One-a-Day Monday 12/28/15

number 1Brothers, do not slander one another.  Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it  (James 4:11).

So, now that the extended family is gone…tell me.

How many snide remarks were there?

How often did you mock Weird Uncle Dave because, well, look at him with that silly comb-over and that “girlfriend” who is, what, half his age and is obviously only after him for his money and is totally playing him for a fool so of course we gotta laugh…  

Yeah…

Christmas is over.  

Christ isn’t.

Have grace, Beloved.

One-a-Day Saturday 12/26/15

PeacePrince of Peace.  (Isaiah 9:6)

We know him by many names.

Jesus Christ

Alpha

Omega

Emmanuel

I Am

Lamb of God

Prince of Peace

Mighty God

Light of the World

The Bright Morning Star

Wonderful Counselor

The Amen

Man of Sorrows

Lion of the Tribe of Judah

The Word

The Author and Finisher of Our Faith

Bread of Life

Living Water

God calls him by another name, the name which is above all names.

Son.

And here’s something really crazy.  Because of Christ’s sacrifice, do you know what God now calls us?

Yes, you do.

How can that be?  What can that mean?

Chew on that today.

Happy Saturday, Beloved

One-a-Day Friday 12/25/15 Christmas Day

number 1Everlasting Father,  (Isaiah 9:6).

I hope you have a great dad.  I hope he is loving and strong and gentle and a daily blessing to your life.  I hope this, not only to make those family Christmas dinners a little less awkward, but because it will give you a better picture of God.  You see, God presents himself to us in many ways through Scripture, but I think the one that hangs most people up is the image of a father.  It can be difficult to see God as loving and caring if your earthly father was cold, distant, or absent altogether.

Look, I’m not gonna get all psychoanalytical on Christmas morning, but I need to point something out.  Whatever your earthly dad does well, your heavenly father does even better.  Wherever your earthly dad messes up, your heavenly father gets it right.  He is the perfection we all fall short of.  He is the goal we can never quite attain.  He will always be there to cheer you when you win, and comfort you when you lose.  His advice will always be perfect, and his discipline will always be just.  He will come to all your ball games, all your dance recitals, all your spelling bees.  He will be there at the hospital bed and at the wedding altar.

He will always love you.

Always, as in Everlasting.

Walk in his love today, Beloved.

Merry Christmas

One-a-Day Thursday 12/24/15


cropped-candle.jpg…Mighty God,  
(Isaiah 9:6)

We’re almost there. The “Sleep in Heavenly Peace” part.

So why am I stressed?

As we move into Christmas Eve, all sorts of emotions are getting stirred up.  Although we would like to say we are focused strictly on the birth of our Savior, the fact is this can be a really crazy time.  Perhaps you are rushing to wrap—or get—or think of—those last gifts.  Maybe you are frantically trying to get ready to travel—tickets, luggage, ohnowhatdowedowiththedogwhilewe’regone.  Could be you’re receiving guests into your nightmare of a house—good luck with that.

Or you’re moving.

Or someone you love is sick.

Or you’re broke.

Or things are just falling apart.

Given all that, I feel pretty spiffy that you’ve taken the time to read this.  Since you have, make the most of the moment.  Let the words soak in:

He is Mighty God.

Read it again.  Go on.

Now, say it out loud.

This King we serve, this Lord we love, this Savior we celebrate is fully capable of meeting the challenges of your day, be they mundane or monstrous.

And he will.

Because you are his beloved.

Happy Thursday

One-a-Day Wednesday 12/23/15

number 1And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, (Isaiah 9:6)

There can be a lot in a name.  My name is Michael, which means, “Who is like God?”  I like that—it’s a constant reminder of the answer…Nobody. When I begin to get a little too big for my proverbial britches, my very name brings me back to Earth.

Jesus has been given the name Wonderful Counselor.  Think about it—what does a counselor do?  A good counselor does three things—listen deeply, see to the heart of the issue, and offer wisdom.   So, we serve a God who actually listens to us—listens deeply.  He doesn’t just pretend to listen to you while he is mentally planning out his day, the way I might.  He actually considers every word you speak—and those you don’t.

Jesus also sees to the heart of your issue—after all, he knows you better than you do—remember Psalm 139?  You couldn’t hide the truth from him if you tried, so knock it off already.

Wisdom?  Uh…do I need to point out that his words are the very words of God?  Literally?  Yeah, worth listening to.

You, Beloved, have a Wonderful Counselor.  Walk in his wisdom today.

One-a-Day Tuesday 12/22/15

number 1…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 work flawlessly, except when the people are ignorant, selfish, and lazy.

Oh.

Same holds true for Communism, 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.

One-a-Day Monday 12/21/15

number 1For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…  (Isaiah 9:6)

I don’t know if there is anything more exciting than the birth of a baby.   The feeling of joy, of life, that you get from holding a newborn—it’s astounding.  It doesn’t even have to be your child.  It can be a nephew, or a cousin, or the child of a friend.  Hey, it could be a random kid from the maternity ward that you grabbed just for the experience.

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

My point is this: Hope arrives with every baby.

How wonderful is it that God chose to bring Christ to us in this way.  Think about it—the Christ could have appeared fully grown, striding out of the desert on a Thursday 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 a God 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, Beloved.

One-a-Day Friday 12/18/15

number 1Grieve, mourn, and wail.  Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:9-10).

If you don’t, he will.

Humble you.

You see, God is best able to use you when you are totally dependant upon, totally trusting in, him.  And he wants to use you for great things.  He wants to be glorified in you and through you, that this sinful, broken world may see his power and his mercy and the tenderness of his love demonstrated to you, for you, by you.

So you gotta be humble.

Aaaaand, we’re back to your choice.

When you humble yourself, you demonstrate an attitude of selfless reliance upon God.  You acknowledge you sin and weakness, and you trust yourself completely to his mercy and strength.  It is a beautiful thing.

When God humbles you, it is not beautiful.  It is not pretty.

Does the name Samson ring any bells?  Hmmm?

Happy Friday, Beloved.

One-a-Day Thursday 12/17/15

number 1Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded (James 4:8b).

I’m not double-minded.

OK, sometimes I am.

Well, no I’m not…eh, maybe a little.

And a sinner?  Hey, just look at me and see if you think I’m a sinner!

Oh..

 

At first read, this verse is obviously about others

until I stop

and listen

to the ongoing war

in my soul.

until I do wash my hands

and see

the filth

that I just can’t scrub away.

Oh Lord, please step in

again

and do what I can not do for myself.
Amen?

One-a-Day Wednesday 12/16/15

number 1Come near to God, and he will come near to you (James 4:8a).

Again with the “Will.”

God doesn’t flirt.  He doesn’t play games.  He doesn’t write a “Do you like me? Check this box” note in crayon and have his friend hand it to you at recess.

Like I may or may not have done with Michelle Flores in the 5th grade.  

And she may or may not have drawn her own big fat giant “NO” box on the paper and checked it, like, seventeen times in red Crayola.

Give me a moment here.  Some scars run deep.

The point is, God is a God of “Will.”  You don’t have to be afraid that he will run out on you or mess with your mind or take the cheap shot or use your vulnerability against you.  He’s only ever always going to love you.

You’re the Beloved, remember?

So take a breath, take a moment, and draw near.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved