Matthew 7:15-20 Beware of false prophets.

 Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (NKJV)

To love God above all and to love our neighbors family as much as we do our  own are His commandments. We are made in His image. Faith matters. Character matters. Morals matter. But above all put on LOVE. Love can change chaos into stability. Love can change the heart of stone and replace it with a soft, pliable heart that God can use for good. Good overcomes evil. Praise be to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Carla

Matthew 7:15-20

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. (NKJV)

Jesus teaches that people—godly and ungodly—are distinguishable by their deeds (Ephesians 2:8–10).

Beware meaning “be alert” or “be watchful.”

By their fruits refers to people’s deeds—the natural outcomes of their choices and inclinations.

False prophets refers to those whose teaching contradicts Jesus’ teaching. Beginning in Matthew 5:17, Jesus has reinterpreted the established religious and social norms of His day. Here, He portrays those who contradict His instruction as false prophets—people who falsely claim to speak on God’s behalf (2 Peter 2:1). Sheep’s clothing refers to disguises that portray innocence.Ravenous wolves describes those seeking to undermine Jesus’ teaching for personal gain.

Every good tree produces good fruit In other words, teachers of righteousness act righteously. 

A  bad tree produces bad fruit. False prophets act wickedly in accordance with the nature of their testimony. Faithlife Study Bible

Beware of false prophets: Deuteronomy 13:1–11; 18:20–22 provide information on discerning and responding to false prophets. The way to tell false teachers from teachers of truth is by their fruits. Fruits here refers to more than their deeds; it includes their doctrine (16:12; 1 John 4:1–3). A person speaking in the name of God is to be tested by the doctrines of Scripture. The same principle still holds true today. Speakers and teachers should be tested against the truths in God’s Word  (Jude 3; Revelations 22:18, 19). The NKJV Study Bible

Matthew 12:33–35

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks…

Luke 6:43–44

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 

Matthew 3:10

And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 

James 3:12

Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

Matthew 24:1–51

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”…

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today. Take heaven! No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant.

Take peace! The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy.

(Fra Giovanni Giocondo—1435–1515—was a Franciscan friar, a Renaissance pioneer, architect, engineer, antiquary, archaeologist, and classical scholar.)

Yes. More than ever, we need emotional and spiritual nourishment. Places of sanity and restoration… including reminders to invite and welcome the healing power of goosebumps. Letting us savor moments of palette cleansing awe. Yes, “Welcome it, grasp it, and you touch the angel’s hand that brings it to you.”

Or as we learned this week, Lagniappe—dollops of Grace. Sabbath Moments

O Great Spirit, our Father from above,

your name is sacred and holy.

Bring your good road to us, where the beauty of your ways

in the spirit-world above is reflected in the earth below.

Provide for us day by day — the elk, the buffalo, and the salmon.

The corn, the squash, and the wild rice.

All the things we need for each day.

Release us from the things we have done wrong,

in the same way we release others

for the things done wrong to us.

Guide us away from the things that tempt us

to stray from your good road.

First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament

Psalm 119:33-40 Character matters!

 Ezekiel 33:31 So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. 

Luke 12:15

And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

As believers we follow the two commandments that God, in the Word made flesh, gave to us. We Love God above all and we love and care for our  neighbors and ourselves. In these two the law is fulfilled. In keeping them, we show by our actions, God’s love for the world.  He sent His only begotten Son, that in Him and through His sacrifice, the world could be saved. Through your good deeds show others His agape love for all of His creation. We live in the righteousness of Jesus not our own. Character matters. Carla

Psalm 119:33-40

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,

And I shall keep it to the end.

34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law;

Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

35 Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,

For I delight in it.

36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies,

And not to covetousness.

37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,

And revive me in Your way.

38 Establish Your word to Your servant,

Who is devoted to fearing You.

39 Turn away my reproach which I dread,

For Your judgments are good.

40 Behold, I long for Your precepts;

Revive me in Your righteousness. (NKJV)

The phrase Your way describes the will of God as a path, distinguished from other paths that lead to destruction. God’s path leads to life, and His ways are a reflection of His good character. The NKJV Study Bible

The  psalmist asks Yahweh to change him so that he might keep Yahweh’s directions. The psalmist wants Yahweh to transform him so that he can avoid being seduced by unjust gain (verse 36), continue to worship Yahweh (verse 38), receive protection from attack (verse 39), and receive sustenance (verses 37, 40).

Incline my heart expresses the idea that the heart is wayward and needs help in pursuing what is good. 

