1 Corinthians 3:18-23 We belong to God and that is all that truly matters!

Job 5:13

He catches the wise in their own craftiness,

And the counsel of the cunning comes quickly upon them.

The very Spirit of the Godhead protects us from the evil that desires to kill, steal  and destroy our faith. Be still and know that greater is He in us as believers than the evil that seeks to destroy us. We belong to God. This is a day the Lord has made. I thank you God for the ordinary days that You have given me. In this miraculous gift  of life i rejoice. Carla

1 Corinthians 3:18-23

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” 21 Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: 22 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s. NKJV

The wisdom of this world does not coincide with God’s wisdom, the foolishness of Christ crucified (1:18–25). Paul quotes from Job 5:13 and Psalm 94:11 to urge the members of the Corinthian church to humble themselves.

The Stoic literature of the time, which the Corinthians would have known, often spoke of the wise man as possessing everything. 

Everything God has done in the church, and in the entire universe, benefits all believers. There is no place for foolish boasting or competition among Christians. The NKJV Study Bible

Paul quotes Psalm 94:11 to disparage human wisdom.

Paul’s instruction echoes Jeremiah  9:24. The Corinthian believers must no longer identify themselves by the ministers they prefer, because it is causing rivalry and strife in the community.

Paul reminds them that the ministers actually belong to the people being taught, not the other way around (verse 22). Paul subverts the Corinthians’ allegiance to individual leaders (being “of” a particular leader) by reminding them that they are all “of Christ” (verse 23). Faithlife Study Bible

Psalm 94:11

The LORD knows the thoughts of man,

That they are futile.

1 Corinthians 1:20

Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 

2 Corinthians 10:7

Do you look at things according to the outward appearance? If anyone is convinced in himself that he is Christ’s, let him again consider this in himself, that just as he is Christ’s, even so we are Christ’s

Here's the deal: We all practice a finely honed proficiency at imagining our life residing in an event or experience or occasion other than the one we are in right now.
That proficiency is ratcheted up when our circumstances are, shall we say, less than ideal. And with irony, we also carry it into the moments where we do feel alive and grateful. 

There are those lucky moments, when we recognize and embrace the here and now. But I’ll be, if we don't want to bottle it up and sell it on e-bay. (This makes me think of the Transfiguration story in Mark's Gospel. Peter is so worked up he wants to build three condos and call it permanent). Or worse yet, we feel compelled to evaluate or measure each experience, as if a superlative is a requirement for its enjoyment. Somehow, ordinary is not enough.
Take a deep breath. And take to heart Jim Elliot’s reminder, “Wherever you are, be all there.”

Here's what I do know.
While waiting for perfect, we pass on ordinary.
While waiting for better, we don't give our best effort to good.
While waiting for new and improved, we leach the joy right out of this, or any, moment.
In a culture of lottery winners and bigger and louder and faster and newer and shinier, ordinary gets lost in the din. Ordinary, like watching dusk settle while reading on the patio, counting nuthatches when they return to the feeder, enjoying homemade jam on homemade bread (a sweetness that makes you believe in heaven) and finding delight in a book about Einstein and a Rabbi. Ordinary, yes. But a day without the heaviness of expectation, worry or fear.
And I do find the wisdom of May Sarton fitting (and her sentiment is mine), "There is a slight lifting of the air so I can smell the earth for the first time, and yesterday I again took possession of my life here."
I like Richard Rohr’s take, “The world insists that we are what we do and achieve, but contemplation invites us to practice under-doing and under-achieving, reminding us of the simple grace and humility of being human.”

My friends, let us embrace the reminder that our reality is not determined only by circumstance, and that we do have agency. Yes, the capacity, and power, to choose.
It matters. It makes a difference.

Sabbath Moments

Lord, make us instruments of Your peace.

Help us to recognize the evil latent in a communication that does not build communion.

Help us to remove the venom from our judgements.
Help us to speak about others as our brothers and sisters.
You are faithful and trustworthy; may our words be seeds of goodness for the world:
where there is shouting, let us practice listening;
where there is confusion, let us inspire harmony;
where there is ambiguity, let us bring clarity;
where there is exclusion, let us offer solidarity;
where there is sensationalism, let us use sobriety;
where there is superficiality, let us raise real questions;
where there is prejudice, let us awaken trust;
where there is hostility, let us bring respect;
where there is falsehood, let us bring truth.
Amen.
Pope Francis

Romans 10:8-13 Jesus, the cornerstone, of our faith.

