Jesus gives us a word

This is Jesus talking here, in some of Luke's account of some of what Jesus said in what we know as the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7



Luke 6

24 "What sorrow awaits you who are rich,

  for you have your only happiness now.

25 What sorrow awaits you who are fat and prosperous now,

  for a time of awful hunger awaits you.

What sorrow awaits you who laugh now,

  for your laughing will turn to mourning and sorrow.

26 What sorrow awaits you who are praised by the crowds,
  for their ancestors also praised false prophets.



Let's remember that we are considered "the rich people" by the rest of the world. 

scum

Luke 5

27 Later, as Jesus left the town, he saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at his tax collector's booth. 

"Follow me and be my disciple,"Jesus said to him.

28 So Levi got up, left everything, and followed him.



  29 Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. 

Many of Levi's fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them.

30 But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus' disciples, 

"Why do you eat and drink with such scum?"


  31 Jesus answered them, 

"Healthy people don't need a doctor—sick people do.

32 I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, 

but those who know they are sinners and need to repent."



Do you hang out with "scum"?

Why, or why not?

Perhaps the bigger question would be does "scum" want to hang out with you?

Why, or why not?

Which is more important to you - what people who aren't connected to God feel & think when they are around you - or what your prissy & precious Christian friends think?

And where would you, or I, be if the people who influenced us to follow Jesus had decided to not hang around "scum" when we were "scum"?

question

If you cling to your life,

you will lose it;

but if you give up your life for me,

you will find it.

Matthew 10:39 (NLT, 1st ed.)



This is the lead verse of the all the verses I feel like God has given me for 2018


So, tell me something...


when you read that verse, what thought comes to mind?


"Don't cling to your life"


"Be open to change & the new"


"Let go of your life"


"Trust God with your life"


"The life you were made for can be yours if you abandon yourself & trust God completely with yourself" 


Or does something else come to mind?


Please share in the comments...

3 things

Then Jesus said,

"Come to me,

all you who are weary

& carry heavy burdens,

& I will give you rest."

Mathew 11:28



Don't throw away this confident trust in the Lord,

no matter what happens.

Remember the great reward it brings you!

Patient endurance is what you need now,

so you will continue to do God's will.

Then you will receive all that He has promised.

Hebrews 10:35-36



So take a new grip with your tired hands

& stand firm on your shakey legs.

Mark out a straight path for your feet

so that those who are weak & lame will not fall

but become strong.

Hebrews 12:12-13

hmmmmmmm...

2 Thessalonians 2

1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 

and how we will be gathered to meet him.

2 Don't be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. 

Don't believe them, 

even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, 

a revelation, 

or a letter supposedly from us.

3 Don't be fooled by what they say. 

For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed;

the one who brings destruction.

4 He will exalt himself 

and defy everything that people call god 

and every object of worship. 

He will even sit in the temple of God, 

claiming that he himself is God.
  

5 Don't you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?

6 And you know what is holding him back, 

for he can be revealed only when his time comes.

7 For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, 

and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.

8 Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, 

but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of his mouth 

and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.



  9 This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.

10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, 

because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.



hmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

worthy

2 Thessalonians 1:11

And so we keep on praying for you, that our God will make you worthy of the life to which He called you. (NLT 1st ed.)


We are constantly praying for you for this: that our God will make you worthy of his calling and accomplish every good desire and faithful work by his power. (CEB)


To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, (ESV)


Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something. If your life honors the name of Jesus, he will honor you. Grace is behind and through all of this, our God giving himself freely, the Master, Jesus Christ, giving himself freely. (The Message)


All this is why we are constantly praying for you, so God will make you worthy of the great calling you have received from Him and will give you the power to accomplish every good intention and work of faith. (The Voice)

* * * * * * * * *


I remember reading 2 Thessalonians 1:11 about 10 years ago.

How many times had I read it before then?

I don't know.

I do remember that I wasn't feeling all that capable of being & doing what it would seem I was thrust into being & doing.

And I do know that when I read it in my regular sequential daily Bible reading (RTBEDWF), these words were like a thunderclap...



"...our God will make you worthy of the life to which He called you."



I know how Paul actually phrased it in his second letter to the followers of jesus in Thessalonica.

But God used those 14 words to give me the courage to keep on.

And I moved into a year & a half of the most halcyon days of my life in Him.



Maybe those 14 words will give me the courage to keep on now.

Maybe those 14 words will give you the courage to keep on?

go

Go into all the world & preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Mark 16:15


This is Jesus speaking to his disciples right before He went back to heaven.


I've always thought the operative word in that sentence was "go".


I've always heard this sentence used as a call to overseas missions.


And it's a good one to use for that purpose.


But I've also thought that everywhere means, like, everywhere...

overseas, 

in America, 

in the state we live in, 

in the town close by, 

in the town we live in, 

in the neighborhood with live in, 

&/or the places we work 

or shop 

or eat out in or... 

everywhere!


Most of us never "go" to anyone.

We stay in our own small little enclave of friends & family & never tell anyone about Jesus.


Where would you & I be if the people who pointed us to Jesus had been as unwilling to "go" as we are?


Yeah...

questions, & answers

I've had a lot of questions lately for which I'm not getting a lot of answers - yet.

Here's a couple of verses that stood out on Jan. 23...


