Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Unhappiness: A Tempting Choice?
by Sarah Phillips

"And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit."
Acts 13: 52, NIV

"Always be happy. I see you out there with your solemn faces and hands folded like this, and perhaps you think this is holiness. This sad, solemn-ness is not really holiness. Always be happy wherever you go; God is good."

These are words spoken by a priest from India at a recent retreat. No doubt, this priest is well-versed in the theology of redemptive suffering, so his words gave me pause. What does he mean by this? Is it even possible to be happy like this?

Later, in a discussion with my father, he mentioned that family counselors like my stepmother often encounter challenging clients who are married to their unhappiness. In other words, these individuals are so comfortable with their misery and dysfunction (born out of very real hurts, no doubt) they don't even want to be happy anymore.

Pondering all this has rearranged some of my thinking on faith and happiness.

Perhaps you've heard this common saying in Christian circles: "God doesn't promise us happiness here on earth." From what I've encountered in my studies of the Bible and theology, the statement is factual.

I used to interpret this fact as an indication that God just doesn't have happiness in his plans for some (and I was likely one of those people, right?). But as I am reflecting on Fr. Andrew's words and my stepmother's clients, it hits me. Perhaps God doesn't promise happiness because it's not his place to give it. In other words, perhaps happiness is part of God's plan, but it's something we also must choose on our end.

Think about it. Have you ever met that person who "has everything" but isn't happy? I knew a person like that. He possessed uncommon intelligence. He had a loving family, wealth, and opportunity. But he seemed gifted at finding the dark side to everything. And I mean everything. He suffered from incredible cynicism and depression. Let's put the possibility of a chemical imbalance aside for a second and ponder this truth: God has the power to bless us, but it's up to us to be happy about it.

I don't say these things to cause pain or make anyone feel guilty for not feeling happy. Trust me, I've had plenty of dark periods where happiness seemed like a joke. I firmly believe it's okay to feel unhappy sometimes. Jesus didn't always feel good either, and it's safe to say there was nothing wrong with him.

Still, it's important to remember that there is a danger in wallowing in darkness for too long. There is a great temptation to become attached to our sadness, our victim-hood. Our cross, instead of drawing us closer to life in Christ, ends up bringing us closer to spiritual death when we do this.

In his book The Great Divorce, C.S. Lewis explores this idea that we can become too attached to our brokenness. He sets up a fictional scenario where souls in hell get a second chance at heaven. But they ultimately do not choose heaven - they can't even enjoy heaven - due to their excessive attachment to hell.

This seems downright crazy, but it's not any different than the clients my stepmom sees every week. And it's a very real trap we fall into every time we hold too tightly to our hurts and sorrows instead of releasing them to God.

Lewis warns, "If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell."

But then what do we do with all the bad things in life? Certainly, we will feel sorrow and loss - we should feel sorrow and loss when bad things happen. How then do we avoid getting trapped by tragedy? How do we let go of the comforts, the "intimate souvenirs," of life's little hells? Lewis has more to say about that, and I will end here to ponder his words:


"'Son,' he said, 'ye cannot in your present state understand eternity... That is what mortals misunderstand. They say of some temporal suffering, 'No future bliss can make up for it,' not knowing that Heaven, once attained, will work backwards and turn even that agony into a glory. And of some sinful pleasure they say 'Let me have but this and I'll take the consequences': little dreaming how damnation will spread back and back into their past and contaminate the pleasure of the sin. Both processes begin even before death. The good man's past begins to change so that his forgiven sins and remembered sorrows take on the quality of Heaven: the bad man's past already conforms to his badness and is filled only with dreariness. And that is why... the Blessed will say 'We have never lived anywhere except in Heaven,': and the Lost, 'We were always in Hell.' And both will speak truly."
Intersecting Faith & Life:  Have you held on to unhappiness for too long? Is your sadness, guilt, anger, or bitterness tempting you to sin or obscuring your faith? Ask God to help you let go of destructive thoughts or behaviors.

Further Reading

1 Peter 1:8

[Judy Harder]

Wasting the Word
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

But the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.
1 Peter 1:25

Not long ago, a friend sent me a funny message over Facebook that went something like this,

Question: If someone from the 1950's suddenly appeared before you, what would be the most difficult thing to explain to them about life today?

Answer: I possess a device, in my pocket, which is capable of accessing the eternity of information known to man. I use it to look at pictures of cats and get into arguments with strangers.