 Matthew10:32

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

Everyone who depends on Jesus will be saved. The mercy and grace of God to is given to those who choose to believe Him. All God-all man. God so loves  the world that whoever calls on Him could be  saved. Our  slate is washed clean in the blood of our Savior. He gave His life without sin in exchange for ours. All praise and honor to our Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They will get us safely home. Carla

Romans 10:8-13

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between •Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 •For “•whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” NKJV

Confess comes before believe in this verse because “mouth” precedes “heart” in Deuteronomy (verse 8). The order is reversed in the next verse. One has to confess with the mouth to be saved. For indicates that this verse explains verse 9. The condition for righteousness, that is for being justified, is internal faith. The condition of salvation, meaning deliverance from wrath and from the power of sin, is external confession (verses 1; 5:9, 10), which is calling on the Lord for help (verses 12, 13). 

What is righteousness? Most of us immediately think of a person trying to keep a list of rules, like a little boy or girl who never steps over the line. When Paul speaks of righteousness in Romans, he means far more than this commonsense understanding of the word. He draws on the Old Testament concept of righteousness, which speaks of a proper relationship between God and a person, or between God and His people.

In the Old Testament, righteousness is fundamentally an attribute of God (Psalm 71:15; 119:42). He alone is truly righteous. He is the One who remains faithful, to His promises, His covenant with Israel, and the Law. In turn, the Israelites as God’s people had the responsibility to exemplify God’s righteousness on this earth. Ultimately, this meant they had to love and worship the living God alone. 

• The Law of Moses could be summed up in that command and its corollary, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31). Tragically, the Israelites did not comply. They proved unfaithful to the covenant, although God proved Himself as faithful. By sending prophets to His people, the Lord warned them again and again of their sinfulness. Finally He had to discipline them, with famine, military defeat, and even exile in Babylon. But God remained faithful, and He restored His people to the land and to Himself when they repented and turned to Him.
• 
  

After their return from Babylon, the Israelites confused righteousness with a strict adherence to the Law as recorded in the Pentateuch. Indeed, the Jewish religious leaders added numerous amendments to the Law to ensure that no one would inadvertently break it. Zealous obedience to the Law was equated with righteousness. Yet mere external compliance to a set of rules did not please the Lord. What God wanted was repentant, humbled hearts that truly worshiped Him. He wanted to be the God of their hearts and minds, and the center of their devotion.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul clearly states that no one has achieved this standard; no one has completely loved and worshiped the Lord as they should (3:23). All have sinned. No good work or outward appearance of piety can restore a proper relationship with the Holy One (Isaiah 64:6). On the one hand, the Gentiles did not pursue a right relationship with their Creator, so they had been given over to all kinds of evil (1:18–31). On the other hand, the Jews through external obedience to the Law and their traditions were attempting to justify themselves before God (9:31, 32). Both failed. Jesus is the only One who can stand before the glorious God; He is the only One who is truly righteous. Remarkably, He has offered us a way out of our slavery to sin. By placing our faith and trust in Him, we can be declared righteous. We can have a righteousness that has nothing to do with our own works but instead relies on Jesus’ sinless life and His sacrificial death for our sins. The Lord forgives us and declares us righteous because of our identification by faith with the righteousness of His Son (4:5). Through Jesus, we can finally be released from the guilt of our sins. Not only can we approach the Holy One in praise and thankfulness, but we can do God’s will. The NKJV Study Bible

Paul cites Deuteronomy 30:14 to affirm the accessibility of the word of faith. Just as Moses announced the accessible nature of the law, Paul announces the accessible nature of the gospel. This word is especially near because the Spirit wrote it upon the hearts and minds of believers (Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3).

To confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” describes an outward expression of inward trust. Paul does not regard believing in the heart and confessing with the mouth as separate activities, but as parts of a singular expression of faith in Jesus’ lordship. God raised him from the dead. Paul presented God’s resurrection of Christ as the basis of the believer’s justification before God (Romans 4:25; 5:1). Therefore, faith in the resurrection is essential. The resurrection also shows that God vindicated Christ from the shame of the cross (9:33). Elsewhere in his letters, Paul associates Christ’s resurrection with His lordship (Ephesians 1:19–22; Philippians 2:9).

Righteousness refers to a right relationship with God that has been restored after placing faith in Jesus as Lord (Romans 5:1, 10; 8:1). Here the term is close in meaning to salvation.

