Jesus, the lover of children. Perhaps Jesus would talk about the many places where the stumbles happened, and seeds were sown into the thinking. Becoming like a little child – simple, open, soft, and malleable. It’s being open to thinking differently about life. It’s seeing that some of your core beliefs were founded on stumbling moments. Moments that need a new understanding. Just as when you were a little child, and you interpreted an event in a certain that led you off in a certain thinking track, it’s now time to interpret similar feeling events with new insights. Rehearsing the truth Children rehearse things until they get them right. They take a few steps and fall. Crawl a while; then they try again. That brain is laying out a new fiber network. They get back up on their feet and try to walk again. They practice and practice until they walk freely and easily. None of that crawling business anymore. A child wants to learn to play the guitar. A few basic chords, a strum, and many repeated experiences can play a simple song. Eventually, with enough work and effort, they can play complex tunes. What are the words you have been rehearsing through the network of your brain from an early age? Your thinking compass One of the ways I think Spirit (Holy) does this is that we are brought to places where the invite is given to explore our inner dialogue and story. Our life gets interrupted by an event. It could be a sentence we hear, a quote, a verse of scripture, something someone says to us, a trauma. If you’re listening, – Let anyone with ears listen!  ( listening is a spiritual practice), then you will learn to hear the whispers of Spirit saying, ‘This is for you.’ You take that seed of truth, and you nourish it, meditate on it, and grow it into your thinking. It becomes an antidote to the thinking that you stumbled over as a child. You build it into your daily meditative life. I have an audio version of my thinking compass that I listen to every day. I am slowly and surely rewiring my brain. Removing the stumbling blocks and seeing my path clearer and cleaner than ever before. Learning how to do this is part of my Dig Yourself Out of the Hole course Stop the stumble Do you keep stumbling over the same old tripping hazards? Perhaps it’s time for you to pray and ask Spirit to illuminate your path, to point out the old ways that need new roadworks. It’s work, but it’s good work. Quotes to consider The daily debrief around the dinner table can prevent wrong conclusions taking root in a child’s heart. David Riddell Children can grow into their labels. Distinguish between their worth, and their behavior when rebuke is called for. David Riddell Labeling children is the most natural thing in the world. It is also the most destructive as the child grows into the label. How does ‘idiot’ help a child to think more clearly? David Riddell Questions to answer Where have you stumbled in your thinking? What rises up in you when you see someone being lead astray or having stumbling blocks and trip hazards put in their way? Why is there a resistance to becoming like a little one? Further reading Barry Pearman Photo by Jonathan Weiss on Unsplash

We have all been a little one, a child, and we stumble, but we can grow from the stumbles, and we can learn new truth and find new hope. I've heard many stories of abuse, but some of the worst are when subtle little lies have, with organized precision, been sewn into a child's life. It's evil. Knowing the vulnerability of a child's mind to learning and absorbing new information and behaviors, someone has, with malicious intent, corrupted a mind made in the image of God. Those lies take root and grow into deformed thinking and behaviors far from God's intended delight. I've seen adults with low IQ, intellectually challenged and disabled, being taken advantage of because of their child-like naivety. It was repugnant and evil. I called the Police, but nothing could be done. Then there is another kind of abuse—the one where the child receives messages from another hurting human. Hurt people hurt people. The child hears the messages – verbal and non-verbal and believes them as truth. Words that couldn't be taken back and words that dug deep into the soul of that little child. A thinking track is laid down in the child's mind. A small little tiny microscopic pathway, and then the next day, another abuse is added to the brain. This neurological pathway in the brain is gaining strength. That soft, malleable brain takes its cues from the environment around it and shapes its pathways according to what it's been told. Stumbling blocks and Millstones When the followers of Jesus wanted to know who was the greatest, the one who got the pride of place position at the table, Jesus turned their earthly kingdom thoughts of achievement upside down. He still does. At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child, whom he put among them, and said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of stumbling blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling block comes! Matthew 18:1-7 Everyone one of us has taken a stumble. Jesus said they ‘are bound to come.' My little two-year-old granddaughter took a nasty fall the other day and hurt her head. She was playing on a small plastic slide and fell from the top of the slide onto the floor. She was crying, and her parents comforted her. After a little while, she got back up and quietly got back into life. I wonder what she learned? Maybe that this world is not as safe as she once thought it was. My daughter and her husband didn't maliciously set up the slide with the intent of her falling. It was an accident, but they felt bad for what had happened. They could have prevented it by not having a slide, not allowing her to try new things. Wrapping people in cotton wool chokes out the discovery of life. That delightful two old will have many other stumbles in her life, but woe to anyone who sets out to cause her to stumble. Where has the little one stumbled I think we all have stumbled and fallen. Something has tripped us up. Hopefully not with malicious intent, but we have all tripped up in our thinking somewhere along the line. We heard one thing and interpreted it possibly in a manner that it wasn't intended to be understood, especially by God.  We have interpreted the experience in the most obvious childlike way. Children are excellent recorders of their experiences but poor interpreters. David Riddell Some time ago, I watched a teacher berate a child within their care. It was, to be blunt, a shaming exercise and spoke more about the angry world within the teacher's thinking than about the slight misdemeanor of the child. But I wonder if the child took the abuse to heart, whether it added on top of any other experiences of being told they stupid. We all have bad hair days, but we need to be aware that explosions spill over to others and trigger responses in them. Willing to become a little one If there is a consistent barrier that I have come across in helping people, it is the resistance to becoming like a child and examining and reinterpreting early life experiences in the light of God's truth about us. I think it has something to do with not wanting to admit to ourselves and others that we got it wrong. Or that someone has wronged us. We would much rather fix the now, but those earliest conclusions will echo and ghost us until we give them a reason for them not to be around. This requires self-examination, work, the forgiveness of self and others, and being open to new truth. It might mean we come face to face with how we have acted out of our own hurt, which has meant hurt for others. It might mean being honest with our own failings, not just on a surface level but on a level where we feel deep shame and guilt. As I say, it might just mean learning to forgive and have self-compassion. Jesus said we have to become humble like a child. Starting over as a little one I would love to have a time machine to go back to certain times in my life where I stumbled in my thinking. Where I misinterpreted what happened as a child and put a negative twist on something, and I started developing a thinking track that got deeper and deeper, stronger and stronger. I want to become like a child again. To have my brain be like a sponge that is open and ready for the truth. I want to be a child in the presence of Jesus, the lover of children. Perhaps Jesus would talk about the many places where the stumbles happened, and seeds were sown into the thinking. Becoming like a little child – simple, open, soft, and malleable. It's being open to thinking differently about life. It's seeing that some of your core beliefs were founded on stumbling moments. Moments that need a new understanding. Just as when you were a little child, and you interpreted an event in a certain that led you off in a certain thinking track, it's now time to interpret similar feeling events with new insights. Rehearsing the truth Children rehearse things until they get them right. They take a few steps and fall. Crawl a while; then they try again. That brain is laying out a new fiber network. They get back up on their feet and try to walk again. They practice and practice until they walk freely and easily. None of that crawling business anymore. A child wants to learn to play the guitar. A few basic chords, a strum, and many repeated experiences can play a simple song. Eventually, with enough work and effort, they can play complex tunes. What are the words you have been rehearsing through the network of your brain from an early age? Your thinking compass One of the ways I think Spirit (Holy) does this is that we are brought to places where the invite is given to explore our inner dialogue and story. Our life gets interrupted by an event. It could be a sentence we hear, a quote, a verse of scripture, something someone says to us, a trauma. If you're listening, – Let anyone with ears listen!  ( listening is a spiritual practice), then you will learn to hear the whispers of Spirit saying, ‘This is for you.' You take that seed of truth, and you nourish it, meditate on it, and grow it into your thinking. It becomes an antidote to the thinking that you stumbled over as a child. You build it into your daily meditative life. I have an audio version of my thinking compass that I listen to every day. I am slowly and surely rewiring my brain. Removing the stumbling blocks and seeing my path clearer and cleaner than ever before. Learning how to do this is part of my Dig Yourself Out of the Hole course Stop the stumble Do you keep stumbling over the same old tripping hazards? Perhaps it's time for you to pray and ask Spirit to illuminate your path, to point out the old ways that need new roadworks. It's work, but it's good work. Quotes to consider The daily debrief around the dinner table can prevent wrong conclusions taking root in a child's heart. David Riddell Children can grow into their labels. Distinguish between their worth, and their behavior when rebuke is called for. David Riddell Labeling children is the most natural thing in the world. It is also the most destructive as the child grows into the label. How does ‘idiot' help a child to think more clearly? David Riddell Questions to answer Where have you stumbled in your thinking? What rises up in you when you see someone being lead astray or having stumbling blocks and trip hazards put in their way? Why is there a resistance to becoming like a little one? Further reading Barry Pearman Photo by Jonathan Weiss on Unsplash

In this episode I explore whether or not we are actually following orthodoxy or Jesus. I take a look at the Sermon on the Mount to unpack a series of ideas Jesus deconstructs and reinterprets in himself. Perhaps Jesus gives us a model for moving forward in reinterpreting his way and the bible in our context. 

Perhaps Jesus is not giving an invitation for men to prove their devotion, but rather to admit that they are sick and in need of a physician.

Perhaps Jesus isn't calling us to confess our sins but more so to have an open mind. 

Life can be tough at times, but to have someone come close and tell you that you’re doing ok can bring deep reassurance and a sense of being centered. Sometimes you need to be told that you’re doing ok. They were in a time in their life when it felt like they were in a bubbling cauldron of change. It was bubbling away, and life threw challenge after challenge at them. It was stressful, and they felt it in their body. They felt tired and needed a place to rest. Then questions started to rise within their thinking. Did they make the right decision? Perhaps they weren’t meant to be doing this? Maybe they don’t have what it takes? Thoughts started to spiral downward. Depression and anxiety began to sneak in the back door. I was watching my friend slowly and steadily lose their way off the path. I reached out, placed my hand on their shoulder, and told them they were doing ok. ‘Am I really?’ was the response, but looking in my eyes and feeling the affirming touch of my hand, they knew that they weren’t alone. You’re Doing Ok’ I think we all need people in our lives that can reassure us that were doing ok. It’s the comparison game that can trip us up. We compare ourselves to others, or more likely to what others present to us. We also compare ourselves to our younger years when we had all that energy and dreams and goals. Or it might be a comparison to some future years where we have dreams and aspirations but seemingly never come to be. But to be ok, in this present moment as you read this, well, that is the secret. We all need someone who can understand the story and appreciate the work of life. Someone who can say, ‘I see you, I know you, I am with you, and you’re doing ok.’ This isn’t rocket science either. It doesn’t take much to offer the other person a ‘with you’ moment. That ‘With you’ moment There is one phrase that covers the whole story of the Bible. It’s part of the BIG STORY. The meta-narrative that our little stories of three score years plus ten (more or less) comprise a stage scene. It’s the ‘with you’ moment. In prosperity and poverty, in anxiety and depression, in moments where you feel completely abandoned and alone, in times of betrayal, loss, shame, guilt, and pain. There is one whisper that shouts through creation. ‘I am with you.’ I tangibly feel it when another flawed and failing human being reaches out a hand, listens to the story, touches my heart, and says, ‘You’re doing ok. It’s a grounding in the reality of us all being on a darkly lit path. What do they know You may scream internally at these three words. ‘Well, what do they know! Do they know about this and that? They may not know all the dirt you have to shovel through, but perhaps what they are offering is that from their limited point of view that they want to offer a gift of solidarity, not solutions. This may be the time where you can ask if you can share something of the ongoing story. The struggle of the moment. That expression of not feeling ok. Discovering a ‘warm your heart’ walk It’s a beautiful story of two travelers who were not doing ok. They were hurting and confused. They had seen an innocent man put to death. Crucified. In their struggle, one came alongside and expressed that they were doing ok in light of all the struggle. They had a ‘with you’ moment of warm fellowship. That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was. He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?” They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Luke 24:13-35 Sometimes we don’t recognize the stranger that comes alongside us and offers us that heartfelt compansion in the ‘You’re doing ok’ community. There is a desire still in the heart of the Christ to come alongside the weary, the confused, the downtrodden. Perhaps Jesus comes in the presence of someone like you. Oh yes, and there are times when people are not doing ok, and you need to be equally gentle and loving and show a storied interest in the path they are on.  Quotes to consider The lamp for our path illumines our next step but leaves much ahead, beside, and behind in darkness. Change from the inside out will always be, in the final analysis, a work of God and must therefore remain a mystery. Remembering this can help us keep realistic expectations of any teaching on change as well as reverence for the God whose ways are far above ours. Larry Crabb Inside Out. Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread. D.T. Niles No one person can fulfill all your needs. But the community can truly hold you. The community can let you experience the fact that, beyond your anguish, there are human hands that hold you and show you God’s faithful love. Henri Nouwen inner voice of love When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. Henri J.M. Nouwen Questions to consider Who in your life needs to hear the words ‘You’re doing ok? Why do we strive for independence when we were created for interdependence? What would it be like to be told that ‘You’re doing ok? Further reading Barry Pearman Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash

Life can be tough at times, but to have someone come close and tell you that you’re doing ok can bring deep reassurance and a sense of being centered. Sometimes you need to be told that you’re doing ok. They were in a time in their life when it felt like they were in a bubbling cauldron of change. It was bubbling away, and life threw challenge after challenge at them. It was stressful, and they felt it in their body. They felt tired and needed a place to rest. Then questions started to rise within their thinking. Did they make the right decision? Perhaps they weren’t meant to be doing this? Maybe they don’t have what it takes? Thoughts started to spiral downward. Depression and anxiety began to sneak in the back door. I was watching my friend slowly and steadily lose their way off the path. I reached out, placed my hand on their shoulder, and told them they were doing ok. ‘Am I really?’ was the response, but looking in my eyes and feeling the affirming touch of my hand, they knew that they weren’t alone. You’re Doing Ok’ I think we all need people in our lives that can reassure us that were doing ok. It’s the comparison game that can trip us up. We compare ourselves to others, or more likely to what others present to us. We also compare ourselves to our younger years when we had all that energy and dreams and goals. Or it might be a comparison to some future years where we have dreams and aspirations but seemingly never come to be. But to be ok, in this present moment as you read this, well, that is the secret. We all need someone who can understand the story and appreciate the work of life. Someone who can say, ‘I see you, I know you, I am with you, and you’re doing ok.’ This isn’t rocket science either. It doesn’t take much to offer the other person a ‘with you’ moment. That ‘With you’ moment There is one phrase that covers the whole story of the Bible. It’s part of the BIG STORY. The meta-narrative that our little stories of three score years plus ten (more or less) comprise a stage scene. It’s the ‘with you’ moment. In prosperity and poverty, in anxiety and depression, in moments where you feel completely abandoned and alone, in times of betrayal, loss, shame, guilt, and pain. There is one whisper that shouts through creation. ‘I am with you.’ I tangibly feel it when another flawed and failing human being reaches out a hand, listens to the story, touches my heart, and says, ‘You’re doing ok. It’s a grounding in the reality of us all being on a darkly lit path. What do they know You may scream internally at these three words. ‘Well, what do they know! Do they know about this and that? They may not know all the dirt you have to shovel through, but perhaps what they are offering is that from their limited point of view that they want to offer a gift of solidarity, not solutions. This may be the time where you can ask if you can share something of the ongoing story. The struggle of the moment. That expression of not feeling ok. Discovering a ‘warm your heart’ walk It’s a beautiful story of two travelers who were not doing ok. They were hurting and confused. They had seen an innocent man put to death. Crucified. In their struggle, one came alongside and expressed that they were doing ok in light of all the struggle. They had a ‘with you’ moment of warm fellowship. That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was. He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?” They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Luke 24:13-35 Sometimes we don’t recognize the stranger that comes alongside us and offers us that heartfelt compansion in the ‘You’re doing ok’ community. There is a desire still in the heart of the Christ to come alongside the weary, the confused, the downtrodden. Perhaps Jesus comes in the presence of someone like you. Oh yes, and there are times when people are not doing ok, and you need to be equally gentle and loving and show a storied interest in the path they are on.  Quotes to consider The lamp for our path illumines our next step but leaves much ahead, beside, and behind in darkness. Change from the inside out will always be, in the final analysis, a work of God and must therefore remain a mystery. Remembering this can help us keep realistic expectations of any teaching on change as well as reverence for the God whose ways are far above ours. Larry Crabb Inside Out. Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread. D.T. Niles No one person can fulfill all your needs. But the community can truly hold you. The community can let you experience the fact that, beyond your anguish, there are human hands that hold you and show you God’s faithful love. Henri Nouwen inner voice of love When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. Henri J.M. Nouwen Questions to consider Who in your life needs to hear the words ‘You’re doing ok? Why do we strive for independence when we were created for interdependence? What would it be like to be told that ‘You’re doing ok? Further reading Barry Pearman Photo by Andriyko Podilnyk on Unsplash

Sharing Timeless truths from the life of our Lord in under 5 minutes daily... Welcome back to 40 days with Christ! Today is day #13! Let's start off with prayer. Father in Heaven, You are mighty and magnificent, an ever-present help in time of need to those who love you. Please help us to truly love You! In Jesus name we pray. Amen. Yesterday Jesus was on the way to the house of Jairus when he stopped to recognize someone who had touched his cloak in the crowd. Our reading today is Mark chapter 5 verses 35 through 42. SCRIPTURE - Mark 5:35-42* 35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?” 36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don't be afraid; just believe.” 37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. DISCUSSION What might have been going through the mind of Jairus when people from his own house came to tell him not to bother the teacher any longer? His daughter was dead. It was "too late". Jesus told him not to be afraid - to just believe - and so he continued to walk with Jesus to his house. When they arrived they already heard crying and wailing. Perhaps Jesus had already healed her from afar for he told them she was not dead but asleep! They laughed at him. How completely astonished they were when he told her to get up and she immediately stood up and began walking around! Too late for Jesus? Not by a long shot! Don't EVER let ANYONE tell you that you're “too far gone” for Jesus to help you! Things may seem hopeless. Others around you may even be laughing in disbelief. But the real truth is this. No matter what you've done… No matter where you've been… No matter how far you've fallen… It is NEVER “too late” for JESUS! Let's pray, Jesus: You have the power to meet our deepest needs. No matter how bad things get… No matter how far gone or hopeless we may feel… Please help us to remember that it is never too late for us to come to you and for you to put things back into their rightful place. It is never too late for us to put things at your feet and under your control. And we pray this in Jesus name. AMEN! Thanks so much for joining us. May you have a very very good day and I hope to see you again tomorrow for day 14 of our ongoing series 40 days with Christ. * New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Perhaps Jesus's favorite and most confounding teaching tool is the parable. He uses parables to help demonstrate the tangibility and reality of God's Kingdom on Earth. But despite their presumed accessibility, parables continue to be some of the most confusing and controversial aspects of his teachings. Why did Jesus choose such methods? What should we be looking for in his parables so many centuries later? In this episode, Warren and Rachel preview an upcoming sermon series by asking such questions and touching on the intense depth of what can sometimes seem like simple stories. They are found to be anything but simple.

