Author: Jerry Wirtley

Pass Away

Jerry Wirtley

“Then if somebody says to you, ‘Look, here’s the Christ,’ or ‘He’s over here,’ don’t believe it. False christs and false prophets will appear, and they will offer great signs and wonders in order to deceive, if possible, even those whom God has chosen. Look, I’ve told you ahead of time. So if they say to you, ‘Look, he’s in the desert,’ don’t go out. And if they say, ‘Look, he’s in the rooms deep inside the house,’ don’t believe it. Just as the lightning flashes from the east to the west, so it will be with the coming of the Human One. The vultures gather wherever there’s a dead body. “Now immediately after the suffering of that time the sun will become dark, and the moon won’t give its light. The stars will fall from the sky and the planets and other heavenly bodies will be shaken. Then the sign of the Human One will appear in the sky. At that time all the tribes of the earth will be full of sadness, and they will see the Human One coming in the heavenly clouds with power and great splendor. He will send his angels with the sound of a great trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from the four corners of the earth, from one end of the sky to the other. “Learn this parable from the fig tree. After its branch becomes tender and it sprouts new leaves, you know that summer is near. In the same way, when you see all these things, you know that the Human One is near, at the door. I assure you that this generation won’t pass away until all these things happen. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away. (Matthew 24:23-35, CEB)

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.

What does that mean?

Well this whole passage is about the end of time, and how we aren’t supposed to get caught up in when and where Jesus is coming back. It is more about us living here in this time to show the world the love God has for all of creation. Because the word of God will not pass away. The promises we have spoken to us will stand firm forever. Heaven and earth will be done away with, which is actually in God’s word of the Bible, in Revelation, God says Heaven and Earth will be done away with and a new heaven and new earth will be created and God will descend to be with God’s people. (Revelation 21).

What all of this means is we need to love the world around us and live today, and not worry about tomorrow.

Love Out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.

What?!?!

Jerry Wirtley

What more can I say? I would run out of time if I told you about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets. Through faith they conquered kingdoms, brought about justice, realized promises, shut the mouths of lions, put out raging fires, escaped from the edge of the sword, found strength in weakness, were mighty in war, and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured and refused to be released so they could gain a better resurrection. But others experienced public shame by being taunted and whipped; they were even put in chains and in prison. They were stoned to death, they were cut in two, and they died by being murdered with swords. They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats, needy, oppressed, and mistreated. The world didn’t deserve them. They wandered around in deserts, mountains, caves, and holes in the ground. All these people didn’t receive what was promised, though they were given approval for their faith. God provided something better for us so they wouldn’t be made perfect without us. (Hebrews 11:32-40, CEB)

This is the end of the Faith chapter in Hebrews. There are so many in the Bible we look to as pillars of faith. Many were mistreated during their lives. Many died horrible deaths.

Did you see the list above:
Others were tortured and refused to be released so they could gain a better resurrection.
But others experienced public shame by being taunted and whipped; they were even put in chains and in prison. 
They were stoned to death,
they were cut in two,
and they died by being murdered with swords.
They went around wearing the skins of sheep and goats, needy, oppressed, and mistreated. 

Stoned to death, cut in two(!), murdered with swords, needy, oppressed, and mistreated. We are not far from the pillars of our faith. The writer of Hebrews continues, “The world didn’t deserve them.” Just as sometimes I wonder if the world deserves the love of God, and then I am reminded that God loves me and I do not deserve that.

Know in this life you will be mistreated and oppressed and come up needing. You are in good company. Continue to love the world, to show grace and mercy.

Love Out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.

Sin

Jerry Wirtley

So what are we going to say? Should we continue sinning so grace will multiply? Absolutely not! All of us died to sin. How can we still live in it? Or don’t you know that all who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried together with him through baptism into his death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too can walk in newness of life. If we were united together in a death like his, we will also be united together in a resurrection like his. This is what we know: the person that we used to be was crucified with him in order to get rid of the corpse that had been controlled by sin. That way we wouldn’t be slaves to sin anymore, because a person who has died has been freed from sin’s power. But if we died with Christ, we have faith that we will also live with him. We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and he will never die again. Death no longer has power over him. He died to sin once and for all with his death, but he lives for God with his life. In the same way, you also should consider yourselves dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:1-11, CEB)

Should we continue to sin so grace will abound? That’s not how this works.

Yes if we sin, God’s grace will cover it and make us new, but we do not sin more so we get more grace. Since we have been united with Christ our life should be shining the light of love into the world and we should be staying away from sin.

