Luke 6:32–38 Only love overcomes evil!

 Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

The powerful love of God overcomes the hate that evil thrives on. His love covers a multitude of sin. What does God require of me? He requires me to be fair, to forgive quickly and always walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). Easy to do in a world full of division and sparked by cruelty? No, but I have been forgiven much and I  want that same forgiveness offered to everyone. I seek His heart of flesh to replace my heart of stone. Carla

Luke 6:32-38

32 “But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. 

35 But love your enemies, •do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36 Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, •shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”, NKJV

The practice of loving one’s enemies is modeled by God Himself, who is kind to the unthankful and evil. Jesus also notes that the reward will be great for the losses suffered while practicing this type of love. This reward will be a hundredfold—that is, ten thousand percent (Matthew 19:28, 29). The idea here is not that one should ignore sin or refuse to discuss its consequences (11:39–52; Galatians 6:1, 2); rather, one should be gracious and quick to forgive.

The good measure illustration comes from the marketplace where grain was poured out, shaken down, and then filled to overflowing so the buyer received the full amount purchased. Such is the full measure that will be returned to one who has been generous. The NKJV Study Bible

Followers of Jesus who freely give away and share their material goods not only obey Jesus’ teaching but demonstrate they are true followers of God by acting according to His ways. 

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. God’s character and actions are the ethical standards for His followers. Leviticus 19:2; Deuteronomy 10:17–18; Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15. 

This section parallels several traditions that also occur in Mark and Matthew—some of these occur in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Luke 6:17–23). As in the preceding section, Jesus is calling for righteous behavior and emphasizing love, forgiveness, and generosity.

Do not judge, and you will never be judged. Pardon, and you will be pardoned. In response to God’s forgiveness of them, Jesus’ followers should offer forgiveness to those who have wronged them. As with His teaching in Luke 6:27–36, Jesus calls His followers to imitate God by displaying sacrificial love. In  good measure—pressed down, shaken, overflowing—they will pour out into your lap this describes the abundance that is given to the generous. Faithlife Study Bible

Matthew  5:45–6:1

that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same…

Matthew 5:42

Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Matthew 7:1–5

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you…

My friends, in our discordant world, I believe—no, I know—that the light shines precisely because there are broken places.
Remember, Jesus never told us to create the light. He did not even ask us to make a resolution to try harder. He simply invited us to let the light shine.
Meaning that the light is already there. To paraphrase Leonard Cohen, There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. And that’s how the light gets out.

So. Here's the deal: our journey to wholeness and wholeheartedness, or making a difference or spilling light, is not about becoming something I am not.
The journey is about reflecting what is already there. Inside. It is about making a difference, by just being you. One small gesture—kind and healing word or gift at a time.
So, why are we afraid to let this be enough?
In fact, there is abundance, to know that one kind touch means the world.
You may doubt it if you wish.
But know this, you still make a difference.
Thank you.

“Our life is full of brokenness – broken relationships, broken promises, broken expectations. How can we live with that brokenness without becoming bitter and resentful except by returning again and again to God’s faithful presence in our lives?” Henri Nouwen

Sabbath Moments”

Psalm 4:8 The peace of God sustains me!

 Psalm 3:5

I lay down and slept;

I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.

Trust God to keep us in His peace in both the good and the trying times of our life…

God cares for us.

God cares for you.

God cares for me

I care for God!!!

I am able to love others because He first loved me.

Carla

Psalm 4:8

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. (NKJV)

The peace that God gives is far from a relaxation technique. It is a peace that enables an anxious person to lie down and sleep (3:5). The NKJV Study Bible

The Psalm ends on a note of peaceful tranquility. Just as He has in the past Yahweh has responded, enabling the psalmist to sleep in safety. Faithlife Study Bible 

Leviticus 25:18–19

‘So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety.

Deuteronomy 12:10

But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, 

Job 11:18–19

And you would be secure, because there is hope;

Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety.

You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid;

Yes, many would court your favor.

Today I guest preached, on Vashon Island. And it is always good to see familiar faces.

My text from Luke’s Gospel, the parable about the mustard seed. Bluntly, you just don’t expect great things from such a minuscule seed. And yet. Apparently, we see only what we want to see.

