Sharon McMahon on Deportation, Habeas Corpus, and More

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 How great is Gods’ love for His creation

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

The 10 commandments show Gods’ morals for the world. No one could keep all of them and even if we kept them they did not justify anyone. Only faith in the blood of Jesus can save. Unbelief is the number one problem in our world. Satan wants us to think that our righteousness can save us and it is the biggest tool that he uses to keep us from faith alone.  The finished work of the cross overcame the sins of the world and we are offered His righteousness to abide in. Joy in the Lord is our strength. The Lamb of God sacrificed His life in exchange for ours!

Romans 7:4-6 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. 6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

As believers we become under the tutelage of Holy Spirit. In Christ we are protected from the ravages of eternal death that sin brings and are free to love God and serve God. He will teach us the ways of His Son. The love of Christ will draws others to Him. It is out of the Fathers’ agape love for mankind that He sent His only begotten Son to die for them..the triune God wants no one to perish. There is no condemnation for those in Christ. 

2 Corinthians  5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

If we hold up the Lamb of God others will be drawn to the salvation that is only in Him. By our good works we show others the love of God. by sharing the Good News that it is by faith in the finished work of the Cross alone we become doers of His word made flesh. Carla

The Greek text here could refer to the love that Christ has for people or the love they have for Him. Jesus demonstrated God’s sacrificial love by dying for all (Romans 5:8). Christ’s sufferings provided Paul with perspective on his own hardships and motivated him to proclaim the message of reconciliation. He died for all probably means that Christ died for all people without distinction (gender, social status). However, not all receive the benefits of His atoning death; only those who believe the gospel and live for Christ do. Christ’s death breaks the power of sin so that believers may live for the purposes of God (Romans 3:9). Faithlife Study Bible.

The phrase the love of Christ can mean either (1) Christ’s love for us or (2) our love for Christ. The last part of the verse indicates that Paul had in mind Christ’s love for us. Died for all refers to Christ’s death for all believers. In Christ believers die to sin (Romans 6:1–14). Believers should not evaluate Christ or anyone else according to the flesh, that is, the way people typically evaluate each other (verse 12). The NKJV Study Bible

Romans 14:7–9 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s…

Romans 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. 

Romans 6:6–7 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. 

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. 

Somedays, I feel 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.

As we go in to the weekend, let us take with us this prayer from St. Therese of Lisieux (“the Little Flower”)…

“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.”

Sabbath Moments

Ephesians 4:4-6 We are all one in the Body of Christ!

Ephesians 2:16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity

The dispensation of the grace of God was revealed to the Apostle Paul. Christ in us is the hope of glory!

Colossians 1:24-27 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

Romans 15:8-12 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.” 10 And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” 11 And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!” 12 And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

Christ came to His chosen to fulfill the promises made to the forefathers. the Apostle Paul was sent to the rest of the non-Jewish world. Jesus revealed to him the mystery of salvation in the grace of God in Him.  Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, was sent that through Him the world could be saved. 

2 Corinthians 11:22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.

Paul was constantly defending his apostleship. Jesus warned how much he would suffer as he preached the Gospel of His Grace to the world .

2 Corinthians 12:1-6  It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. 6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.

Ephesians 2:11-13 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—12 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. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

We, as Gentiles, did not know of the God of  the Israelites, but now in Christ Jesus we are  invited to know Him. Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male or female we are all one in Him. The mystery was revealed to the Apostle Paul that all who believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life. The wisdom of Holy Spirit will reveal the things of Jesus Christ to us. He is our teacher. All  the earth is God’s and everything created is under His control. In Jesus Christ all prophesy is fulfilled.  Jesus came to His own and he was scourged and crucified. BUT by the power of Holy Spirit He was raised from the dead. Jesus conquered death and in Him is life. Now this  life is offered to us by the Father…we just need by faith to believe. (John 3:16)! Jesus is in the Father and we are in Him. We are all one in God!

Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Holy Spirit calls us and reveals His Son to us. There is one baptism for the forgiveness of sin. There is one God who is above all and in all. Through the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus we are included in the Body of Christ. Carla

This verse emphasizes the unity of the church as one body and the unity of believers in the one Spirit of God. It also highlights that believers are called to a shared hope and future with Christ. 

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ESV

There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call 

NIV

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;

NASB

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling;

CSB

There is one body and one Spirit —just as you were called to one hope at your calling—

NLT

For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future.

KJV

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

NKJV

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling

In the New Testament a new believer’s expression of faith is closely connected to their baptism—an outward expression of that faith. Over all, and through all, and in all stresses the supremacy of God. He joins all people together under His sovereign rule. Faithlife Study Bible

Christians are one in the Spirit. It is our duty to keep or observe that unity, recognize it as real, and act upon it without a sectarian spirit (John 17:20–26). 

