36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22:36-40)
Love thy neighbor was, in part, Jesus' answer when the Pharisees, the chief religious sect of that day, asked Him about the greatest commandment in the Law. These religious leaders had made almost an art form of classifying all the various laws and giving them relative degrees of importance, so in asking Jesus this question, their aim was to test Him. His answer stunned them: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Jesus was summing up all the law in these two statements. If we love the Lord God with all our heart, soul and mind, loving our neighbor is the natural result.
The question then is, who is our neighbor, and how do we love him or her?
Let's look at who Jesus says our neighbor is: You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:43)
Is our neighbor more than the guy next door? Could he or she be someone in our community or almost anyone we meet? Could our enemies also be our neighbors? Jesus says that it's so. But how can we love someone who acts hatefully toward us?
When we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, we grow to recognize that everyone is part of His creation. His Word tells us that God desires that all would be saved (1Timothy 2:4). So it's clear that God sees all of us as His children. Because He lives outside of time and has seen the end from the beginning, He also knows who will choose salvation and who will not. For us, that is where faith comes in. It is not for us to know who will choose Him and who will not, but we are called to be His witnesses. In order to fulfill that calling, we must love others enough to desire their salvation just as He does.
Jesus is not talking about love as an emotion, He is speaking about love as a choice we make. It is a choice to be compassionate, forgiving, kind, and accepting.
Here's the good news for those who find this teaching difficult: Nowhere does it say we have to like our neighbor! However, we must make a conscious choice to love our neighbor whether we like them or not, whether they like us or not, whether they are mean to us or not, or whether we agree with them or not. That is what Jesus was trying to tell the Pharisees. That is Jesus' answer to religion.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
What is sacrifice?
10And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. (Hebrews 10:10-14)
Through the years, we all have seen folks who love Jesus, and who worked all night on Saturday night, but on Sunday morning they were in the house of God. These people know something about sacrifice. Their bodies were crying for sleep, but they sacrificed their sleep to come to the house of God.
Through the years, some of God’s people have had to work until it is almost church time. They get home tired, take a shower if they have time, and they gather the kids and they head for the house of God. These people know something about sacrifice.
Through the years, some of God’s people have worked hard, and when they came to church they were good stewards of God’s money, and placed God’s tithes in the offering plate. But the preacher talks about a mission’s work that needs a new roof on their little tin hut they worship in. The hardworking man thinks to himself, I have money to spare, but I want to buy a new boat to go fishing in, and if I give the money to missions, I won’t be able to do that. But the need seems so great that he takes that boat money that he had been saving, and sends it off to this little church. This man knows something about sacrifice.
A sacrifice is something with a cost!!
But when we think of sacrifice, we need to remember that Jesus gave the greatest sacrifice that was ever given. He sacrificed his life for us. I think that the importance of this sacrifice was not only that it was done at a cost, but it was done out of love. That is also an important characteristic of sacrifice, love is usually involved in some way. Whether we sacrifice ourselves for God, for a loved one, for our country, or for something we truly believe in, love is a part of that decision.
Jesus has shown us the way to true sacrifice. We should not be afraid to follow his example.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
Through the years, we all have seen folks who love Jesus, and who worked all night on Saturday night, but on Sunday morning they were in the house of God. These people know something about sacrifice. Their bodies were crying for sleep, but they sacrificed their sleep to come to the house of God.
Through the years, some of God’s people have had to work until it is almost church time. They get home tired, take a shower if they have time, and they gather the kids and they head for the house of God. These people know something about sacrifice.
Through the years, some of God’s people have worked hard, and when they came to church they were good stewards of God’s money, and placed God’s tithes in the offering plate. But the preacher talks about a mission’s work that needs a new roof on their little tin hut they worship in. The hardworking man thinks to himself, I have money to spare, but I want to buy a new boat to go fishing in, and if I give the money to missions, I won’t be able to do that. But the need seems so great that he takes that boat money that he had been saving, and sends it off to this little church. This man knows something about sacrifice.
A sacrifice is something with a cost!!
But when we think of sacrifice, we need to remember that Jesus gave the greatest sacrifice that was ever given. He sacrificed his life for us. I think that the importance of this sacrifice was not only that it was done at a cost, but it was done out of love. That is also an important characteristic of sacrifice, love is usually involved in some way. Whether we sacrifice ourselves for God, for a loved one, for our country, or for something we truly believe in, love is a part of that decision.
Jesus has shown us the way to true sacrifice. We should not be afraid to follow his example.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
God is omnipresent.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
(Psalm 73:23-24)
Omnipresence does not imply that God is spread out or diffused throughout the universe in that only part of Him is everywhere. This is erroneous thinking. He is wholly present as fully as if He were in only one place. God completely fills the entire universe and all aspects of it without diffusion, expansion, multiplication, or division. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are fully present in every minute part of His infinite dominion. This is known as God’s immanence. God is everywhere and in all things simultaneously in His totality and with all of His perfect attributes.
The Christian can take great comfort in the omnipresence of God. His continual presence in all things should be abundant consolation to believers. The following verses speaks of God’s promises to Israel and to each of us. They also speak of the mental attitude of confidence we should have in God’s ability to keep His promises. He has said that he is present when two or more assemble in God's name. God has promised that He will always be with us in every possible situation. There is no greater encouragement for the believer.
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15)
Whether it is atmosphere, stratosphere, ionosphere, or throughout space, God is there. No matter how far you go out in space or even into heaven, God is there. God is in His heaven, God is throughout space, God is throughout our stratosphere, our ionosphere, atmosphere, God is everywhere, even in the depths of the ocean and in the depths of the earth. You cannot hide from God and God never hides from any of us.