I can remember laughing after I read this. It really was true; I mostly used the internet to watch reruns of TV shows or recommend new music to friends, pretty trivial tasks for a device that contains all the world's knowledge. After I signed off however, I was struck by a sudden thought, "Am I wasting God's word the same way I waste the internet?" It was a sobering question. I picked my Bible up off the coffee table and for a few moments just stared at it. 

Here in my hands was a book that recounted the days when the Immortal, Eternal God of all that was and will ever be walked the earth as a man and spoke to humans. How was I using this gift again? Last I could remember it was to find a prayer that would keep me from going bald. To tell the truth, I think all Christians (me included) have a serious problem with wasting the Gospel. Just look at how we've used it in the past:

To argue why one political party is better than another,
To tell divorcees, and homosexuals, and people from checkered backgrounds that they're not good enough for God,
To justify why we don't help the broken and the needy.
The Bible is a precious gift and a valuable resource; it should never be used lightly or frivolously. So the next time you sit down for a quiet time or look up a favorite verse, remember that what you see is more than words on a page. You possess, in your hand, a testament to God's love for humanity and his desire to be a part of our lives. Make sure you don't waste it.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Do not waste the Word of God. When you read the Bible, seek to apply it.

Further Reading

Matthew 13:33

[Judy Harder]

Celebrate Valentine's Day without Being Miserable
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Entertainment Editor

"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God." – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

I won't lie -- I was a little peeved when I discovered I'd be writing Crosswalk's Valentine's Day devotional. After all, I'm a single twenty-something in an office full of married co-workers, and for me Valentine's Day is less about the joy of love and more the glaring reminder of what I'm missing. You can probably relate if you're like me. Every wedding invitation, every perky TV rom-com, makes a small voice in your head ask, "What's wrong with me? It's not like I'm asking for some smoking hot individual to pull up at my door in a Mercedes; I just want to be happy."

I wish I had the answers to these questions. If I did, I wouldn't be single. What I can share with you however, is a lesson I learned from the book of Ecclesiastes.

"I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well -- the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." – Ecclesiastes 2:8-11

I think one of the biggest challenges people struggle with (or at least one of the biggest ones I struggle with) is keeping "love" from becoming an idol. We keep telling ourselves that once we're in a relationship we'll be happy -- that it's only after we get married that life is truly fulfilling. Hate to tell you this, but that's not true. Just look at Solomon; he had everything a person could ever want.

Money? He had more than he knew what to do with. Success? He was King of Israel. Romance? Completely covered, and he wrote an entire book of love poetry! Yet despite all these things, when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, his message was, "I am unfulfilled." There is a God-shaped hole in all our hearts, and nothing in this world can fill that void.

So, what does that mean for us? Well, my advice if you're single is to keep your chin up and keep looking. You never know who God is going to send your way. More importantly though, don't let the joy God gives you be defined by your relationship status. God blesses us in a lot of different ways, but as long as we keep "love" on a pedestal, we will never be able to enjoy any of it. This Valentine's Day, whether you're married or single, take a moment to acknowledge and enjoy all that God has given you.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Have a happy Valentine's Day!

Further Reading

Ecclesiastes 1

[Judy Harder]

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
by Kelly Givens, Editor, iBelieve.com

"And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, 'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' And He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' " -Matthew 22:35-39

I live in an apartment complex, and new tenants have recently moved into the rental directly below me. I haven't met them yet, but I do know one thing about them: they have an incredibly close relationship with their bass speakers. If you've ever had neighbors with a big sound system, you'll know why I'm frustrated. While other sound waves bounce off or are absorbed by the objects around them, bass sound travels right through. So while I can't hear the words of the song my neighbors are blasting, I can feel the floor vibrating to the irregular heart-beat like bumps of the bass. It's the kind of sound that even earplugs can't always drown out--which is especially annoying at 1 o'clock in the morning.

Situations like these tempt me to toss aside every sermon I've heard on patience, gentleness and self-control and start banging on the floor with a broom handle.  But this is completely antithetical to what Christ demands.  Jesus' message to "love your neighbor as yourself" is a verse that often gets thrown out there without a lot of thought. However, I'm starting to realize there are major implications of truly loving someone the way I love myself.

How do I love myself? Well, for starters, I'm always thinking about myself. I think about what I'm going to eat for breakfast, what I need to do at work, what I need to pick up from the store on the way home. I also love myself by making my needs top-priority. How I schedule my day revolves around the things I want or need to accomplish. Basically, my thoughts and my day are centered on me.