Endeavoring means to make every effort, to work hard at maintaining the unity of the Spirit.  One baptism may refer to the baptism in the Spirit that places all believers into the body of Christ, the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). It may also refer to water baptism, the sign or seal that a person is a member of the body of Christ. At the time of the early church, public baptism clearly identified a person as a Christian. The NKJV Study Bible

1 Corinthians 8:6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.

Ephesians 2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

Romans 11:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Ephesians 1:18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 

“You’re a minister? Well, what do you believe?” Some church people like to ask me. They can’t help themselves. Okay, here you go.

God has a heart for those who are left out, forgotten, and excluded.

God's grace is bigger than anything which distances and separates and wounds us.

You are God's beloved child, and God's love for you is unconditional.

This week my beliefs mattered, because when I see acts of exclusion, or acts that disparage inclusion, I feel it, viscerally.

You see, I was raised in a church scared silly about grace. The God I was taught to worship and obey and fear, was no different than an alcoholic father. You walked on pins and needles to avoid fury. And expected punishment (which was, sadly, always called a form of love).

In your heart, you prayed for a smile.

And when your alcoholic parent smiles, you still cower, because in your heart you know it will not last. And you know when the smile thaws, it will be your fault. You see, shame leaves a stain on your spirit.

And with that kind of God, it is no surprise that we need people on the outside, so we can point and label and condemn, and make ourselves feel better.

I appreciated Michael Gerson’s candor (in a sermon delivered at Washington National Cathedral on Feb. 17, 2019, entitled, “I was hospitalized for depression. Faith helped me remember how to live”).

“I know that—when I’m in my right mind—I choose hope.

That phrase—in my right mind—is harsh. No one would use it in a clinical setting. But it fits my experience exactly.

In my right mind, I know I have friends who will not forsake me.

In my right mind, I know that chemistry need not be destiny.

In my right mind, I know that weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Yes. And amen. And in my right mind, I know that sanctuary is a place of grace that sustains emotional and spiritual nourishment.

In my right mind, I make choices to nurture my better angels… tolerance, inclusion, generosity, restoration, open-mindedness and redemption.

In my right mind, I know that we are sisters and brothers, and “every kindness large or slight, shifts the balance toward the light” (thank you Carrie Newcomer).

Beliefs are well and good, but they only matter face to face.

Gratefully, there is no special skill required, only your heart.

Yes. I am a witness.

You are a witness.

“It’s funny isn’t it?

That you can preach a

judgmental and vengeful and angry God

and nobody will mind.

But you start preaching a God that is too accepting,

too loving, too forgiving, too merciful, too kind…

And you are in trouble.”

Bishop Gene Robinson

Sabbath Moments

1 Corinthians 1:4-9 In the unity of Holy Spirit we show the love of God!

For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son that through Him the world could be saved. (John 3:16-17) In the unity of Holy Spirit we can be doers and not just followers of Christ our Lord.

The Israelites, the chosen of God, would be set aside for a period. In this time the Body of Christ is formed. That believers throughout the world would be brought into the Body of Christ was not revealed until the road to Damascus and the Apostle Paul. His epistles were scripture. Only in the power of His gift, Holy Spirit, can we overcome the evil of this world.

Romans 16:25-27 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:4-9  I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge, 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, 7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, 8 who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

All of the long-suffering and mercy of God is revealed to mankind in the person of Jesus, all-God/all-man. In Paul’s epistles  the plan of salvation is revealed that by faith in Him alone we are saved. Without this hidden revelation the rest of the world would not have access to our triune Godhead. When God set the chosen aside, because of their rejection of their King, we were ushered into the Kingdom. Jesus Christ, was born, was crucified and was resurrected and in our faith in Him alone we are saved. Grace through faith, the gift of God, is given to us who believe. God’s mercy and His agape love for His creation is beyond our understanding! Jesus would die for our sins, in our place, and to Him be all glory! Carla

Statements of thanksgiving are a common feature in ancient letters. Paul thanks God for the Corinthian believers despite their immorality. He is thankful that they’ve come to Christ and are at least staying engaged with the Christian community; this provides the opportunity for God to work in them and through them. 

The grace of God refers either to the undeserved gifts the believers have received from God—speech, knowledge, and spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 1:5–7; 12–14; 2 Corinthians 8:7)—or to their receiving salvation. 