Now you should carry this project through to completion just as enthusiastically as you began it. 2 Corinthians 8:11

So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged & give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Galatians 6:9 (God has been whispering this verse to me for probably 13 years.)


So, yeah, it is what it is...

Of course, I wouldn't have had those verses stand out for me if I hadn't been reading the Bible every day without fail (RTBEDWF).


(You know I was gonna say that 😁 )

discouraged

So don't get tired of doing what is good.

Don't get discouraged & give up,

for we will reap a harvest of blessing

at the appropriate time.


Paul wrote this to the followers of Jesus in Galatia - Galatians 6:9

Maybe you need to read that right now?

I know I do - especially "don't get discouraged & give up".

for you, & me

It's been a while since I shared this.

Who needs to read this today, besides me?



Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have examined my heart
  and know everything about me.
2 You know when I sit down or stand up.
  You know my thoughts even when I'm far away.
3 You see me when I travel
  and when I rest at home.
  You know everything I do.
4 You know what I am going to say
  even before I say it, LORD.
5 You go before me and follow me.
  You place your hand of blessing on my head.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
  too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!
  I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;
  if I go down to the grave,* you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning,
  if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
  and your strength will support me.
11 I could ask the darkness to hide me
  and the light around me to become night—
12   but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
To you the night shines as bright as day.
  Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
  and knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
  as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
16 You saw me before I was born.
  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
  before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me,* O God.
  They cannot be numbered!
18 I can't even count them;
  they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
  you are still with me!


23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
  test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
  and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

LGLO

Mark 12

28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. 

He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, 

"Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"



  29 Jesus replied, 

"The most important commandment is this: 

'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD.

30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, 

all your soul, 

all your mind, 

and all your strength.'

31 The second is equally important: 

'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 

No other commandment is greater than these."


There it is, all boiled down by Jesus Himself.

Love God, love others.

LGLO

Now THAT will tattoo!

our job

Colossians 4

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, 

and make the most of every opportunity.

6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive 

so that you will have the right response for everyone.



We just don't do this.

We spend more time focusing on keeping our "religious freedom".

We spend more time judging rather than loving.

I thought our job was to love God & love others...

LGLO

And I thought judging was God's job...

as well as convicting.

Jesus didn't say "judge your neighbor as yourself."


Jesus DID say “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.
“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?
Matthew 7:1-3 (NLT)


Jesus said, "The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged" ?!!!

Uh oh...

Some of us are in BIG trouble...


We've forgotten that our job is to woo & win people to follow Jesus.

If anything the fire & brimstone preachers taught us it's that more people are won with love than by hammered over the head in judgement.

You & I were won by the love shown to us by Jesus' followers.

Why do we forget that?

Is it because we are modeling "prominent" Christians who've gone whoring for political power & position?

Or are we just some garden variety stupid?

Or both?



In any event, Paul makes it clear... 

it is our job to present the personhood of Jesus in a "gracious & attractive" way.


Let's read it & heed it...

living the new life

Sometimes Paul just comes out with a strong statement about life as a Christ follower.

Here is a really strong one in his letter to the followers of Jesus in Colossae...



Colossians 3

1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, 

set your sights on the realities of heaven, 

where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand.

2 Think about the things of heaven, 

not the things of earth.

3 For you died to this life, 

and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.

4 And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.


  5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. 

Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, 

impurity, 

lust, 

and evil desires. 

Don't be greedy, 

for a greedy person is an idolater, 

worshiping the things of this world.

6 Because of these sins, 

the anger of God is coming.

7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world.

8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, 

rage, 

malicious behavior, 

slander, 

and dirty language.

9 Don't lie to each other, 

for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.

10 Put on your new nature, 

and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

11 In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, 

circumcised or uncircumcised, 

barbaric, 

uncivilized, 

slave, 

or free. 

Christ is all that matters, 

and he lives in all of us.



  12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, 

you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, 

kindness, 

humility, 

gentleness, 

and patience.

13 Make allowance for each other's faults, 

and forgive anyone who offends you. 

Remember, the Lord forgave you, 

so you must forgive others.

14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, 

which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. 

For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. 

And always be thankful.



  16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. 

Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. 

Sing psalms 

and hymns 

and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

17 And whatever you do or say, 

do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks through him to God the Father.

deep roots

Let your roots grow down into (Jesus) & draw up nourishment from Him, 

so you will grow in faith, 

strong & vigorous in the truth you were taught. 

Let our lives overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done. 

Colossians 2:7



This is Paul writing to the followers of Jesus in Colossae.


And how do we "let our roots grow down into Jesus"?


RTBEDWF


Read the Bible every day without fail.


I know, I know - I'm like a broken record on this.


Tired of hearing it?


Sorry, it's the song I will always sing.


Why wouldn't you read the Bible every day without fail?


It's the word of God!


It's God talking to us!


It's God's "instruction manual" for humankind!!!



RTBEDWF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtZX7a44fMI

click the link for a song to go along with the psalm

Psalm 121 1 I look up to the mountains—   does my help come from there? 2 My help comes from the LORD,   who made heaven and earth! 3 He will not let you stumble;   the one who watches over you will not slumber. 4 Indeed, he who watches over Israel   never slumbers or sleeps. 5 The LORD himself watches over you!   The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade. 6 The sun will not harm you by day,   nor the moon at night. 7 The LORD keeps you from all harm   and watches over your life. 8 The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,   both now and forever.