So when Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, that's a tall order. He's saying we need to think about others as much as we think about ourselves. He means we should remember the needs of others like we remember our own. He means seeking the happiness, goodness, peace, security of others as much as we seek those things in our own lives.

How can we do this- especially to those who annoy us, hurt us, or perhaps even persecute us? When I think about loving my neighbors as sacrificially, as a priority number one, it seems impossible. I can't even say I do this fully for the people I love most. But then I remember the first part of Jesus' command- 'Love God with all your heart, soul and mind." There's my answer. When I focus all my love toward God, he takes my selfish heart and transforms it into a heart capable of loving others. I no longer need others to validate me, be kind or loving toward me in order to love them back. Christ's love is enough.  He fills me up so I can pour out selfless love to others, even others with loud bass speakers.

This selfless love isn't something I'm good at- it's not even something I can say I regularly attempt. I'm more selfish than I realize. But God has been using my noisy neighbors to convict my selfish heart, to show me how much better I can be at putting the happiness and peace of others above my own. I know it's not going to be easy to start loving people as much as I love myself, but I know the first step: loving God above everything else.

Intersecting Faith and Life: Are you loving others as you love yourself? Without loving God first and fully, this is impossible to do. If there is someone in your life you're struggling to love, ask God to help you persevere in loving them - and in loving Him better, too.

Further reading
Matthew 5: 43-48
Leviticus 19:18
Romans 13: 9-10

[Judy Harder]

From Russia, with God's Love
by Ryan Duncan, Crosswalk.com Culture Editor

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. – Proverbs 16:9

Last year, I set out to fulfill my longtime goal of traveling to Russia as part of an international missions' team. The organization I applied to was one I'd volunteered with in the past. Every December they would partner with Russian Christians and visit orphanages just outside of Moscow. Once there, they would spend the day handing out gifts, singing songs, and hopefully telling the children how God loved them. Now, I'd been on missions' trips before, but for some reason I knew this one was special. 

Deep down, I sensed that God would do something truly amazing through this trip, and I wanted to be ready when it happened. In the months leading up to our team's departure, I did all I could to prepare for the work ahead. I picked up books on Russian history, volunteered in my Church's Sunday school, read my Bible and prayed heavily like never before. In my mind's eye, I saw myself rising up as a Christian leader who helped many lost souls encounter God. As you might expect, that's not how things played out.   

The trip was by no means a failure, but it certainly wasn't the mountaintop experience I'd been expecting. For starters, the moment we touched down in Moscow I became utterly, painfully, violently Ill. My first two days in Russia were spent in a hotel bathroom, where I almost took the liberty of placing my headstone. After pulling myself together, I became overwhelmed with our constant travel and shifting schedules. I had trouble connecting with my teammates, with the children, even with God.

By the time I returned home, I was feeling very disillusioned. What had I done wrong? Was my pride to blame for everything that had happened? I fell back into old routines and life went on as it had before, except for one thing. Before departing for Russia I'd promised my church's Sunday school leader I would volunteer for six months, and I still had three months to go.                   

Fast forward a year later, and I am now a regular volunteer at my Church's Sunday school. I try not to speculate, but I think that may have been God's plan all along. After all, God works in mysterious ways, and sometimes our disappointments are merely detours to His purpose.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." – Proverbs 3:5-6

Intersecting Faith and Life: Remember, sometimes God has to take us halfway around the world just to lead us next door.

Further Reading 

James 2:14-17

[Judy Harder]

Spring Training for Christians
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

We don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong.

2 Corinthians 5:16, The Message

You've probably heard that God loves baseball. After all, He began his holy book with the words, "In the big inning..." Everyone who loves baseball like the Lord does feels a tremendous rush this time of year with another set of words: "Pitchers and catchers report." For the uninitiated, this phrase signals the official start of spring training, which brings with it new hope, and knowledge that at least there's a thaw and green grass in some parts of our country.

In fact, the game I love, and the game of fantasy baseball off which it is based, are both so prevalent in my mind this week that as I sat down to write this I found my mind wandering. So, noticing that a good friend, fellow fantasy baseballer and pastor was active on his Instant Messenger, I began the following conversation:

Me: I'm sitting here trying to write this week's devotional, but I've got a screenful of stats in front of me, taunting me. Pastor Jay, is there any way I could combine the two? Does our league have any good devotional content?

Jay: Oh, I'm sure we do. How about how we peak spiritually at age 27, like most hitters do?

Me: Goodness, I hope that's not true. How about our Spiritual Slugging Percentage... are we whomping our fair quota of sinners and unbelievers regularly?

