Christ who was man was also God. 100% both. That divine power and life is also in us thanks to Christ. What a crazy mix of fear and joy at the reality of being united with God so intimately.
10/31/11
Word of Beard
Christ who was man was also God. 100% both. That divine power and life is also in us thanks to Christ. What a crazy mix of fear and joy at the reality of being united with God so intimately.
10/25/11
The Little Warrior Within...
Larry Osborne, at the Sticky Church 2.0 conference, spent some time challenging the notion that a person or a church or an organization needs replicate or reproduce a program, style, culture or quality that a more fruitful person/organization is doing.
He brought up David. Not King David but the young, confident, sheep herding David.
'Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine...', sound familiar? Dude was awesome, 'your servant will go and fight him.' Young and ready to do what he had been training to do - leading sheep, wrestling bears and lions, training. In speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity...set and example even in your youth. Those words from Paul to Timothy totally connect to David and his ability to move in the Lord at such a young age.
We know the Spirit was on David, that God had a plan for him to move into a role of leadership in Israel. We also know that the same Spirit that was in sheep-herding-King David is in us.
At this point David wasn't seeking out what other mighty warriors he could mimic in order to take on Goliath. He knew his strengths and weakness' so when Saul called for him he was ready to respond in a healthy way. When opportunity came he was comfortable with his capacity.
Ultimately Saul puts his own armor on David to send him in to battle. Seriously? Compared to Saul, David's a curly headed pygmy with a sling and some sheep. He was restricted, confined, unable to move about the way he had trained and knew he was capable of. He was being set up for success according to someone elses plan and purpose.
I absolutely admire what he did next. So simple and yet so bold. David stripped off the armor and left to fight using the skill set, vision and confidence that came from the Lord, not the mighty warrior and king Saul.
As a follower of Christ, empowered and designed by Him, who are you trying to be like that totally doesn't fit who you actually are. Yes, to grow we need to learn from all camps, from many sources beyond our own understanding and worldview...but our character doesn't change, our foundational qualities that are divinely handed down don't need to be thrown out right? Maybe revamped and reformatted but ignoring who you are or what your organization is designed to do in order to copy another 'more successful' can only lead to heart-ache and possibly sin either now or later.
Are you fighting in your strengths or someone elses? What Philistines are you trying to overcome with unnatural tools and style? Every warriors has his own skill set, what's yours?
Taken from 1 Samuel 17 and 1 Timothy 4:12
'Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine...', sound familiar? Dude was awesome, 'your servant will go and fight him.' Young and ready to do what he had been training to do - leading sheep, wrestling bears and lions, training. In speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity...set and example even in your youth. Those words from Paul to Timothy totally connect to David and his ability to move in the Lord at such a young age.
We know the Spirit was on David, that God had a plan for him to move into a role of leadership in Israel. We also know that the same Spirit that was in sheep-herding-King David is in us.
At this point David wasn't seeking out what other mighty warriors he could mimic in order to take on Goliath. He knew his strengths and weakness' so when Saul called for him he was ready to respond in a healthy way. When opportunity came he was comfortable with his capacity.
Ultimately Saul puts his own armor on David to send him in to battle. Seriously? Compared to Saul, David's a curly headed pygmy with a sling and some sheep. He was restricted, confined, unable to move about the way he had trained and knew he was capable of. He was being set up for success according to someone elses plan and purpose.
I absolutely admire what he did next. So simple and yet so bold. David stripped off the armor and left to fight using the skill set, vision and confidence that came from the Lord, not the mighty warrior and king Saul.
As a follower of Christ, empowered and designed by Him, who are you trying to be like that totally doesn't fit who you actually are. Yes, to grow we need to learn from all camps, from many sources beyond our own understanding and worldview...but our character doesn't change, our foundational qualities that are divinely handed down don't need to be thrown out right? Maybe revamped and reformatted but ignoring who you are or what your organization is designed to do in order to copy another 'more successful' can only lead to heart-ache and possibly sin either now or later.
Are you fighting in your strengths or someone elses? What Philistines are you trying to overcome with unnatural tools and style? Every warriors has his own skill set, what's yours?
Taken from 1 Samuel 17 and 1 Timothy 4:12
10/24/11
Word of Beard
Upon returning to Nazareth and throwing down incredibly wise teachings on the Kingdom and life (as a tradesmans son) it makes sense that his childhood elders and peers and even family members would be offended at his presumed 'higher education', right?
Then Jesus coins this phrase that's managed to cross cultural and contextual boundaries for centuries now. If only we understood how severely was His rejection here - the Creator of the universe (John 1) was denied trust, faith, respect...honor in his own house by His own creation.
And we still take offense at Him.
10/19/11
Truth In...Crap Out...
Paul teaches that with every new believer there's a former way of life. An old self that must be annihilated.
He also teaches that the very Truth that opened our hearts and minds to Christ is what shapes our new attitude or mindset. The new self is 'created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.' There is no room for the old self. What has been destroyed...is done.
For some the old crap attempts a mutiny from time to time - but it only mutinies if it's still within us...if it hasn't really been destroyed.
For others the garbage has been taken out and now we have to guard ourselves from the outside world. Our sin nature, not being fed from the inside, begins to seek junk from the outside through our eyes, mouths, hands etc. and all on behalf of Satan.
Isn't this why Paul also tells us to constantly be working out our salvation. To be on guard in prayer and fellowship. To be in and trust in the living and active word...To be sanctified and set apart. Romans 12 - Philippians 2 - Hebrews 4 - Luke 11...sort of stuff.
All believers are called to be imitators of God. This is the Truth that shapes us. This is the reality of Kingdom life.
We're all made in His image right...maybe it's time to fully adopt His attitude as well.
Read Ephesians 4:11-5:1
For some the old crap attempts a mutiny from time to time - but it only mutinies if it's still within us...if it hasn't really been destroyed.
For others the garbage has been taken out and now we have to guard ourselves from the outside world. Our sin nature, not being fed from the inside, begins to seek junk from the outside through our eyes, mouths, hands etc. and all on behalf of Satan.
Isn't this why Paul also tells us to constantly be working out our salvation. To be on guard in prayer and fellowship. To be in and trust in the living and active word...To be sanctified and set apart. Romans 12 - Philippians 2 - Hebrews 4 - Luke 11...sort of stuff.
All believers are called to be imitators of God. This is the Truth that shapes us. This is the reality of Kingdom life.
We're all made in His image right...maybe it's time to fully adopt His attitude as well.
Read Ephesians 4:11-5:1
10/17/11
Word of Beard
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.
10/13/11
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.
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?
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?
10/11/11
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
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
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