C, Pentecost - Acts 2:11b-12, Genesis 11:1-9, John 14:12-14 "What Works"

Acts 2:11b–12 (ESV) “‘We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.’  And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’”

The salvation of humanity is about the works of God being heard, accepted, believed and received by humanity.  God has always worked to bring people into common oneness with him.  However, people have not always received the works of God and have sought other ways forward, contrary the work of God in his creation.

However, every person knows within their being, that everything exists and is created for a purpose.  We don’t exist for no reason!  But why we exist is a mystery to many, as God who created the heavens and the earth, is not real, but a myth.  Therefore, the transcendence of God Almighty is reduced to some kind of spiritual force somewhere in the cosmos.  Yet people today are still looking for spiritual meaning.  It has been no different since the beginning of humanity. 

At the first Pentecost after Jesus ascended into heaven, many were gathered for the Jewish harvest festival fifty days after the Passover.  This is the Passover where Jesus was crucified on the cross, buried, and raised from the dead on the third day.  Much had happened in these fifty days since.  We could imagine, if social media was a thing back then, phone screens would have been burning bright with speculation and social memes (short texts, images, or videos) as to what was going on. 

At this first Pentecost, after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension, many Jews were gathered in Jerusalem.  Humanity being what it is, we know there would have been the same surge of social intrigue, albeit, without electronic devices!  So, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles with the sound of a mighty rushing wind and the gathered people saw the tongues of fire over their heads, this would have only fed the feeding frenzy of gossip already around.

We know when feeding frenzies occur, the babble that occurs can be confused, to say the least.  It was no different at Pentecost in Jerusalem, some were amazed and surprised, some were perplexed and confused, and some were both.   We hear the Jews from different nations question, “What does this mean?” or more widely, the crowd determined to know, “What is this?  What’s going on? How and why is this occurring?”  Imagine if this happened today, everyone would have their phone cameras rolling, and social media would be abuzz!

Long before Abraham, Isaac, and Israel existed; about two thousand years or so before Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension, and this confusion at Pentecost, humanity was one.  It was the days after the flood and the descendants of Noah were pondering the dispersal from the location of the Ark.  They were also drifting away from God, having been saved from the flood.

We hear from Genesis eleven, “Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.” (Genesis 11:1–2 ESV)

There was human oneness, many could only dream about today!  They had one will and determination.  Was their will good?  They thought so!

As they moved from the mountains they settled on the plains and said amongst themselves, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:3–4 ESV)

No one is sure exactly where Noah’s Ark landed.  Nevertheless, why leave a mountainous area, venture onto a plain, and then build a tower?  Why not stay on a mountain and build a tower there? Even if they built a tower as tall as the Twin Towers in New York, it would have been only as lofty as the lowest mountains in the area.

Mountains were the place where people met with God.  Yet, the population moved as one, to the plain, away from God, and built a tower to make a name for themselves.  Why they acted in this way could have been for many reasons.  Did they not trust God, or did they not fear God?  We will never know for sure.   What we do know is, it was a collective act against God’s work and creative call, to multiply and fill all the earth.

It seems today we are still seeking to build these towers to make a name for ourselves, to give us a place to which we can look upon what a cooperative community can do.  Our society needs these towers of oneness, to calm the collective confusion and fear, having turned from the eternal power and pleasure of the Creator, our Father in heaven.

But God the Father is the Creator.  As we look up to our best and biggest efforts, he comes down to see what the children of men build.  Where we praise ourselves for our oneness, looking up to things other than God, he comes down to reveal his contempt for our efforts.

So, having come down at Babel, God sees and does his work amongst humanity.  He sees the acts of humanity, he sees their collective cooperation where they say, “Come, let us make bricks! Come, let us build a tower!”  In reply, God says, “Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” (Genesis 11:7 ESV)

Today, God still sees the acts of the human spirit, both individually and communally, and actively withdraws, leaving the human spirit in confusion and its worldly language in a babble like Babel. 

At Pentecost God consolidates what he confused at Babel.  He sends Jesus to bring humanity back together having come down into its chaos to carry it on the cross.  After Jesus’ ascension, God reinstates oneness through the power of the Holy Spirit, who truly brings people together, by connecting them to Jesus Christ.  But, in a chaotic confused world of Babylonian proportions, how does he do this?

Before Jesus died, he promised the Holy Spirit would come and be humanity’s help.  The Holy Spirit helps God’s work to happen in those who don’t reject the Holy Spirit’s help!  Help to do what?

With the promise of the Holy Spirit Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”  (John 14:12–14 ESV)

When you believe, “why Jesus had to die for you, why he had to send the Holy Spirit for you, and why he and the Holy Spirit still continually work for you”, he promises, you will not only do the works he did, but do greater works, now that he is with our Father! 

These works you do, are the works of the Holy Spirit, working within you!  They are the acts of the Holy Spirit, the same acts or works of the Apostles, that the Spirit was working through them in the early church. 

Without the Holy Spirit, without the work of God, our acts are just that, an act!  It matters not how loving these deeds look!  It matters not how good the works appear!  It matters not how unified people believe they are in these acts!  Without the Holy Spirit to call, gather, enlighten, and sanctify, those who work without the Holy Spirit, and their works, are just an act!  Many who continue to work their ways and build their Babels, build a Babylonian confusion as high as heaven, to their detriment, and sin against the Holy Spirit. 

