Love in a divided world

Jude 17-22 
But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. ¹⁸ They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” ¹⁹ These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
²⁰ But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
²² Be merciful to those who doubt; ²³ save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

We live in a very DIVIDED world. I want to be LOVE, GOD's LOVE in the midst of a divided world.  Instead of complaining about the divisions here is my prayer taken from St. Francis. 
 Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;  

Praying for sinners

I John 5: 16-17. If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

I have never been a big fan of concentrating on sin.  I think we need to concentrate on LOVE, but my favorite apostle John, who really spoke continually about love also didn't ignore sin.  Why is sin a big deal to me?  Because I don't want my loved ones, friends and aquaintances to have spiritual death.  Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly!  Sin is death, sin is sneaky, and sin can decieve.  Lord Jesus, help me to pray for those who need to be set free from sin in their lives and continue to reveal to me sin that is keeping me from having an abundant life in You.   

Time is on God's side....yes it is.

2 Peter 3:8  But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

I struggle at times with anxiety.  I worry about work, my family and details in life.  Children and teenagers cry and obsess about things that we as adults know is not important.  Not getting the pefect prom dress may seem like a disaster at the time, but in a short time is not even remembered.  God looks at me and wonders when I will ever get that the things I am worried about, in His time will all be forgotten, although now seem unsolvable. 

The steps pictured above are steps in Jerusalem.  Our tour guide stated historically, Jesus would most definately walked.  They were the steps back and forth to the temple and the steps to Caiphus the High Priest house.  While this was 2 thousand years ago, in the realm of eternity, it is only two days.  This is why eternity matters, not the small insignificant things I worry about.  
 
God, give me your wisdom to see life in the perspective of eternity and be aware of what is really important. 
 

Jesus preaching to spirits in prison

I Peter 3:18-22
For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the ^[a]spirit; ¹⁹ in ^[b]which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, ²⁰ who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the ^[c]water. ²¹ Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God ^[d]for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
Skip to I Peter 4:6...For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who were dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. 
Here lies some verses that are not well understood.  Jesus after his death is said to have gone to Hades and preached or made proclamation to the imprisioned spirits.  Lots of interpretations.  Catholics believe until the death of Jesus, people were held in a place waiting for Jesus to come and allow them access to the Father.  It makes sense that if when people died, and would go to heaven or hell after death, why would the death of Jesus be necessary?  Others think this means he made proclamation to fallen angels his victory over sin. 

I wonder if we do not put Jesus in a box too small.  Have we all not wondered what happens to good Buddists who died at the same time Christ walked the earth?  How could they go to hell because no one had preached to them the gospel of Christ?  I will say this.  I DON'T KNOW.  I do know God is a just and loving God.  I have complete faith, He has this figured out.  What I think may not be true, but I think if you did not have the gospel preached, your spirit is imprisoned.  I think Jesus died for everyone and somehow his gospel will be preached to all imprisioned spirits.  It is still our choice to accept or reject Him and the Holy Spirit who draws us to God. Bible scholars, Greek scholars are all very smart people and will disagree, but guess what folks, God is God.  Our small pea brains can't begin to comprhend the greatness of our God.             

I Peter 3:8-12
⁸ Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. ⁹  Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. ¹⁰ For

“Whoever desires to love life
    and see good days,
let him keep his tongue from evil
    and his lips from speaking deceit;
¹¹ let him turn away from evil and do good;
    let him seek peace and pursue it.
¹² For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are open to their prayer.
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

Lord help me to pray blessings on others.  Let me see the world like you see each person. Lord, help me to seek peace and pursue it.  Lord open your ears to my prayers as I walk in obedience to your word. 

Throw them a life saver!

James 5:19-20 ¹⁹ My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, ²⁰ remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Are people we know drowning in a world cut off from their purpose in life?  How do we start the rescue?  We LOVE them.  We listen to them.  We accept them.  We serve them. We give up our time for them.  The love of Jesus and our testimony about our love relationship with Him will be known, because as we get to really know them, they will get to really know us.  To really know us, is to know Jesus.      

Omission a Sin?