Sermon ManuscriptIntroductionOne of the early church fathers, Tertullian, famously wrote “The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church.”A Christian martyr is someone who is killed because of their faith in Christ. Tertullian was saying that the church grows not despite the fact that Christians are martyred. No, rather God uses their blood to further his church.It's counter intuitive to think about, but it has been so true throughout the ages.• Today, the persecution and murder of Christians in North Korea, in China, in Africa, in the Middle East - God is using to fulfill his purposes in the church.• The martyr of Christians all throughout the Soviet Union just over 100 years ago, God used to further his church• The blood of martyrs during the time of the pre-reformation and reformation… all over Europe and north Africa, God accomplished his purposes in a great awakening of his church• The first 3 centuries of the church witnessed great persecution and martyrdom – all throughout the Roman Empire and Mediterranean. And God used it to solidify, unite and expand his church.• Many of the apostles themselves were killed for their faith, testifying to Christ. People witness their great testimony of faith… and their blood strengthened and laid the foundation to the church.And it goes all the way back to here. To Acts 6 and 7. To Stephen. His name in the Greek means crown. Stephen is the first Martyr of the Christian Church. the first one to wear the martyr's crown in the presence of His savior in heaven.And through this horrible sin-filled sequence of events, culminating in Stephen's death. God was at work in several ways. We'll see a couple of them later in our passage.It all began with one of the seven. Last week, we studied the appointment of Stephen and 6 others to serve. They were all full of wisdom and the Spirit. Here in chapter 6 verse 8, it affirms Stephen as “full of grace and power” God's grace, and God's power. It's been on display for everyone to see and experience. Over the weeks and months following his appointment. Stephen grew in wisdom and in the Spirit… and just like the apostles, he became well known for how the Lord was using him. But many of the Jews were not happy about it.It's now been several months since Jesus' ascension to heaven, likely even a couple years. The believers in Christ are no longer this small little sect of Judaism. No, they had grown considerably in Jerusalem and the surrounding Judean area. I read one estimate… that at this time, there were as many as 20-30,000 believers.Because of God's work through Stephen… not only did the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem hate him, but many of the Greek speaking Jewish people also opposed him. We see that in verse 9. The list of communities there are all Hellenist Jews – Greek speaking Jews from different regions and backgrounds… but they were still very religious.Of course they were opposed to Stephen. Through his witness and the witness of countless others, many of their own people were believing in Jesus as the promised one, the Messiah. Believing that their Scriptures were fulfilled in Christ. Not only that, but if you remember from last week's text, many of the priests believed. These Jesus followers were undermining everything the Jews stood for.We're only 6 to 7 chapters into Acts… and we've already seen an escalating opposition to the church. From warnings, to imprisonments, to trials, to even one instance where the apostles were beaten – that's in chapter 5 verse 40.For the Jewish people, it was time to put an end to these Jesus followers.Here's the progression of their opposition… • They stirred up dissent, • they then seized Stephen, • next, they brought him to the High Priest. That's the beginning of chapter 7…. where Stephen preached, defending his beliefs. Which only stirred the pot more. • Then mob rules kicked in. And Stephen is then dragged out of the city and stoned to death. • That's when the believers are scattered.You can see that progression in the outline. Stirring, Seizing, Stoning, and ScatteringStirring and Seizing (Acts 6:8-15)They could not withstand Stephen's wisdom and the Spirit he had. Verse 10.We get no sense here that these people even considered that maybe Stephen was right.When we think about sharing our faith… often we say to ourselves… if I'm just thoughtful enough, people will believe. If I say things in the right way, make the best argument, surely they will believe. Right? Do you think that or have you thought that? Well, no. That's not how it works. It takes a change of heart. Yes, we should be sensitive and caring, but we can't tiptoe around matters of sin and belief. Conviction of sin and repentance is part of believing. Being bold is part of evangelism. Stephen boldly declared the truth. Many were coming to faith… but not these people. Everything Stephen was saying threatened them… their beliefs and their control.They completely rejected Stephen – really, they were rejecting God and His word.So what did they do. They “secretly instigated men” verse 11… spreading rumors and stirring up dissent… verse 12. The set up false witnesses… verse 13. They weren't interested in the truth. They weren't interested in a lawful process. No, they wanted to build momentum and consensus in whatever way they could. Lying and denying and instigating.The irony is they broke the 9th commandment, “thou shall not bear false witness” but accused Stephen as the one violating the law.They were stirring the pot, bringing things to a boil. It was all dishonest and disingenuous. They wanted their way, and didn't care how they accomplished it.What a contrast to what we studied last week! The care and unity displayed in the church compared to the hate and dishonesty in these verses.In fact, there's a lot of contrasts going on here.Look at Stephen! • He was full of grace - they were full of hate. • He was caring for the people – they were stirring up the people. • He was heralding God's Word. They were rejecting God's Word. • Even his countenance was peaceful, verse 15, while they were visibly angry. Chapter 7:54 …griding their teeth, they are so enraged.• Stephen sought the peace and unity of the church… while this man named Saul wanted to tear apart the church.Stephen is a model of Christ for us. All throughout he reflected Christ's life. One commentator I read noted 10 parallels in chapter 6 and 7 between Stephen and Jesus. Just in these first verses in chapter 6… • both were charged with blasphemy, • both suffer the testimony of false witnesses. • Both were full of grace and power, • both displayed signs and wonders. • Both were filled with the Holy Spirit.When you are confronted about what you believe... how do you respond? We all have a temptation to dig in our heels… Or raise our voices... Or try to control the conversation…. Or punch back with retorts… or dismiss or be defensive. In those situations, we can still be bold, but do so full of grace and joy.For the teenagers here. Some of you already know this. The first few times that your faith is questioned… it's really easy to be defensive. After all, someone is questioning something you believe in. Rather than being defensive… Be gentle and joyful like Stephen. It reflects Christ. I learned this the hard way. One time, many years ago, I was having lunch with a couple friend who were not believer in Christ. I brought up faith, and I remember the conversation getting intense. It wasn't heated, but one of my friends said something like, “I can tell you're really passionate about your faith, but you're being kind of pushy… and it pushes me away” A wake up call for me. 1 Peter 3 is a well known passage about standing up for our faith.... But listen to this. “always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” Look at Stephen's witness in the midst of the false charges and slander. Verse 15. “and gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” He believed in the promises of Christ. He wasn't naive… no, he knew what's likely to happen. But he was joyful in Christ. Stephen was resting in his security in Christ. The Holy Spirit was powerfully at work in him all the way to his death. The joy and the peace that he had is what we need.Stoning and Scattering (Acts 7:54-8:3)Now, fast forward to the end of chapter 7. Stephen had just preached an amazing sermon. He testified to three things: first, that God's promises to Abraham are fulfilled in Christ, second, how Christ fulfilled the law of Moses, and third, how even the temple itself was fulfilled in Christ. We'll get to those next week.And we want these people to believe. Stephen wanted them to know Christ. But as he continued to expound the Scriptures… there was no believing. He could visibly see it. In their hard hearts, they rejected God and his church. And Stephen called them out.We didn't read verse 51, but he called out their persecution, and how their fathers also rejected the prophets – then he landed the punch. They rejected the Righteous One, Jesus, whom they betrayed and murdered. In other words, they were complicit, just as their forefathers were, in rejecting the law and God, and the Promised One.This enraged them.Kind of like road rage times 100. Verse 54, they were so angry, the ground their teeth at him. Their jaws were clenched… they were holding themselves back. When we get really angry, we often have a physiological reaction… our ears turn red, we shake, our fists clench, our eyes turn to daggers.What did them in was Stephen's vision. He described that he saw, “Jesus, the Son of Man, standing at the right hand of God, the Father.” That was it! Utter blasphemy. Stephen claimed that Jesus was in heaven with God as God.They snapped. They rushed at him, yelling while holding their ears… because they didn't want to hear any more. Verse 57.Mob rule took over. There was no more process. They wouldn't hand Stephen over to the Romans. No, his execution was in the hands of the people. They grabbed him, dragged him out of the city. And then began the torturous persecution of stoning. This involved such physical exertion, that they took off their outer garments. They laid them at the feet of one of their own, Saul… verse 58… and then began hurling stones at Stephen.Stoning didn't usually result in an immediate death. It was often slow and painful. It would take multiple hits to his head. But even while he was being stoned, the Lord gave Steohen mercy. He was able to pray to God… he even asked God to have mercy on them.All through the persecution, Stephen submitted willingly. Supernaturally sustained by the Holy Spirit. Just like Stephen's life reflected Christ, so his death reflected his Savior's. We read Luke's account of the crucifixion earlier in the service.• Just as Stephen was cast out of the city, verse 58, so was Jesus, dragged outside the city walls to be crucified • Just as Stephen called out to His Lord to “receive his Spirit”, verse 59, so Jesus called out to the Father committing his spirit.• As Stephen prayed, verse 60, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” So Christ on the cross, prayed “Father, forgive them”You see, with the Holy Spirit in him, Stephen endured his torture and death just as his Savior… even to the point of praying for his persecutors.I think what also gave him strength was knowing who was waiting for him in heaven. Go back again just a few verses, verse 55 and 56. Twice it speaks of Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. First describing what Stephen saw and second as Stephen conveyed what he saw to this tribunal. Did you notice, Christ was standing, not sitting. This is the only place in Scripture where Jesus is standing, not sitting, next to the Father in heaven. That's out of about 15 references to Jesus at God's right hand. And Stephen saw Christ. Saw his Lord, moments before the mob would rush him. And Jesus was standing… • perhaps in honor of this first Martyr of the church• perhaps to indicate to Stephen that he was waiting for him in heaven. Waiting to give him the crown of life. Knowing that his faithful servant, Stephen, is only moments away from entering his presence in heaven. • Perhaps Jesus is standing as judge over the persecutors… that's conveyed in the title Son of Man, a reference to Daniel chapter 7, describing the mighty Son of Man with all power and all authority to rule and reign and judge. • Perhaps Jesus stood for all those above.But through this vision, and through His Spirit, Jesus gave Stephen His peace and grace to endure this death, just as He himself endured the cross.What an amazing testimony… it points us to the cross, to our savior, to his forgiveness… to even our own complicity in His death, but God's grace. And in chapter 8 verse 2, “great lamentations were made.” Of course. Stephen had risen to a place of prominence. He was a faithful servant, known by many, with all his wisdom, being filled by the Spirit. He modelled for them in his life and in his death, what it means to serve his Savior, to be fully committed to His Lord, to boldly declare the hope of Christ, and to die as our Savior died… Stephen's testimony strengthened them in their faith and through their trials.This first martyrdom was a spark of violence that burst into a raging flame. Chapter 8 verse 1 says “A great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem.” The tension had built and the flood gates opened. And this man named Saul became the chief instigator. It says he was “ravaging the church.” verse 3… he was going door to door, with his thugs, dragging men and women off to prison for believing in Christ. Torturing the church. And the Christians scattered.In your mind, I want you to imagine being part of the early church in Jerusalem. Everything seemed to be going well. Yes, there was some opposition, but they had been fellowshipping together, worshipping together, caring for one another, the church community was growing like wild-fire. And then… this. The fiery furnace of persecution. Imagine what they must have felt. Perhaps that it was all over. Maybe they felt that God had left them. And they all fled Jerusalem.In 1555, there was only 1 known protestant church in all of France. But God had given a vision to a great French man, who lived just over the border of France… in Geneva Switzerland. This man so desired to see the Gospel penetrate his homeland that he trained up thousands of Christian missionaries. Many came from France to Geneva to learn the Scriptures, so that they could bring the Gospel home and plant churches and see many come to faith. This man had one of the greatest missionary hearts… and his school was perhaps the greatest missionary school in all of church history. Who was he? His name was John Calvin. France went from 1 church in 1555 to an estimated 2000 churches in less than years. 10% of the population in France were believers in Christ. Hundreds of thousands believed in Christ. They were known as the Huguenots.What happened? A great persecution arose in France. Many Christians were thrown in prison.Calvin was very burdened by this. He wrote many letters to these believers in prison.In one of them he wrote: “at this present hour; necessity itself exhorts you more than ever to turn your whole mind toward heaven. …it appears as though God would use your blood to seal His truth.” Calvin went on in his letter, encouraging them to prepare themselves, to seek the Lord's help, to subdue their hearts and minds for what would likely come to pass. He closed by writing this, “Since it pleases God to use your death in maintaining His [Gospel] battle, He will strengthen your hands in the fight and will not suffer a single drop of your blood to be shed in vain.”In 1572, about 70,000 believers in Christ were martyred in France. But over the ensuing years 500,000 Christians fled France and scattered all throughout Europe, Africa, and the new world. They brought the Gospel to places that had yet to hear the hope of Christ.“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”Do you see God's purposes in allowing Stephen's martyrdom? The second half of chapter 8, verse 1, “they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” The apostles remained in Jerusalem… there was more work to be done, but the church was scattered. Where? All throughout Judea and Samaria. God used Stephen's death and the great persecution that followed to accomplish the next step in Jesus' commission in Acts 1:8. You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and then Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The reverberations continue today… from Stephen's martyrdom, and the apostles soon thereafter, and the believers killed in the Roman empire, and so many of the reformers, and the French Huguenots, and the many others… We are here today in part because of their sacrifice for the Gospel.But something else was also going on.The Lord heard Stephen's final prayer. “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” He was praying for the very ones who were stoning him and present there and approving of his execution.This man, Saul, who was growing in dominance and power, who was the one leading this great persecution, God had great plans for him. The believers didn't know it, yet… but through Stephen's prayer God would answer in the most unlikely way… He would transformation Saul's life. God would pour out his great grace, and His Spirit upon this man. He would become the apostle Paul, the great missionary, the greatest apostle, the human author of 13 books of the Bible.Beloved, we do not know what God has in store for each of us, for our church, for the church throughout the world. But even through the tragedies, the grief, the persecution, and even the martyrdom… God is at work.

Well, it happened. Blake finally revealed the big bad of this entire campaign. Is it Santa himself? Perhaps Jesus? No, instead the Boss Baby is about to go toe-to-toe with the child eating, cookie craving monster known as KRAMPUS! Watch as Scottye shows off his puzzle-building skills and Blake slowly unravels before our very eyes! Remember to send in your ideas for the show to us on Twitter @ALoadOfPureBS or email us at ALoadOfPureBS@gmail.com! Support our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ALoadofBS (https://www.patreon.com/ALoadofBS) Pick up some BS merch: https://merch.aloadofpurebs.com/ (https://merch.aloadofpurebs.com/)

What if you thought of the command to love your enemies as loving them as your family. Perhaps Jesus meant for you to act that way.