Hear what John heard the angel from heaven say, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit.” (Revelation 18:2a ESV)

Then John heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.”  (Revelation 18:4–5 ESV)

But when the Holy Spirit acts within, you will know your sin!  Therefore, hear and act in his call to repentance, receive forgiveness of sin, be gathered as one believing this forgiveness through Jesus’ work.  Jesus promises you who allow the Holy Spirit to act within, will truly confess, and witness his forgiveness, to the ends of the earth.  This is the working acts of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth.  Amen.

O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. (Psalm 104:24 ESV) May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works, (Psalm 104:31 ESV) within his creation, within his creatures, within us.  Amen. 

B, Pentecost 14 Proper 17 - James 1:17-27 "Doers of the word"

 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.  Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.  Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.  Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.  But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.  If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  James 1:17-27 (ESV)

Dear Heavenly Father, we believe! Save us from our unbelief. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Doer of the word.  He is the Word made flesh.  Within his person he carries the perfection of God but this person like all of us was capable of sin.  Yet he did not sin but chose to be a doer of the word.

In James we are called to be doers of the word.  In our quest to discover what being a doer of the word is, what better place to go than into the word to see just what that is!

How we hear the word and what we do with it, however, makes a world of difference!  Said another way, using the word to please us as opposed to letting it work on us to please God separates Jesus Christ from the word, and leads us into error.  We must allow the word to work on us, so we do what God wants.

Jesus reveals this in his word to the pharisees (Mark 7). They were doer of the word but worked the word in a way that did not please Jesus nor our Father in heaven.  They were like those James spoke of who peered into a mirror and immediately forgot what they looked like.

It’s interesting to note that the Pharisees came into conflict with Jesus not because of any radical differences, but rather due to their similarities.  Although their work looked like that of Jesus, their work was completely different due to their motivation.

This stands as a warning to us who like them can easily see only part of the picture and be doers of deeds that please us and disturb God.

Another warning for us is Martha and Mary.  Mary sat at Jesus’ feet while Martha worked in the kitchen.  Martha complained to Jesus that she had to do all the work.  She was a distracted doer of the word.  Martha’s motives were brought into the light by Jesus showing her that her service, and Mary’s lack of it, was not the issue. Rather Jesus’ concern with Martha was her wanting Mary to turn away from him and serve her, placing Mary back in bondage. (Luke 10:38-42)

A third example are the sons of Sceva.  They saw Saint Paul miraculously casting out demons and sort to do the same for their own advantage.  But on trying to exorcise a demon the demon-possessed man overpowered them leaving them naked and wounded. (Acts 9:11-20)

All three examples are religious illustrations.  What they were doing looked like they were doers of the word.  But what they did was blind and faithless work.  They investigated the mirror of the word and forgot what they looked like.  They remembered the flesh but forgot whose image they bore.  They failed to see that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”  (James 1:17 ESV)

King David askes of God in Psalm 15, “O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill?”    It’s not clear whether David has become an adulterer and murdered when he led the people of Israel with this word.  However, for us after the fact we know David did not walk blamelessly and despite penning this Psalm it was not even he who this Psalm speaks of.  David like the Pharisees, Martha and the sons of Sceva could not persevere and fulfil the law of freedom.

However, Jesus could, and did!  And the Holy Spirit continues to put us in the place were we can be doers of the word.

Jesus is our answer to all the questions of David’s psalm 15. He is David’s answer too.  In Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father, God announces before the world an affirmative “Yes!” to Jesus.

Who shall sojourn in your tent Lord?  The eternal answer is “Jesus Christ” Son of God and Son of Mary, Doer of the word.

Who walks blamelessly, does what is right and speaks the truth in his heart?  Jesus, Doer of the word! 

Who does not slander, does no evil, nor scolds his friends?  Jesus, Doer of the word! 

Who is it who can truly discern between one who is vile and one who truly fears the Lord?  Jesus, Doer of the word! 

Who is it who stands firm and does not move even to his own detriment, who doesn’t sell out for his own gain, who doesn’t even take a bribe against the guilty or the innocent?  Jesus Christ, Doer of the word!

James speaks of those who are “religious”.  Many of us today like to appear religious, to be doers of the word, but like David, Martha, the pharisees, and the sons of Sceva in the face of Jesus we learn very quickly our religion is worthless. 

Jesus shows himself to be the only true religious one.  And in demonstrating this at the cross in his faithfulness unto death, God the Father raises him with a heavenly eternal “yes”!  And says “no” to all other religious activity or attempts of doing the word.

Jesus tells us what type of religion humanity emits, and what it does to the person who produces this type of religion.  He says, “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”  Mark 7: 21-23 (ESV)

Being doers of the word, allows the word to do things to us.  God’s Word made flesh takes the religion we put our trust in and shows us it defiles us before God.  His written word reveals to us that Jesus bears the only true marks of religious fervour before God the Father.  But it also teaches us to trust the freedom won for us through Jesus Christ, the Doer of the word.

You and I now stand on God’s holy hill!  We dwell in his temple! Why? Because Jesus temples in us by the power of the Holy Spirit!

So, what does this look like?  What is it to be doers of the word to the fulfilment of God’s eternal joy? Well, this is not the place to dive back into our religious individualisms for answers.  Rather, we go back into the written word of God and seek the Doer of the Word, Jesus Christ the Word made flesh, and the Doer of God’s word in us, the Holy Spirit. This is what pleases God the Father. 

James says pure and undefiled religion before God is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unstained from the world. Orphans have no fathers, and widows have no husband, both have no inheritance and hold no power or advantage for the person who visits them in their need.  In fact, they are those who in their need will drain you of all religious value. 

God has work for all of us which he has prepared in advance for us to do.  But we struggle to do it because of the dead religion we hold within us, with all its idols whatever they may be.  Yet as we stand on God’s holy hill, he calls us to confess these worthless religious idols – that is, our sin.  Confessing sin pleases God!

So, in the freedom of forgiveness we doers of the word can do even greater works than Jesus, The Doer of the word.  Amen.

Dear Heavenly Father, we believe! Save us from our unbelief. For Jesus’ sake, Amen.

B, Palm/Passion Sunday - Philippians 2:5-11 "Seven Days of Holy Week"

On Palm Sunday Jesus was glorified by the crowd but just five days later they screamed for his crucifixion.  What happened in this week changed the course of humanity forever. 

On the surface it looks like chaos and a complete miscarriage of justice, but those who received the Holy Spirit and believed the resurrection testify to the crowd,

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—  this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.  God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:22–24 ESV)

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart. (Acts 2:36–37a ESV)

Now we who have been baptised and received the Holy Spirit submit to God’s Word, dwelling on it as we carry our crosses on the road to eternity with Jesus.  But what can we take away from this Lenten season, from this Palm Passion Sunday and our Saviour’s death on Good Friday?

Yes we know the eighth day is coming! The day of Jesus’ resurrection!  And we know in trusting God and his word we will be raised too.  But how can we reflect on these seven days of Holy Week, and every seven day week in which we live until our final week here is replaced and we’re resurrected into the eternal eighth day of God’s heavenly reality?

It is very easy for us to hear of the events of Jesus’ passion and ponder that we are people like the Palm Sunday crowd, and that maybe so!  But what was the motive of the crowd on Palm Sunday, especially after Jesus enters the temple and upturns the tables when they hoped for him to overturn the Roman government and throw them out of Jerusalem.  Had Jesus wronged them? 

Maybe Jesus is not living up to your expectations!  Perhaps he is not giving you what you want, seemingly wronging you, letting you suffer like a slave rather than letting you kickback like a king.

Saint Paul tells us, Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5–11ESV)

Here we are told we’re given the gift of this mind amongst ourselves from Jesus himself.  Jesus did not see himself as God.  He emptied himself!  He became a servant!  A slave! He was truly they Son of Man, the servant of man!  Even though Jesus is not only the Messiah, the Anointed King, he is the Son of God.  But he humbled himself to be the Servant Son or Slave of Man.  In short he became nothing.

But in the horror of being made nothing he has made us something.  He has made us someone before God!  Unfortunately, more often than not, we take this someone to be something other than the humble creature servant kings and children of God, and once again take our being liked by God, recreated in the likeness of God, and seek to usurp him by being like God.

Jesus knew we would continue to struggle in this old creation of seven days.  This is why he lay down his life for us, and why he sent the Holy Spirit to guide us in his Word through this life until he ends the old seven day creation once and for all and carries us into the eighth day of his eternal kingdom at our resurrection.

So Jesus gave us a prayer in which the Holy Spirit helps us to pray and we can use its petitions this week to reflect on our sinful condition and why Jesus had to die for me, you and all people.  This prayer is the Lord’s Prayer and it can help those who believe to look deeply into the loving heart of God and our hearts that need this steadfast, constant, merciful and generous love.

In fact this pray and its seven petitions is a perfect mirror of reflection on the seven days of Holy Week, and for that matter any seven day week made holy for those who believe as they wait for the kingdom, power and glory to be made manifest for them at their resurrection.  Ironically, each petition reflects the actions of the crowd as they descend from Palm Sunday’s “Hosanna” to “Crucify him” on Good Friday.

In Luther’s explanation of the introduction of the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father in heaven”, he writes, “Here God encourages us to believe that he is truly our Father and we are his children”.  In other words, this prayer is a recognisation of our restored creatureliness in the presence of God.  We receive the gift of Jesus’ kingship and it’s a kingship of servanthood.  We live in a relationship with God similar to that of God and Adam before the fall, but now after the fall we live it in the reality of sin, death, and evil.  We pray to our Father in heaven, in the hope of our restoration through the perfect creaturely New Adam, Jesus Christ.

Let’s now look at the seven days of Holy Week and see how they sit with the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.

Sunday’s petition, Hallowed by your name.  It appears the crowd were hallowing God’s name with shouts of Hosanna!  But were they hallowing it to glorify God or were they worshipping what they wanted Jesus to be for them.  Here we can reflect on our motivation and confess that we so often seek to use God for our own benefit.  This is using God to justify our own godliness.  A godliness that is not sacrificial like Jesus. A godliness that sits in judgement over God and his Word rather than one that sits in submission and servanthood!  

