Misrepresenting

"Not even Christ has been raised," 1 Corinthians 15:13.

True. Well, true if there is no resurrection of dead people. If the dead are not raised, then we're misrepresenting God (!) because we say God raised Jesus from the dead. Misrepresenting God! What's worse than that? And then what a bunch of losers are people who hope in Christ only in this life. But. Fact: Resurrection! Christ has been raised. And in a split-second comes resurrection for us and eternal victory of life over death. Jesus reigns right now. And he's coming soon.

We visit a brother or sister today to affirm a living hope in Christ. And together we give thanks to God for his victory in Christ.

Midst

"Lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other," Luke 17:24.

Wow - we've seen such phenomenal electrical display! Nobody misses the bright flashes all over the place! Well, Jesus says, that's how it'll be on the day of the Son of Man. When he shows up, everybody will see it. Nobody will miss it. But anybody who's tired of waiting and says Jesus already sneaked in over there in that corner or slipped in quietly here in this special place  ... well, don't pay them no never mind. The day he's revealed is going to be like the day the firestorm came down from the skies and burned Sodom into a crispy critter. He's coming. Soon. We won't miss it. Gotta be ready.

We visit with a brother or sister today in hope anchored beyond the skies. And together we give thanks to God for his kingdom in our midst.

Enough

"Where's the promise of his coming?" 2 Peter 3:4.

Ask it, bro! Ever since the old people died, everything's just continued on like since the beginning of time. Sure, Jesus said he was coming soon. But that was, like, 2000 years ago! And here we are, still waiting, and nothing's changed. Well. That's what the old-timers said just before the flood wiped out the former world. Time is relative for the Creator: two thousand years? a couple of days? it's all the same to him. Soon is whatever he names it. And when he does come, it'll be way sooner than expected. So. We live holy and godly sooner than soon so as to be ready for his coming soon enough.

We meet with a brother or sister enjoining each other to  readiness. And together we give thanks that God gives all the time we need to get ready for his fulfilling of that promise.

Ready

"Be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect," Matthew 24:44.

Who's to be ready? Jesus's people. Why? because he's coming. When's he coming? quickly. but when nobody's expecting it. But when? nobody inside or outside the universe knows. Except for God alone. no angels. not even Jesus. So what? Be ready. Stay awake. Sleepers get swept away like in Noah's flood. Like with religion play actors, hypocrites all. Ready means doing what wise, faithful servants do: nurture God's household.

We meet with a brother or sister today ready and serving one another mutually. And together we give God thanks from our hearts for our hope's reward.

Testifier

"Yes! I'm coming quickly!" Revelation 22:20.

Says who? Says Jesus. The Lord Jesus. Jesus the Testifier. Jesus testifies to what? He testifies to all the things written in This Book. The words of the Prophecy of This Book. He testifies to the grand invitation: Come! Any thirsty people, Come! and drink from the priceless water of life! Jesus testifies to any who hear the words of This Book's prophecy who add or take away from the writings of This Book. God will add woes or take away their share in life. As described in This Book. And, finally, Jesus testifies: I am coming soon.

We visit with a brother or sister ready for Jesus coming. And together we give thanks to God for giving us life water to drink without price.

Wolf

"I lay down my life for the sheep," John 10:15.

I, I who? The shepherd. The good Shepherd. Jesus: I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life: that's what makes him the good shepherd. That's his ultimate serving. Whom does he so serve? the sheep. He yields his flesh, his blood to the wolf to feast upon. Now the so sated wolf does not devour the sheep. And that's how he serves his slaves at their banquet. That's how he washes the feet of his followers. That's how his ransom works to forgive the condemned. Why does he do this? because that's the way he is. The way he is. He is the way he is.

So we meet with a brother or sister today called by Jesus to be like him. And together we give praise and thanksgiving to God for the privilege to lay down our lives as well. 

Tied

"He tied a towel around his waist, poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet," John 13:5.

Who did? Jesus did. Yeah. He had taken off his fancier clothes and with the towel around his waist looked like a regular house-slave. That's who got the job of washing guests' feet when they came visiting. Washing dirt off grimy feet that had been in the streets all day. Yeah. And then he dried their clean feet with the towel. Why does he do this? because that's the way he is. The way he is. He is the way he is.

When we visit with a brother or sister today we wash each others' feet. And we thank God for having cleansed our whole selves, from the inside out, made holy by Christ's sacrifice.

Wasted

"The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve," Matthew 20:28.

Who's talking here? Jesus. Who's he talking about? himself. He is the Son of Man. And what's he saying about himself? that he has come to this planet to serve. Not to be served. And who's he come to serve? the many humans needing to be ransomed. Why's he doing this? because that's the way he is. The way he is. He is the way he is.

We visit with a brother or sister today in order to serve each other as Jesus serves us. And together we give thanks to God for ransoming us from our wasted lives.

Serve

 "He will come and serve them," Luke 12:37.

Who? Who will serve? The Master. What master? The Master who has gone to a wedding feast and gets home late, way late. Who will he serve? His slaves. What slaves? The ones who are awake and ready when their Lord comes home. And they open the door right away for him when he knocks on it, so late. The Lord serves the slaves? Really? Yes. He'll get his work clothes on and he'll have the slaves relax at their banquet, and he'll serve them. Why?! because that's the way he is. The way he is. He is the way he is.

We meet with a brother or sister today, ready for our Lord's appearing up in the clouds. And together we give thanks to him for his loving service to us, slaves of Jesus.

Salvation

*Salvation's Spirit*

`

Salvation is about God at work,

and is not about human effort.

`

No

flood of tears, 

no

exercise of brain or brawn,

no

amount of

compassion or forgiveness . . .

no

thing a human may

do,

believe,

feel,

think, or

perceive

`

-- nothing in humans --

`

has the power to save

a man or a woman

from certain death.

`

Nor pleading,

nor bargaining,

nor love,

nor money can

bring salvation.

`

Neither a man's

strongest

will,

nor a woman's

deepest

desire

can bring one more

year away from sin's wage.

`

Salvation is about God,

and is not about humans.

`

No Tao to be walked,

no ancestors to be honored,

no Loki to be appeased,

no Athena to pray to,

the doing of which things

can bring salvation.

No Mars to fly to,

no moonwalks to walk,

no movement

beyond solar systems

distances humans enough from

sin's sure effect.

`

Salvation is about

God's work, about

God's power, about

God's mercy, about

God's grace , about the

Blood of Jesus’s atonement.

`

Humans' repentance does not

require

God to redeem.

Humans' faith does not

force 

God to forgive.

Humans' confession does not

compel 

God to concede.

Humans' baptism does not

bully

God to bless.

Humans' obedience does not

oblige 

God to overlook sin.

`

Salvation is about God,

and is not about what humans do.

Salvation's author is

God,

`

and none else.

`

Salvation is about the

One in Whom

alone

dwells immortality;

about the

One Who loves,

and therefore, and therefore alone,

we live.

`

He is our Salvation,

He is our Redemption,

He is our Atonement,

He is our Beginning and our End!

`

No man will ever buy

salvation with his

effort,

mind,

blood, nor even

effortlessness.

No woman will ever earn

salvation with her

kindness,

motherliness,

subjection, nor even

brazenness.

`

Salvation is about

God.

Not about

the meagerness

nor about

the nobility of

our efforts.

`

And yet.

`

And yet.

`

Because He loves us,

because He redeems us,

because He forgives us,

because He justifies us,

because He sanctifies us,

because He saves us . . .

`

Therefore:

`

He calls us to repent, therefore.

He calls us to believe, therefore.

He calls us to confess, therefore.

He calls us to be baptized, therefore.

He calls us to obey, therefore.

He calls us to holiness, therefore.

`

He calls us to Jesus, in faith.

He calls us to Jesus, in repentance.

He calls us to Jesus, in confession.

He calls us to Jesus, in baptism.

He calls us to Jesus, in obedience.

He calls us to Jesus, in holiness.

`

He, who makes us worthy of his calling,

calls us to become worthy.

He, who saves us from death,

calls us to save ourselves from this

crooked generation.

He, who redeems us completely,

calls us to live lives that say so.

He, who casts our sins as far as

the east is from the west,

calls us to live holy lives.

He, who forgives us profoundly,

calls us to forgive one another.

He, who needs nothing from us,

calls us to love him with

all

our hearts,

all

our souls,

all

our strengths,

all

our minds.

`

He, who may from rocks raise children to Abraham,

calls us to be His children,

into relationship, to be like Him.

`

And Jesus, His son, says:

`

If

you

don't forgive men their

trespasses,

neither

will your

Father forgive

your

trespasses.

`

And when we have done all,

we pray:

`

In Jesus' name, Father,

May our lives

be acceptable to you.

We are unworthy servants,

by your Holy Spirit

we have but done our duty.