Finis One-a-Day Friday 12/1/23

Posted on by December 1, 2023
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A life worthy

Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power (1 Corinthians 15:24).

Someday,

some glorious day,

this  chapter of eternity will be over.

Every person,  every world system, every spirit that has stood against the Lord God Almighty will be 

defeated 

destroyed 

done.

And we’ll be there, Beloved

too humbled to speak,

too joyous to remain silent,

too full of Him to give Self more than a passing thought.

Man, I can’t wait for Someday.

Happy Friday, Beloved

Death and Life One-a-Day Wednesday    11/29/23

Posted on by November 29, 2023
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A life worthy

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:22).

Poor Adam

Yeah, you heard me.

He gets the credit for the death of humanity–right there in Scripture, for everybody to see.

That’s brutal.

It gives the impression that it was all his fault.

Now don’t get me wrong–Adam broke the relationship. He chose to disobey God, and in doing so he set the sin ball rolling. He earned his death, and ours.

But here’s the thing:

I am Adam.

I would have taken the fruit.

How do I know?

Because I do it today. Even with a new heart and a clean slate and a mind that is being renewed, I sin.

I choose to sin.

You know, the name Adam means, “Son of the red earth.”

That applies to me as it did to him.

So, while I firmly believe that there was a literal Adam, I also believe that Adam was a type that we all would follow. And do

But, thank God, the verse doesn’t end here…and neither do we.

Thanks to the mercy and grace and goodness and boundless love of our Father, in Christ we are made alive. We, who were born into death, have been reborn into life.

Take a deep breath, Beloved. There is no smell of the grave. You live.

In Him

Through Him

For Him

Because of Him

Rejoice, and live today.

Happy Wednesday, Beloved

Man       One-a-Day Tuesday  11/28/23

Posted on by November 28, 2023
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A life worthy

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man  (1 Corinthians 15:21).

It makes sense.

Man broke his relationship with God. Man should fix it.

It’s the “take responsibility for your own actions” philosophy we’ve been taught from childhood.

Except it doesn’t work here.

Yes, I broke the vase, but I can’t unbreak it. I can’t find all the pieces, and even if I could the glue would never hold. I can’t replace it, because it is one-of-a-kind. And even if, by some miracle, a replacement could be found, I could never pay the price.

Man broke his relationship with God–that I could do. 

Man should fix it–but not this man.

So,

God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law…(Galatians 4:4-5).

God did more than provide the solution–He became the solution.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved

Firstfruits One-a-Day Monday  11/27/23

Posted on by November 27, 2023
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A life worthy

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20).

In the beginning was the Word.

In the new beginning, also, the Word.

Beloved, you know that the firstfruits were the portion of the harvest dedicated to God. It makes sense that this would be Christ, the first raised under the New Covenant. But, of course, the firstfruits were not the whole crop.

They were only the beginning.

The harvest continues, even today.

You and I are part of that harvest, Beloved. Whenever He returns, whether we are in the field or under it, we will follow our Lord into eternal life.

Makes Monday a little easier to bear, does it not?

Happy Monday, Beloved

Still Thankful?  One-a-Day Friday  11/24/23

Posted on by November 24, 2023
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A life worthy

…always giving thanks to God the Father for everything. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

Are you still thankful today, Beloved?  Or has the Christmas to-do list already kicked aside your “Things I am thankful for” list?  Look, I’m not judging; I know you’ve got a lot to do.  Myself, I’m looking at a garage that needs to be cleaned–I’ve been putting it off until next Saturday for eighteen months now–just so I can get to the Christmas lights, most of which are broken, if I remember correctly.  I have a vague memory of an entire string of lights falling from the roof last January, resulting in a string of mini-explosions and a decision that I would replace all the lights “Next year,” when finances would undoubtedly be better, except they’re not.  So I’ve probably gotta buy lights, and garland, and maybe a lawn elf–but no inflatables, I’m passionately against inflatables–before I can even start decorating, and the neighbors are pretty much done already…

Yeah, so I get it.

But, for those of us in Christ, the One we were thankful for yesterday is the same One we celebrate at Christmas.  It’s pretty much the same holiday; you just have to swap funny hats.

Of course, you know that already…you’re a bright one.

So, take time during the craziness–like today, like right now–to stop and breathe and give thanks.  

For him

For you and him

Happy Friday, Beloved.