Monday, Your kingdom come.  As we go off and pick up the regular beat of the week, have you taken God with you?  In other words, are you still the creaturely servant God has called you to be?  Or have you put God back in his Sunday box and picked up pursuing your kingdom?  Are you 100% for God as Jesus was?  Are you carrying your cross or are you tempted to put off the cross to keep face with the world?  God’s kingdom comes when we allow the Holy Spirit to turn over the tables of our human spirit so we believe that God’s kingdom has come in baptism, is coming despite the crosses we bear, and will come at the resurrection.  Let us confess Jesus in the kingdom of this world through our confession of sin and Jesus’ forgiveness of our sins.

Tuesday, Your will be done on earth as in heaven.  What is God’s will for you?  Firstly, it is his will to forgive us our sins, for we know not what we do.  He doesn’t just forgive us for what we do, he forgives us for who we are.  In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39 ESV)  God’s will is to forgive sin.  This is the steadfast love of God for we who struggle with a steadfast natures of sin. 

And God’s will for us on earth is to be the new Adams and the new Eves as fulfilled in Jesus.  As kings and servants in the kingdom of God on earth we forgive as God has forgiven us.

Wednesday, Give us this day our daily bread.  Hear God gives us a petition of prayer showing us the reality of our need.  As creatures we ask for all we need.  The going is tough so we are reminded to turn to God just as Jesus did.  We pray, “Come Lord Jesus be our guest and let this food to us be blessed.”  But there is a second more important part that points us to Maundy Thursday which the church can pray, “blessed be God who is our bread may the world be clothed and fed!” 

Thursday, Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  The first three petitions encourage us to look to God in his holiness and love, now after the fourth, we can reflect on why he has to be gracious with us. 

Our creatureliness is fallen but our sin is covered by Jesus’ body and blood, given and she for forgiveness of sins, life and salvation.  If we change this petition to first person it reads, “forgive me my sin as I forgive those who sin against me.”  This is the only active part of the Lord’s Prayer attributed to us, to me, all other actions are attributed to God. 

Our lives in Christ are a calling to forgive others as Jesus forgives us.  But notice how the petition is worded in reverse. We ask God to forgive us the same way we forgive others.  How do you forgive others?  If you are anything like me you will be made humble by just how gracious God is despite our ongoing struggle to forgive others.  The cross we bear in forgiving others requires the death of our pride and all that our human nature and spirit trusts other than God.

Friday, Lead us not into temptation.  Good Friday is the day of the great exchange.  Crucify him, Crucify him. God crucifies your kingdom and gives you his when you were baptised into his death and resurrection.  When you are tempted to not believe God’s work in your baptism, see that God did not send his only Son to his cross for nothing.  His blood covers you sin, don’t be tempted you are now no longer in need of forgiveness as if you now no longer need his crucifixion. 

Our temptation is also to crucify others with our accusations. This is a temptation back into the kingdom of darkness.  We now live in the kingdom of light and it’s a kingdom of forgiveness. Do not be tempted to toss away and crucify God’s eternal kingdom.

Saturday, But deliver us from evil.  This is the final and seventh petition.  On Holy Saturday Jesus showed his sinlessness to those in hell.  Now that Jesus has been crucified his death crucifies all unholiness. You are delivered from evil into holiness. 

But just as Jesus remembered the Sabbath and made it holy with his perfect sinless rest in the grave and descent into hell we are called to ponder the holiness we have received in baptism. No longer are we commanded "be holy for the Lord is holy" as a work with which to busy ourselves. Rather our being is holy because the Holy Spirit brings us to Jesus. 

We can now do the work of bringing our evil into the light through confession of sin, which might seem to be the wrong thing to do but it pleases God because it shows trust in the good work Jesus did at the cross and the good work the Holy Spirit continues us to do by bring us to Jesus every day in repentance.

As you go from here into this week walk the Holy Week with Jesus. Walk with Jesus to the cross and in carrying your cross know it is Jesus who truly bears your load of sin and death, and it is he who carries you through to the resurrection.

Our Father in heaven, the kingdom, and the power and the glory are yours, now and forever, Amen. 

B, Pentecost Sunday – Acts 2:1-8,13,14 Ezekiel 37:1-10 “Dead Men Walking”

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So how does this all work; Holy Spirit, baptism, Jesus' death two thousand years ago, his resurrection and ascension and you? It's a fair enough question since many these days have not grown up in the church and have no idea how it all works. Even for many in the church, if asked and put on the spot, would be hard up to give an outline of why they believe, and what happens in a believer. Why? Because much of it happens due to God's work hidden from our conscious minds and understanding!

In fact, it takes greater conscious effort to walk away from believing! And added to this, once one rejects what God has freely given, the evil one accuses and makes one feel guilty.

Not that this guilt is bad. If we see it for what it is then we can use it to God's advantage and return to him. When the devil accuses, he seeks to tell us we are not worthy to be before God, that he would condemn us if we did, and so the devil's attack shows us that by ourselves we are not worthy.

