living in the light

Ephesians 5 

1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, 

because you are his dear children. 

2 Live a life filled with love, 

following the example of Christ. 

He loved us 

and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, 

a pleasing aroma to God.

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, 

impurity, 

or greed among you. 

Such sins have no place among God’s people. 

4 Obscene stories, 

foolish talk, 

and coarse jokes;

these are not for you. 

Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 

5 You can be sure that no immoral, 

impure, 

or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. 

For a greedy person is an idolater, 

worshiping the things of this world.

6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, 

for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 

7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 

8 For once you were full of darkness, 

but now you have light from the Lord. 

So live as people of light! 

9 For this light within you produces only what is good 

and right 

and true.

10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 

11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; 

instead, expose them. 

12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 

13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 

14 for the light makes everything visible. 

This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
    rise up from the dead,
    and Christ will give you light.”

15 So be careful how you live. 

Don’t live like fools, 

but like those who are wise. 

16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 

17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, 

but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 

18 Don’t be drunk with wine, 

because that will ruin your life. 

Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, 

and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 

20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

unity

Ephesians 4

1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, 

for you have been called by God. 

2 Always be humble 

and gentle. 

Be patient with each other, 

making allowance for each other’s faults 

because of your love. 

3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, 

binding yourselves together with peace. 

4 For there is one body and one Spirit, 

just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

5 There is one Lord, 

one faith, 

one baptism,
6 one God and Father of all,
who is over all, 

in all, 

and living through all.

7 However, he has given each one of us a special gift

through the generosity of Christ. 

8 That is why the Scriptures say,

“When he ascended to the heights,
    he led a crowd of captives
    and gave gifts to his people.”

9 Notice that it says “he ascended.” 

This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. 

10 And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, 

so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: 

the apostles, 

the prophets, 

the evangelists, 

and the pastors 

and teachers. 

12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work 

and build up the church, the body of Christ. 

13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, 

measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. 

We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. 

We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 

15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, 

growing in every way more and more like Christ, 

who is the head of his body, the church. 

16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. 

As each part does its own special work, 

it helps the other parts grow, 

so that the whole body is healthy 

and growing 

and full of love.

a word from prison

 Remember that Paul wrote his letter to the followers of Jesus in Ephesus while in prison in Rome , an imprisonment that ended when he was executed by Nero.

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Ephesians 3

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 

16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 

17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. 

Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 

18 And may you have the power to understand, 

as all God’s people should, 

how wide, 

how long, 

how high, 

and how deep his love is. 

19 May you experience the love of Christ, 

though it is too great to understand fully. 

Then you will be made complete 

with all the fullness of life 

and power 

that comes from God.

ravens & lilies

Luke 12 

22 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, 

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life;

whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 

23 For life is more than food, 

and your body more than clothing. 

24 Look at the ravens. 

They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, 

for God feeds them. 

And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 

25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 

26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, 

what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. 

They don’t work or make their clothing, 

yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 

28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, 

he will certainly care for you. 

Why do you have so little faith?

29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. 

Don’t worry about such things. 

30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, 

but your Father already knows your needs. 

31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, 

and he will give you everything you need.

32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. 

For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

keep on...

 "keep on..." are the 2 words God has echoed through my spirit ever since He hit me with these 2 verses many years ago...

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Luke 11

9 “And so I (Jesus) tell you, 

keep on asking, 

and you will receive what you ask for. 

Keep on seeking, 

and you will find. 

Keep on knocking, 

and the door will be opened to you. 

10 For everyone who asks, 

receives. 

Everyone who seeks, 

finds. 

And to everyone who knocks, 

the door will be opened.

LGLO

Luke 10 

25 One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: 

“Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

27 The man answered, 

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, 

all your soul, 

all your strength, 

and all your mind.’ 

And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

28 “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

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Boil that down? Love God, love others - LGLO

if, then

Luke 9 

23 Then (Jesus) said to the crowd, 

“If any of you wants to be my follower, 

you must give up your own way, 

take up your cross daily, 

and follow me. 

24 If you try to hang on to your life, 

you will lose it. 

But if you give up your life for my sake, 

you will save it. 

25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world 

but are yourself lost or destroyed? 