In Matthew 14, we read of the encounter the Disciples have with Jesus while he was walking on water. It reads: And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. This has always been an interesting teaching moment for me. The part that still sticks in my mind is when Jesus admonished Peter for having little faith. I mean, the man did have enough faith to step out of the boat, right? The other disciples lacked that courage. When I was younger, I always felt bad for Peter. I felt like maybe Jesus was a little hard on him. But as I’ve read this passage over time, I realize a couple of things. First of all, Jesus didn’t rebuke Peter until he had rescued him. It was after Jesus took hold of Peter’s hand. This should bring us a sense of courage in and of itself. Jesus won’t let us drown, even if our faith falters. The second thing I have come to learn is that Jesus wasn’t admonishing Peter’s lack of faith, it was actually the fact that Peter’s faith was so fleeting. Remember last week when we discussed Jesus’ miracle of feeding the multitudes? Peter was there for that. This encounter on the sea is mere hours after this incredible miracle that they were a part of! Perhaps Jesus wasn’t admonishing Peter for needing more faith. He was just reminding Peter that the same faith that allows us to see Jesus perform one miracle is all we need to see him perform the next. We don’t need to read this passage and ask for more faith. No, I believe we can read this passage and ask Jesus to allow us to remember how he has proven our faith again and again. Then, in moments of doubt, amidst the crashing waves, we know that our faith is strong enough to stand. After all, Peter did walk with Jesus back to the boat. This Road is a production of Worthwhile.Media Music: Timeless by Soul Shifters Licensed through soundstripe.com – Use code WORTHWHILE to get 10% off your subscription! (Full Disclosure: Using Soundstripe through this link does give Worthwhile Media a small % – Thank you in advance!) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisroad/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thisroad/support

Sermon audioSermon Manuscript:There is an advent hymn that goes like this: “O Savior, rend the heavens wide! Come down, come down with might stride! Unlock the gates, the doors break down! Unbar the way to heaven’s crown.” We have some dramatic imagery here. “Jesus,” the singer says, “Rip the heavens in two as though you were ripping some fabric. With a determined march, looking neither to the left nor to the right, come right down here to us. There are gates and there are doors that are in the way. They are between us and heaven. They are between us and God. Kick them down and let us out! There’s a crown for us in heaven, let us get to it.” We do not know when this day will be when Jesus will come. It could be today. It could be this Christmas. Perhaps Jesus will delay his coming for another couple years. But it is coming. Perhaps it won’t come before your body dies and you are placed in a coffin in the ground. With this event, unlike other things that might happen after your death, you won’t be excluded from experiencing it. Jesus says that when he comes down, comes down with mighty stride he will have an alarm clock of sorts. There will be a mighty trumpet that will be blasted by the angels. I wonder what that trumpet will sound like. Jesus will speak with the voice of an archangel. The net result of this is that all those who have died will wake up. The second coming of Christ is an event that all of the creatures whom God has made in his own image are going to participate in whether they are living in that moment or had died thousands of years before. All will participated in it, whether they like it or not, whether they believed that it would happen or not. This is something that God is going to do regardless of whatever anybody else thinks. Unfortunately, there will many people who will want to hide on that great day, but they will find that they won’t be able to. In fact, the Bible seems to indicate that there will be more people who will be wishing that the mountains would fall on them or that the ground would swallow them up, than there will be those who are looking for their crown to be given to them. The fear that is put on display for us as we anticipate the Day of Judgment is tremendous and awe inspiring. It easily holds our attention. But Paul says that this word of condemnation, although tremendously glorious, is actually the lesser glory. The glory of salvation on that day will be so great that the terror of condemnation, although extremely glorious, won’t be able to hold our attention. The glory of the resurrection to eternal life will be so glorious that we won’t even notice the condemnation. It’s like the glory of the moon and the glory of the sun. The moon has a bright countenance and a definite glory. Full moons are impressive. But the moon’s glory is such that when the sun rises in the morning, the moon can no longer even be seen. The moon is often there somewhere in the sky during the day, but we can’t see it. That is how it is now with the thought of condemnation. While we are still making our way through this darkened world, there is nothing that is so captivating to all people as the thought of God’s judgement, of death, of horror, of hell. I can always count on having people’s attention while talking about such things. They might think that I’m crazy, but they can’t help but look at the light of that full moon shining down on them. “But,” Paul says, “we Christians are not preachers of the letter of the Law that kills. We Christians are preachers of the Spirit, who gives life.” The ministry of the Spirit so far surpasses the ministry of the letter that condemnation’s impressiveness is swallowed up by the greater glory of our justification in Christ, God’s only-begotten Son. When the life giving Holy Spirit raises us and all believers in Christ from the dead, we will see him with an unveiled face. We, who have died together with Christ and been raised together with Christ, will see God. We will fully see God, whom the Scriptures say no man may see and live. This is because with the resurrection from the dead we will have been set free from this sin rotted flesh, this old evil heart. This is what makes it so that no man may see God and live. Our wretchedness and incompatibility with God are such that we can never be reformed with any amount of effort. The only way we can even begin to make any kind of step in the right direction is by being dead instead of alive. That is when our flesh will finally no longer be able to sin. But it doesn’t stop there with that first step in the right direction. We die with faith in Christ and his power to save. We know God will be victorious over our death, just as he was victorious over Christ’s death. Then all things will be made new and right. Thus we will find the day of the resurrection from the dead to be the best day that has ever happened to us. Wonderful things will be happening all around us. The sights and the sounds will be tremendous. We will see Jesus Christ our Savior. We will see God’s glory. We will hear and see the angels. We will also find that we are entirely changed within. Our hearts will finally be completely pure and trusting and good. There will be no suspicion or cynicism. We will not be self-conscious anymore. We won’t see our faults. The thing that will fill our hearts is thanksgiving towards God our Creator for the wonderful gifts we will be living in. Like kids on Christmas nobody will have to tell us to be happy. We won’t be able to help ourselves or do anything otherwise. “O Savior, rend the heavens wide. Come down, come down with mighty stride! Unlock the gates, the doors break down! Unbar the way to heaven’s crown!” Now what does this all have to do with our readings today? I’ve just rehearsed some of the facts of the resurrection from the dead, the best day for us creatures since before the fall into sin. Our readings, especially our Old Testament and Gospel readings, are saying something quite different. Our Old Testament reading is what God said to the Israelites at Mt. Sinai, the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt, and thou shalt not.” Our Gospel reading is from Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus is showing us how God’s commandments are rightly understood. We might think that we are in the clear when it comes to the fifth commandment against murder. Jesus says, “No, the commandment is not broken just by the physical act. The commandment is broken by the heart that is angry, by the heart that condemns the other.” So it is with all the commandments as the meanings to the Ten Commandments in Luther’s Small Catechism teach us. “We have the Law to see therein that we have not been free from sin, but also that we clearly see how pure toward God life should be. Have mercy, Lord!” These readings are intimately tied up with the ministry of condemnation, for God’s commandments show us why we die, how we deserve hell, how dreadful the Day of Judgment would otherwise be for us if only our own selves were in the balance apart from the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake. But the real reason why I’ve spoken at such great length about the glories of our resurrection from the dead is so that we can get a proper sense of Paul’s tone in our epistle lesson. The way that our reading begins, we might think that it is just like the other two. Paul asks the rhetorical question: “What then, shall we continue to sin so that grace may abound? By no means!” It sounds as though we are dealing with morality, with what we should and should not do. But what Paul says after this shows that we are not talking in a normal way about morality. He speaks of death and resurrection. He says, “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him by this baptism into his death, so that just as he was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too would also walk in a new life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be united with him in the likeness of his resurrection. We know that our old self was crucified with him, to make our sinful body powerless, so that we would not continue to serve sin. For the person who has died has been declared free from sin. And since we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” The normal way to talk about morality is that it is a matter of personal accomplishment. A person learns what’s right and wrong. Then the person revs up his will power to accomplish what is good by sheer grit and determination. This is the natural and normal way to think about the Law, about what we should and should not do. Paul does not understand the Christian life of good works in this way whatsoever. Where do you see Paul saying that if you believe in yourself and never give up then you can stop sinning? The one who is doing the actions in what Paul says is not you, but rather God. God baptizes. By that baptism God unites you with Christ. In Christ God kills and crucifies you so that your sinful body is brought to nothing. God raises the dead Jesus, so also he raises you. When Jesus was raised from the dead sin and death no longer had control over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all. The life he lives he lives to God. “So also,” Paul says, “You should consider yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” There is a hopefulness in what Paul says that isn’t possible otherwise when you are talking about how people should live. When you are talking about what a person should do and should not do there isn’t much hope. Maybe you can get people to change when there are prying eyes stand at the ready, itching to judge them. When other people are watching people shape up for their own self interest, because they do not want to be ashamed. But what does the person do in secret? And if the person should make a great deal of progress reforming himself isn’t he proud as punch about himself, worshiping himself, singing his own praises? And what about those dark recesses of the heart. Who can root out those burning coals of anger, those slimy thoughts of lust? Anybody who is honest with himself has to agree with what the Scriptures say: All are imprisoned under sin. While I suppose it is a nobler thing to try to rid yourself of your enslavement to sin rather than just leaving it be, that doesn’t mean that you will actually succeed. In fact, you won’t. No matter how hard you try. And the Law will still condemn you after all that striving for personal achievement, because you haven’t done what it says. This rough way of talking is biblical. It is entirely necessary. Without it people will be satisfied with their hypocrisy. It is the ministry of condemnation. But this is not the way that Paul is speaking in our epistle reading. He is not saying, “Try harder.” He certainly isn’t saying, “Reform yourself” or “Believe in yourself.” He is saying, “You have died.” That’s good news, because you certainly couldn’t stop sinning otherwise. And you have not been left in limbo. You have not been left in some in between state. You have been raised together with Christ. You are forgiven and justified for Christ’s sake. You are alive to God in Christ Jesus. Instead of your old evil spirit, you have been given the Holy Spirit, so that you leave behind the works of darkness that are passing away and press forward to the day of the resurrection of all flesh. The glory of the ministry of the Spirit has begun in you. New and even more glorious works of God are right around the corner for you. So why would you go back to those old things that are dying and passing away? What you see here is a different kind of logic for how we might live. There is no “Do this, or else you will be punished!” That is a true word. It is utterly biblical. But it doesn’t apply to you who have been united with Christ in his death and his resurrection. You who believe and are baptized shall be saved. Whoever does not believe will be condemned. So there is no “Do this, or else!” for you. Instead there is a promise of God’s continued working for you and in you. He did not spare his only begotten Son, but sacrificed him for your redemption. He continues to give you his Holy Spirit who fights against the devil, the world, and your sinful flesh. This working of God on your behalf will continue and culminate in the tremendous events of the last day of this earth and the eternal life of the world to come. The strength of the Christian life does not consist in self improvement. It doesn’t consist in feeling good about yourself or bad about yourself. It consists of trusting in God’s working for you and in you for your salvation. It is very necessary for us to hear what God says about our salvation, about the resurrection and all its glories, because such thinking certainly doesn’t come naturally to us. When we think of morality, when we think of judgment, we most easily think about it in terms of willpower and personal achievement. It is not at all natural for us to think of it as God’s working on our behalf in Christ the crucified and resurrected. If we were never told it, we’d never believe that Christ’s death and resurrection could make us one whit better. But in point of fact, it is the only thing that can make anybody truly better. We are declared righteous for Jesus’s sake. We are made alive again in part now by the Holy Spirit’s work of faith, hope, and love in us. We will be perfect and complete when our Savior rends the heavens wide and comes down in mighty stride.

