Kingdom One-a-Day Monday 12/28/20

A life worthy

…and the government will be on his shoulders. (Isaiah 9:6)

Here’s the thing with governments—they’re generally made up of people. And, well, I hate to tell you this, but people tend toward selfishness and greed.

I just heard a bubble burst out there…sorry.

The United States has a system of government known as a Representative Democracy, aka a republic. This is a strong, just, and efficient method of governance that works flawlessly, except when people are ignorant, selfish, and lazy.

Oh.

Same holds true for Communism, monarchies, aristocracies, feudal societies, even theocracies.  On paper, they look great. It’s when you add the people that things go winky-wonky.

Frankly, the best, strongest, most efficient form of government is a benevolent dictatorship.  The problem, of course, is that you can guarantee the dictator part, but not the benevolent bit.

Yet.

But guess what, Beloved?  The day will come when we will have an absolute monarch, a king of kings, who will rule with complete authority over all nations.  His reign will be perfect, unhampered by greed, unsullied by sin. He will know what’s best, want what’s best, do what’s best.

He will be what’s best.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Happy Monday, Beloved

The Baby One-a-Day Friday 12/25/20

A life worthy

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…  (Isaiah 9:6)

Babies are amazing.  Tiny noses and toeses and fingernails.  They even smell good.

Mostly.

The feeling of joy, of life, that you get from holding a newborn—it’s…wow.  It doesn’t even have to be your baby. It can be a nephew, or a cousin, or the child of a friend.  Hey, it could be a random kid from the mall that you grabbed just for the experience.

Not that you would ever do that because that would be very very wrong and earn you psychiatric evaluations and the serious threat of incarceration.

My point is this: Hope arrives with every baby.

How great is it that God chose to bring Christ to us in this way. Think about it—the Messiah could have appeared fully grown, striding out of the desert on a Tuesday morning.  He could have simply walked into the temple and started preaching. Instead, we get to see him as a baby—yes, so that his genealogy could be verified and so that prophecy would be fulfilled—but also so that we could see the Lord of the Universe willing to humble himself by birth, as he would one day humble himself by death.

Your God loves you so much that he sent a baby—the epitome of life—to call you to eternal life.

Heed the call.

Merry Christmas, Beloved.

Light One-a-Day Thursday 12/24/20

A life worthy

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:5).

This is the nature of light and dark.

We instinctively fear the dark and crave light.  In fact, a flashlight or candle or somesuch is near the top of every emergency supplies list. And it’s not just for the practical value–light is also, by its very nature, comforting and encouraging.

The deepest, blackest darkness can be pushed back by the light of a single candle.

Metaphorically and literally

An alternate translation of this verse is, The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it. As though if only the enemies of God could really understand his light, his love, his purpose for us…everything would be different.

If only the darkness in me could truly understand…

Someday, Beloved.

Happy Thursday

Life One-a-Day Wednesday 12/23/20

A life worthy

In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind (John 1:4).

Through him all things were made…

Even us.

That life that was breathed into Adam, that spark that separates us from all other creation…

That’s from Jesus.

At the cross, he gave his life to redeem us. But at creation, he gave of his life to bring us life.

Perhaps that is why accepting Christ feels so much like coming home.

Breathe deeply today, Beloved.

Happy Thursday

Creator One-a-Day Tuesday 12/22/20

A life worthy

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made (John 1:3).

Not a random collection of happenings

Not an impersonal, unknowable force

Not a philosophical construct

But a person, a personality, an artist who spoke this world into being with a desire for beauty and the knowledge that one day you would be here to enjoy it.

Nothing random about it.

One of the reasons Jesus came to us was so that he could identify with us, experiencing this life and this world as we do. I wonder what he thought as he gazed upon the night sky, or a storm-tossed sea, or a flower or a bug or a sunrise or…

I wonder if he thought, “Wow! I done good.”

Of course, Jesus had better grammar, because bad grammar is a sin, but still.

Enjoy the world he created for you, Beloved.

Happy Tuesday

Beginning One-a-Day Monday 12/21/20

A life worthy

‘Tis the Season…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).

Before the tomb

Before the Cross

Before the trial

Before the betrayal

Before the garden

Before the temple

Before the mount

Before the desert

Before the river

Before the wise men

Before the manger

Before the star

Before the angel

Before the prophecies

He was.

And he was God.

Happy Monday, Beloved

Pig Pearls One-a-Day Friday 12/18/20

A life worthy

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs.  If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces (Matthew 7:6).

Well, there go my plans for the weekend.

So, the basic interpretation of this metaphor is: Don’t give the Gospel to those who aren’t in a position to receive it.

Wowzers.  Jesus just got finished warning us about judging people, and yet this sounds pretty judgmental.  Are we really supposed to decide who deserves the Word and who doesn’t?

Perhaps it’s less a question of judgement and condemnation than of stewardship.  God has entrusted us with the priceless treasure of his truth, and while that truth may be unlimited, our time, our energy, our strength is not.  We can’t preach the Word every hour of every day. So, we need to perform a little spiritual triage. We must use the wisdom and discernment God has given us to determine who is in a place to receive the Gospel and who is not. If someone is being openly hostile and argumentative, it is probably not the best time to hit them with the Four Spiritual Laws.  Maybe you hit them with a chair first; then when they’re calm you hit them with the Gospel.

OK, I know Jesus never said to hit anyone with a chair; I’m just…expounding.

Spread the Word today, Beloved.  But spread it wisely.

Happy Friday

Sawdust One-a-Day Thursday 12/17/20

A life worthy

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, “Let me take the speck out of your eye,” when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye (Matthew 7:3-5).

Sometimes Jesus just makes way too much sense.

It kinda cramps my style.

You don’t have to be a carpenter to understand the metaphor here; in fact the image of a plank jutting out of my eye is enough to keep me awake at night.

It’s just awfully close to reality.

As I have pointed out on occasion, people bug me.  I have a tendency to translate their personality quirks into character flaws, and use my spiritual microscope to detect and identify all their issues.

In reality, I don’t need a microscope.  I need a mirror.

And, you know, a pair of tweezers the size of my arm.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

Here Comes The Judge One-a-Day Wednesday 12/16/20

A life worthy

Do not judge, or you too will be judged.  For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you  (Matthew 7:1-2).

I don’t want to be judged.

Seriously, I really don’t want to be judged.

I actually can’t quantify for you just how very much I don’t want to be judged.

But it’s a lot.

So…I go with mercy.

Look, I know that sometimes judgement is required in the family of God.  If someone is spreading a false gospel and leading folks away from Christ, it is our duty to speak out and defend the truth.

But

you and I both know that the vast majority of judgement has less to do with truth than it does with opinion

or preference

or comfort.

So whaddaya say we reserve our judgement for those who deserve it most?

You know who I’m talking about–the joker who just had to pull out in front of you in traffic and then drove three miles per hour.

Yeah, that one.

There is no pit deep enough.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Now One-a-Day Tuesday 12/15/20

A life worthy

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own (Matthew 6:34).

God is not bound by time.

He is outside of time. Past, present, and future are all Now to him.

I can’t really wrap my brain around that concept, but there it is.

You and I, Beloved, are bound by time.  

Past? Can’t change it.

Future? Can’t see it.

If we want to act, to move, to do, to be, to spend time with the One who loves us, it can only happen Now.

So, live your Now, Beloved.  Live it fully.

Happy Tuesday