Temple One-a-Day Thursday 4/23/20

A life worthy

In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:21).

In him

Not just for him–though it is for him.

Not just to him–though it is to him.

In him

So…we are a temple to God, and the temple is in God, and Christ himself, who is God, is the foundation stone of the temple.

I don’t totally get it,

but

I like it.

I also like that, when you admire a building, you are admiring the entirety of it, not the individual pieces. I mean, you don’t usually hear someone exclaim, “Wow! Look at that brick!” or, “Hey, what a great slab of marble!” or, “Now that there’s a 2X4 if’n ever I seed one!”

Which means that if I, as brick #94738274, am a little wobbly or chipped or cracked or rough, it’ll be OK. I’m still part of something truly amazing. Something holy to the Lord of the Universe.

I’m not that important

and yet

I’m absolutely essential.

Yeah, I don’t totally get it,

but

I like it.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

Cornerstone One-a-Day Wednesday 4/22/20

A life worthy

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

The cornerstone is the one that determines the placement of every other stone in the building.  Without it, there is no beginning, no structure, nothing at all.

Jesus is the One you build your life

your hopes

your dreams

your world

on.

Solid as a rock, and then some.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Firm Foundation One-a-Day Tuesday 4/21/20

A life worthy

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets…(Ephesians 2:20)

We’re so silly.

We, as a society, have this tendency to throw out and disregard anything that we deem “old.”

Music

Fashion

History

People

It’s a pride thing, really. We find it threatening to think that something may have been excellent before we ever even existed. It’s just so hard to imagine that some things might have been just dandy-fine without our input.

So, we go for new-new, shiny-shiny.

When it comes to theology, I mostly go old school.

Take a moment this morning to thank God for those who have gone before us, who lived and taught and sacrificed and suffered and even died for the sake of the Gospel, so that you and I can read pithy devotions on our mobile devices. Some of the names are famous, and some we’ll never know this side of glory, but they all have served to bring Truth to a lost and dying world.

And just maybe, if the Lord tarries, our names will one day be on that list.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

Family One-a-Day Monday 4/20/20

A life worthy

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household…(Ephesians 2:19)

You belong.

No longer alone

No longer an outsider

You are family.

Now, listen, families aren’t always perfect.

They squabble.

They battle.

They include OCD firstborns

and spoiled babies

and angst-ridden middle kids.

Then there’s the occasional psycho cousin that you try to avoid.

You know, unless that’s you.

But here’s the deal: whether you grew up in Mayberry or Dysfunction Junction, you now belong to a family that is eternal.

We have a perfect Father, a righteous big brother, and forever to get it right.

I can’t wait to see the whole family photo.

Happy Monday, Beloved.

Peace One-a-Day Friday 4/17/20

A life worthy

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near  (Ephesians 2:17).

Pace Domnului

When I was in Romania many many many years ago, this was a common greeting between the brothers and sisters in Christ.

It’s pronounced pah-chay-domn-loo-eee.

Sort of

I remember the children getting the giggles every time I tried to communicate in their tongue. I can only assume it was because my pronunciation was so perfect it delighted their very souls.

In any case, Pace Domnlui translates roughly to “Peace of the Lord.” Embedded in the greeting is the understanding that peace comes only from Christ, that he alone can bring peace to our crazy lives, our frantic schedules, our troubled and fearful and utterly stressed-out minds.

Pace Domnlui, Beloved of Christ.

Oh, and Happy Friday

New Man One-a-Day Thursday 4/16/20

A life worthy

His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility (Ephesians 2:15-16).

Those who were bound by legality

and

those who were lost to licentiousness

brought together

at the cross

and made new,

bought and

paid for and

finally

forever

free.

Thank you, Jesus

and

Happy Thursday, Beloved

Done and Done One-a-Day Wednesday 4/15/20

A life worthy

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations (Ephesians 2:15).

Now wait a minute, Paul.

Jesus himself said, Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them (Matthew 5:17).

So…

Beloved, I know you know I’m no Bible scholar, but this is how it seems to me:

The Law is good. God created it, and if Man could live by the Law, it would save him.

But

man couldn’t…not even for a little bit. So the Law became a wall dividing men from God, and dividing Jews from everyone else.

When Jesus came and lived the Law to perfection, he became the only one ever to earn Heaven on his own merit. When he died on the cross, paying a price he didn’t have to pay, he completed the process of atonement that no one else could complete.

Hence, It is finished.

So it seems to me that when Paul talks of abolishing the Law, he is speaking of those effects of the Law that separate us, the “commandments and regulations” that kept people divided into camps.

Jesus died and rose to knock down walls.

So, let them fall.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved.

Let the Wall Fall One-a-Day Tuesday 4/14/20

A life worthy

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility…(Ephesians 2:14)

Jew and Gentile

Insider and Outsider

Us and Them

Paul is specifically talking about the separation between Israel and the Gentiles here, showing that Christ’s sacrifice has given everyone equal access to God’s kingdom. But it applies across the board, does it not? Race, gender, age, politics, socioeconomic status–none of the things that divide us matter if we belong to Jesus.

And none of the things that unite us matter if we don’t.

Do you belong to Jesus? Then you are my brother or sister. The differences between us may be real, but they are insignificant in the light of his love for us.

If we can just carry that attitude into our world today, what can we not accomplish?

Let’s find out.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

And Today One-a-Day Monday 4/13/20

A life worthy

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever  (Psalm 145:1-2).

So

Easter’s over.

It’s Monday.

I hope yesterday was very special for you. I hope you worshipped and prayed and rejoiced and felt especially close to Jesus as you celebrated his resurrection.

And now there’s today.

Monday

Mundane

As we move into our week, as all the stuff and garbage that we put aside yesterday comes flooding in with a power that only Monday can muster, can I ask you to do something?

(And by you, I mean me, too.)

Let’s try to approach Monday with the same joy and reverence and celebration that we felt yesterday.

The tomb is still empty.

He is still risen, indeed!

The One who made you and knows you and died for you and rose for you still loves you more than you can possibly imagine.

Walk in that love today, Beloved.

Happy Monday

Risen! One-a-Day Easter Sunday 4/12/20

A life worthy

…because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay (Psalm 16:10).

But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself (Psalm 49:15).

For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave (Psalm 86:13).

 “I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death.  Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (Hosea 13:14/1 Corinthians 15:55)

Lost

Alone

Confused

Empty

These words describe what I imagine the disciples felt on that Sunday morning.  They must have figured that, after all, Jesus had failed.

Has anyone ever been more gloriously wrong?

On Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene went with some of the other women to make sure that the body of Jesus was properly cared for.  Oh, the surprise they got! The tomb was empty, the body was gone, and an angel announced, “He is not here; He has risen!”

Can you imagine?

Seriously, can you imagine it?  Imagine going with Mary and seeing the stone rolled away. Imagine hearing the angel’s words.  Imagine being with the disciples when she brings them the news. Imagine running with Peter and John to see for yourself, and finding the tomb empty, the grave clothes neatly folded.  Imagine standing with Thomas, the doubter, as he touched the wounds on his living Lord.

Imagine.

His death satisfied the requirements of the old covenant—a perfect sacrifice to cover all sin always.

His resurrection broke the power of Death forever, and ushered in the New Covenant—a promise of grace and hope and peace.

His return will bring the fulfillment of history, as he gathers those who put their trust in him and takes them home forever.

He is risen, indeed!

Walk in joy today, Beloved.