The word betsa' for dishonest gain can imply unjust gain and is sometimes associated with bribes.

The psalmist asks God to rescue him so that he can continue to honor Him at a personal level, and perhaps proclaim Him to others. Faithlife Study Bible

Psalm 119:25–27

My soul clings to the dust;

Revive me according to Your word.

I have declared my ways, and You answered me;

Teach me Your statutes…

This is not about who you are supposed to be.

Or who you should be.

This is not about the denial of pain and suffering.

Or the denial of grief and loss and hardship.

Or even the denial of death.

Because grace imbues courage. This is not easy to do in a world that can rattle and unnerve us.

“I want to separate courage and bravery,” Brené Brown writes. “Courage, the original definition of courage, when it first came into the English language, it's from the Latin word cor, meaning heart, and the original definition was to tell the story of who you are with your whole heart... and wholehearted folks had, very simply, the courage to be imperfect. They had the compassion to be kind to themselves first, and then to others. Because as it turns out, we can't practice compassion with other people if we can't treat ourselves kindly. And the last is, they had connection--this was the hard part--as a result of authenticity. They were willing to let go of who they thought they should be in order to be who they were.”

If you voted, thank you. If you have not, please make your way to a ballot box, or voting center.

As parents, we strive to teach our children indispensable values, like kindness, compassion, responsibility, and fairness. And one of the most powerful lessons we can share with them is the importance of participating in our democracy through voting. While voting might seem like an adult responsibility, it plays a significant role in shaping the future that our children will grow up in. Sabbath Moments

“Election Year.”

The sun’s eye closes behind mountains, but 
you lose sleep tonight, uncertain if the garden 
is meant to inevitably survive or die, or if 
it matters — one way or the other — with or 
without you. Maybe it’s not just the garden 
you worry about, but something we call hope 
pitted against despair, something we can only 
speak of by speaking to ourselves about flowers, 
weeds, and hummingbirds; spiders, vines, and 
a garden tended under a constitution of stars 
we must believe in, splayed across our sky.
— Richard Blanco, from “Election Year.” 

Hebrews 4:14-16 Jesus is our high priest in Him we can come boldly to the Throne of Gods’ Mercy and Grace.

 Hebrews  7:19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.

In all areas of our life, in prayer and supplication, we draw near to the throne of Grace in Christ Jesus. Greater is Holy Spirit in us than the evil that wants to destroy us. Just as Christ draws near to us in our times of need, we rejoice with others in their good times and we sit in solidarity with them in the bad. Christ within is our hope and our promise of eternity with God. Carla

Hebrews 4:14-16

Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (NKJV)

Because Jesus already has ascended into heaven and entered into God’s rest, believers can be confident that they, too, will have a share in God’s rest.Because Jesus established His role as high priest by becoming like us (2:17–18), He can understand human struggles.

Our weaknesses likely refers to sickness, imprisonment, and ostracism. Jesus faced the same temptations as people (Matthew 4:3, 6). Suffering believers can look to Jesus, who not only pioneered their faith but endured the cross—the cost of obedience to God (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus remained faithful to the one who appointed Him (Hebrews 3:2). Unlike other priests, Jesus didn’t need to offer sacrifices for His own sins; instead, He offered Himself unblemished to God (7:27; 9:14).

Believers should pray persistently because Jesus empathizes with human weakness (verse 15). He continues to make intercession for those who draw near to God (7:25).

In the Jerusalem temple, only the high priest could enter the most holy place—and only once per year on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:7). By offering Himself once for all, Jesus made a way for believers to draw near to God. The throne of grace is the  place of God’s presence, from which grace emanates to His people. God’s throne sits in the heavenly temple—the counterpart of the earthly temple (Hebrews 8:1; Isaiah 6:1; 66:1; Exodus 25:17–22).

Christ is the merciful high priest who mediates on our behalf (2:17). Because of His work, God grants mercy to believers when they sin (Hebrews 8:12). God strengthens His people when they undergo temptation or endure any type of hardship (2:18). Faithlife Study Bible

In the OT the high priest of Israel passed through the courts and veils into the Most Holy Place. Our High Priest has passed through the heavens to the very presence of God, where He sits at God’s right hand (1:3).

Sympathize means “to suffer with” and expresses the feeling of one who has entered into suffering. In all points tempted means Jesus experienced every degree of temptation (2:18).