Jay: Uh, right... How about how On-Base Percentage equals theological correctness/sound doctrine, and Slugging Percentage equals evangelism, the impact you're making for the Lord?

Me: You're on to something.

There are truly spiritual parallels everywhere.

But as is always the case, snippets of insight and truth are only valuable when applicable. The above only served to remind me that it's time to take a break from my analysis of the statistics of men who play a game, and check in on my own statistics, go through my own spring training of sorts.

Today's verse gives us a starting place for where to look, what kind of statistics are important in the Kingdom as opposed to the diamond. Things like height, weight, vertical leap, 40-yard-dash times, race, creed, color, gender... none of those matter. Here's the checklist we'll be using to see who's gonna make the team this season:

Measurables

On-Base Percentage - Like my buddy said, in our checklist this involves good theology and doctrine. Baseballers like to hear chatter out there on the infield. Are you talking the talk?

Slugging Percentage - Now you have to put the above theology to good use, and walk the walk. How much 'oomph' can you contribute to the goals of the team?

Batting Average - The most you can do is just put the bat on the ball. So many other factors determine if you're gonna get a safe hit or not, meaning you'll probably fail to connect or reach safely at least 70 percent of the time... and that's if you're one of the best. The rest is up to God.

Errors - Can't be avoided, even by the very best of us. What's important is that we don't grow complacent with making them. Biblical ignorance is not an acceptable excuse. Neither is yelling at your teammate for making an error.

Strikeouts and Walks - Both are fine. They reveal effort. The way you know you're off-track is when these become Walkouts and Strikes. I don't need to be leaving, boycotting, quitting, or checking out in the middle of a slump or when the other team is full of punks.

Sacrifices - When the coach calls for you to bunt another person into a more prominent position, will you obediently lay one down? When you can bring in a run by hitting a fly ball for an out will you gladly do so?

Intangibles

Coachability - I can't think of a single reason or supporting scripture for a me-first attitude on the Kingdom Conquerors.

Discipline - To what do you say yes, to what do you say no? What do you fail to do? What do you never fail to do?

Leadership - Look behind you. Is anyone following?

Performance Enhancers - Yes, please. I'm simply not good enough to compete in this game without them. No, not steroids, but the Holy Spirit, and regular Bible study and prayer times.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Watch a sporting event with a younger person this week, and see how many parallels and applications you can make together to our spiritual journey.

Further Reading

Opening Day for America
Finish Strong in the 9th Inning of Life
The Magic of Opening Day

[Judy Harder]

The Perverse Generation
by Sarah Phillips

"O unbelieving and perverse generation,"Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?" Luke 9:41

There is much written today about how the world has lost touch with God and morality. It's easy to view the past with rose-tinted glasses, to believe in "the good old days" or reminisce about a golden era.  We do this in the Church all the time, often pointing to one practice that, if resurrected, would surely turn this generation around.

"If only the women still wore head coverings in church... "

"If only we sang ancient hymns... "

"If only young men and women got married earlier... "

Don't read me wrong here... these issues are important. But the stark reality is, every generation has fallen short of God's glory. Every generation has sinned. Does this sound familiar?

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

How often have I been tempted to mutter these words when encountering today's teenagers? But this quote is attributed to Socrates by Plato. Apparently teens weren't doing so well in the ancient world either. The fallen nature of man has followed us through the ages, plaguing the young and old alike. Our broken nature manifests itself in so many ways... from the darkest sins to our lack of basic manners and courtesy.

Jesus himself seemed to grow weary of the sins of his own day. I imagine the opening scripture was expressed with a mix of sadness and righteous anger. During Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday, our church acknowledges God's just anger at the end of every service with this chant: Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo;/ ne in aeternum irascaris nobis which translates to: "Spare your people Lord: / Be not angry Lord with your people forever."

But what is the rest of the story? Even as his sinful followers surrounded him, Jesus healed the spiritual and physical afflictions of a possessed boy. We see here that going back to the "good old days" doesn't have the power to save us. It's the person of Jesus Christ who saves. This is the miracle of Easter: The incredible mercy of a God who would be justified in staying angry forever after the golden era of Eden went terribly wrong. He hears our cries for redemption - weak though they may be - and saves us.