Too often Christians today get the idea that their faith is only between them and God. They speak of a personal relationship with Jesus and don't think that they need other people to be part of their faith journey. But this study of Peter, James, and John show that they were more than just Jesus' Apostles and even more than his inner circle. Jesus depended on them and shared his most intimate and vulnerable moments with them. They were his friends that helped him in his life and ministry. Perhaps Jesus learned of the importance and value from a special friendship in his family, Ruth and Naomi. Regardless, if even Jesus needed Spiritual friends to walk with him, what makes us think we don't need friends to walk with us?

Have you ever been the outcast? The person who was rejected by your family, excluded from your friend group, or divorced by your spouse? You are not alone. The Samaritans were an outcast people, and one Samaritan woman was even outcast by the outcasts. Unlike the other women who would make the daily walk to the well each morning before the blazing heat of the day, this woman went to the well alone at noon because she was rejected, dejected, and unwanted. Amazingly, the only person who sought her out for a relationship was Jesus Christ. Jews did not befriend Samaritans, men did not befriend women, and holy people did not befriend unholy people. Nonetheless, Jesus knew that she needed a healthy, holy, helpful relationship. Perhaps an abuse victim whose father was either dead or a deadbeat, this woman had been divorced five times and was living with a man who did not give her the honor of making any marital commitment to her. Perhaps Jesus would have been the first man in her life to give to her instead of take from her. This scene reveals a number of hope-filled promises: (1) Until our relationship with Jesus is healthy, none of our other relationships will be. (2) Just like our bodies need water, our souls need worship. (3) Worship is not just part of what we do, it’s always what we do. (4) Who or what we worship not only gets us into trouble, worship is what also gets us out of trouble. (5) Under every issue is a worship issue. (6) Jesus is prepared to cross any line to have relationship.

In this message, Ben looks at two accounts in Matthew and John in which Jesus talks about the temple being destroyed and being rebuilt three days later. Perhaps Jesus is doing something new in the church and in our lives during this lockdown season and He is brick-by-brick rebuilding something in our lives. We're asking questions of the government and of God about when and how the lockdown is going to be lifted. Perhaps God is doing something different; perhaps God is turning the question back to us and asking us how we are going to lift our own lockdown and come out the other side better than when we came in.

This message is the first in a series titled "On the Road with Jesus," which covers that middle portion of the Gospel of Luke as Jesus travels from Galilee (home), through Samaria (an unwelcoming land), to Jerusalem (victory). Perhaps Jesus can help us navigate this unwelcome Covid-19 space as we journey from past comfort towards future victory.

Perhaps Jesus most emphatic “I AM” statement came in the face of severe opposition from the Jewish leaders, who challenged His identity and authority. In it, we are reminded that Jesus is the Creator, the Alpha & Omega, Beginning & the End, the First & the Last, YHWH in the flesh. Praise God for Jesus’ “I AM” statements!

Have you ever been the outcast? The person who was rejected by your family, excluded from your friend group, or divorced by your spouse? You are not alone. The Samaritans were an outcast people, and one Samaritan woman was even outcast by the outcasts. Unlike the other women who would make the daily walk to the well each morning before the blazing heat of the day, this woman went to the well alone at noon because she was rejected, dejected, and unwanted. Amazingly, the only person who sought her out for a relationship was Jesus Christ. Jews did not befriend Samaritans, men did not befriend women, and holy people did not befriend unholy people. Nonetheless, Jesus knew that she needed a healthy, holy, helpful relationship. Perhaps an abuse victim whose father was either dead or a deadbeat, this woman had been divorced five times and was living with a man who did not give her the honor of making any marital commitment to her. Perhaps Jesus would have been the first man in her life to give to her instead of take from her. This scene reveals a number of hope-filled promises: (1) Until our relationship with Jesus is healthy, none of our other relationships will be. (2) Just like our bodies need water, our souls need worship. (3) Worship is not just part of what we do, it’s always what we do. (4) Who or what we worship not only gets us into trouble, worship is what also gets us out of trouble. (5) Under every issue is a worship issue. (6) Jesus is prepared to cross any line to have relationship.

March 28 & 29 - (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30) In this startling conversation, Jesus and His disciples were traveling along a foreign road when a local woman began calling out to them. The disciples urged Jesus to send her away. And at first glance, Jesus' reply to this woman appears harsh and insensitive. But what if we took a closer look at what Jesus said? Perhaps Jesus’ reply is more gentle than we realize.

God will meet you where you are! Sometimes when you feel like you're in the wilderness, you're closer to God than you think. Jesus will meet us in the least expected places. In a storm. In the desert. In the valley. Perhaps Jesus wants to show up in your 'wilderness'. Watch for HIM!

Greetings! Welcome to the show! As, always, it is good to have you with us and we sincerely appreciate your tuning in to Lechem Panim. Lechem Panim is the Hebrew phrase for the bread of the presence of God that was in the Tabernacle and later the Temple. And it represented the reality that what we need for everyday life (bread) is found in the presence of God. And Jesus (who called Himself the Bread of Life) was saying that in Him we can have life. And so each week we seek to draw closer to Him through His word so that we can eat that Bread ourselves; but also so that we might share that Bread with the world. Kreisler's Violin-- I'd like to open today with a story I read some time ago. [Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase the beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it.”] It Must Be Shared-- I find it so fascinating how strongly Christianity is associated with music. From the earliest days of Christianity, Christians were known to be men and women who were singing. Other religions have music to some degree, but nothing in comparison to Christianity. There is something about Christianity that (whether through proclamation or through music) is not content to remain in storage. It must be shared; it must be declared; it must be proclaimed. The invitation of Jesus is to “Come and See”. But what we find in scripture is that those who “Come and See” also “Go and Tell”. And this is where we find Philip. Philip has caught the music; he has encountered Jesus. And he has to go and tell the world; and he begins with those closest to him, which includes Nathanael. It says in… John 1:45a (NIV)-- 45 Philip found Nathanael… Nathanael/Bartholomew-- Now Nathanael (or Bartholomew), as he is sometimes referred to (Bartholomew simply means “son of Tholomaios”; Bartholomew simply reveals to us who his father was), [is linked with Philip in all three Synoptic lists of apostles (Matt. 10:3; Mark 3:18; Luke 6:14).] There is a close relationship between these two disciples, which we talked about before. And because of that close relationship, Philip wants Nathanael to know the same hope that he himself has found in this Rabbi named Jesus. So it says in… John 1:45 (NIV)-- 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Philip's Witness-- Now here we see that [When Philip witnessed to Nathanael, the evidence he gave was Moses and the prophets (John 1:45). {We are not sure how Philip was able to connect all these dots. It has been suggested that} Perhaps Jesus gave Philip a “quick course” in the Old Testament messianic prophecies, as He did with the Emmaus disciples (Luke 24:13ff.). {And if so, Philip then relays to Nathanael how Jesus is the fulfillment of those prophecies. And} It is always good to tie our personal witness to the Word of God.] But it is the last title that really throws Nathanael. It is the title Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. He responds… John 1:46a (NIV)— 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. A Region, A City, a Father of Bad Repute-- Now the reason that Nathanael reacts the way that he did was because the Messiah should be from a place like Jerusalem in Judea (somewhere important and religious; where the temple was). Now it would have been bad enough for Jesus to be from Galilee because of the unclean nature of Galilee in general (a place filled with Gentiles and Jews who were perceived to be sub-par because of their having mixed with the Gentiles. That would have been ridiculous enough. But Philip was saying not only that Jesus was from Galilee, but that Jesus was from Nazareth! Now [Nazareth did not have a bad reputation in Jesus' day, but neither did it have a famous reputation. It was a small south Galilee mountain village, a fraction of the size of the modern Arab Christian city {that we see today.] Possum-neck— Now what's the name of the town around here that whenever you want to make fun of a person for being from a small town, you say they are from there? In and around the city where I pastored my first church; Kosciusko, MS (which itself qualifies) was an even much smaller town called Possum-neck. And I'm not sure you can get smaller than Possum-neck, Mississippi. Before the great depression it got large enough to support it's own post office, but has long since faded from that not-so-glorious glory. But Jesus was from Possum-neck, Galilee. I mean this a tiny tiny town. You could throw a frisbee from one side to the other. I mean this place is so small, that for years secular historians and critics called us Christians neanderthalic boneheads and crazy for believing it even existed. But of course the ruins of Nazareth were then discovered. But you can't get more insignificant than Nazareth! It was the Possum-neck of Galilee. Two Skeptical Pharisees-- So Nathanael responds: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” And he's making a joke. “Okay Phillip, who stopped payment on your reality check?” And we probably see some town-rivalry here. I know you guys don't know what that is. It's when one place thinks they are better than another place. It is known in some places as sports. Now Nathanael is no doubt laughing at his own joke. He's very cynical. He's probably thinking, “Yeah, the more Nazarenes I meet, the more I like my dog.” He has a very low opinion of Nazareth. Philip's Invitation-- Now I love Philip because he doesn't suddenly start to explain or get into some sort of theological discussion or try to debate Nathanael. No his response is so simple; and is probably the greatest evangelistic and apologetic call that we can make in our witness for Christ. John 1:46b (NIV)— “Come and see,” said Philip. The Mirrored Call: “Come”-- And that invitation, [“Come and see” is the refrain heard the previous day in Judea (1:39) and now becomes Nathanael's challenge.] And this is the most effective method because it is the one that mirrors most closely the call of Christ Himself. Warren Wiersbe points out that [When Nathanael hesitated and argued, Philip adopted our Lord's own words: “Come and see” (John 1:39). Later on, Jesus would invite, “Come … and drink” (John 7:37), and, “Come and dine” (John 21:12). “Come” is the great invitation of God's grace.] Another author said, [Throughout the Gospel many people will be challenged to “come and see.” Conversion is not about knowledge alone; it is about coming yourself and appropriating a relationship with Jesus personally.] And the question we ought to ask ourselves is, “Have we truly come and experienced Christ personally?” “Do we know of Him; talk about Him? Or do we know Him? Do we talk with Him? The call of Christ is to come and know Him personally. The question is, “Is He personal for us?” The miracle that Jesus Christ offers us is the ability to (at any moment we choose) to come into the presence of God and find forgiveness, healing, and grace. And when we “come and see” our immediate response will be to go and tell what Christ has done for us; to take somebody else by the hand and lead them to Him. The Strongest Argument-- You know, I love studying the historical evidence of the truth of Christianity. I love the field of apologetics. But you know [The strongest argument for the Gospel of Christ is {not argument, but rather} the personal testimony of someone whose life has been changed by it. Charles Bradlaugh, an avowed infidel, once challenged the Rev. H.P. Hughes to a debate. The preacher, who was head of a rescue mission in London, England, accepted the challenge with the condition that he could bring with him 100 men and women who would tell what had happened in their lives since trusting Christ as their Savior. They would be people who once lived in deep sin, some having come from poverty-stricken homes caused by the vices of their parents. Hughes said they would not only tell of their conversion, but would submit to cross-examination by any who doubted their stories. Furthermore, the minister invited his opponent to bring a group of non-believers who could tell how they were helped by their lack of faith. When the appointed day arrived, the preacher came, accompanied by 100 transformed persons. But Bradlaugh never showed up. The result? The meeting turned into a testimony time and many sinners who had gathered to hear the scheduled debate were converted.] The greatest testimony we can have is showing how Christ has made a difference in our lives and inviting those we come into contact with to “Come and see” the Savior. People, Our Lasting Monuments-- You want to know what the impact of Nathanael's response to Philip's call to “Come and see” was? In later years he became [one of the Church's most adventurous missionaries. He is said to have preached with Philip in Phrygia and Hierapolis; also in Armenia. The Armenian Church claims him as its founder…], a Church of over 11,000,000 self-proclaimed members. Perhaps it is little wonder that Nathanael's name means “Gift of God”. To those of you who are listening today, I want to encourage you to not let Christ remain silent in your life. Let Him be played. Let people be able to hear the song sung through your life and hear in that melody the chord their own hearts have been searching for. And then invite them to “come and see” Jesus so that He might bring about that song in their own lives. Amen.