But we need to know what sin is. Is sin a list of rules we have to follow? Is sin living not living in the fullness of our relationships? I have a pastor friend who defined sin to confirmation classes as the degradation of relationships. Meaning anything that causes a relationship to fail or falter is sin. So not a list of things to not do and sin for me maybe different than it is for you.

We should show love to the world. The love that God shows to each of us every day. That even though we are sinful and turn away from God, God still loves us. We need to show that love to the world.

Love Out Loud.

Loving People. Loving God.

When?!?!

Jerry Wirtley

“But nobody knows when that day or hour will come, not the heavenly angels and not the Son. Only the Father knows. As it was in the time of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Human One. In those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. They didn’t know what was happening until the flood came and swept them all away. The coming of the Human One will be like that. At that time there will be two men in the field. One will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill. One will be taken and the other left. Therefore, stay alert! You don’t know what day the Lord is coming. But you understand that if the head of the house knew at what time the thief would come, he would keep alert and wouldn’t allow the thief to break into his house. Therefore, you also should be prepared, because the Human One will come at a time you don’t know. (Matthew 24:36-44, CEB)

The end is coming but only the Father knows. Not the angels or the Son.

Like when the rains came in the time of Noah, and Noah said it would flood and everyone thought he was crazy. Then they were caught off guard.

If you knew when the thief would come, you would be waiting for them and stop them.

But Jesus is returning and will come when God is ready for it to happen.

Do not be consumed by wanting to know when. Live. Love. Spread grace and mercy and show love to the world.

Help everyone know God loves them.

Loving People. Loving God.

Don’t be alarmed

Jerry Wirtley

Now Jesus left the temple and was going away. His disciples came to point out to him the temple buildings. He responded, “Do you see all these things? I assure that no stone will be left on another. Everything will be demolished.” Now while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?” Jesus replied, “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, saying, ‘I’m the Christ.’ They will deceive many people. You will hear about wars and reports of wars. Don’t be alarmed. These things must happen, but this isn’t the end yet. Nations and kingdoms will fight against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in all sorts of places. But all these things are just the beginning of the sufferings associated with the end. They will arrest you, abuse you, and they will kill you. All nations will hate you on account of my name. At that time many will fall away. They will betray each other and hate each other. Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because disobedience will expand, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world as a testimony to all the nations. Then the end will come. “When you see the disgusting and destructive thing that Daniel talked about standing in the holy place (the reader should understand this), then those in Judea must escape to the mountains. Those on the roof shouldn’t come down to grab things from their houses. Those in the field shouldn’t come back to grab their clothes. How terrible it will be at that time for women who are pregnant and for women who are nursing their children. Pray that it doesn’t happen in winter or on the Sabbath day. There will be great suffering such as the world has never before seen and will never again see. If that time weren’t shortened, nobody would be rescued. But for the sake of the ones whom God chose, that time will be cut short. (Matthew 24:1-22, CEB)

The end is near! Repent! We have all seen people holding these signs. I remember when we moved into the 21st Century and went from 1999 to 2000 and the huge concern about the computers all shutting down because the programming would make all the computers think 00 was 1900 and it would just all shut down.

We worry about when the end is coming and when Jesus will return. But this is not something we should really worry about. Jesus will return. It will happen, but rather than worrying about when that will be we should be focused on loving our neighbors and showing God’s grace and mercy to the world that needs to know they are loved.

Love Out Loud!

Loving People. Loving God.

Faith

Jerry Wirtley

Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don’t see. The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith. By faith we understand that the universe has been created by a word from God so that the visible came into existence from the invisible. By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain, which showed that he was righteous, since God gave approval to him for his gift. Though he died, he’s still speaking through faith. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he didn’t see death, and he wasn’t found because God took him up. He was given approval for having pleased God before he was taken up. It’s impossible to please God without faith because the one who draws near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards people who try to find him. By faith Noah responded with godly fear when he was warned about events he hadn’t seen yet. He built an ark to deliver his household. With his faith, he criticized the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes from faith. (Hebrews 11:1-7, CEB)

We live by faith. We can not prove what we believe in. Faith is the assurance of what we hope for, the proof of what we do not see. People ask why I believe in God when you really can’t prove that God exists. Well, can you prove God doesn’t exist? Just because you haven’t seen it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I have never seen a billion dollars but I do not doubt it exists.

Also, what about the wind? Have you seen the wind? We do not see the wind, but we see the effects of the wind. I don’t see God but I see the effects of God in my life and in the lives of others.