James 4:17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. 

This verse has always impressed me, and maybe scared me a little.  I have always believed my relationship with God is a personal relationship.  God has called me and I alone will answer to Him.  I know, I need to seek Him and find out what "thy will be done" in my life.  The sin of omission is where I fail.  It is not what I am doing that is going against God, but what am I not doing that He not only wants me to do, but NEEDS me to do.  Jesus needs me to use my mouth, my hands, my feet to accomplish HIS will.  I think my biggest sin of omission is still clinging on to having "my time."   Dear Lord Jesus, when I call You Lord, it really means You are my master.  I repent of thinking my time on earth is mine.  I give my time to You. Help me and guide me to use the "talents" given me to accomplish Your will each day.  Amen.      

Speak LOVE

James 4:11  Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.

Leo Buscaglia once wrote about going to a very loving church where they asked brother Smith to speak.  He said the elderly gentleman came up to the podium and said....Faith........Faith........Faith.  And when he sat down the minister said, "Thank you brother Smith for that wonderful sermon on Faith."  Leo said he would love to go up and preach this message at his church......Love......Love......Love..... and then sit down.  This is the message in all the readings......LOVE.  If we love, we do not criticize.  Instead of speaking evil, we hold it in and pray.  I want to change the world by love and prayer!!!!  

Tongue Lashing

James 3:2-9 ² We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
 ³ When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. ⁴ Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. ⁵ Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. ⁶ The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
 ⁷ All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, ⁸ but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
 ⁹ With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

I want to be known for my tongue. I want to be known as a prayer warrior and a person who blesses.  I don't want to be known as a complainer or a negative nellie.  Instead of complaining, I want to be known for praying. I want to be known as Mary Beth never says an unkind word.  I just don't imagine Jesus complaining about the Roman politicians, or about how Peter just doesn't get it sometimes, or his brother James and all his faults. When someone complains it poisons the atmosphere and actually makes things worse. It give power to problem. While no human being can tame the tongue, with God all things are possible. Dear Father, in Jesus name, let my words be perfect. Let me pray about my complaints without "sharing" them.  Let me bless, bless, bless.

Got Wisdom?

James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Proverbs 2:6  For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 3:6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

1 Kings 3:9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

Father, in the name of your son Jesus, I pray and receive the promised gift of wisdom.  Thank you!

Is it an angel?

Hebrews 13:1-6 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. ² Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. ³ Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
 
What a different world it would be if each person we saw, we thought might be an angel and we treated them as one.  The early church was known by their love.  Love God, Love neighbor.  We make it so complicated.  The two most direct commands are to love.  I know part of me is suffering for my staff, let me know how to love them. Dear Lord, give me wisdom on how to love each person in my path today. 

Faith sees what is hoped for.....

Hebrews 11:1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. NIV
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. KJV 

Why are some verses famous and the most quoted?  Like this one, if I could just capture it and live by it I could live in peace and victory.  I am hoping for my son to be fully restored and living for God.  I need to put on my own God glasses and see what is not seen.  I need to believe in how the King James Version uses the word "substance" for the word assurance.  I need to believe it "as if" is is done in the physical realm because is is accomplished in the spiritual realm. 

Yesterday, we went out early on our boat around 7:00am.  Vince fished and I was on deer watch.  We had to come in around 8:30 to get a tablecloth to church for the set up because it had been stained with chocolate.  The boat died.  We were stuck in the lake and not able to make it back to the dock.  I prayed.  While I was a bit anxious, I trusted God would accomplish His Will in my life.  I wasn't sure what that will was, but I stayed calm.  The normal self would have wigged out as I would feel I was letting the church down.  A boat of fisherman came buzzing by to the rescue.  The guy said, "I don't know why I came by this way."  I said, "I do, I prayed."  We got to shore, we got the table cloth to church.  The still small voice said, "Why can you believe I will provide for something as insignificant as a tablecloth and you do not feel the same confidence for your son who I love more than you do?" 

Father, in Jesus name, I pray the same prayer a man said to Jesus, "Lord, I do believe, help me in my unbelief."