However, he uses more spin than a politician on the campaign trail! He's not going to remind us of what God has done and is doing. He is not going to remind us that he really cannot attack us anymore once we are covered with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. And so we come to the original question, "How does this all work?" Or, "How do we get and remain under the righteousness of Jesus Christ?" You need to know so the devil can't play with your doubts and drive you away from the wonderful effective gift which gives life upon life into eternity.

The first thing I would like you to picture is what happens when you hold your breath. Just say for argument sake you decided you were going to be very childish and stop breathing to get your way. What would happen? All would start off well, then after about thirty seconds you body would say, "Hang on mate, I need air!" After a minute you would be going red in the face, and only if you were stubborn enough could you hold on any further. If you could you might continue for some time until the oxygen in your blood started getting low, you would get light headed and finally pass out. But what happens once you go unconscious? Your body forces you to breathe again, that why people drown in water because the moment you pass out you cannot hold your breath any more, and you begin to automatically breathe regardless of where you are.

In fact, anyone who holds their breath knows it takes more effort not to breathe than it does to breathe. The human body wants to breathe, that's what it's created to do, and that is why you and I are human beings. We are not people who rise in the morning needing to remind ourselves to breathe because we have been doing exactly that unconsciously the whole night through. We don't have to "do" breathing it's a part of our being. And because we "are", we have "being", we are humans being!

For Christians it's the same. I will come to what gives us our being in a moment, but the devil seeks to tell us time and time again we are not Christians being, but rather we need to be doing more. It's like if he was to convince us we are humans not being, that breathing won't give us life, causing us doubt that breathing oxygen is the right thing to do and that we need to do something else to be human. Can you imagine how hard it would be to be a human and to exist without oxygen?

Yet this is what the devil does to those who have been given life as a Christian. He condemns and confuses Christians to stop being Christians, because he causes doubt over the very thing that freely gives us the life breathe of forgiveness, peace, hope and love.

Something very important happens through the disciples at Pentecost, the same thing can also happen though any Christian who is asked, "What is all this Christian stuff about?" Do you realise you have been given the same power as them in your baptism. This is the power of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of Jesus hidden within, and it's promised to all who are baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, they were apostles with a very important job on the day of Pentecost, and most of you are not called into an ordained ministerial office. Nevertheless, like them you and I are believers, and it was in trusting and believing that God could do anything, big or small, through them. They, like you, were believers and therefore doers of the tasks God had set for them. We are all very different human beings, but unless every person trusts the breath they receive no one is able to do anything.

So let's look at the apostles for a moment. Their job as apostles began a long time before the day of Pentecost. Jesus had worked with them for three years — teaching, correcting, and sending them out to witness while he was walking on earth. Then after the crucifixion and resurrection he came to them on that first Easter Sunday evening and gave them the Holy Spirit and opened their minds. After this time Jesus was still present but not always seen. God caused him to be seen at various times over the next forty days until Christ finally ascended from their sight. How could these terrified men remain in the very place where their Lord was crucified? Surely if they showed their faces they would have been arrested and received the same fate as Jesus on the cross? It was the Holy Spirit whom Jesus breathed into them!

Then fifty days later, we hear the twelve were gathered in one place, the sound of wind rushing occurred and tongues of fire appeared over their heads. And thirdly they spoke in different tongues so others present could understand what was going on. We are not necessarily going to have this happen to us audibly or visually, nor will we necessarily be able to speak in other languages. But all Christians receive the breath of life from the Holy Spirit, when God breathes his word and Holy Spirit into us at baptism. And what God chooses to do through those who trust him, is then only limited by God's will and what he needs to do to make himself known to those he would have us meet.

We hear a strange occurrence in Ezekiel 37 where Ezekiel recounts being caused to see a valley of dry dead bones.

And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord." (Ezekiel 37:3–6 ESV)

So he did what God commanded and the bones came to life. Don't underestimate the power of God the Holy Spirit, given the right circumstances he might chose to use any of us in ways we might not even begin to comprehend. So don't let the devil make you doubt what God has done and what he can do!

What happens to the valley of dry bones and the apostles on the day of Pentecost is the same. And the same happens with us.

There is a movie starring Tom Hanks based on a novel by Stephen King called "The Green Mile". In it Hanks plays a prison officer in a death row prison. When the prisoner is walked to the electric chair from his cell past all the other prisoners in their cells, the guard cries out, "Dead man walking!" The valley of dry bones and the apostles on the day of Pentecost were "Dead Men Walking". And so are you.

But we are not walking in the same doomed and deathly way as those prisoners. We are walking to death, but through it by faith. In fact, before we were made eternal beings by God in baptism, we were "dead men walking" in hopelessness through this life, never content, never finding true peace, always knowing something was missing in our lives. But now having received the Holy Spirit we, who were once dead and as lifeless as bones in a valley, or as frozen in fear as the disciples were after Jesus' death, are called to see that God has put his life in us and us in the life of his Son.

We may not be able to speak in all sorts of tongues but we have all been given the same being. And this being enables in us the language of love, to forgive, to encourage, and to tell others the hope we have.