And in the parable, we learn that the Kingdom of God—the expanding gift of Grace, in compassion and empathy and healing—is grounded in humility and simplicity and unpretentiousness.

So. Instead of grandiosity and show, instead of “performance” and status—and the need to be impressive, which our current world is so allured to—the seed of grace grows from humility and authenticity.

Who knew? From seemingly insignificant beginnings, we see generous and life-giving and transformative growth. Sabbath Moments

Colossians 3:12-17 Gratitude for our salvation allows us to love others like God does!

 Ephesians 4:2–4

with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace…

God requires me to love others like i do my own family. He created all people, not just those that society deems worthy, ALL. This includes all the people of all nations… male and female, Jew and Greek, those in nations that are a democracy and those that live in a dictatorship. All people!! All of creation is worthy in the eyes of God to be treated with respect and dignity. What I do to the least of anyone I do to God. Carla

Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as •Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God •the Father through Him. (NKJV)

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly is apparently a parallel thought to Paul’s statement in Ephesians 5:18 where he says to be “filled with the Spirit.” The psalms are the psalms found in the Old Testament, the “songbook” of the early church as well as of Israel. The hymns would be the songs of the church that reflected the new truth in Christ.

Paul sums up how Christians should live. We should commit everything we do or say to Jesus and continually thank God for all His good gifts. The NKJV Study Bible

Originally, God chose the nation of Israel to be His people (Deuteronomy 14:2; Romans 9:4–5). However, because such distinctions are rendered irrelevant in Christ (Colossians 3:11), Paul affirms the Colossian believers as being among God’s chosen people.

Believers must have patience with one another, even while enduring difficult situations. Even in the community of believers, the actions of some offend or hurt others; how believers respond is critical. Experiencing God’s forgiveness shows that believers must forgive one another (Luke 7:47).

The Greek word used here for peace, eirēnē, refers to wholeness or the absence of conflict in a relationship. Paul commands the Colossians to express gratitude for the things they have and the people in their lives. Gratitude is a safeguard against grumbling and complaining, both of which can ruin a community.

The word of Christ refers either to the gospel message about Christ or to Christ’s teaching (as opposed to human philosophies or traditions; Colossians 2:8).

Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs refers to a variety of songs used in Christian worship, probably including the Old Testament  psalms. Faithlife Study Bible

Ephesians 4:32

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 5:19–20

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

1 Corinthians 10:31

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 

Colossians 1:28

Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

We are reminded that labels are a constraint, because once we label something, we can easily dismiss it.

"During a recent Center for Courage and Renewal conversation between author Terry Tempest Williams and Parker Palmer, Terry shared this story: After devastating flash floods struck her community, neighbors came together, not to debate their differences, but to share what they loved: the stars overhead, the sound of coyotes at night, the beauty of the land they called home.
'Right then,' Terry said, 'tenderness was born.'
From that tenderness came something powerful: trust.
Trust doesn't appear on its own. It's built when people listen deeply, stay connected to their values, and find the courage to care for one another." (Thank you, Center for Courage and Renewal)

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” Sabbath Moments

Psalm 34:18-19 By His stripes we are healed.

 Psalm 34:17

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears,

And delivers them out of all their troubles.

Trust in God to heal and restore all that satan has tried to destroy in your life. God can do what no one else can. Carla

Psalm 34:18-19

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart,

And •saves such as have a contrite spirit.

19  Many are the afflictions of the righteous,

But the Lord delivers him out of them all. (NKJV)

The Lord hears. With slight variations, this is a reprise of verse 6. The Lord is near. When the Scriptures speak of God being near, it is to comfort the believer with a sense of His care. The NKJV Study Bible

God knows the distresses of the righteous.  While the psalmist indicated earlier that those who fear Yahweh will not suffer any want (Psalm 34:8–10), here he indicates they should not expect a trouble-free life. They can expect that Yahweh will be with them and will deliver them from their troubles. Faithlife Study Bible

Psalm 51:17

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and a contrite heart—

These, O God, You will not despise.

2 Titus 3:11–12

persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 

Psalm 147:3

He heals the brokenhearted

And binds up their wounds.

