9/6/11
Branding...
Whether you realize it or not, everything you do works for or against your personal brand. Your beliefs, culture, friends, clothing, cars, music etc. all play a role in shaping who you are. To varying degrees they're a glimpse of who you are: how you think, how you view yourself and the world.But if every tangible item, action, desire that you feel defines you were stripped away - if you were left naked as a new-born-babe - would your brand also disappear or is there more to who you?
The real question is: 'Is Christ your brand?'
Are you a 'cattle-branded' disciple (Philippians 2:1-11)? Have you been bought out and transformed into something new and refreshing (2 Corinthians 5:17)?
When you 'ascend the hill of the Lord' are you coming with empty hands in need of branding or are you presenting your own image you wish to offer Him?
Take personal inventory. Do you need to re-brand?
Idea of branding from POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold
Psalm 24 - hill of the Lord
9/5/11
Word of Beard
The author goes on to reiterate the words of Solomon, that fearing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and that true understanding comes in following His ways, truths, teachings, commands, precepts...From this passage alone we know that:
1) He works: past, present, future.
2) We should have faith/trust in his works.
2) We should have faith/trust in his works.
3) He is just. His decisions are just. He defines true justice and works all things out toward that end.
4) His truths are, once again, worthy of our trust and far above our own wisdom.
5) His works and precepts stand the test of time and the spirit of the age. His Truth is Truth forever...and ever.
9/4/11
Jeff Bridges and Jesus...
Jeff Bridges explained to Jay Leno the other night that acting burns him out. After shooting a film he's always 'bushed' - ready to bunker down in seclusion to recoup. He noted that for him, acting uses some strange muscle that gets wrecked during the stretch of a movie.
Pretending is exhausting.
Pretending to be someone/thing you're not is exhausting.
Professional actors find contextually creative ways to be someone else. However, I wonder how many of us act, cover-up, pretend or simply lie about who we are on a regular basis?
Hiding the details about a surprise party for your wife is tiring but rewarding when it's over (unless she hates surprises).
Hiding the details about a financial loss, drug binge, character flaw, inappropriate relationship or even an unnecessary purchase can wreak havoc on our hearts, minds and physical health - ultimately our souls and the relationships we're tied to.
Lying is exhausting.
Maybe Jesus' yoke of eternal truth, living in the light and sharing in the freedom from the expectations that our culture, jobs and families place on us (directly or indirectly) truly is lighter than what we're currently acting out? Do your actions line up with your words - do your words line up with your beliefs - do your beliefs line up with Biblical Truth?
Bridges is bushed at the end of making a movie. At least he gets a break. Do you?
Passages in context: Matthew 11:28-30, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Pretending to be someone/thing you're not is exhausting.
Professional actors find contextually creative ways to be someone else. However, I wonder how many of us act, cover-up, pretend or simply lie about who we are on a regular basis?
Hiding the details about a surprise party for your wife is tiring but rewarding when it's over (unless she hates surprises).
Hiding the details about a financial loss, drug binge, character flaw, inappropriate relationship or even an unnecessary purchase can wreak havoc on our hearts, minds and physical health - ultimately our souls and the relationships we're tied to.
Lying is exhausting.
Maybe Jesus' yoke of eternal truth, living in the light and sharing in the freedom from the expectations that our culture, jobs and families place on us (directly or indirectly) truly is lighter than what we're currently acting out? Do your actions line up with your words - do your words line up with your beliefs - do your beliefs line up with Biblical Truth?
Bridges is bushed at the end of making a movie. At least he gets a break. Do you?
Passages in context: Matthew 11:28-30, 2 Corinthians 5:17
9/1/11
(un)carnation
Incarnational disciples. This phrase has been rocking me over the past few days.
'Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity...' - the author of Hebrews, referencing Isaiah 8, notes the realness, the humanness, the offensive reality of the incarnation. In Acts, however, we see the reverse happen to the Apostles, the coming of the Spirit into their own flesh.
I've been hit with the idea of myself, my wife, my kids, my group of friends in Christ...all of us being incarnational in nature. This incarnationality is different for us though. We're already meaty.
So it must work in reverse.
To be incarnational disciples we have to let the Spirit of the Living God - the spiritual world of the eternal Kingdom - flow through our imperfect lives and dwell within and among us. We must be infused with God the Spirit to partake in and bring reconciliation.
Jesus brought salvation through abandoning His throne temporarily and uniting Himself with mans flesh. We must be ambassadors of reconciliation by abandoning our flesh (so to speak) and uniting it with the spiritual. A reverse incarnation.
An 'uncarnation.'