Is the world worse today than it was yesterday? Does it matter? God's patience and mercy for our "perverse and unbelieving generation" reveal the depths of his divine love. And those forgiven the most sins have the greatest number of reasons to rejoice.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Have you ever felt so deeply ashamed of your sins that you thought no one could be as bad as you? Take heart. Some of the greatest saints were the worst of sinners. All sins can be forgiven when we call out to the Holy Spirit and ask for mercy. Rejoice in the second chances that come with Easter.

Further Reading

Luke 7: 47

Romans 3: 23

[Judy Harder]

Should I Fight or Be Still?
by Debbie Holloway, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! (Psalms 119:4)

Do you often find yourself confused, unsure of how to best live according to God's will? This is a struggle for me. Should I speak or stay silent? Will this action offend or edify? Is this a time for action or inaction? Should I fight? Or should I stay still?

Though every situation is different and every person unique, the Bible paints both stillness and action as pleasing to the LORD, depending on the variables at hand.

One example is when the Israelites were fleeing from Pharaoh and the Egyptians. The LORD had fought for them in Egypt by displaying horrors and miracles through Aaron and Moses. Finally their oppressors relented and the Israelites were free – but not for long. Pharaoh changed his mind, and Exodus tells the account of their suspenseful chase after the newly freed slaves. "What have you done to us?" the people cried to Moses (Exodus 14:11). They knew there was nothing they could do to protect themselves from the mighty King of Egypt.

But then God made his will known through Moses. No, the Israelites would not be able to defeat Pharaoh.

But the LORD did not ask them to.

"The LORD will fight for you," Moses proclaimed. "You need only to be still."

But there are other times, are there not? Times when we have the choice to stretch out our hands to either right or wrong, and there is no in-between.  Paul writes to Timothy,

"But you, man of God...pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith" (1 Timothy 6:11-12).

Sometimes we must fight. And make no mistake; this is not a direct call to fist-fights or military service. It is a direct command to use the Ephesians 6:10. We must fight to keep righteousness in our own lives, refusing choices which lead to sin and death. We must fight for love, which means making really hard choices and overcoming our natural selfish inclinations. We must fight for endurance, keeping promises, covenants, and our integrity in a way worthy of Christ Jesus.

Sometimes God calls us to fight, and sometimes he tells us to be still. How can we decipher it?

Sometimes it will be hard. But from these passages, I would risk saying that God knows when we are facing a foe that's too big for us. Sometimes we ache and long to fight, but we know the battle is beyond us, out of our hands. It is those times we must remember that God is a God of the weak, the poor, and the broken. The LORD will fight for you. You need only to be still.

Other times we can and must fight. When we are faced with injustice, and we have some measure of control, we must fight for the small ones. When we are faced with personal crises, we must fight for our children, parents, marriages, relationships, churches – not against them. We must use every weapon in our spiritual arsenals to build the Kingdom of God and protect it from the ever-watchful forces of darkness. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance. Fight the good fight.

Intersecting Faith and Life: What are you struggling with now in your life, or your walk with the LORD? Spend some time in prayer to see whether God wants you to fight, or lay down your weapons and give the battle to him.

Futher Reading:

Ephesians 6:10

Exodus 14:1

Hebrews 12:3

[Judy Harder]

Who Cares about Leviticus?
by Katherine Britton

"You are to be holy to me, because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own." – Leviticus 20:26

Like most evangelicals, I haven't devoted much time to parsing Leviticus. After all, we live under the new covenant ushered in by Christ's death and resurrection, and we're Gentiles to boot. Leviticus was written for a particular people at a particular time, and vast sections of the book have been demoted to historical curiosities at this point. The fledgling kingdom of Israel – really, a collection of tribes that had more in common with their pagan neighbors than today's Christian enclave – were on the other side of history's turning point. For this emerging nation the Lord dictated incredibly detailed ceremonial law that has since passed away, as we have a new and perfect high priest.

Still, the apostle Paul insists that "all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching" (2 Timothy 3:15). Remember, this is Paul speaking, the same apostle who vilified the Judaizers for insisting the law must be upheld in its minutae to achieve salvation, and who wrote that "no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law." The resolution of the paradox might be a bit more apparent through the example of Park Street Church in Boston.

Pastor Daniel Harrell convinced 19 members of his congregation to join him in an experiment in "living Levitically," despite the drastic changes they had to make in their daily living. The group grew out their beards, kept kosher, cleaned their homes meticulously, observed the Sabbath, and even stopped wearing clothes made from blended materials. One of the few exceptions to the experiment was animal sacrifice, as the group intended not to break any U.S. laws while observing the ceremonial ones.

