Word of Beard

'...refresh my heart in Christ.' Philemon :20

This is Pauls hope and desire from a good friend of his. Philemon was known for his faith and his love towards the believers meeting in his home on a regular basis. Paul was encouraged that Philemon 'refreshed the hearts of the saints,' and truly desired that he would benefit personally from that reputation.

How awesome it must have been to be known by the Apostle Paul as a guy who was refreshing in the Lord.

Sellvation...

Have I bought into a doctrine that truly has nothing to do with the Kingdom of God?

I recently watched The Greatest Movie Ever Sold with Morgan Spurlock and it got me thinking about what I've really bought into in with this Christian worldview?

Have I bought into the reality of salvation - where I repent from everything that isn't focused on glorifying God first and foremost, sinful actions and neutral ones alike.

Or have I have bought into sellvation - have I bought my Christianity. A give-and-God-will-give-back-ten-fold financially/materially right-here and right-now type of faith. Do my motives, actions and beliefs line up with the 'come to Christ with empty hands and receive salvation' Scriptural approach - or have I been attempting to buy my way into a relationship with Jesus, into the Kingdom? Sellvation.

Sellvation is quite deceiving isn't it. In the end I'll have purchased nothing right. Like throwing goats into a volcano to please the gods or meditating on nothing until I no longer exist...meaningless. I'll never buy enough, offer enough nor meditate purely enough.

Salvation on the other hand - well it's definition says it all - yeshua in the OT was used of deliverance, a rescuer, a savior - likewise soteria in the NT. It's enough in itself.

No one can purchase divine deliverance. It came to us. It's offered. The price was already paid by Yeshua the Soter - by Jesus the Savior.

Do we really have anything more valuable to offer?

Seemingly-Righteous

Have you ever assumed that because you're a good person - 'righteous' - that you're in? Meanwhile you've assumed that the others - the 'wicked people' - were obviously out?

What if a prophet showed up on your doorstep and claimed that a righteous man who trusts in his own goodness is in serious sin while the wicked people who are discovering truth and goodness and living it out and relying on God are the ones actually being called into the Kingdom?

Would you call this justice? Would you believe this bass-ackwords way of righteousness stems from the source of a Just God? That this God truly desires that all 'wicked people' turn (repent) from their crap, shake evil from their bones and follow His way to life, while the seemingly-righteous fall?

Ezekiel nailed the role of the watchman. He was that prophet knocking on doors, called to share Gods truth with Gods people: with words, prayers and wild physical analogies. He was vitally responsible to get the truth out. That was his role and the rest was up to the hearers to act on that truth.

Ezekiel may have been speaking to the Israelites but his truth spills over the centuries and cultures onto you and I. Divine-righteous-truth doesn't change.

We may say 'The way of the Lord is not just' as the Israelites did...but the reality is there's no foundation for justice apart from this God which means that He is able to 'judge each of [us] according to his own ways...[that] unless you repent, you too will all perish.'

In all sincerity, good luck proclaiming steadfast, perfect justice according to your own understanding and standard.

From Ezekiel 33:1-20 and Luke 13:3

Word of Beard

'Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.' Hebrews 5:13

Jesus is our Mediator. Our Intercessor. He speaks to God the Father on our behalf. His Spirit searches our hearts and knows our thoughts. His Word is living and actively shaping our us: hearts, souls, minds and bodies. From Adam to Abraham to Armageddon no knowledge, action, thought, emotion etc. is hidden from Him.

Every knee will be bow and on that day will give an account of how we lived our lives to His glory. So...just let it all hang out (metaphorically speaking)...it's laid bare before Him anyways.

Actual, Genuine...Belief

Does genuine belief in Christ actually play a major role in salvation? Do we actually have to believe in this guy?

Jesus, teaching a crowd of Jews being riled up by the Pharisees, said this to the few who believed and put their faith in Him, 'If you hold to my teaching, you really are my disciples. Then you'll know the truth, and the truth with set you free.' John 8:30-32

Considering Jesus claimed to be the Light of the world in the midst of this discussion and the heated resistance to His testimony - I would say actual, legitimate, personal, rational belief intersects with salvation in a direct way.

The author of Hebrews follows up on this topic by noting that all those under Moses who disobeyed, rebelled and sinned ultimately died in the desert physically and spiritually 'because of their unbelief.' Hebrews 3:16-19.

To those who read, hear or see the message of Christ, Jesus is saying, 'Today...do not harden your hearts.'

Salvation is a vital gift. You and I don't have to accept it, but if we do...we have to believe it's real.

Today Hear the Waves...

Ocean waves are fantastic.

Sitting and watching. Listening to the crash and the drift. Body-surfing. Swallowing liters of saltwater. There are so many analogies that ocean waves provide.

For instance - the author of Hebrews warns us not to turn away from the Living God and ultimately be hardened by sins deceitfulness...sounds intense. It is. I had just caught a wave and rode it back to shore, thrilled, ready to ride another beast...and then it nailed me from behind. A rogue wave toppling over my head grinding my salted beard into the pebbly-sand. I had turned away from the source of power, even for a moment, glorying in my own skill, deceived that I could 'handle' the ocean...I handled it alright...in the face.

How often do I turn away from Christ - only to slowly return, hardened by sin and deceit. It takes riding another wave to loosen me up once again and believe.

Ocean waves are likened to the immensely powerful nature of God. The powerful rumble and crash displays His strength. The never-ending march of waves display the awesome reality of His never-ending love, power and permanence. One can sit on the shore and simply take it all in, with eyes closed, and be encouraged that 'Today' His voice is being heard.

Ocean waves speak. Not in a pantheistic sort of way...but in a God-created-all-and-creations-existence-displays-His-own-existence...sort of way.

He calms the waves. He resides over the deep. His Leviathan displays His strength and creativity. He knows every grain of sand along the shore. His knowledge is beyond the oceans depth.

Today I heard His voice.

Taken from Hebrews 3:12-14

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