Word of Beard

'You will call and I will answer You; You will long for the creature Your hands have made.' Job 14:15

Through the incarnate Christ God called us , making us a new creation (new creatures) - He reconciles us to Himself as we confess with our mouths that 'He is Lord!'

Turning Courageous

What brought the Apostle Paul to a point in his life where being imprisoned, with the possibility of execution, simply meant another opportunity to glorify God and speak courageously about the resurrection and salvation of Jesus?

'To live is Christ and to die is gain.' (Philippians 1) - what a mantra!

Was it his miraculous conversion: a blinding bright light, the voice of the recently deceased, resurrected and ascended Messiah?

Or was it an opening of his spiritual eyes to the reality of Gods new work. An experiential knowledge of the new dispensation of Spirit and Grace upon the earth.

Many of us have witnessed pretty miraculous things: preserved life after a natural disaster, brutal car-crash survivors, mysterious healing of a terminally ill family member, random rent check in the mail...

How many hold onto that miracle as life-changing from that point onward? I would like to believe that if Jesus opened up the sky and told me to serve Him 100% that I would do so without fail...I've experienced that power in different ways and I still flounder at times.

Paul responded with zeal. He passionately took up his new calling, his new faith and never turned back.

Have you turned back? Have you doubted relentlessly, turned back and found yourself frozen in your tracks? Then PRAY. Pray for a renewed vision for your life, a tenderized heart for His Holiness and your neighbors lostness, a breath of fresh spiritual air found in the Word and written on your soul. You and I can be like Paul.

Word of Beard

Beginning next week I'll be posting a weekly verse entitled 'Word of Beard'. Why? Allow me to share:

First and foremost I'll share a passage and possibly comment on it simply because I want to.
Second and secondmost a friend mentioned that he'd appreciate regular updates on the uncanny journey of my beard.

Naturally this evolved into a combination of two of my favorite things: beards and scripture. Enjoy.

Job Cries Out for Jesus

'If only there were an arbitrator, one who would lay his hand upon us both (God and Job) and mediate - one who would spare the rod of the Lord and allow for dialogue between us...' (Job 9:32-35)

Without knowing it Job was crying out for a Savior. He was describing the role of the Messiah to come, Jesus, the one who stands in the gap between man and the Father staving off His wrath and reconciling man to Him.

Job knew suffering - he knew the blessing of God - he felt the effects of sin on the world. He simply wanted the freedom to speak with God, to plead his case personally and hear a response.

Christ is the mediator. He comforts us in our suffering. He sits with God the Father in heaven. He is the intercessor between us. We don't have to fear communicating with God. We don't have to feel trapped, unable to plead our case. We have an eternal arbitrator.

one = one

Through one man - Adam - sin entered the world making death inevitable.

Through one man - Jesus - sin was eradicated making life eternal.

God is not a God of chaos - He's a God of order...He's holy.

Like a mysterious mathematical equation, through Jesus, He's restored our relationship with Him.

From new physical creation (Adam) to new eternal creation (Jesus) YHWH is a God of renewal.

Romans 5

Thrones and Dirt...

Acknowledging the sovereignty of God is vital to discovering true humility. The Apostle Paul challenged the Philippians to live out genuine humility in view of the life of Christ. (Philippians 2:1-11)

He goes on to describe what Christ did for them and in doing so challenged me to ponder the Throne of God. John describes in the Book of Revelation the very throne that Jesus stepped down from in order to become man:

'there before me was a throne in heaven...the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne...From the throne came flashes of lightening, rumblings and peals of thunder.' There were 24 thrones around the Lords throne and 24 Elders with crowns sitting on them. 4 creatures were in the center and 7 spirits before Him.

The creatures sang continuously, 'Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.'

The Elders bowed down with their crowns on the ground and sang, 'You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being.' (Revelation 4)

Jesus left His perfect home - heaven to put on flesh with you and I. He left His throne to walk in dirt. He walked away from those worshipping Him 24/7 to be despised and mocked and put to death.

Like Jesus, the time will come for the faithful to experience perfection eternally. Jesus fulfilled His work on earth and the Father brought Him home. In our humility, you and I will experience what Christ did while incarnate - we'll become like Him as we live humble lives here and now.

'To the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.' (Jude :25)

Once you acknowledge that He is omniscient (all-knowing) - omnipotent (all-powerful) - omnipresent (always-everywhere)... then you'll begin to understand a true state of humility.

This majestic and glorious God was a servant...are you?

Discern

Discerning what is best isn't always easy. In fact, it takes a good amount of knowledge and in many cases experience.

Not everyone discerns well and that's why you need accountability. As well you desperately need the wisdom of elders and others who have been there, done that and remained faithful to God.

Dokimazo: (Gk) to discern - to determine the identity of something through evaluation.

The depth of your insight on any given decision or belief will be directly related to the outcome. The Spirit was sent to all who believe as a guide, a counselor, one who fills us with true knowledge, righteousness and discernment. The Spirit provides the desire to attain insight in the depth of your soul. The Spirit challenges you to seek after wisdom and matures you through understanding.

Many times there are several 'best' decisions waiting on our response. Prayer, reflection, gifting, shared wisdom, knowledge and a deep insight all play a role in discerning the best route. 

Determining truth - determining what is best takes time and energy. It's a process, so use whatever time you have wisely.

Be proactive and seek out proper discernment.

Taken from Paul's prayer in Philippians 1:9-11