Hebrews 2
The book Competent Christian Counselors struck me with the idea of 'incarnational counseling'
'Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity...' - the author of Hebrews, referencing Isaiah 8, notes the realness, the humanness, the offensive reality of the incarnation. In Acts, however, we see the reverse happen to the Apostles, the coming of the Spirit into their own flesh.
I've been hit with the idea of myself, my wife, my kids, my group of friends in Christ...all of us being incarnational in nature. This incarnationality is different for us though. We're already meaty.
So it must work in reverse.
To be incarnational disciples we have to let the Spirit of the Living God - the spiritual world of the eternal Kingdom - flow through our imperfect lives and dwell within and among us. We must be infused with God the Spirit to partake in and bring reconciliation.
Jesus brought salvation through abandoning His throne temporarily and uniting Himself with mans flesh. We must be ambassadors of reconciliation by abandoning our flesh (so to speak) and uniting it with the spiritual. A reverse incarnation.
An 'uncarnation.'
Hebrews 2
The book Competent Christian Counselors struck me with the idea of 'incarnational counseling'
8/31/11
Romans, Countrymen...
Them's all good and great...however, I get jazzed about 8,000 pages of J.M.Boice's Expositional Commentary on Romans!
Anyone else? Anyone?
What are you reading? Fiction, non-fiction, prose, poetry, history, biography? Lewis, Knowles, Zacharias, Fitzgerald, Miller, Paul the Apostle...? Who are you reading and how are they shaping your heart, soul, mind and strength? Even Sherlock Holmes has strengthened my faith.
Though nothing replaces the extremity of style, topic, personal challenge and truth as the Word.
8/30/11
Representin' the Text...
Jesus discussed creation in Genesis. Mark 10
Jesus compared his journey to Jonah's. Matthew 12
He also spoke about Sodom. Matthew 11
He referenced the Prophet Daniel. Matthew 24
Noah's Ark is discussed. Matthew 24
Jesus quotes Isaiah (several times). Matthew 24
He notes hells reality. Mark 10
He acknowledges the reality of Moses and gives him credit for the Torah. Mark 12
Though I realize this is an oversimplified deduction...is it possible to acknowledge that Jesus is who He claimed to be, 'the way, truth and life' and not believe in the creation story? or Noah and the flood? or the reality of Hell? or Jonah and the whale?
Did Jesus lie and simply 'play along' with the ancient tales in order to connect with His audience? In His human nature did He truly believe in these fictitious stories? Did He truly fulfill hundreds of prophecies, live a miraculous-sinless life, raise from the dead and yet misrepresent the OT? If so, then do these theories alter His righteous character?
Do you doubt the trustworthiness of the OT and yet follow Christ? Then ask yourself - 'What insight do I have, above and beyond the Christ, the Scriptures, the Spirit, that allows me a more 'trustworthy' vantage point than that of the Creator?'
Now if Jesus is the Messiah.
And He assumed the reality of even the wildest OT stories.
And you believe in Jesus.
Then it stands to reason that you can trust the entirety of the Scriptures.
'I praise You, Father...that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants' (Matthew 11:25) - the wisdom of this world doesn't compare to the open heart and mind of the faithful.
Jesus compared his journey to Jonah's. Matthew 12
He also spoke about Sodom. Matthew 11
He referenced the Prophet Daniel. Matthew 24
Noah's Ark is discussed. Matthew 24
Jesus quotes Isaiah (several times). Matthew 24
He notes hells reality. Mark 10
He acknowledges the reality of Moses and gives him credit for the Torah. Mark 12
Though I realize this is an oversimplified deduction...is it possible to acknowledge that Jesus is who He claimed to be, 'the way, truth and life' and not believe in the creation story? or Noah and the flood? or the reality of Hell? or Jonah and the whale?
Did Jesus lie and simply 'play along' with the ancient tales in order to connect with His audience? In His human nature did He truly believe in these fictitious stories? Did He truly fulfill hundreds of prophecies, live a miraculous-sinless life, raise from the dead and yet misrepresent the OT? If so, then do these theories alter His righteous character?
Do you doubt the trustworthiness of the OT and yet follow Christ? Then ask yourself - 'What insight do I have, above and beyond the Christ, the Scriptures, the Spirit, that allows me a more 'trustworthy' vantage point than that of the Creator?'
Now if Jesus is the Messiah.
And He assumed the reality of even the wildest OT stories.
And you believe in Jesus.
Then it stands to reason that you can trust the entirety of the Scriptures.
'I praise You, Father...that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants' (Matthew 11:25) - the wisdom of this world doesn't compare to the open heart and mind of the faithful.
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