So how does it all work? It works because God makes it work. The Holy Spirit continually reveals the kingdom of heaven is with us. His job is to give us the being of eternal life; he is sent from the Father and the Son, to bring us to and reveals Jesus Christ in us. He puts the wind of life as Christians in us; he is the doer and the shaker, the deliverer and maker of faith.

All humans are "dead men walking". But those who trust the being of eternal life and allow the Holy Spirit to walk them in it are no longer dead men walking in death, but rather dead men walking in life. Don't let the devil deceive you with only half the story! Yes, on your own you are guilty! But, your guilt has been drowned in baptism; so let the Holy Spirit daily raise you to a life of faith, hope, and eternal love. Amen.

B, Ascension Sunday – Acts 1:1-5 “O Theophilus”

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Theophilus is the person to whom the doctor, Luke, writes. Is Theophilus a real person? Or is he an archetypal fictitious character representative of all who have a fondness for God? After all this is the meaning of the name, Theophilus. The first thing we can observe is that this conversation stands out from others in the bible because Luke and Theophilus are Greeks and not Hebrew. So firstly we note this is a record from the gentiles and therefore it's focus differs somewhat from the Jewish perspective.

You can hear the two words that make up the name, Theophilus. Theos is the Greek word meaning god or divine being. From it we get words like theology, meaning "words about God", theocentric, "God-centred", or theocracy, "a form of government where God is recognised as the supreme authority.

And Philos means, friend, neighbour, associate, or someone to whom one is endeared, or of whom one is fond. Words like philosophy, meaning "fond of wisdom", Philadelphia meaning "brotherly love", paedophile "lover of children", or philanthropist "fond or friend of humankind" all are derived from Philos.

So Theophilus is one who is fond of God – a friend of God. He could have been a specific person with this name or Luke may have been writing to those who were Gentile Christians.

If he was writing to a single person we might ponder the situation Theophilus finds himself in at this time. Luke has written him two letters. In the first, the Gospel of Luke, Luke writes…

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1–4 ESV)

Here we find the purpose of Luke writing to Theophilus. He addresses this person as "most excellent", a noble, dignified, or very honourable person. But this soul is not just highly esteemed; this character is also a student — one who's being taught. So Luke writes, so Theophilus may have certainty concerning what's been taught.

Part two is the book of Acts. In it Luke continues the account of what happens when Jesus is no longer present in sight but through faith in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the pivotal point of Luke's narrative is Jesus' glorious ascension to the right hand of the Father. We hear…

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." (Acts 1:1–5 ESV)

The key is hinted at from the outset of Luke's second letter. Luke had written both of his letters to Theophilus sometime after these events had happened. The book of Acts could have been written as late as, or even later than, 70 AD, when we consider the last of the events in Acts occurred in about 63 AD. But the hint comes in Luke's first line to Theophilus — that Jesus had only "begun" to do and teach. Jesus' ascension was not the end but only a time of transition. The student Theophilus was living in the times after the transition and was still being taught by Jesus, but now in a special way.

He is encouraged in the faith because Jesus was alive from the grave. He had risen from the dead and was seen for forty days, before being "taken up" from them. In fact being taken up to a heavenly place is Greek thinking. But rather, in reality, Jesus was lifted up to a certain place and then hidden. We would better understand Jesus as being enthroned in heaven or glorified to the right hand of the Father. He is still present but unseen in the heavenly realm outside of time and our minds being bound by time find that difficult to understand.

This is all good news for Theophilus, because he still has access to God, through the work Jesus began while on earth and now continues out of sight in heaven and in us. The second part of Luke's narrative lays out how Jesus continued this work. Jesus was now to be revealed, unhidden, by the Holy Spirit whom he and the Father would send to continue the teaching so certainty in Jesus' promises would continue.

The teachings are in fact these letters from Luke, among others, and the certainty in the teaching which comes through hearing the accounts of Jesus' work on earth and in heaven is faith. Faith was given to give sight to Theophilus to further increase the certainty that God was still with those who were friends of God — that God had not abandoned them. This teaching was to be made most effective when the Holy Spirit would use it through the mouths of Apostles to reveal Jesus Christ to his faithful ones. In other words that God was still faithful to those in whom he had placed faith through the message of Christ preached by man and revealed by the Holy Spirit.

So if Theophilus was in fact an individual to whom Luke wrote this would have been very reassuring. But if Theophilus was a name to address all the followers of God then it is equally reassuring for all who are one in their fondness of following Jesus Christ, now revealed from the hidden realm of heaven as being the faithful head of the one true hidden church on earth.

Whether Theophilus was in fact an individual or a church of gentiles is really not worthy of our concern! However, what is worthy of our meditations and thoughts is this: Am I Theophilus? Am I a friend of God, am I letting Jesus Christ be my friend?

Do you believe Jesus Christ continues his work in heaven before the Father for you? Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, that he brings you to Jesus and Jesus to you through the teaching of the gospel? Do you believe when you received the Holy Spirit he made you one in the great congregation, that's seen and unseen? See that Jesus seeks to continue his work in and through you!

You are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, living around the world and called into glory out of this life. They are hidden for the most part, but in prayer they're encouraging you to endure in letting Jesus carry you through this life.

Aren't you one of the witnesses too? Called to join Jesus in his work and pray for those who are friends of God so their certainty may be strengthened? As well as those who are not friend of God in the hope they too will share in the great victory?

