The Day...

Why did it take The Wise Men so long to realize the fulfillment of such a game-changing prophecy. The prophecy about The Prophet. The Priest. The King?

What exactly were these pagan? seer's aware of regarding The Incarnate One?

Had these Eastern mystics studied the Hebrew Prophets?

Had they followed ancient stories of their own tribes? Tales that so happened to line up with Gods handiwork?

What if these Asian prophets had heard the same creation story as the Hebrews? What if the proto-evangelium - the pre-historic news of the One to come - was known throughout the entire Eastern world? Though it was clearly altered by the many nomadic peoples, tribes and nations that distanced themselves from the True God over time.

These magi, according to their study, were fully aware of this cataclysmic event. The coming not only of a divine kingdom to earth but of it's King as well. At least they were aware of something...supernatural.

Maybe it was the long, arduous journey from the East that took years to complete. Mountains and deserts. Warring nations and arrogant kings. Strange tongues and scarce supplies.

Either way, the Dayspring rose in the East and these men were fully aware. Clearly their eyes, minds, yes their guts were awakened to a new life, one worth embarking on such an incredible multi-year ordeal.

This Prophet. This Priest. This King. He is still worth whatever time it takes to realize His eternal significance.

Word of Beard

'To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy...' Jude :24

In the previous passages Jude calls believers to personally and corporately Build up their faith, Pray, Keep in Gods love and Wait patiently in Christ.

By living out those admonitions we continue the sanctification process which ultimately is God transforming us. In the midst of our transformation, or metamorphosis, He 'keeps' or protects us from eternally falling into 'the fire' (Jude :23).

Fantastically enough He doesn't just protect us from eternal wretchedness but Christ presents us to our Holy God free of our sinful nature - our stains and blemishes. Ultimately He does this with an everlasting and contagious joy! All creation groans for this joy.

...to those who have been called, loved and kept.

un/Faithfulness...

What does it mean to be faithful?

My gut tells me what it means to be unfaithful more than my heart is able to describe faithfulness at times.

Think about your spouse (if you happen to have one), what would you consider an unfaithful act. Adultery? Flirtation? Deep emotional attachment to one other than you?

What about your vocation. If you are or could be the boss, what would you consider a conflict of interest in the work place or an act of employee unfaithfulness? Taking on a second career that steals time away from your business? A job at a rival company? Simply not doing the work that was agreed upon?

In sports you wouldn't assist the opponent to victory would you?

In your studies you wouldn't falsify your testing would you?

A soldier who trades sides only to fight against their own is a...traitor. Unfaithful right?

A Few Thoughts:
1) Obedience: Simple obedience to what we've given ourselves over to is a physical sign of faithfulness.

2) Integrity: A state of wholeness, particularly the holistic blend of orthodoxy and orthopraxy. An undivided life both internally and externally...this life undoubtedly perpetuates faithfulness and staves off unfaithfulness.

3) Joy: Deep within every one of us is the need to experience joy in what/whom we're called to be faithful to. Joy doesn't equal passion or happiness. In fact joy may come in the dark, painful deserts we experience. When joy is intrinsic faithfulness abounds.

4) Divinity: Gods glory is the root of faithfulness. We exist because of His glory. Faithfulness comes to fruition within the knowledge of His Divine Nature. Without giving ourselves over to someOne greater than us, we may never know holistic faithfulness much less live it out personally.

What does it mean to be faithful? Joyful obedience to the Divine funded by the Spirit. This attitude perpetuates our ability and desire to be faithful, not simply to one-another, but ultimately to the Messiah who was and is and will always be eternally faithful to us.

To Israel at the end of his days Moses said, 'Do not be afraid or terrified because of [worldly forces], for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.' Deut. 31:6

I am, therefore, He is.

Now, now, now...

'Now, now, now, now, now think about it like this...'

It seems this is what Jesus is saying during much of His three and a half year teaching and touring ministry in the Middle-East. Redefining, clarifying, simplifying and reconciling new realities based on ancient truths about Himself.

The Beatitudes - clarifying the blessed.

Initiating the 'born-again' - this is completely out-of-the-current-box.

Dying to the flesh in order to gain eternal life - completely turning the wisdom of man upside down here.

Oaths, divorce, revenge, adultery and the mind, idolatry and the heart, sabbath and law and...grace.

It's as if Jesus was saying to Israel, 'Now, now, now, now, now think about YHVH this way now.'

The Church must continue in Jesus' footsteps saying, 'Now, now, now...'; readdressing, according to His New Covenant, our habitual attitudes toward our 21'st century version of Christianity.

As a friend always notes, 'be cautious when dealing with ancient boundary stones,' I would echo that most of them need not be removed. Often we simply need to re-examine why they were put there in the first place without altering Jesus' precepts.
'Now, now, now, now, now think about it like this...'

Read Matthews Gospel for a refresher course on thinking anew.

Word of Beard

'I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do...I have revealed You to those whom You gave me out of the world...I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message.' John 17:4,6,20

In His prayer in the garden, recorded by John, Jesus - the Master Teacher - models a holistic way of connecting with the Father personally and corporately:

UP: (17:1-5) Jesus models having a direct connection to the father in prayer, fellowship and worship. Following in His footsteps we need to be connected as adopted heirs to the throne.

IN: (17:6-19) Jesus prays for those closest to Him, that His disciples would be unified, protected, sanctified and sent. We need to be growing in Truth individually and together as the Church.

OUT: (17:20-26) Jesus prays for the future Kingdom, the future Church, those His disciples will reach around the globe through time and space. We are 'the others'. We also need to continue reaching outward graciously as salt and light.

This UP-IN-OUT attitude wholly shapes our spiritual journey.

Word of Beard

'...to those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and Kept by Jesus Christ.'

Called: chosen, awakened, elected, handpicked, predestined, convinced...
Loved: deeply cherished, set-apart, disciplined, reconciled
Kept: protected, held, hemmed in

The Danger of Self-Sufficiency

I recently taught on Self-Sufficiency at LakeView Church. Very challenging topic and passage (2 Samuel 24).

David acknowledged his self-sufficient sin - repented.
He shifted gears in his attitude towards God - (re)reliance.
He then owns the consequences in his restoration - responsibility.

This is an individual heart issue that if ignored becomes a communal or corporate failure of Christians to actually be the Church. Spirit-dependency must replace self-sufficiency.

'May the Lord your God accept you.' He has. He will.