A Life Worthy

One-a-Day Friday, 10/10/14

Posted on October 10, 2014 by michaelOctober 10, 2014

Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist… (Ephesians 6:14a)

If it isn’t true…

If God didn’t send his only begotten son to Earth…if Jesus didn’t die for our sins…if he didn’t rise from the grave…if he’s not seated at the right hand of the Father making intercession for you and me…

Then it’s all a fake.

My faith is a joke. My salvation is a sham. My righteousness is totally pointless. The peace I have with God is nothing but a delusion. Nothing that I do matters, because in the end I am nothing.

If it isn’t true.

But it is.

All of it.

And when I buckle that truth around me, my faith becomes a shield, my salvation a helmet, my righteousness the guardian of my heart, peace with God the shoes that help me stand.

And stand I will.

And so will you.

Because we are his Beloved.

And that’s the truth.

One-a-Day Thursday, 10/9/14

Posted on October 9, 2014 by michaelOctober 9, 2014

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Ephesians 6:13).

Words that intrigue me in this verse of Scripture:

Full Half measures won’t suffice. You have to put on all the armor; if you leave a vulnerable spot, your enemy will find it and use it to hurt you. He is far more experienced at this sort of thing than you are.

When As in, “When the day of evil comes.” Don’t think in terms of “if.” If you live in Southern California, the big earthquake will happen. If you’re on the East Coast, the hurricane will happen. If you live on this planet, Evil will come for you. Don’t pretend…prepare.

Stand Not leap. Not fly. Not dance. Stand. The day of evil will leave you bloody but not broken, drained but not destroyed. When the tempest recedes, if you stand in Christ, you will stand.

If you stand in Christ,

You

Will

Stand.

Take that into your Thursday, Beloved.

One-a-Day Wednesday, 10/8/14

Posted on October 8, 2014 by michaelOctober 8, 2014

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12)

Ever have that nightmare where you’re being chased by a terrible monster, and no matter how fast you run it keeps getting closer and closer, and you’re absolutely powerless to stop it?

It’s kinda like that.

Only worse, because it’s real.

Physical skills cannot suffice against spiritual evil. And that’s what you and I face each day as we go about our business.

Your only hope, my only hope, the only hope, is to let the righteous power of God guard us.

Don’t get macho about this. There’s too much at stake.

One-a-Day Tuesday, 10/7/14

Posted on October 7, 2014 by michaelOctober 7, 2014

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. (Ephesians 6:11).

Last summer, my kids got their first taste of quadding. Their uncle, who was in charge of the outing, made sure that everyone was outfitted with protective gear. Helmets, gloves, goggles, chest protectors—you didn’t ride if you weren’t protected.

It was a good thing, too. One of the boys took an epic fall. All that gear that he was wearing saved his bacon, not to mention his head, chest, etc. He was knocked around and shaken up; without his armor, he could have been seriously injured.

An interesting note. It wasn’t his armor. The gear was provided for him free of charge by someone who knew what he needed, and what dangers he was facing.

The quad, the hills, the rocks—they weren’t out to get anybody. They were simply passive objects that presented a hazard. You have an enemy that is anything but passive.

Hey, Beloved–is your gear on?

One-a-Day Monday 10/6/14

Posted on October 5, 2014 by michaelOctober 5, 2014

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Eph. 6:10)

How many pushups can you do? How fast can you run? How far can you throw some heavy thing that needs throwing?

Doesn’t matter.

It’s not enough.

Hey, Mr. Cross-Training, Kickboxing, Black-Belt-Ninja-Man…it’s not enough.

No matter how expert, how brilliant, how talented you are, your powers are puny. There are forces arrayed against you that are beyond your comprehension, much less your strength. You can’t stand up to them—they’ll crush you to powder. You are no match for the least of them.

So don’t try to be.

You see, there is also a God in Heaven, a God who makes all the forces of Hell itself look as weak and pathetic as…well, as you and me. And he offers you his strength. He offers you his power. He wants you to stand in him today, putting on his power like a suit of armor. With him, in him, through him, you are invincible.