Thanks One-a-Day Thursday  11/23/23

Posted on by November 23, 2023
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A life worthy

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16: 34).

Busy day today.

You’ve got a turkey to burn, cranberries to sauce, potatoes to mash, tables to set, dishes to break, shards to sweep up, relatives to endure/enjoy/escape…

Beloved, take a moment, right now, before the craziness descends.  Offer your heart and your mind and your day and your life to Him in thanksgiving.  If you don’t do it now…

Breathe deep, and thank him that he chooses to be good

That he chooses to love you

That he chooses to love you forever, not until he gets bored with you or until you mess up in some way and displease him

Because…no offense…but I’m sure that’s already happened.

He could choose to stop loving you, but he won’t.

It’s in his power, but it’s not in his nature.

His love endures forever.

You are his Beloved.  

Forever

Happy Thanksgiving, Beloved.

Prepositions Matter  One-a-Day Wednesday  11/22/23

Posted on by November 22, 2023
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A life worthy

…give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

“in”

Not “for”

but 

“in.”

Beloved, there are things that occur in our lives that only a deranged person would be happy about.

Hey, I can’t pay my mortgage and I’m about to be homeless. Thanks, God!!

Wow, I just lost seven of my toes in a tragic rollerblading accident. Thanks, God!!

Gee, the dog just vomited up half of Kentucky on the carpet. Thanks, God!!

Feel free to add to the list.

Point is, trying to be thankful for the horrible nastiness of life is something best left to the truly psychotic,

which you are not.

I hope.

But God is not calling you to be thankful for these circumstances.

Only in them

See, being thankful in all circumstances is an acknowledgement that your circumstances do not define you, that they are not the end goal of your existence. No matter what awful, dystopic, dyspeptic, yougottabekiddingme events overtake us, our lives and selves remain rooted with Christ in God.

Uncrushable

Unsinkable

Unshakeable 

Whatever this world rolls your way, you can be thankful that God remains God, and you remain his, and that remains everything.

So, be thankful, Beloved.

Happy Wednesday

Chosen One-a-Day Tuesday  11/21/23

Posted on by November 21, 2023
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A life worthy

For he (God) chose us in him (Jesus) before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight (Ephesians 1:4).

So, as we move through Thanksgiving week, here’s a little something else to be thankful for:

You are the chosen one.

Well, maybe not the chosen one, but certainly a chosen one.

Consider this: before he made the world, God had you in mind.  

Yeah, you.

He knew who you would be, how you would be.  He saw your “We are the Champions” moments, your happy times,

your foolish choices

your many sins

your epic, seemingly endless failures

before they ever happened.

And he loved you.

And he chose you.

Wow

Now consider this: God is not bound by time, right?  Past, present, future—it’s all kind of now to him.  So when he looks at you he sees you not only as you are, but as you will be.

Holy

Blameless

Complete

His

Now, if only you could learn to see yourself as he sees you, hmm?

In the meantime, color yourself thankful and go forth in joy.

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.

He is Good One-a-Day Monday 11/20/23

Posted on by November 20, 2023
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A life worthy

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever (Psalm 107:1).

God is good.

He doesn’t have to be.

He chooses to be.

God loves us.

He doesn’t have to.

He chooses to.

Look, we can get into a theotechnical debate about whether God is bound by his own nature to be what he is, or whether he possesses self-determinative power

and that would be fun

but until you convince me otherwise, I’m gonna go with the fact that God is…you know…God, and he could have done it any way he wanted to.

There is an image that comes to my mind as I write these words.

It’s Calvin and Hobbes.

Not the theologian and the sociopolitical philosopher, although…

No, I’m talking about the kid and the tiger.

If you aren’t familiar with the famous comic strip by Bill Watterson, I weep for your ignorance and encourage you to avail yourself of the great riches to be found before you continue here. For the enlightened among you, I’m thinking of the strip in which Calvin imagines himself as God, “but Calvin is no kind and loving god…and the puny inhabitants of Earth displease him!”

What follows is destruction on ohsomany levels.

Beloved, we need never ever even for a moment fear that God will decide to stop being good, or stop loving us, or restructure the foundation of the Universe to reflect darkness rather than light.

He has chosen to be good, and it is so.

He chose to be kind and loving and giving and gracious and merciful.

And it is so.

Forever.

Give thanks, Beloved.

Happy Monday