In Christ Jesus emphasizes that spiritual gifts and salvation do not come from people but from Christ. This also shows that the believers belong to Christ now that they’ve entered into a relationship with Him. In Paul’s worldview, the believers have been rescued from the reign of Satan (evil) and placed under the reign of Christ (God’s proper and intended order of creation). 

Since there was a very large wealth gap in Corinth, Paul emphasizes that riches are found in a life of following Christ; Christ’s gifts are what matter. This is Paul’s first response to a problem he addresses further in 1 Corinthians 11:17–34. People are poor prior to coming to Christ in the sense that they are removed from the life that God wants them to have in relationship with Him. To Paul, the only life worth living is one for Christ —even at the cost of all things, including wealth and physical well-being. 

Paul is modeling a life that doesn’t revolve around economy but on a relationship with God and others. His life is focused on love as God is focused on love (13:1–3). 

The Greek word used here, logos, refers to that which is spoken (in this instance). The Corinthians highly esteemed both speech and knowledge because of their cultural value. The Greek word used here, gnōsis, may refer to an understanding of Christian teaching but based on Paul’s subsequent reference to the testimony of Christ among believers in verse 6, it likely refers to remembrance of how Christ has worked in people’s lives. 

Romans prized speech and knowledge—rhetoricians were renowned. It’s likely that because of this, believers in Corinth were drawn to the ministry of Apollos; he was knowledgeable and eloquent (Acts 18:24–25; 1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:4–5). Likewise, they have been drawn to the ministry of Peter (Cephas) because he had firsthand experience of Jesus during His life before the resurrection, whereas Paul only knew Jesus in person briefly after His resurrection. Paul emphasizes that all spiritual gifts come from Christ, and thus one person’s gift doesn’t make that person any more important than others (verses 6–15; 12). Instead, the emphasis should be on Christ. 

Testimony is Paul referring to the work that he told the Corinthians that Christ would do in them; it’s now happening and is providing a witness for Christ in the world. Christ has sent the Holy Spirit to them to transform them. Literally “spiritual things”—refers to the gifts described in chapters 12–14. The Greek word used here, apokalypsis, often rendered as “revelation,” can either refer to the second coming of Christ or to God revealing something directly to a believer through the gift of tongues, prophecy, or a vision (1 Corinthians 14:6, 14:26; Revelation 1:1). 

Blameless, means being free from accusation (Colossians 1:22; 1 Timothy 3:10; Titus 1:6–7). 

The day of the Lord refers to the day when Christ will fully inaugurate justice in the world by delivering His followers and purging the world of evil. 

Paul uses the Greek word koinōnia here—meaning “to fellowship” or “join together.” God intended for the Corinthian believers to join together because of Christ; instead, they focused on leaders and teachers, which (among many other things) caused division within their church (1 Corinthians 1:11–12). Faithlife Study Bible

The thanksgiving Paul offers to God for the Corinthians seems odd, considering the many problems the church was experiencing. However, Paul focuses his praise not on the troubled Corinthians but on the eternally faithful God. Paul does not praise the Corinthians for their good works as he does some other churches instead, he praises God who works in them. 

When we focus on people’s faults, hope soon wanes and discouragement follows. But when we concentrate on the Lord, even the darkest hours can be filled with praise. 

Enriched means that the Corinthians had been spiritually destitute but had become abundantly prosperous through God’s grace. Gift here is probably a reference to the spiritual gifts described in chapters 12–14. Despite the Corinthians’ boasting, their many gifts had come from God (12:11, 18, 28). The Corinthians were richly blessed with spiritual gifts because God was giving them everything they needed to do His will (12:14–27).

Because God is faithful to His word, Paul was confident that even the sin-plagued Corinthians would stand blameless before Him. This blamelessness does not refer to the Corinthians’ works, but to their standing in Christ, their justification (3:14, 15). The NKJV Study Bible.

Luke 17:30 Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Romans 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 

Deuteronomy 7:9 “Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 

Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

“The question can no longer be ‘What can I expect from life?’ but can now only be ‘What does life expect of me?’” Viktor Frankl reminds us.

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. And that truth is connected to fundamental reality that we are all walking one another home. In a world of noise, that’s easy to forget. 

When our narrative begins with grace and sufficiency, it births compassion, inclusion and connectedness—we are on this journey together.

And here’s the deal; God’s grace is always bigger than (and never confined by) any dogma we use to comprehend it. Sabbath Moments

Rather than turning from God, let's turn toward Him by admitting our need for His presence, power and grace in our lives. He loves us enough to adopt us into His family and call us His beloved children when we walk by faith in His Son, Jesus (Romans 8:15; 1 John 3:1). We can trust His heart. First5