That’s wonderful comfort, isn’t it. The omnipresence of God should make us realize that you can’t get away from God. It means that God knew your life’s entire history (with all of the sordid details) in eternity past. He knows all about you. But most of all, God loves you.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
(Psalm 73:23-24)
Omnipresence does not imply that God is spread out or diffused throughout the universe in that only part of Him is everywhere. This is erroneous thinking. He is wholly present as fully as if He were in only one place. God completely fills the entire universe and all aspects of it without diffusion, expansion, multiplication, or division. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are fully present in every minute part of His infinite dominion. This is known as God’s immanence. God is everywhere and in all things simultaneously in His totality and with all of His perfect attributes.
The Christian can take great comfort in the omnipresence of God. His continual presence in all things should be abundant consolation to believers. The following verses speaks of God’s promises to Israel and to each of us. They also speak of the mental attitude of confidence we should have in God’s ability to keep His promises. He has said that he is present when two or more assemble in God's name. God has promised that He will always be with us in every possible situation. There is no greater encouragement for the believer.
“Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” (Genesis 28:15)
Whether it is atmosphere, stratosphere, ionosphere, or throughout space, God is there. No matter how far you go out in space or even into heaven, God is there. God is in His heaven, God is throughout space, God is throughout our stratosphere, our ionosphere, atmosphere, God is everywhere, even in the depths of the ocean and in the depths of the earth. You cannot hide from God and God never hides from any of us.
That’s wonderful comfort, isn’t it. The omnipresence of God should make us realize that you can’t get away from God. It means that God knew your life’s entire history (with all of the sordid details) in eternity past. He knows all about you. But most of all, God loves you.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
Monday, September 27, 2010
Always be joyful!
16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)
As I was looking deeper into this reading, I saw that Paul really is not merely talking about 'tasks' that the Christian must 'do.' He is issuing a call for a certain type of life. To live the Christian life in all fullness, is not to fill our lives with certain things, but to live out our full lives in devotion to Christ. Just look at the words Paul uses: always; without ceasing; in all circumstances; test everything; hold fast (which is in the present active tense); abstain from every evil, entirely, spirit and soul and body.
This is about the complete embodiment of our life in the devotion of Christ. In that sense it is far beyond moralizing, but about a radical reorientation of life.
I really love this passage. Here Paul seems that he wants to cut to the chase: Here is what we need to do! Here is how we need to live! This summation of his letter is a loving and exuberant voice of encouragement to the congregation at Thessalonica and also to us, with the assurance of God's presence and grace. This is a passage that should be read aloud with real joy in one's voice. We must rejoice in the fantastic life we can have if we make the choice to truly follow Jesus.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-24)
As I was looking deeper into this reading, I saw that Paul really is not merely talking about 'tasks' that the Christian must 'do.' He is issuing a call for a certain type of life. To live the Christian life in all fullness, is not to fill our lives with certain things, but to live out our full lives in devotion to Christ. Just look at the words Paul uses: always; without ceasing; in all circumstances; test everything; hold fast (which is in the present active tense); abstain from every evil, entirely, spirit and soul and body.
This is about the complete embodiment of our life in the devotion of Christ. In that sense it is far beyond moralizing, but about a radical reorientation of life.
I really love this passage. Here Paul seems that he wants to cut to the chase: Here is what we need to do! Here is how we need to live! This summation of his letter is a loving and exuberant voice of encouragement to the congregation at Thessalonica and also to us, with the assurance of God's presence and grace. This is a passage that should be read aloud with real joy in one's voice. We must rejoice in the fantastic life we can have if we make the choice to truly follow Jesus.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
Friday, September 24, 2010
We are God's instruments of redemption.
6 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove the disgrace of his people
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.
9 In that day they will say,
"Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
10 The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain;
but Moab will be trampled under him
as straw is trampled down in the manure.
(Isaiah 25:6-10)
Waiting for God's deliverance never means waiting around. Waiting for God’s deliverance of the creation entails our impassioned involvement with it, entails our zealous doing on behalf of it, wherever it is frustrated and for whatever reason. Unless we are doing something about the world’s frustration we aren’t waiting for God at all; we’re merely waiting around, loitering, soon to be part of the problem instead of its alleviation.
Remember: God waited for Israel to bear fruit by spending himself unreservedly for Israel. We wait for him who came once for the world’s redemption. We wait for him who continues to come to us unfailingly day after day. We wait for him who will come again to vindicate all who are about his business now. What that means is we must be involved in the business of redemption, with everything we do and with everyone we meet.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
7 On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears
from all faces;
he will remove the disgrace of his people
from all the earth.
The LORD has spoken.
9 In that day they will say,
"Surely this is our God;
we trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
10 The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain;
but Moab will be trampled under him
as straw is trampled down in the manure.
(Isaiah 25:6-10)
Waiting for God's deliverance never means waiting around. Waiting for God’s deliverance of the creation entails our impassioned involvement with it, entails our zealous doing on behalf of it, wherever it is frustrated and for whatever reason. Unless we are doing something about the world’s frustration we aren’t waiting for God at all; we’re merely waiting around, loitering, soon to be part of the problem instead of its alleviation.
Remember: God waited for Israel to bear fruit by spending himself unreservedly for Israel. We wait for him who came once for the world’s redemption. We wait for him who continues to come to us unfailingly day after day. We wait for him who will come again to vindicate all who are about his business now. What that means is we must be involved in the business of redemption, with everything we do and with everyone we meet.
Peace and love,
Sue
"Then Jesus said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me". (Luke 9:23)
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