In this week's reading, Jesus heals a body, tries to heal society, and heals a spiritual rift. Some readings of this text suggest that our bodily injury is caused by spiritual failings. While our bodies manifest the scars of our minds, our experience teaches us that this is not the whole story. Perhaps Jesus is cautioning us not to let our self-criticism keep us from living out our callings in the world.

This Sunday in Advent continued with John the Baptist. This time John is not in the wilderness, but rather in prison. And much to our surprise, from there he sends messengers to Jesus, asking "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" John had been the outspoken forerunner of Jesus, and now he appears to be the chief questioner of Jesus. Perhaps Jesus did not match up with John's expectations for what the Messiah would be like. Perhaps a good Advent question is this: Will we receive the Messiah, Jesus, as he is rather than as we would have him to be? I mean, really, who is this guy?

Perhaps Jesus’ most famous miracle is turning the water into wine at a wedding celebration in the town of Cana. Yet, we often are satisfied with an abbreviated understanding of this miracle. But if John only includes seven of Jesus’ miracles, why include this one? Especially since Matthew, Mark, and Luke do not record it. There must be more here for the people of God than is typically reported in the broader culture. Why would Jesus make this His introductory miracle as He begins His earthly ministry? Join us as we take a look.. | John 2:1-5

“Perhaps that’s the question that Jesus gives to the crowd: ‘What are you carrying? How’s that working for you?’ And tucked within it is an invitation to carry the cross. Perhaps Jesus knows that we, as humans, don’t have a choice about carrying things. But maybe we do have a choice about what we carry.” Lectionary Readings: Jeremiah 18:1-11; Psalm 139:1-5, 12-17; Philemon 1-21; Luke 14:25-33

Perhaps Jesus said to "turn the other cheek", but these men of the cloth were made of sterner stuff. We interview Prof. Lawrence Duggan of the University of Delaware on clerical armsbearing. Discover the role of the warrior popes, the Crusades, and Liberation Theology in spreading clerical militancy.

Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada with a good word from Mark, Chapter 1. That’s the scene where Jesus is walking along the shore and he calls to Simon and Andrew “Come, follow me,” and they obey, leaving their nets at once to follow Jesus without delay. Don’t you love that? They dropped everything and obeyed at once without dragging their heels or second-guessing his call. How compelling must’ve been that call of Jesus! Not only did those men leave their nets behind, but I tell you what, they left their identity. They left their livelihood. They left everything, by which they had been known. They were no longer fishermen; they became fishers of men. To me, that’s inspiring, because that’s the way I want to live. When I hear God’s word, I don’t want to second-guess it, I don’t want to drag my heels, I want to be a doer of it. If I hear a truth from the Bible, I want to act on it. I don’t want to believe Satan’s lies. But so many times I end up believing lies without even thinking about it, I listen to lies like: “I’m powerless; there’s nothing I can do to make this bad situation any better!” Or I’ll listen to a lie like: “I can’t tell my friend how I really feel; it’ll ruin our relationship.” Or I cave in, telling myself, “Sure, I believe in spiritual warfare, but I’d really rather watch “American Pickers” right now and not do any battles; not fight them.” I hate thinking like that. It’s kick-it-into-neutral thinking, cowardly thinking. It’s do-nothing thinking. Because the truth is, I do have power—I have God’s power—to make a bad situation better. And telling the truth is the best path for any friendship. And every spiritual battle is worth fighting, no matter what your emotions insist. When the Holy Spirit whispers to me, or calls me forth into battle, or tells me to rise to some new, yet harder obedience, I need to not only listen, but act on it; actually wrap my hands around the challenge, and put some weight behind it, give it effort; give it honest, spiritual muscle and fight back against laziness or lies. In other words, I have to leave my nets and follow Jesus at once without delay. Spurgeon once wrote: “When God calls you to do something, hasten right then to fulfill it before the holy glow departs from your soul. Leave your nets at once and do not give place to the devil by delaying.” Love that! Perhaps Jesus is telling you to talk about Him to your coworkers; you know, share your testimony and talk up Jesus. It sounds great at first, doesn’t it? You feel courageous as you picture how you’re going to approach that group of coworkers in the lunch area; you see yourself saying this and that, and your heart swells with anticipation. But if you delay in doing it, over time you are going to lose the glow; you start second-guessing what the Lord wants you to do, putting up resistance and saying, “you know, God, I’m not sure I heard you quite right. I really don’t think my coworkers are ready right now to hear my story”. We check and double check what we think we heard God say, until we have convinced ourselves it wasn’t Him who spoke anyway, in the first place. Like Spurgeon says: “When God calls you to do something, hasten right then to fulfill it before the holy glow departs from your soul. In other words friend, leave your nets at once and do not give place to the devil by delaying.” Don’t second-guess God and rationalize away His calling in your life. Listen to His call and join me in being not just a hearer, but a doer of His word. When you have a chance today, drop by joniandfriends.org.

This week, it's Easter Sunday! We take a break from sermon series to talk about the resurrection of Jesus. Ironically, Easter falls on April Fools Day. Perhaps Jesus played the best April fools prank, because He wasn't dead anymore. The tomb is empty!

Brad Sullivan Last Sunday after the Epiphany February 11, 2018 Emmanuel, Houston 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 God Is In the Grind Have you ever been outside walking around and then looked up and been startled, scared even, by a hideous, almost other worldly beast staring at you with hungry eyes, vicious teeth, and razor sharp claws, only to have your eyes refocus and realize you were in fact looking at a tree branch? The tree branch didn’t change, only how your eyes saw the tree branch changed. I wonder if that isn’t something like what happened to Peter and James and John with the transfiguration. Rather than Jesus changing before their eyes, perhaps what changed was their eyes’ ability to see for a few minutes something they had not previously been able to see: the radiance and majesty of the light of Jesus. Perhaps even, Moses and Elijah had been there previously as well, unseen and unheard by Peter, and James, and John, until God changed something within them and allowed them to see and experience more of the world than any of us are able to see or experience with our regular senses. Perhaps Jesus took Peter, and James, and John up to the mountain top in order to change something of their ability to see and experience the world for a short time, so that they saw not only the majesty of Jesus, but also the majesty of God’s kingdom in which those who have died are still alive and well with God, and the world. Perhaps then, when God turned the dimmer switch back down on Jesus and Moses and Elijah disappeared, what they had seen on the mountain didn’t cease to be, but only their ability to see it. As beautiful and wonderful as the world is then, what they saw for a short time was that the world is far more beautiful than they or we could ever have imagined. Little wonder then that they wanted to make booths and stay there. In any mountain top experience, any jaw dropping, mind blowing, beautiful experience of our lives, we tend to want to stay in that moment, rather than come back down to earth to the drudgery of daily life. As much as we like to poke fun at Peter for seemingly always saying the wrong thing, I have a feeling we’d have all wanted to stay up on the mountain a little while longer as well. I wonder then how Peter, and James, and John saw the world once they came back down the mountain. Did the world seem dull by comparison? Maybe, but I sure hope not. I hope instead that after Jesus’ transfiguration, the world seemed to Peter, and James, and John to be alight with possibility and alive with wonder. I hope they realized that everything they saw up on that mountain was still there in the regular old mundane world, just simply hidden from their eyes. I would say that’s the reason for any mountain top experience, any jaw dropping, mind blowing, beautiful realization of the majesty of God and his kingdom all around us. We’re never meant to stay on top of the mountain. The only reason we go up the mountain to see Jesus transfigured before us is so that we can come down the mountain and also see Jesus in the miracle of the mundane, the non-dopamine laced divinity of the daily drudge. Every moment is a possibility for love and wonder. Every person we see is a beautiful miracle of God’s design, made with the spark of God’s image and the dust of our common humanity out of which we are all made and to which we all go. We go up the mountain in order to come down, realizing Jesus is just as transfigured at the bottom of the mountain as at the top, even if we can’t see it Bishop Doyle writes similarly in his book, The Jesus Heist: (p. 67) The only reason to come into a community [for worship] is so you can learn how to leave it and do the real work of worship - being with Christ in the world around us. This is how we show the love of God - we go and love people, heal people, care for people, live with people, eat with people. We go and discover where Jesus is in the world and join his work there. Whether the mountain, or church service, or any experience we have of the divine, we’re never meant to stay, we’re meant to live, and we’re meant to realize that the rest of our lives are every bit as sacred. As mundane as our lives may seem at times, they and we are all part of something bigger and far more beautiful than we can see or imagine. Something as simple as a kind gesture. Giving a cup of cold water to a kid who is thirsty, as Jesus said…or an old person who is thirsty for that matter. Going to work or school each day at a job that does not satisfy or an education that seems pointless, God is there just as much as on the mountain top in the miracle of the mundane. What in us keeps us from seeing the miracle of the mundane and the divinity of the daily drudge? How about our wounds? How about our desires to make the world be how we want it rather than to accept the world as it is? What if we were to give some of those wounds and desires to God so that he might heal them and transform us so that we could see the miracle of the mundane and the divinity of the daily drudge? That’s kinda what Lent is all about, which we start this Wednesday. That is why we give things up during Lent, and so my suggestion is this: rather than give up something simple like Diet Coke or Chocolate, try giving up some of your woundedness which keeps you from seeing the miracle of the mundane. Try giving up some of your desires for control which keep you from seeing the divinity of the daily drudge…or perhaps, do try giving up something as mundane as Diet Coke or Chocolate and see the miracle of the world in even so simple a sacrifice. In any case, realize that the sacrifice, like the mountain top, like the community gathering for worship is not the point, is not where we stay. The sacrifice, like the mountain top, like the community gathering for worship is done so that we can then come back down the mountain, leave the gathering for worship and “do the real work of worship - to show the love of God by loving people, healing people, caring for people, living with people, eating with people: going and discovering where Jesus is in the [mundane] everyday world and joining his work there,” for God is in the work, the common work of eating with people, living with people, working with people, getting angry with and reconciling with people, caring for people, healing people, loving people, and seeing people as brothers and sisters. That is the work where God is at the bottom of the mountain. God is in the grind of daily life. Realizing that truth, trusting that God is in the grind just as much as on the mountain, we can spend the grind in worship and prayer, in communion with God, every moment a miracle, every step a sacred act, resting in God’s presence, even in the mundanity of daily life, for God is in the grind.