The group found it absolutely impossible to obey every tenet. But the Park Street Church says that wasn't the point. Seeing firsthand that they couldn't perfectly fulfill the law, they realized the need for grace in a whole new way. As Romans 5:20 explains it, "The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more."

Could it be that, in ignoring Leviticus as a whole, we forget how awesome grace is? True, not every ceremonial law (washing your feet? Wearing blended materials?) is also a moral law. But God still told the Israelites to keep it as his law. Reading about the church's example reminded me of a couple things:

First, God's people are supposed to be set apart. The Israelites were supposed to look different, act different, worship different, and spend their time in different ways than the nations around them. It was an integral part of their calling as God's people. The manifestations aren't quite the same, but Christians have the same calling today.

Second, we aren't set apart enough. As Park Street Church rediscovered, the law points out our insufficiencies. Even if the law were just a set of external rules, we still couldn't keep them perfectly. We just can't measure up to following the law or Christ's example.

Third, only in Christ can we find rest from the law and a new identity that really sets us apart. The writer of Hebrews notes that the law is "only a shadow of the good things that are coming." And yes, the law is a good thing – it makes us realize how much Christ had to atone for on our behalf. Not only that, God has adopted us as sons and daughters through Christ to really set us apart. And then he gives us the grace to live it. Sure, we'll still fall, and that will remind us to run to grace. But the power of the law is gone through Christ.

Intersecting Faith & Life: This week, take time to read Hebrews 10  Notice how beautifully Christ not only supersedes the law, but fulfills all of its demands. That ought to inspire the worship that God desires more than the Israelites' burnt offerings.

Further Reading:

Living Leviticus: Who Could Do It? Who Would Want To?

How to Use the Law – Lawfully to Bear Fruit for God

[Judy Harder]

The Wisdom of Gamaliel
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

In the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.
Acts 5:38-39

I mentioned previously that I intended to read through the Book of Acts. And I've been doing it. The best part is my son decided we could make that our bedtime reading each night. Talk about fun!

The other night we happened across the passage at the end of chapter five where the Pharisees are getting really tired of these disciples going around teaching and healing and collecting followers. People are bringing their sick into the streets in hopes that Peter's shadow might just fall upon them. Can't have that going on, now.

So it comes about that our heroes are summoned in, and about to face some serious flogging. At this point, a very respected Pharisee on the Sanhedrin requests that the disciples be sent out so he may address his brethren. His name is Gamaliel, and he proceeds to caution the Jews about how they deal with the Christian "threat." He cites two other recent examples of men who rose up, said some pleasant things, and led some people away, only to have their movements dwindle and die. Why did that happen? Obviously, reasons Gamaliel, they were human, and their quests were not of God.

He goes on to say that these followers of Jesus will go the same way... or maybe they won't. And if they don't, then anything the Sanhedrin would devise against them would fail anyway, because it would mean the movement was from God.

What an amazing way to look back on over 2,000 years of history since then. And sure enough, when I re-read this passage the other night, I remembered how our Western Civilization professor in college basically made the same statement Gamaliel did when he was explaining the historical spread of Christianity and the rise of the Church. He cited movement after movement that were "of men," and of which we no longer speak to this day. But Christianity? It remains alive, precious, self-sustaining, and powerful.

A few things that stand out about this story:

What's to worry about? We sure do still fret about things these days. No, I wouldn't dare suggest that everything we get up in arms about is actually a movement from above. Highly doubtful. But ultimately, the lesson is still the same - He's the one in control. His will be done.
As much as Gamaliel is the hero of this brief passage, it's still with the Christians, not the Council, where we can most relate. Why is this important? These Christians, our early brethren, were the ones who couldn't shut up about the good news, not the ones who were looking for things to rail against.
Our "religion" is one that is not of men. It is not a fad. It does not change. It has lasted. It will last until Christ returns.
Even with Gameliel's words ringing true, they didn't prevent the disciples from persecution. They were brought back into the room, and flogged. So their circumstances didn't really change much.
Even after a flogging, the disciples went their way grateful to have suffered as Christ suffered, and for His sake.
Even after being warned not to spread the gospel anymore, the disciples couldn't and wouldn't stop.
And don't forget...

Even a Pharisee can have a brilliant insight once in a while, thank goodness.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Think about other things that have happened in the world just since you have been born: fads, movements, cults, and so on. Then consider everything Christianity has outlasted, and will outlast. You and I serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What difference does that make in your life today?

Further Reading

The Secret to a Life of Impact
Acts 5:12-42