Word of Beard

'Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself.'

Moses. The author of the Torah. He was the base line of righteous living, obedience and wisdom. His calling was miraculous and His life's story in leading the Hebrew nation to freedom from Egypt was nothing short of divine. He was the father of practical Judaism, true religion.

And then Jesus appears. The Author of life. The Word from the Beginning. The High Priest of Kingdom life. And if you didn't catch it, this passage clarifies that Jesus is God.

'...For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.' Hebrews 3:3-4

Word of Beard

'Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.' Philippians 3:13-14

Paul has abandoned all confidence in his flesh (:4-8). Even his most reputable achievements and titles in his culture he pushed aside as he 'strained' toward the Kingdom.

Here are a few things he abandoned in order to move heavenward: 1) Past guilt, hurt, shame  2) Present comfort and prestige  3) Future success' and achievements in the world. Paul 'forgot' everything that hindered his journey with Christ and guess what...he changed the world.

Really Bad Things...and God

Why do bad things happen. Why doesn't God stop them. Really bad things. Evil things. Like bombings, starvation, abuse, sex-slavery, lies...they happen. Daily.

If God truly exists why doesn't He just eradicate evil once and for all?

He did.

The Story has already been told. 'Then I saw a new heaven and new earth...There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away' (Revelation 21:1,4).

Time doesn't bind God. He's outside of linear time. He is the beginning and the end and everywhere in between. The 'eschatological' end has not simply been written but completed. Evil already has been destroyed. Johns vision was not simply a dream but a taste of what has been done, in the future. (Watch 'Back to the Future' for Doc's fantastic explanation of bending).

The very appearance of the incarnate Jesus was a prelude to the final act of the story of reconciliation. Jesus put an end to the eternal hold that death had on man since our lustful fall in the garden. We chose death - He's chosen life. And that life comes through Christ.

Why doesn't God end evil already. The real question is, when do we (the hurting, abused, disenfranchised, lied to, abandoned, hungry...) finally get to holistically experience the victory Jesus has already secured?

Begin the journey now by trusting in the salvation Christ offers.

Read Romans 1:1-3 & 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

Heart

Heart.

The inner person - oneself - the seat of thought and emotion.

Has your heart ever ached. Have you ever noticed that some actions, thoughts, truths just don't feel right in your heart while others do. What about love. It makes your heart leap with joy and happiness and you feel...loved.

In the OT Hebrew context, the heart was the storehouse to many of a persons experiences. When Moses recounted the Lords desire that all of Israel love Him, that command probably filtered through their hearts and on to their minds then wove through their souls with all of their strength.

Moses, of course, touched on every known area of a humans life and consciousness to describe how we're to connect with our Creator. But the heart. The heart has web-like strings attached to every area of the body, it seems it's all interconnected. On the one hand it makes us more aware and alert. On the other it becomes untrustworthy as it's left so unguarded much of the time.

Have you checked your heart lately?

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Word of Beard

'We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.' Hebrews 2:1

To diligently be aware of and devoted to the teachings of Christ - the Gospel. The apostles gave their lives in Christs footsteps so that we might 'continue in [truths found in] the Holy Scriptures' (2 Tim. 3).

It's surprisingly easy to drift away from eternal truths. The less care we take to hold them in our hearts, the easier it is to fall for another 'truth.'

Word of Beard

'You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.' James 5:8

James compared the Christ-followers journey to the seasonal rains of his day. As the 'firstfruits' of a new covenant, we're to patiently wait, perseverant, hope-filled and faithful for the movement of the Lord just as the struggling farmer waits for rain to water the crops.

Patiently and eagerly wait for the Kingdom to overwhelmingly collide with your life. He is near.

Now Testify...

If we only had the NT it would be enough to know that Jesus is who He claimed to be.

But we have more. We have the entire OT (not to mention nature and all that's metaphysical). The OT tells the story of Jesus pre-kenosis - or pre-humility into humanity.

To the Jews Jesus had riled up after claiming equality with God Jesus said, 'You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me' John 5:39.

They believed eternal life was found in strict adherence to the Law. The Torah. And yet Jesus was turning the page on their beliefs. The very Law that they believed led to life actually pointed to Jesus. Let's get mystical, mystical (Olivia Newton John anyone?) - think of it like this, the Jews were merely looking at the Scriptures to stave off death when they should have been looking through the Scriptures to see His Life. The Sciptures point to the Living Word, the Son of God, the very Man standing before them - Christ.

Jesus simply told them to search the Scriptures and they'd find Him. OK:
  Isaiah 7:14 - Jesus' birth - Matthew 1:23
  Psalm 16:10 - Resurrection - Acts 2:31
  Zechariah 11:12-13 - Price for Jesus' life - Matthew 26:15, 27:5,7
  Genesis 49:10 - From the Tribe of Judah - Hebrews 7:14
  Isaiah 61:1-2 - Holy Spirit on Him - Luke 4:15-21

Maybe it's not so mystical. We know that Scripture is God-breathed, that it's living and active and that it's to be handled with the utmost care. Maybe it's simply a matter of prayer, study, belief and Sprit. Supernatural, but maybe not mystical.

There are hundreds more examples. Entire passages, stories and characters such as: the Exodus, Temple, Jonah, Hosea, Babylonian Captivity etc. and all tell pieces of the story of the eternal life of Christ.

Since Scriptures origin is also the author of the universe (2 Peter 1:20-21), it stands to reason that when Jesus claimed to be the true life found within the Scriptures...he wasn't insane, lying nor exaggerating - He was providing authentic testimony to His own being.