Come is the same Greek word translated draw near in 10:22. This command strongly contrasts with God’s command at Mt. Sinai: “Do not go up to the mountain or touch its base (Exodus 19:12). Because of Christ’s priestly work, believers can approach God’s presence. The writer of Hebrews is expressing the openness of God’s call in Christ, “Come” (Revelation 22:17). Boldly is the same word that is rendered confidence in 3:6 and means “plainness of speech,” “fearlessness,” or “courage.” Believers should courageously approach God in prayer because His is a throne of grace, and our High Priest sits at His right hand interceding for us. The NKJV Study Bible

Hebrews 2:17–3:1

Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted…

2 Corinthians 5:21

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Hebrews 7:25–26

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 

Hebrews  6:20

where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

In the town of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, there is a church named Lagniappe (“lan-yap”). It is an old Creole word that means “something extra”.

Pastor Jean Larroux explains, “Down here if you go into a seafood shop and order a pound of shrimp and they put in an extra handful, that's the lagniappe. It's something you can't pay for. Something for nothing. Something for free.”

In an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Jean began this church, in his words, with people “primed for grace.” Accustomed to teaching church people how to celebrate, Jean was surprised to find himself in a community of people who already knew. Even in the middle of their hardship.

Here's the good part.

This celebration (fullness and wholeness of life from lagniappe) is not predicated on life as we expect it.

The party doesn't start when our fear is gone.

The party doesn't start when our beliefs are unadulterated.

The party doesn’t start when doubt has been appeased.

The party doesn't start when our circumstances make it feasible.

And this I know; if we wait for all that, we miss the gift of grace—the sacrament of the present moment—every time.

The Celtic church gives us a word for such grace moments (doorways). They called them thin places. “A thin place is anywhere our hearts are opened,” writes Marcus Borg. “They are places where the boundary between the two levels becomes very soft, porous, permeable. Thin places are places where the veil momentarily lifts, and we behold (the ‘ahaah of The Divine’) all around us and in us.”

Bottom line? We are grounded.

And no, we do not always (or easily) see the thin places.

This is precisely why I love stories—like Lagniappe. They are reminders, when our scotoma (selective blindness) is lifted. Ah yes, the veil is lifted. And there, with our sacramental imagination flourishing, we see, hear, taste and touch those gifts, in our “unexpected encounters” with the Sacred. With the Holy. With God.

Let us embrace this reminder: on the daily pilgrimage each one of us walks, we are fueled by our inherent value. Enabling us to embrace those places of beauty, creativity, resilience, imagination, courage and humor. And kindness.

Those places of healing.

And places of inspiration.

Thich Nhat Hanh’s reminder, “At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it.”

And pilgrimage is a great metaphor for what we are on, as a country. We are walking not only to disconnect from our barraged pace of life (amplified by social media), but to make space for presence, and healing, and connectedness, and recovery, on so many levels—with others, with our world, and with ourselves.

Sadly, when life feels catawampus, we forget where we tether our well-being.

So, I will carry these words with me into this week and I invite you to do the same.

What sustains me, and carries me gently through my days?

What heals and restores and inspires?

What empowers me to spill the light I carry?

Lagniappe necessitates a paradigm shift. Without it, we stay stuck in our head. We like to say that we teach or preach grace. Which makes grace something to comprehend, like the answer to a test question.

And we miss the party, the fundamental reality that grace lights up our day, and our world. Regardless of whether we fathom it.

We miss the wakefulness that grace bestows, fueled by two simple words; Thank you.

We miss the power of lagniappe. The something extra? The joy in the ordinary, in dollops of gentleness, kindness, connection, empathy, compassion, generosity, wonder and healing.

Ordinariness opens us up to our humanity (and to our connection to one another), now absorbed in moments of grace. Instead of needing to fix or analyze, we absorb and invest; we notice, and listen, and feel, and love.

We are safe, at home in our skin. An antidote to (in the words of Seneca) “that tossing to and fro of the mind, that can nowhere find rest.”

We are primed for grace. And lagniappe, grace, always spills.

Lagniappe is the bounty from compassion, not predicated on life as we expect it.

It is the replenishment from grace, that doesn't start when our fear is gone.

Or when our beliefs are unadulterated.

Or when our circumstances make it feasible.

Most likely, if we wait for all that, we miss rebirth, comfort, healing, being fed to fullness... and the miracle, every time.

So, I have an idea… This week, be on the lookout for a hand that needs to be held.

And here’s the deal: Without even knowing it, we are lagniappe. We are the hands and feet of grace.

“Be the hand of a hopeful stranger, Little scared but you’re strong enough. Be the light in the dark of this danger, ‘Till the sun comes up.’” Sara Barielles, A Safe Place to Land.  Sabbath Moments