Everyone who believes in him is a quote  from Isaiah 28:16, adding the Greek word pas, meaning “everyone” or “all,” to demonstrate that this promise applies to both Jewish and non-Jewish people (Romans 9:33). Both Jews and Gentiles are under God’s judgment because of sin (3:9–20), yet both are eligible for righteousness through faith in Christ.

The expression “call upon him” In the Old Testament, referred to prayer directed toward Yahweh (Genesis 4:26; 12:8; 13:4). The Greek word kyrios, translated “Lord,” refers to Jesus Christ. Thus, Paul identifies Jesus Christ with Yahweh of the Old Testament. Faithlife Study Bible.

Deuteronomy 30:12–14

It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’…

Joel 2:32

And it shall come to pass

That whoever calls on the name of the LORD

Shall be saved.

For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,

As the LORD has said,

Among the remnant whom the LORD calls.

Romans 3:29

Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, 

Israel 28:16

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD:

“Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation,

A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;

Whoever believes will not act hastily.

Matthew10:32

“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

Here is our grounding power: To see is to be open.
Seeing allows awe.
And awe gives birth to gratitude.
Which means, in the words of Meister Eckhart, “If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, 'thank you,' that would suffice.”
Borrowing from Barbara Brown Taylor, that which draws me to faith is not the believing parts, but the beholding parts. In other words, awe always precedes faith.

One of my favorite stories is the little boy saying to his mama, "Mama, Mama, listen to me. But this time, with your eyes."
Be there... This is not easy when we have measurements about what makes being there, being present, okay...
Be there... in other words, we don't run from the moment (even moments that unnerve and distress).
We don't suffocate the moment with stuff (physical and mental).
We don't sanitize the moment with platitudes.
We sit. We listen. We look. We taste. We smell. We see.
And we look for the light of God in the most ordinary, and even the most dull, of contexts.
And we make choices that spill that light of God, in places where darkness is wounding, and where healing and restoration are indispensable.

I know this: I preordain, when I hope or try to orchestrate, rather than just experience, just be. I also know that whether it is experience or relationship or liturgy or prayer or meditation, if you don't bring it with you, you're not going to find it there.
We’ve been shaped for this—“and be there”—through loss, through love, through everything we didn’t foresee and somehow survived anyway. It may look like delight. It may look like purpose. It may look like simply getting up one more time and refusing to look away. Sabbath Moments

Acts 2:38-39 Holy Spirit is the protector of our souls.

 Luke 24:47

and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 

Jesus did not leave us alone and forsaken but EVERYONE who repents and believes in Him, the Son of God, would receive the gift of Holy Spirit  in their lives. We only need to turn to Jesus follow  Him  and enjoy the peace and love that only God can give us. The Father gifted us the guidance and protection that only Holy Spirit can provide. Do not fear man for our hope lies in our salvation. Carla

Acts 2:38-39

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God •will call.” NKJV

Repentance for the Judeans involved rejecting their former attitudes and opinions concerning who Jesus was. When a person recognizes who Jesus Christ really is, the result is the desire to do what He commands. The first action that Jesus requires of a new believer is baptism (Matthew 28:19, 20), the outward expression of inward faith. The idea of an unbaptized Christian is foreign to the New Testament (41; 8:12, 36; 9:18; 10:48; 16:15, 33; 18:8). 

Is Peter saying that we must be baptized to receive forgiveness of our sins? Scripture clearly teaches that we are justified by faith alone, not by works (Romans 4:1–8; Ephesians 2:8, 9). The critical word in this phrase is the word for, which may also be translated “with a view to.” A comparison of Peter’s message in 10:34–43 makes it clear that “remission of sins” comes to “whoever believes.” Believers are baptized in view of God’s work of forgiveness, not in order to receive that forgiveness. God’s forgiveness in Christ gives baptism its significance. Baptism is a public declaration that a person’s sins have been forgiven because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross. 

The gift of the Holy Spirit was the promise of Jesus in John 14:16, 17. The Holy Spirit puts us in communion with the Father and the Son. This indwelling of the Spirit is a beautiful promise of the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:33, 34), an indication not only that our sins are forgiven, but also that the Lord has placed His law within us.