So live in faith, and love as you go.

Loving People. Loving God.

tented…

Jerry Wirtley

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. 2 The Word was with God in the beginning. 3 Everything came into being through the Word, and without the Word nothing came into being. What came into being 4 through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light. 6 A man named John was sent from God. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that through him everyone would believe in the light. 8 He himself wasn’t the light, but his mission was to testify concerning the light. 9 The true light that shines on all people was coming into the world. 10 The light was in the world, and the world came into being through the light, but the world didn’t recognize the light. 11 The light came to his own people, and his own people didn’t welcome him. 12 But those who did welcome him, those who believed in his name, he authorized to become God’s children, 13 born not from blood nor from human desire or passion, but born from God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his home among us. We have seen his glory, glory like that of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14, CEB)

The Word became flesh and made his home among us. Or in the NRVS the word became flesh and dwelt among us. Made his home is a better understanding of the word. The word in Greek literally means tented. Jesus came and pitched a tent to stay awhile. He want to be a part of this world so he set up a residence for a stay.

Jesus was God, and is God and in the midst of everything happening the plan was for God to come to earth as one of us and help us know what it is to love.

Honor God today as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Love your family, even those who are of a different political party than you.

Love your neighbor, even the one that pisses you off.

Love the world, because that is what God did when he stepped down into the manger to show us what love is.

Loving People. Loving God.

Consider them carefully

Jerry Wirtley

In those days Caesar Augustus declared that everyone throughout the empire should be enrolled in the tax lists. 2 This first enrollment occurred when Quirinius governed Syria. 3 Everyone went to their own cities to be enrolled. 4 Since Joseph belonged to David’s house and family line, he went up from the city of Nazareth in Galilee to David’s city, called Bethlehem, in Judea. 5 He went to be enrolled together with Mary, who was promised to him in marriage and who was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the time came for Mary to have her baby. 7 She gave birth to her firstborn child, a son, wrapped him snugly, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guestroom. 8 Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. 9 The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. 11 Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. 12 This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, 14 “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.” 15 When the angels returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go right now to Bethlehem and see what’s happened. Let’s confirm what the Lord has revealed to us.” 16 They went quickly and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they reported what they had been told about this child. 18 Everyone who heard it was amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully. 20 The shepherds returned home, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. Everything happened just as they had been told. (Luke 2:1-20, CEB)

A story we have all heard time and time again, the anticipation of Advent comes to its peak in the birth of our savior. When reading this I am reminded that this is not only a story of history but of today. Jesus is not only reborn every year but in every moment, grace is shown in this world. In both the hard times and the easy, Christ is with us, guiding us, and calling us to glorify him. As we come to the end of Advent find every chance to bring Christ’s light into this world through grace and peace to all people.

Loving People. Loving God.

Not a story

Jerry Wirtley

16 We didn’t repeat crafty myths when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Quite the contrary, we witnessed his majesty with our own eyes. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to him from the magnificent glory, saying, “This is my dearly loved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 In addition, we have a most reliable prophetic word, and you would do well to pay attention to it, just as you would to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Most important, you must know that no prophecy of scripture represents the prophet’s own understanding of things, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will. Instead, men and women led by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:16-21, CEB)

We are not just telling a story when we talk about Jesus coming in a manger and going to the cross. With all the details in between.

It isn’t a myth, or a tale, or something we spun out of our own creation. Only the Holy Spirit can lead us to speak this truth.

This story is a lamp for the darkness of the world. One we must share.

So go shining a light and sharing the good news of a baby in a manger that goes to a cross, so that all may live.

Loving People. Loving God.

brought near

Jerry Wirtley

11 So remember that once you were Gentiles by physical descent, who were called “uncircumcised” by Jews who are physically circumcised. 12 At that time you were without Christ. You were aliens rather than citizens of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of God’s promise. In this world you had no hope and no God. 13 But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who once were so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. 15 He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. 16 He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God. 17 When he came, he announced the good news of peace to you who were far away from God and to those who were near. 18 We both have access to the Father through Christ by the one Spirit. 19 So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household. 20 As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord. 22 Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:11-22, CEB)

We were once a people with no hope and no God. But thanks to a baby in a manger that showed us how to love, we have been brought near.

Jesus is our peace. Jesus has made all people into one body. There we must break down hatred and divisions of all kinds. Jesus canceled the old rules that divide us and made us be one.

The baby we await has given us all life and brings us all together.

Live in a way that brings together.

Loving People. Loving God.