There’s a rough week ahead, Beloved. Better suit up.

One-a-Day Friday, 10/3/13

Posted on October 3, 2014 by michaelOctober 3, 2014

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:21)

Submission is the essence of relationship. When we put ourselves first, we aren’t really capable of loving anyone. Our own desires blind us to what the other person needs and wants. When we learn to submit, to see the other person’s needs and put them ahead of our own, we take the first step in learning to love. Jesus Christ provided us the perfect example of submission. Without his submission to the Father, we would be forever lost. When we follow his example, we honor him and build godly relationships at the same time.

This verse leads into Paul’s famous section on submission. Paul is going to talk about husbands and wives, parents and children, even slaves and masters. No matter what the relationship, the principal is the same. Put the other first. Don’t worry about what you need, or what you think you need. Trust your needs to God, and focus on the other person.

So, Beloved, to whom do you need to submit today? Gird your loins—this oughta be fun!

Happy Friday.

One-a-Day Thursday, 10/2/13

Posted on October 2, 2014 by michaelOctober 1, 2014

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:19-20)

What’s your favorite worship song?

Yeah, that one—the one you’re thinking of right now.

How about you sing it today—all day? Sing it to yourself, sing it to the people around you, sing it to the Lord of your heart. Sing it loud when you can and quietly when you must. Sing it whether today develops into a beautiful day or a rat-breath day.

I’ll bet, somehow, it ends up being a beautiful day.

Happy Thursday, Beloved.

One-a-Day Wednesday, 10/1/13

Posted on October 1, 2014 by michaelOctober 1, 2014

…making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16)

Evil is.

Make no mistake—there is evil in this world, no matter what the popular culture and the intellectual elite say. It surrounds us, and seems to grow with each passing day.

But

You don’t belong to evil. You are not of this world. God will bring you opportunities to shine for him, to be salt and light to the people around you.

Take them, Beloved.

Be on the lookout this very day for ways to serve a risen Savior in a fallen world. Pray for the vision to see the opportunity, the courage to take the chance, and the strength to bear the consequences.

Make the most of your Wednesday.

One-a-Day Tuesday, 9/30/14

Posted on September 30, 2014 by michaelSeptember 30, 2014

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise… (Ephesians 5:15).

If you follow Christ, the world will not understand you. More than that, the world cannot understand you. John 1:5 says, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” That light is Jesus, and if he lives in you then you are a mystery to the world around you.

Knowing that, riddle me this: Why do you keep trying to do things the world’s way? Why do you follow the world’s advice, or try to impress the world? It’s never going to work, so give it up.

Paul says that we must be very careful to live in wisdom. That seems to indicate that, if we are not on our guard, we will naturally fall into the unwise patterns of the world. We must stand fast in the wisdom he has given us, the wisdom that looks like foolishness to the eyes of the world.

Embrace your inner enigma, Beloved.

One-a-Day Monday 9/29/14

Posted on September 29, 2014 by michaelSeptember 29, 2014

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph. 5:11)

Good things generally need light in order to grow. Sure, you can grow some things in darkness—mold, mildew, assorted fungal yuckiness—but not the good stuff. Apples, raspberries, peaches, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—these need light. What “Fruitless deeds of darkness” are you having something to do with? Hey, you don’t have to tell me—I’m not running a tabloid here. But ask yourself—what do you have in your life that is fruitless? What fungal yuckiness are you growing in the temple of the Holy Spirit? It doesn’t have to be raging evil. I’m assuming that you’ve never stolen a baby or sold your mother on eBay. But if God isn’t part of what you’re doing, if the Light of the World is not invited along, then it’s darkness. It’s fruitless. Pull it out by the roots—or better yet, ask God to do it. He won’t “accidentally” miss anything. Expose it to the Light, and let it wither away.

Let today be trash day, Beloved.