Friends of God, friends in Christ, we are in the first chapter of our lives and there is another to come. When this chapter of your life is closed, O Theophilus, be confident the second eternal chapter of heaven will continue. So let the Holy Spirit give you the eyes of faith, hold fast to the teachings of Christ, and encourage this in me through your prayers too. For Jesus' sake! Amen.

B, Easter 2 – 1 John 1:5-2:2 “Living vs. Lying”

Light and darkness, black and white, night and day. When the sun rises the darkness disappears, and when it sets darkness envelops what was once seen in the light.

When we walk in the light of Christ, we walk out of the darkness, and expose what the darkness once hid. At this point in time we have two options available to us. One is to rid ourselves of the thing revealed by the light, or we can return to the darkness so we once again cannot see what was revealed by the light.

This is why the devil hates the word of God so much. When he hears the truth it reveals he is the chief of liars; that he never tells the truth; that he lies even to himself. Jesus, the Light of God reveals what the devil hides in darkness!

I imagine when Jesus descended into hell after being crucified on the cross, the devil was infuriated the light of God was not extinguished, but faithfully even there the light showed exactly what the darkness of hell was hiding. From that moment to now and unto all eternity the knowledge of their evil and the absence of God to forgive will be the sword in the sides of those whose phony faith once deceived them on earth.

In St John's first epistle, he writes what might be hard for our ears to hear. He speaks frankly about light and darkness, sin and truth, those who repent and those who are liars, those who know him and those who don't, the fellowship of the forgiven and the futility of the faithless. But John and the Apostles are writing these things so that their joy, your joy, and the joy of the one Christian church on earth might be complete. (1 John 1:4)

You see, now that the eternal battle has been won on the cross, the devil has only limited power. Yet this power works on all of us individually, internally, seeking to turn us from the eternal fellowship of the eternal kingdom with the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and all the saints. Seeking to return those of the oneness of Christendom back to the oneness of self and sin! To turn us from the New Adam who resisted temptation and won forgiveness for us on the cross back to the old Adam and his original sin.

So serious is this that in the first days of the church, not even what might seem to be a little white lie was tolerated. In fact it still isn't! We have heard in the book of Acts the oneness and common holiness of the early church. But immediately after this account we can hear the consequences of a lie.

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God." When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much." And she said, "Yes, for so much." But Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (Acts 5:1–11 ESV)

What was the root of sin here; a lack of trust, greed, popularity, approval, a piece of glory perhaps? One will never really know! But we know they weren't selling the property to glorify God as they wanted it to appear. The oneness was for themselves rather than the one Christian and Apostolic church. And what's for sure here is this couple was made an example of for the sin they sought to cover with a lie.

The easy thing to do here is to quickly overlook this piece of scripture. But we do so to our detriment! In fact, overlooking any piece of scripture is not a wise course of action! Rather we do better to heed the warning and examine ourselves in the light of this text and John's words in his first epistle.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 1:8–2:1 ESV)

If you are one with Christ; if you allow him to lead you from darkness into light, sin no longer separates you from God, but retreating back into the darkness and hiding the sin, perhaps pretending it doesn't exist, is a deathly exercise indeed.

Hiding the sin or returning to the darkness shows a lack of trust in Jesus. In fact, this action makes him out to be a liar, and it makes the power of the cross impotent. And if you relegate the cross as incapable of atoning for your sin, then in the darkness of your sin you remain.

The healthiest course of action for us who wish not to be swallowed by darkness is to acknowledge our sin before God, trusting Jesus' death and resurrection has indeed the power to cleanse us from sin. That by the atonement of Christ on the cross the Holy Spirit is cleaning us from our sin, and will continue to clean us from sin every day of our lives until we are called into the eternal oneness of God's holiness and peace.

…if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7 ESV) He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2 ESV)

Let us come clean to our sin, so the Son of Righteousness can shine the light of his forgiveness on us, cleansing us of all our sin. Then we can let this light shine from our forgiven hearts into a world that desperately needs the same resurrecting forgiveness and the eternal peace that comes from it. Amen.

B, Epiphany 1 - Mark 1:8b "Power"

Text: “…he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”(Mark 1:8b ESV)

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. (Psalm 29:1-4 ESV)

 There is so much power around the place.  Power in the readings!  The majesty and power of God as he speaks!  God called light out of darkness and it was!  A power unleashed as Paul laid his hands on men baptised into the name of Jesus Christ!  Heaven torn open as God declares he is well pleased with his Son!

Power is something that can frighten us.  Especially when we misunderstand it!  And even more so when power is viewed from a position of powerlessness! 

As the storm rages its lightning and thunder, flashes and rumbles seemingly threatening its power against a child seized with fear.  There is no way the child can stop the storm.  And they reason by its violent noises and blinding flashes that it’s out to get them!

However, the same storm brings smiles to those who need water.  The power of the storm in its light and sound show announces the coming of the saving soak on a sun scorched earth.

Then there is the power of electricity that comes into our homes.  Perhaps the source of this power stands to some as a sore on the landscape… wind farms, coal or nuclear fuelled power stations!  But from the very same source, the child seized with fear over the power of the storm, flicks a switch, turns on the light, to find comfort and reassurance from the power illuminating the room.