Brad Sullivan Last Sunday after the Epiphany February 11, 2018 Emmanuel, Houston 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9 God Is In the Grind Have you ever been outside walking around and then looked up and been startled, scared even, by a hideous, almost other worldly beast staring at you with hungry eyes, vicious teeth, and razor sharp claws, only to have your eyes refocus and realize you were in fact looking at a tree branch? The tree branch didn’t change, only how your eyes saw the tree branch changed. I wonder if that isn’t something like what happened to Peter and James and John with the transfiguration. Rather than Jesus changing before their eyes, perhaps what changed was their eyes’ ability to see for a few minutes something they had not previously been able to see: the radiance and majesty of the light of Jesus. Perhaps even, Moses and Elijah had been there previously as well, unseen and unheard by Peter, and James, and John, until God changed something within them and allowed them to see and experience more of the world than any of us are able to see or experience with our regular senses. Perhaps Jesus took Peter, and James, and John up to the mountain top in order to change something of their ability to see and experience the world for a short time, so that they saw not only the majesty of Jesus, but also the majesty of God’s kingdom in which those who have died are still alive and well with God, and the world. Perhaps then, when God turned the dimmer switch back down on Jesus and Moses and Elijah disappeared, what they had seen on the mountain didn’t cease to be, but only their ability to see it. As beautiful and wonderful as the world is then, what they saw for a short time was that the world is far more beautiful than they or we could ever have imagined. Little wonder then that they wanted to make booths and stay there. In any mountain top experience, any jaw dropping, mind blowing, beautiful experience of our lives, we tend to want to stay in that moment, rather than come back down to earth to the drudgery of daily life. As much as we like to poke fun at Peter for seemingly always saying the wrong thing, I have a feeling we’d have all wanted to stay up on the mountain a little while longer as well. I wonder then how Peter, and James, and John saw the world once they came back down the mountain. Did the world seem dull by comparison? Maybe, but I sure hope not. I hope instead that after Jesus’ transfiguration, the world seemed to Peter, and James, and John to be alight with possibility and alive with wonder. I hope they realized that everything they saw up on that mountain was still there in the regular old mundane world, just simply hidden from their eyes. I would say that’s the reason for any mountain top experience, any jaw dropping, mind blowing, beautiful realization of the majesty of God and his kingdom all around us. We’re never meant to stay on top of the mountain. The only reason we go up the mountain to see Jesus transfigured before us is so that we can come down the mountain and also see Jesus in the miracle of the mundane, the non-dopamine laced divinity of the daily drudge. Every moment is a possibility for love and wonder. Every person we see is a beautiful miracle of God’s design, made with the spark of God’s image and the dust of our common humanity out of which we are all made and to which we all go. We go up the mountain in order to come down, realizing Jesus is just as transfigured at the bottom of the mountain as at the top, even if we can’t see it Bishop Doyle writes similarly in his book, The Jesus Heist: (p. 67) The only reason to come into a community [for worship] is so you can learn how to leave it and do the real work of worship - being with Christ in the world around us. This is how we show the love of God - we go and love people, heal people, care for people, live with people, eat with people. We go and discover where Jesus is in the world and join his work there. Whether the mountain, or church service, or any experience we have of the divine, we’re never meant to stay, we’re meant to live, and we’re meant to realize that the rest of our lives are every bit as sacred. As mundane as our lives may seem at times, they and we are all part of something bigger and far more beautiful than we can see or imagine. Something as simple as a kind gesture. Giving a cup of cold water to a kid who is thirsty, as Jesus said…or an old person who is thirsty for that matter. Going to work or school each day at a job that does not satisfy or an education that seems pointless, God is there just as much as on the mountain top in the miracle of the mundane. What in us keeps us from seeing the miracle of the mundane and the divinity of the daily drudge? How about our wounds? How about our desires to make the world be how we want it rather than to accept the world as it is? What if we were to give some of those wounds and desires to God so that he might heal them and transform us so that we could see the miracle of the mundane and the divinity of the daily drudge? That’s kinda what Lent is all about, which we start this Wednesday. That is why we give things up during Lent, and so my suggestion is this: rather than give up something simple like Diet Coke or Chocolate, try giving up some of your woundedness which keeps you from seeing the miracle of the mundane. Try giving up some of your desires for control which keep you from seeing the divinity of the daily drudge…or perhaps, do try giving up something as mundane as Diet Coke or Chocolate and see the miracle of the world in even so simple a sacrifice. In any case, realize that the sacrifice, like the mountain top, like the community gathering for worship is not the point, is not where we stay. The sacrifice, like the mountain top, like the community gathering for worship is done so that we can then come back down the mountain, leave the gathering for worship and “do the real work of worship - to show the love of God by loving people, healing people, caring for people, living with people, eating with people: going and discovering where Jesus is in the [mundane] everyday world and joining his work there,” for God is in the work, the common work of eating with people, living with people, working with people, getting angry with and reconciling with people, caring for people, healing people, loving people, and seeing people as brothers and sisters. That is the work where God is at the bottom of the mountain. God is in the grind of daily life. Realizing that truth, trusting that God is in the grind just as much as on the mountain, we can spend the grind in worship and prayer, in communion with God, every moment a miracle, every step a sacred act, resting in God’s presence, even in the mundanity of daily life, for God is in the grind.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+14%3A22-33&version=NRSV (Matthew 14:22-33) A few years ago Julie, my wife, and I went to see a wonderful movie entitled “We Bought a Zoo.” It starred Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, and it's the true story of a man named Benjamin Mee and his children who bought a 30-acre zoo. He had all kinds of animals, but was unable to open it because it was so rundown. Faced with a series of challenges, he attempted to get it open again for the community. Rat infestation, finding money to feed the animals, animals escaping – it wasn't easy. Mee admitted at one point, “There were lots of times when I thought, ‘What have I done?'” So why did Benjamin Mee buy and remodel the zoo? In the film he says, “Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just twenty seconds of embarrassing bravery, and I promise you, something great will come of it.” That is about how long it took for the apostle Peter to get out of the boat in our story for today. Jesus has just fed 5,000 people with five loaves and two fishes. They are ecstatic about the great powers Jesus has! The disciples are ecstatic as well. The crowd wants to make Him a king, and the disciples are probably nodding their heads saying, Why not? So Jesus breaks up the party and makes the disciples immediately get into a boat, pushes them out into the sea, says He'll meet them later. Then He dismisses the crowds and goes up into the hills to pray. While the disciples are out on the water, a fierce storm comes up. They are afraid they are going to go down. The disciples fought this storm for nine hours! Can you imagine? I can hardly take two hours on rough water when I'm out boating. About 3:00 in the morning, Jesus comes toward them, and they think it's a ghost. He cries out to them, “It's me. Don't be afraid.” Then something really amazing happened – Peter in his impulsiveness opened his mouth and said, “Lord, if it's you, bid me to come out on the water with you.” Of all things, as if to say, I dare you, Jesus replies, “Come on out!” And before anyone could stop Peter, he got out of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he noticed the threatening waves, he panicked and began to sink like a rock. But give him credit, he had the wherewithal to cry out, “Lord, help me!” Suddenly a hand grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up out of the water. There was the face of Jesus saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they were back into the boat, the storm stopped and the disciples all worshiped Jesus saying, “You are the Son of God.” Jesus' statement – You of little faith, why did you doubt? – is a key statement in the story. I have a picture of Jesus pulling Peter out of the water on my wall. Below it are the words, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” I like it. Why? Because it describes me sometimes – little faith. We learn something important in this story: Jesus loves it when we exercise daring faith in Him. Remember, Peter did walk on the water. Though it was brief, he stepped out in faith! Eyewitnesses saw it. Perhaps Jesus was prepping Peter for bigger things ahead, bigger than a little walk on the water that day. One day after the resurrection, Peter would hear Jesus tell him, Feed my sheep and tend my lambs . . . You will be my witness in this world. I wonder if the other disciples were wishing they had walked on water like Peter. How did it feel? Is it possible that the story was saved to not only show us who Jesus really is – the Son of God who came to die on a cross to save us from sin and rise again – but also to encourage us and challenge us to step out in faith as followers of Jesus Christ. If you want to walk on water, you've got to get out of the boat in faith. I think that lesson has been applied in various times in the history of Christianity. One example that comes to mind is Martin Luther. I just finished reading...

Matthew 21:13 NLT He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” The lack of change I notice within myself about anger concerns me. I have, until recently, only seen little differences in my responses from my 18-year-old self to my contemporary self. Yet, slowly I am seeing some light in what has been a bleak landscape. The other morning I caught my toe on the end of our bed; it really hurt. Jayne was present and I knew that she was observing which route I might adopt. My traditional process would have been to swear or react with a verbal torrent and probably ‘discipline’ the bed by hitting it with something. See, like I have written on earlier occasions, sometimes I am not nice to know! However I said “ouch”, sat down on the bed, massaged my bruised toe, and tried to catch my breath as the pain was quite intense. Even as I did this, without much premeditation, I might add, I observed Jayne relax and naturally commiserate with me. This was a different reaction and shows that increasingly, I am effectively managing my anger. I can’t convey how wonderful this feels. I credit the work of the Holy Spirit and the patient, unfailing love of Jayne to confront and endure my reactions to circumstance alongside her brave interventions. I now recognise that anger is not about me; it is how my behaviour might impact another. Perhaps Jesus is incensed at the prices charged to the poor so they might make sacrifice and fulfil their service to God. Perhaps it is the degree to which external practice had come to replace inner authenticity in prayerfully approaching a merciful God. It is in thinking of others ahead of ourselves that the true path of Christian discipleship lies. Jesus represents the interests of his Father. He then makes his way to the cross on your behalf. Consider where and how you might die to self and live out of service of both God and others. This is the greatest commandment. QUESTION: What shortcoming of yours most impacts those around you? PRAYER: Lord God, help me to see, consider and love those who I encounter today.

Perhaps Jesus can help us find hope

This sermon is about the Parable of the Sower.  Most people want to talk about this as the Parable of the Soils, since that is the part of the story that Jesus explains.  Here I focus on the Sower and how sloppy his sowing work is.  In fact, many of Jesus' stories and actions include things that do not economically or logically add up.  Perhaps this is on purpose. Perhaps Jesus' kingdom does not work like our world.  Perhaps that is why Jesus speaks so often in parables.  I apologize for the varying sound quality.  I walked around a lot and the microphone (my iPhone) was stationary.

Solemnity of the Ascension with Fr. Daniel Kelley. Our Easter season continues today with the great celebration of the Ascension of our Lord into heaven. Often we don’t know what we are capable of until we have to take responsibility for something ourselves. Perhaps Jesus knew this trait of human nature when he chose to leave us on our own. Of course, he promised the Holy Spirit to help us. Our prayer together today can be that we will be faithful witnesses to all that God has done for us.  

Faith without works is dead. What we do influences and reveals what our faith truly is. We're often tired and irritable, not particularly wanting to do good works. Perhaps Jesus understands. Perhaps he was feeling that way in his interaction with the Syrophoenician woman.

Faith without works is dead. What we do influences and reveals what our faith truly is. We're often tired and irritable, not particularly wanting to do good works. Perhaps Jesus understands. Perhaps he was feeling that way in his interaction with the Syrophoenician woman.