26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, 

the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person 

when he returns in his glory 

and in the glory of the Father 

and the holy angels.

sowing

 Instead of using this passage to try to get people to become missionaries, 

how about interpreting it as what we will all experience as we share with people around us 

what following Jesus REALLY means to us?

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Luke 8

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 

5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. 

As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 

6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 

7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 

8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” 

When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they look, they won’t really see.
    When they hear, they won’t understand.’

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 

12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 

13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 

14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 

15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

children

Galatians 3 

24 The law was our guardian until Christ came; 

it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. 

25 And now that the way of faith has come, 

we no longer need the law as our guardian.

26 For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 

27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, 

like putting on new clothes. 

28 There is no longer Jew or Gentile, 

slave or free, 

male and female. 

For you are all one in Christ Jesus. 

29 And now that you belong to Christ, 

you are the true children of Abraham. 

You are his heirs, 

and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.

Luke's TSOTM

 This is Luke's account of what is called The Sermon on the Mount that Matthew records in his gospel, chapter 5-7.

I've included the headlining found on Bible Gateway - it helps break up the length of this passage into manageable chunks.

Luke 6

17 When they came down from the mountain, the disciples stood with Jesus on a large, level area, surrounded by many of his followers and by the crowds. There were people from all over Judea and from Jerusalem and from as far north as the seacoasts of Tyre and Sidon. 18 They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those troubled by evil[a] spirits were healed. 19 Everyone tried to touch him, because healing power went out from him, and he healed everyone.

The Beatitudes

20 Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said,

“God blesses you who are poor,
    for the Kingdom of God is yours.
21 God blesses you who are hungry now,
    for you will be satisfied.
God blesses you who weep now,
    for in due time you will laugh.

22 What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. 23 When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.

Sorrows Foretold

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.

Love for Enemies

27 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. 28 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. 30 Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. 31 Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much! 34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return.

35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.

Do Not Judge Others

37 “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

39 Then Jesus gave the following illustration: “Can one blind person lead another? Won’t they both fall into a ditch? 40 Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher.

41 “And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? 42 How can you think of saying, ‘Friend, let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.

The Tree and Its Fruit

43 “A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. 45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Building on a Solid Foundation

46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

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.”

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Other accounts of this banquet describe the guests as "notorious sinners."

I have always found it interesting that notorious sinners WANTED to be around Jesus.

It's also interesting that Jesus obviously WANTED to be around notorious sinners.

So... as followers of Jesus, we face 2 questions here...

Do the notorious sinners of our day & time WANT to be around us?

And as importantly, or maybe more importantly, do each of us WANT to hang with notorious sinners?

closing words

 At the very end of Paul's second letter to the followers of Jesus in Corinth, he made a few short, closing remarks.

I thought they were both appropriate for back then, as well as for today...

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2 Corinthians 13

11 Dear brothers and sisters, I close my letter with these last words: 

Rejoice - be joyful.

Change your ways & grow to maturity. 

Encourage each other. 

Live in harmony and peace. 

Then the God of love and peace will be with you.

12 Greet each other with a sacred kiss.

weakness & strength

 This is a curious 10 verses written by Paul.

I think the most important element of these 10 verses is the juxtaposition of weakness & strength as a follower of Jesus.

Read them slowly & make what you will of what Paul writes...

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12 This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. 3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

5 That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. 6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

real persecution

 Every time I hear some white Christian right evangelical whine about being so persecuted, I have to chuckle...

...because I think of these verses written by Paul...

Can you imagine the reaction of our prissy & precious brothers & sisters 

if they had to endure just one of these things Paul endured?!

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2 Corinthians 11

23b I have worked harder, 

been put in prison more often, 

been whipped times without number, 

and faced death again and again. 

24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. 

Once I was stoned. (dan note: & Paul was left for dead.) 

Three times I was shipwrecked. 

Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 

26 I have traveled on many long journeys. 

I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. 

I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. 

I have faced danger in the cities, 

in the deserts, 

and on the seas. 

And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 

27 I have worked hard and long, 

enduring many sleepless nights. 

I have been hungry 

and thirsty 

and have often gone without food. 

I have shivered in the cold, 

without enough clothing to keep me warm.

28 Then, besides all this, 

I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 

29 Who is weak without my feeling that weakness? 

Who is led astray, and I do not burn with anger?

30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. 

31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. 

32 When I was in Damascus, 

the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 

33 I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him.