 An even greater confusion and misunderstanding happens when we humans come before the power of God. 

John the Baptist was baptising in the Jordan, preparing the way for the coming of God’s power.  People who knew they had no power were receiving a baptism of repentance, cleansing them of things they had been powerless to do themselves.  It seems here John wielded power as he plunged his parishioners into the Jordan for the forgiveness of their sins.

Yet John proclaimed one was coming whom he had no right to even stoop down and undo the dusty dirty straps of his footwear.  One who was mightier and more powerful than him!  And yet when the powerful Son of God comes to the river, he submits to John’s baptism. 

Why?  Why does Jesus Christ, the almighty Son of God need to submit to a baptism of repentance?  He has no need to repent!  He is God, without sin!  Amazingly here the flow of power, as humanity understands it, is not as we would assume.  And it’s here we can discover the greater depths of God’s power, and the power we have who believe in him for salvation.

 Let’s look at John the Baptist for a moment.  An odd sought of a character by any stretch of the imagination.  He had not real value to the people other than the message he proclaimed.  He ate locusts and wore shabby clothes yet he was caused to appear out of the wilderness and preach someone great was to come. 

At face value John seemed to be void of any intrinsic value.  He seems to be of no profit to anyone!  Befriending him could win no one a better standing in the community… socially, financially, or religiously.  In deed, John had no authority or power in the community.  He appeared to be a lunatic who had come out of the desert.  Nevertheless, this ragged and rough man came proclaiming a very powerful message.

And what can we attribute to Paul?   Not the Paul who was once Saul, the powerful Jewish Pharisee, rounding up the riffraff believers after the crucifixion, dragging dozens off to prison.  No! The Paul after his experience on the road to Damascus!  The man met by Christ, converted, and used as an instrument of the gospel and suffering for Jesus’ name (Acts 9:16). 

This Paul places his hands on the Ephesians, not as a powerful Pharisee, but now as a broken man having been blinded and restored by the risen Christ.  He wielded power but whose power was it?  After all Paul was chased out of towns, shipwrecked, and ultimately martyred for the message he proclaimed.  How does the power of God flow, in Paul, in John the Baptist, in you and in me?

Jesus is our great example.  In him we find the Son of God.  Almighty and powerful!  Yet he put his divinity aside and allowed himself to be made nothing.  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit yet when he was baptised in the Jordan by John the Holy Spirit descended upon him.  Jesus allowed himself to be like us allowing the power of the Holy Spirit and the power of God to flow through him.  Jesus allowed himself to become weak allowing his faithfulness to show trust in his Heavenly Father.  He became weak and helpless so we might identify with him and allow him to be our one true hope.

Yet in our weakness and powerlessness, humanity seeks to adopt a warped understanding of God’s power.  Many of us believe if we are to be beneficial to God we must appear powerful.  That weakness should be discouraged and hidden.  Why do we do this?

Perhaps it’s because we like to put more trust in ourselves than God.  We don’t want to believe the reality of our true selves; that we’re born weak and helpless!  All of us lead the same short troubled life.  That, in fact, we live in the face of death and we need a Saviour!

And that is what we have!  An eternally powerful risen Saviour!  Haven't you been baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit? 

Have you not received the same Holy Spirit as that of Christ, the same power of God that led Christ humbly to the cross?

The same power that caused John the Baptist to proclaim the Kingdom of God and baptise Jesus in the Jordan when he did come! 

The same power that flowed through Paul as he baptised the Ephesians causing them to speak in tongues and prophesy! 

We have received the promise of John.  One more powerful than he has come!  You have been baptised into him. The Spirit now lives in you and seeks to use you.  God is glorified when we acknowledge our helplessness and trust in him for our salvation.

Allow the power of God, the power of love through his Son Jesus Christ to save you!  Be content to be nothing, for that is what we all are!  The power of love leaves us the moment we turn from our reality and claim the power for ourselves without letting the Holy Spirit work… flowing through us, using us, and leading us to Jesus Christ. 

Most of us believe and know of the power of God.  The problem is we are tempted to abuse the power of his love and grab onto the love of power which only leads us back into a helpless plight without the love of God. 

However, we have a Saviour who loves us and continually finds us and rescues us.  This is why we can ascribe or give to the Lord, glory and strength. We can give to the Lord the glory due his name as our Psalm for today so aptly calls us to do! 

Despite our helplessness we still have access to God and we can worship the Lord in the splendour of holiness.  The Holy Spirit dresses us in the splendour of Christ’s holiness despite our unworthiness and we can lay our lives before the Lord.  He loves you and sent his one and only, almighty and powerful Son to receive the baptism of fire that should have been yours and my deadly cross.  

Our help is in the name of the Lord.  Therefore, confess your sins to the Lord!  Tell him about your weaknesses and helplessness… the stuff that turns the power of love into a self-serving love of power.   Trust the power of his love and forgiveness in the activity of the Holy Spirit, who continually reveals Jesus Christ in you.  There is so much power about the place, allow it to take hold of you! 

The kingdom, the power and the glory are his indeed!  Amen.