A friend of mine studied Buddhism with masters throughout Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Thailand. He met a monk who had been ill for a quite a while and had not been able to participate in the life of his temple or to teach. But this great and respected master decided to give one final dharma talk or sermon as a way of saying farewell to the community. It was a greatly anticipated event and the temple was packed with people for this special service. When the moment finally came for the dharma talk, everyone settled down onto their cushions, getting ready for their beloved teacher's final words of wisdom. The monk began: “You are all going to die,” he said, “SOON!” Then he bowed to them. The talk was over. That was his last teaching. The truth of these last words basically sums up the reason that Molly and I have decided to talk about death – Ars Moriendi, the Art of Dying – for three Sundays in a row in the high heat of August. Because the human lifespan is short and whether it's later this afternoon or a hundred years from now, death will arrive for all of us – SOON! Ars Moriendi was a 15th century text that came out of the devastation of Europe's Black Death. The priestly classes who had attended so many deathbeds had been particularly devastated by the plague and there arose a need for a DIY guidebook to having a good death. But, I think, to be most effective, training in the Art of Dying needs to begin before our deathbed. In order to live well, to really understand what this life is, what it's made for, and what we are capable of, we all have to come to terms with death. John's telling of the Raising of Lazarus, which we just heard, is a teaching about resurrection, right? Clearly, there is a resurrection in there, but I wonder if these events are more about death and the absolute necessity of our facing it – before we are dying – in order to truly live. Have you been down in Lazarus' tomb, the way that Jesus went to it – to truly deal with death? There's a story about the Buddha that got me thinking about this aspect of the Lazarus story. There was a woman, named Kisa Gautami, from a well-to-do family who was married to a successful merchant. She had a young son who became suddenly sick and died. Grief stricken, Kisa Gautami carried her son throughout her village begging for help, seeking out medicine, trying to find someone who could bring the child back to life. A villager told her she should go to visit the powerful teacher who was in town and Kisa brought her son's body to the Buddha and asked for his help. Buddha told her that only one thing would solve her problem and asked her to bring him a grain of mustard seed from a home in the village BUT that it had to be from a home which had never known death. Kisa Gautami leapt up and went from house to house, knocking on doors, asking her neighbors if this was a house that had never known death. The reply kept coming back, “no, my daughter died here, we lost our father here, my grandparents passed here.” Before long, the realization dawned on her that there is no home, no person, who has not known death. Death is inevitable and universal. She stopped looking for the mustard seed, buried her son, and returned to the Buddha to become his follower. The first teachings Buddha gave her before Kisa could embrace her new life as a nun were teachings about death and its absolute connection to life. In fact, Buddhist traditions record that the Buddha taught 40 different subjects of meditation to calm the mind and seek out truth. 10 of them were corpse meditations. The recommended corpse meditations are meditations on the bloated corpse, the bluish discolored corpse, the festering corpse, the cut-up corpse, the gnawed corpse, the scattered corpse, the hacked and scattered corpse, the blood-stained corpse, the worm-infested corpse, and the skeleton. Buddhist monks have been known throughout history to sit in meditation in graveyards – which were not always so neat and orderly as our modern graveyards – and gaze upon the decaying bodies there in order to know death. I know, it's all pretty macabre, but isn't Lazarus' story also a little gory and gross? If you look at the picture on the front of your bulletin, you can get a feel for it. The Raising of Lazarus was painted by artist Nicolas Froment around the same time that the Ars Moriendi was written. This is a resurrection of a corpse that has been in the ground for four days. Martha on the left there swoons from the smell that she warned Jesus about. Lazarus rises stiffly. His face is still held by his death rigor. No one looks particularly overjoyed that he's back. It's a ghastly scene – as much a meditation on death as it is a meditation on resurrection. Kisa Gautami, like Mary and Martha, was looking for a resurrection. Instead, she was confronted full on with the truth that death is a part of life and it shaped her future and her spiritual journey moving forward. Death led her toward Enlightenment. Kisa's story got me thinking about Jesus in the Lazarus story. The way John tells it suggests that maybe even Jesus at first, like Kisa, was in denial about having to encounter death. When Jesus gets the message from Lazarus' family saying that he is ill, Jesus says that the illness will not lead to death, but to Glory instead. But was it only resurrection and glory that Jesus, Lazarus, and all those mourners experienced or was it first and foremost, just like it was for Kisa Gautami, an intimate encounter with death? Is Jesus, as we often do when it comes to death, having a moment of denial? When Jesus decides to leave for Bethany to see Lazarus, at first, he can't even say to the disciples that the Lazarus has died. He says he has fallen asleep. Was it some discomfort that made Jesus use a euphemism that confused all of the disciples? Jesus even says that he is glad that he wasn't there at Lazarus' death – so that you may believe, he tells disciples. But I wonder if Jesus, like any of us might be, was wary of facing death. Perhaps Jesus, like any of us, knew that in facing the death of his friend he would also be facing his own death. The disciples seem to understand that this is what Jesus is going through. They tell him not go – because attempts have been made on Jesus' life already in that area. Stay safe, they tell him, don't face death. But Jesus tells them that he is determined – he is seeking the light and will not stumble. And like good friends, the disciples go too – that we may die with him also, says Thomas. They know that Jesus, in some way, is going to face his death. Maybe that's why Jesus delayed for two days before heading to Bethany. Jesus seems to tell himself that he was giving Lazarus time to die so that he could perform the resurrection when he finally showed up. But after a two-day delay, Jesus arrives in Bethany to learn that Lazarus has been in the grave for four days. No delay was necessary. Could it have been that Jesus needed that time for himself to overcome his fear of the truth he would find in that tomb? Could Jesus have arrived in time? Could he have saved Lazarus? The mourners' ask the same doubting question, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” Why face death when you can perform miracles to prevent it? Certainly Jesus has performed many great healings and saved many from death demonstrating that he had the power to heal Lazarus, yet in this situation, it seems that even Jesus, the miracle worker and healer, must truly meet death – just like any of us. When Martha runs out to meet Jesus she says to him, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” Jesus doesn't confirm this but replies to her confidently that Lazarus will rise again and that he, Jesus, is the resurrection and the life. Next, Mary runs out to meet Jesus and she says to him, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” This time Jesus' response is very different. The text says that Jesus was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He begins to weep. It is only now that he is ready to go down to the tomb, to roll away the stone, to face the stench, and to call Lazarus out and meet death – and the glory beyond it. What's the benefit of all of this facing death? Why should we meditate now on this smelly, disturbing reality? Is it just because we are all going to die – soon? Or are there benefits to living life now with the kind of enlightenment and glory that may be found on the other side of death? And do I really need to hang out with corpses to get these benefits? What is your corpse meditation? Where might there be a tomb in your life that you could visit? When I was 14-years old, I broke my back. One of my vertebrae was so severely collapsed that the doctors at Boston Children's Hospital told me they had never seen a spine so damaged that had not severed the spinal column. My spinal cord was squeezed down to ¼ of its normal width, my spine itself was twisted so badly inside of me that you could see the hump through my back. The doctors told me they would do their best but that it was a serious operation to put me back together again and there were no guarantees. I needed to be prepared to wake up from the surgery paralyzed from the chest down and, of course, I knew I needed to be prepared to not wake up from surgery at all. Anything could happen. Obviously things turned out pretty well for me. I woke up from surgery, my spinal cord was saved, my spine was screwed and grafted back into a mostly normal configuration, and I was walking around within days. Now, some days have been better than others, but since the operations I have had to live with a lot of pain. Sometimes I barely notice it, other times it is absolutely debilitating. As I was trying to write this sermon last night, it just so happened, I was having wracking back pain. This pain has been my corpse meditation, my trip down to the tomb for the last 20 years of my life. When it comes, in big nauseating waves, I remember my own mortality – that anything could happen. And every time I go for a hike, or take a bike ride, or touch my toes, the little aches and pains up and down my torso seem to me like the Glory of God. This morning, after a night of back spasms, I woke up like a dead man stiffly raising himself up to the light and I remembered that after we face death anything can happen. That's good news and it's a good way to live. AMEN.

Right in the middle of the Christmas story Matthew records an account that seems strikingly out of place with the baby Jesus, the angelic visitors, and the shepherds’ announcement. It is an account of murder, desperation and political intrigue. Magi from the East, probably Persia, come to Jerusalem looking for the King of the Jews because they had seen his star in the East. That in itself is a strange story. Foreign astrologers receive what appears to be a miraculous sign and show up in Jerusalem asking about the King of the Jews. God’s people were not to use Divination (including astrology) Leviticus 19:26; Deut. 18:9-14. The star appears to follow an erratic path bringing the Magi west to Jerusalem and then south to Bethlehem. It is probably not a normal astrological sign but a miraculous sign to draw outsiders to Jesus. Not such an unusual occurrence, even today as many testify to miraculous signs that have drawn them to Christ. The Magi worship while a mad king plots murder and Jewish scribes and teachers of the law are impervious to the biggest event in history. The very people who should be most tuned in to the birth of the King of the Jews seem completely indifferent. The only people who worship are the people we would think most unlikely to worship; foreign astrologers. Perhaps the whole story foreshadows the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps Jesus causes the same responses today. Questions for Discussion: 1. Slide 2. What attracted you to Jesus when you first heard of Him? What attracts you now? 2. Slide 10-11. Can you give examples of people today who find Jesus because of a supernatural sign? Why does God do that? 3. Slide 12. What makes the indifference of the Scribes and teachers of the law so sad and surprising? In what ways can we too become preoccupied with good things and forget to do the best things? 4. Slide 13. Have you experienced or known of a Herod-kind-of-response to Jesus? What was the result? Is this equivalent to the persecution of the Church today? 5. Slide 14. How might we best respond to Jesus and guard our hearts against the Herod or Chief Priest type of reactions?

Right in the middle of the Christmas story Matthew records an account that seems strikingly out of place with the baby Jesus, the angelic visitors, and the shepherds’ announcement. It is an account of murder, desperation and political intrigue. Magi from the East, probably Persia, come to Jerusalem looking for the King of the Jews because they had seen his star in the East. That in itself is a strange story. Foreign astrologers receive what appears to be a miraculous sign and show up in Jerusalem asking about the King of the Jews. God’s people were not to use Divination (including astrology) Leviticus 19:26; Deut. 18:9-14. The star appears to follow an erratic path bringing the Magi west to Jerusalem and then south to Bethlehem. It is probably not a normal astrological sign but a miraculous sign to draw outsiders to Jesus. Not such an unusual occurrence, even today as many testify to miraculous signs that have drawn them to Christ. The Magi worship while a mad king plots murder and Jewish scribes and teachers of the law are impervious to the biggest event in history. The very people who should be most tuned in to the birth of the King of the Jews seem completely indifferent. The only people who worship are the people we would think most unlikely to worship; foreign astrologers. Perhaps the whole story foreshadows the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. Perhaps Jesus causes the same responses today. Questions for Discussion: 1. Slide 2. What attracted you to Jesus when you first heard of Him? What attracts you now? 2. Slide 10-11. Can you give examples of people today who find Jesus because of a supernatural sign? Why does God do that? 3. Slide 12. What makes the indifference of the Scribes and teachers of the law so sad and surprising? In what ways can we too become preoccupied with good things and forget to do the best things? 4. Slide 13. Have you experienced or known of a Herod-kind-of-response to Jesus? What was the result? Is this equivalent to the persecution of the Church today? 5. Slide 14. How might we best respond to Jesus and guard our hearts against the Herod or Chief Priest type of reactions?