Psalm 145:18

The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

 …life-giving when someone “sees” you—affirms you—and helps you remember that we are indeed on this journey together.
This kind of affirmation plants the seeds of gratitude—for connection, for honoring the sacred in one another. And yes, it brings us back to what really matters.
It brings us back to the people and moments that remind us why we are here.
Let us take a moment to think of people in our circles who may have “fallen”—and could value the gift of someone stopping and saying, “We see you. Are you okay? Can we help in any way?”

And this always does my heart good.

Who are your people? Who remind you that today is a good day to work to heal.  A good day to be vulnerable to being transformed. To right a wrong. To forgive (beginning with myself). To embrace. To offer a hand, or a kind word. Or both. Sabbath Moments

Romans 8:23-27 Our Hope is in You Lord!

 Romans 8:15–16

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 

If I seek first the Kingdom of God all things will be added to me. Holy Spirit intercedes for me when I do not know what to pray. When I seek God in the Bible I  find  Him  by His guidance He is my teacher. In my search for God’s will in my life He will use me to be His loving arms to those who need it most. I know that faith, hope and love are attributes given to me by God and the greatest of these is His love in my life. Carla

Romans 8:23-27

Not only that, •but we also •who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why •does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

26 •Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. •For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (NKJV)

The firstfruits of the Spirit may refer to the first workings of the Holy Spirit (8:9–11), which is a pledge of more work to come, like the redemption of our body. Otherwise, the expression firstfruits may be in apposition to the word Spirit; thus firstfruits is the Spirit. The firstfruits of a harvest was a foretaste of the harvest to come. So the Spirit, or His work, is God’s assurance of the greater blessings to come. Elsewhere the Spirit is called a “guarantee of our inheritance” (Ephesians 1:14).

Hope is a constant expectation of an unseen reality. We are saved by faith, but our hope is in the return of Christ in all His glory and our complete deliverance from our sinful natures.

If we are expecting something unseen, we wait with perseverance; that is, we are willing to endure the present. Though more may be involved in the concept of weaknesses, the primary reference here is to mental ignorance. The contrast offered by Paul in this verse is between our inability to know how to pray and the effective prayers of the Spirit Himself. The emphasis indicates that the Spirit Himself prays for us. He intercedes on our behalf before the throne of God (1 John 2:1). But His intercession cannot be uttered, which means it is “unexpressed, unspoken.” No language is in view here, only the inner groanings of the Spirit.

As children of God, we do not always know what to pray for or how best to pray (verse 26), but we can know the purpose of God which the Holy Spirit desires to accomplish. 

We work together for good. The primary reference of all things is the “sufferings of this present time” (verse 18). All circumstances will work together in cooperation for the believer’s good—that is, the believer will be conformed to Jesus Christ now and reign with Him later. Those who love God are in fact those who are the called by God. Our love is our response to the work of the Holy Spirit in us. We are called according to His purpose. God does everything, including redemption, in order to accomplish His overarching plan. The NKJV Study Bible

First fruits is an Old Testament expression referring to the first part of the harvest, which God designated for Himself and His priests (Leviticus 23:10; Deuteronomy 18:4). Here, its usage refers to God’s initial transformative work in His people, which will result in resurrection glory.

To groan expresses frustration with the present evil age and the anticipation of complete redemption.

In the New Testament, hope is not wishful thinking; it is a confident expectation in the fulfillment of God’s promises. Paul described Abraham as an example of hope in God. Present troubles are manageable when living in hope of future redemption.

Our weakness refers to people’s limited capacity and susceptibility to sin and death. Paul encourages the Roman believers that the Spirit does not condemn them in their weakness. Spirit himself intercedes for us.  Even with the assurance of future hope, believers who patiently endure suffering may, at times, face troubles that exhaust their strength and try their faith. Paul urges such believers to find encouragement in the intercession the Holy Spirit makes on their behalf in these circumstances. This is one aspect of how the Holy Spirit serves as an advocate (paraklētos) for followers of Christ. Unexpressed groanings may refer to the groaning of the Holy Spirit or the groaning of the believer (Psalm 1:1).

The one who searches our hearts is an expression of God’s omniscience. Paul tells the believers that God continues to work on their behalf, especially when they do not know what to pray for. Faithlife Study Bible

Galatians 5:5

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 

Ephesians 6:18

praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—