Hebrews 6:9-12 God is faithful!

 Matthew 10:42 And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

What does God ask of us. He ask us to be fair, to forgives others as we have been forgiven and always, always walk humbly with Him. We know that we only partially see the times we live in but God sees the whole thing. In Holy Spirit we can keep our hearts soft and pliable, not hardened, by the cares of this world. God cares about our heart. Carla

Hebrews 6:9-12

But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner. 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. (NKJV)

With the warmth and affection of the title beloved, the author assures the Hebrews that he is confident of better things for them. Their good works were signs to the author that they had genuinely received Christ (verse 10). Sluggish is the same word which is translated dull in 5:11 and initiates this exhortation to the Hebrews to grow in their faith (5:11–6:12). The NKJV Study Bible

Just like the good soil in verse 7, the author believes that his audience will be eternally blessed because they are following God. Throughout the ot, God is portrayed as just and faithful. The author fears that some in his audience might turn away (Hebrews 3:12), be hardened by sin (3:13), and fail to enter God’s rest (4:1, 11). The Greek text here refers to complete confidence—in this case, confidence regarding God’s promises (Romans  4:21). Believers must trust in God and His Son (Hebrews 2:8–9) just as the wilderness generation was called to trust in God despite their circumstances. Chapter 11 provides a list of biblical exemplars that culminates in the call to focus on Jesus, the pioneer of faith (12:2). Faithlife Study Bible.

1 Thessalonians 1:3

remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, 

Hebrews 13:7

Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. 

Hebrews 10:36

For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:

Proverbs 19:17

He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD,

And He will pay back what he has given

What does it mean for us to embrace the invitation to participate—and invest—in this life. To bring all that I am to the table of this moment—the sacrament of the present.

To invest my heart.

To be a witness for integrity and justice.

To create space for healing and restitution.

To spill light where I can.

I know that on this ordinary day, when our world has been shaken and we know that chaos can be real, we do have this: A meeting place. On common ground. And I would say, on holy ground.

And while we know that we can never be perfectly safe, we know that even there we can reassure one another, and look into the eyes of one another, and remind one another that there are truths greater than fear—and that we are walking one anther home.

Hope. And courage. And light. Our journey to healing and wholeness does not begin with bravado. It begins with vulnerability. It begins when we know that our hearts can, and will break, and that it is in the very breaking...

that we can get up...

that we can try again…

that we can choose love instead of fear and hate…

Whenever I am burdened with worry or disquiet or angst or fear, I am tempted to shut down my heart, to not listen to my heart, to not speak from my heart, and to not offer sanctuary to those who need it.

Henry David Thoreau talked about not wishing to live “too thickly”—barraged by noise or clamor or hype or panic.

Yes. I wish that too.

So. Here’s the deal: Today, I do not wish for my heart to be calcified.

I do not wish it, because when I give in to fear, I choose and act from cynicism and anger and resentment.

Onward together, my friends.

Sabbath Moments

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Love Never Fails.

 Daniel 3:28 Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God! 

Without the fruit of Holy Spirit in our lives we are unable to follow the commands of God to love our neighbors and live in peace.  We are able to love others because God first loved us and without His  love behind our actions we are just making noise. We can serve God or man we choose whom we will serve. Choose life not death. Carla

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.  (NKJV)

Bestow all my goods likely pertains to the spiritual gift of giving to others (Romans 12:8). Paul uses an intentional exaggeration to illustrate the uselessness of each spiritual gift without love. The Corinthians would readily understand the images of sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. Many of them had used brass instruments and cymbals as standard elements of pagan worship in their lives before Christ. Love never fails. The NKJV Study Bible

The reference to tongues “of angels” probably indicates the belief that one type of “gift of tongues” involved speaking in the language of angels.

A genuine and selfless concern for the well-being of others Paul identifies  as the greatest of the three Christian virtues (verse 13). Paul chastised the wealthy believers because they did not demonstrate love to the less wealthy believers (11:17–21).

People used cymbals to worship Dionysus, the god of wine. Paul mentions the crashing cymbal to suggest that spiritual gifts without love make the Corinthians’ worship no different from the pagans’.

Helping the poor was a focus of Paul’s ministry. Faithlife Study Bible

Matthew 17:20

So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 

Matthew 21:21

So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. 

Mark 11:23

For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 

1 Corinthians 12:8–10

for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit…

1 Corinthians 13:8

Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away

We can choose. This is an invitation to participate—and invest—in this life. To bring all that I am to the table of this moment.
To invest my heart.
To be a witness for integrity and justice.
To create space for healing and restitution.
To spill light where I can.
What Barbara Kingsolver calls a “conspiracy with life.”

Easy? No. Somedays, I feel very broken. Broken and dispirited. And I don’t have the words. And I don’t have the strength. Maybe you can relate.
So, how can we be a witness then? What possible difference can we make?
Well, this is interesting. You see, compassion (service and care) and healing (restoration) are not mutually exclusive. Because the light we share is born in those broken places. Which means that being a witness goes hand in glove with renewal.
In other words, we find replenishment and we choose to be a witness.
This is not a pep talk. This is not a test to pass. Or a list I check off for God’s thumbs up. This is permission; the invitation and the affirmation to be, and to live, wholeheartedly and kindheartedly, the truth of who I am.
Please know this my friends: it is from this self—the broken or wounded self—that compassion and kindness and tenderness and empathy and healing and reconciliation can flow. Sabbath Moments

“May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received,

and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones,

and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.”

(St. Therese of Lisieux (“the Little Flower”).

Matthew 22:15-22 Jesus is Lord. Caesar is not!

The Pharisees went and plotted to entrap Jesus in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” 

But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” 

And they brought him a denarius. 

Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” 

They answered, “The emperor’s.” 

Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 

When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.

In one of his finest no-answer answers, Jesus said: “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

His critics were “amazed.” They got it. They understood his point.

It seemed somehow clear to them. Clear enough to turn and walk away.

But it has rarely seemed that clear to us. Over the centuries Christians developed at least five interpretations of Jesus’ “render to Caesar” comment: (1) Caesar and God are separate — pay the tax; (2) Caesar and God are an enigma, an unsolvable puzzle meant as a deflection; (3) Caesar and God are a paradox and we, somehow, must serve both; (4) Caesar and God are at odds — pay your taxes but “with contempt”; or (5) Caesar is under the authority of God and give the state nothing, no matter the consequences.

Take your pick. Each one of these positions has theological oomph — and has been supported and argued over and over and over again in church history. 

That makes me wonder: Have we missed the point? 

When this story was first written down, sometime between 60 and 80, Roman emperors made a claim to divinity. Indeed, the imperial titles for Caesar included “Dominus et Deus” and “Dominus et Salvator.” Not “Mr. President” or “Your Honor” or even “Your Royal Highness” or “Your Majesty.” But “Lord and God” or “Lord and Savior.” Those were titles held by Caesar.

Jews hated it. This was idolatry. And Christians hated it, too. Christians hated it so much that they stole the titles and gave them to Jesus. No calling Nero their Lord and God. Instead, they proclaimed “Jesus is Lord.” 

And the year 60, they were being killed for saying it.

That’s the invisible context of the Caesar tax story. In these early years, every Christian knew their creed: Jesus is Lord. Not Caesar. 

The first audience of Matthew’s gospel would have known exactly how it was intended. The story undergirded their creed — Jesus is Lord. Not Caesar. They might have laughed upon hearing or reading it. Caesar thinks everything belongs to him. We don’t think that! Because nothing belongs to Caesar. Everything belongs to God! 

The story was written down because it supported what Christians already believed. Not that they were trying to figure out some doctrine of church and state. 

They were not worried about taxes. They were worried about Roman authorities throwing them to wild beasts. 

They already knew that Caesar was a pretender. That evil was upon the throne. And God? Well, no matter what Caesar did, even if he murdered them, Caesar could never own them. Because God did. Through faith. Through baptism. Through their love of God. Through their solidarity with neighbors. Jesus is Lord! 

And that’s it. The first creed was a theological statement. And it was a political statement. The first creed was theo-political. Jesus is Lord. Caesar is not.

In the case of this verse, the long historical argument of state and church in Christian theology is a complexity of our own making. It is complicated because we’ve made it complicated — trying to justify governments and practices and systems of politics that literally have nothing to do with divine intention and the sacred heartbeat of the cosmos. 

Jesus is Lord. Caesar is not.

The Pharisees were amazed because it was so clear. So simple. They’d complexified Caesar and God — and Jesus cut to the chase. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s — to God what is God’s. 

It is simple. Everything belongs to God. Simple, yes. But it is very hard to live. The early Christians knew that. Simplicity doesn’t mean it is easy. And we know that, too.

But the simplicity still shines: God. Dominus et Deus. Lord and God. Dominus Mundi. Lord of the Earth. Dominus universum. Lord of the Universe. 

Remember the creed — the cry — of the first followers of Jesus: Jesus is Lord! 

Not Caesar. Never Caesar.

May we be brave enough to proclaim the same — and courageous enough to live it in our day.

Diane Butler Bass “The Cottage”

John 6:35-40 We enter into the Body of Christ by faith!

 John  6:44–45 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me.

No one comes to the Father except by the precious blood of the Lamb. In the  sacrifice of Jesus we are united into the Body of Christ. The only thing that can separate us from God is unbelief. Whomsoever believes in Him will no perish but have everlasting life. The Father has always known those who would believe in Him. Carla

John 6:35-40

35 And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. 40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (NKJV)

Bread of life means “bread which supplies life.” Manna satisfied physical needs for a while; Christ satisfies spiritual need forever (4:13, 14).

Seeing does not necessarily mean believing (verse 30; 11:46–57), although sometimes it does (11:45; 20:29). On the other hand, Christ blesses those who believe without having seen (20:29).

For indicates an explanation of the previous statement. Christ will not cast out any who come to Him because He came to do the Father’s will.

The will of the Father is twofold: (1) that all who come to the Son will be received and not lost; (2) that all who see and believe on the Son will have everlasting life. The NKJV Study Bible

I am the bread of life Since the audience continues to miss the point that Jesus is referring to Himself as the one sent by God, Jesus makes the point explicit.

Jesus uses seven metaphorical “I am” statements to define His role as Savior and Messiah (4:26). These sayings also carry strong overtones of being claims to divinity. He identifies Himself as the bread of life (verses 35, 48, 51), the light of the world (8:12; 9:5), the gate for the sheep (10:7, 9), the good shepherd (10:11, 14), the resurrection and the life (11:25), the way and the truth and the life (14:6), and the true vine (15:1).

Jesus briefly sets aside the topic of the “bread of life” to expound on the issue of the Jews’ persistent unbelief, reiterating His role as agent of the divine will and stressing that eternal life is gained through belief in Him

No one who believes in Jesus will be rejected by Him.

John 6:54

Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 

John 4:14

but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 17:2

as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. 

John  17:24

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 

And this I know my friends: We live in an emotionally and spiritually de-hydrated world, thirsty for the sustaining balm of builders of healing places and repairers of our world. Because we live in a culture of bluster and ado, we forget that we can make a difference. And more often than not, the wrong people get the attention. Sabbath Moments