Peter exhorted his listeners to repent. In other words, each person had to make the decision to turn away from his or her sinful habits and turn to God in faith (16:31, 33, 34). Then God would forgive that person’s sins and declare them righteous because of Jesus’ work on the Cross. In first-century Israel, a father held tremendous influence in his home. When a father chose to receive Christ and be baptized, his children would follow his lead. The NKJV Study Bible

The Greek word used here, metanoeō, denotes a change of mind, will, or actions. Peter calls the people to believe that Jesus is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. Peter’s exhortation involves two actions: repentance and baptism. These are connected with two promises: forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Acts, Luke presents saving faith, repentance, forgiveness, baptism, and the gift of the Spirit as interrelated aspects of embracing Jesus and coming to belong to the people of God in Christ.

Just as circumcision served as a visible external marker of inclusion in the covenant community of Israel, so baptism serves as the public sign and seal of a person’s solidarity with Christ and participation in the new covenant community of faith, which encompasses both Jewish and non-Jewish people (Acts 8:36–38; 9:17–18; 10:47–48).

Baptism identifies a person with Jesus in His life, death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3–4). God does not overlook or ignore sin, but graciously frees those who belong to Jesus from its condemnation and power.

Before His ascension, Jesus promised to send the Spirit to dwell in those who belong to Him, enabling them to trust and follow Him as their Savior and Lord (1:5, 8).

Peter could be referring to the applicability of the gospel message to the immediate members of a person’s household (16:15, 33) or more generally to the message of salvation reaching generations to come (the descendants of the people present).

Those who are far away could be a reference to Jews who lived in distant lands, but more likely is a reference to the nations who would hear the gospel throughout the whole earth (1:8; Isaiah 57:19; Acts 22:21). Faithlife Study Bible

Ephesians 2:12–13

that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Acts 3:19

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 

Acts 22:16

And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

Isaiah 44:3

For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,

And floods on the dry ground;

I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,

And My blessing on your offspring

When the world around us spins—and it feels like the “news-feeds” barrage—it is easy to be distracted and unmindful, and to miss what really matters.
And when we live as if reality is determined only by circumstance, sadly, we forget that we have agency. Yes, the capacity, and power, to choose.
It matters. It makes a difference.

But it is easy to lose track, isn’t it? Parker Palmer’s reminder that “our strongest gifts are usually the ones we’re barely aware of possessing.”
Yes. And here’s the good news, “Our hearts are more capacious than we could have imagined.” (Thank you, Rabbi Sharon Brous)
Capacious, spacious or roomy. That’s very good to know, when life feels too heavy. Because if reality is determined only by confining circumstance, then we forget that we have agency (and the strongest gifts)—the capacity to make choices—to get to say how the story ends.
So. Gratefully, from the stuckness, there can be rebirth, reawakening, and yes, resurrection.

In other words, as Rabbi Naomi Levy reminds us, “Finding your way in life is not so much about choosing a direction. It’s about uncovering the voice of the soul, the call that is already imprinted inside you, and then finding the courage to face down your fears and let your true voice be heard. One of my favorite verses from the Song of Songs is when the lover calls out, ‘let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet.’

The ancient rabbis insisted it was God who was speaking those words to each one of us, ‘Let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet.’” 

Today I have an answer. I am a witness. You are a witness.

As a witness, I choose to pay attention while I am here.

In a world that rewards “dog eat dog”, I choose mercy.

In a world where demeaning someone is applauded, I choose to honor dignity.

In a world where exclusion is real, I choose the Gospel: “You belong. Your humanity is not up for negotiation. Your presence does not require anyone’s permission.”

I choose to be a witness.

Yes. I can choose to show up now. Bravely, both strong, and tender.

What does this look like? Oh, it’s the little gifts my friends.

It makes a big difference to hug the hurt. To kiss the broken. To bandage the wounded. To befriend the lost. To love the lonely. To listen, making room for sadness. To grieve.

To stand up for the humiliated, and the degraded. To honor the dignity in every human. “I see you.”

To say Yes, to little gifts of compassion, connection, dignity, empathy, kindness, generosity, and peace that leave people better than we find them.To say No, to cruelty, and malice, and mercilessness.

I’m grateful for this today from Jennifer Butler. “Jesus does not only call us to reject lies. He calls us to bear witness. To bear witness that another reality is already breaking through. To bear witness to a kingdom not built on domination, but on dignity; not on fear, but on love; not on exclusion, but on belonging.

We resist not only through truth-telling, but through loving action, by standing with the vulnerable, protecting our neighbors, and refusing to participate in systems that deny their humanity. This is not passive, nor is it naïve.” Sabbath Moments