Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

September 3, 2010
John UpChurch, Editor, Jesus.org

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5, ESV

I can do angry; angry is easy. In my thirty years, I've punched and kicked my way through unassuming sheetrock that happened to be in the way. My hand has felt the crunch of doorjambs and bricks and punching bags. I've screamed and growled and shown my vocal displeasure until my throat burned. I've done angry.

Meekness, now that's the hard part. Not only does the concept of being meek run contrary to passionate heroes of our post-modern world, the very definition has become polluted. Meekness means rolling over and letting others walk on you; it means imposing your will through passive resistance; it means losing out. On that day over 2,000 years ago, however, Jesus had none of those definitions in mind.

After all, Jesus, who is our example of a suffering servant, stormed into the temple and flipped over the tables of the moneychangers. He made a whip and drove people out—something He likely did not once, but twice during His time on earth. For days, He took over the temple and wouldn't let anyone so much as carry religious souvenirs through the structure.

I don't know about you, but that's my kind of meekness.

David, the man who slew Goliath and sawed off his head, was meek. Paul, the man who gave Peter an earful and went round after round with Jews and Greeks, was meek. Ruth, the woman who pursued Boaz from the field to the storehouse, was meek.

So, what separates those giants of the faith from the pedantic rage I've shown in my life? What distinguishes flipping over tables from flipping out? They were meek, and I haven't always been.

The type of meekness that Jesus means is not one that forbids anger or action. Forbidding anger would be forbidding part of what makes us in God's image. Those who will inherit the earth are those who have figured out one key ingredient to life: letting God deal with it, whatever that it might be. In other words, David didn't kill Goliath; God did by using David's stone.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

Much human passion is driven by a need to do things our way. We rage against circumstances and people we can't control. The opposite of that is not a passionless existence. Jesus displayed a great deal of passion while being whipped, beaten, and crucified. With that passion, he finished the work of redemption and asked the Father to forgive the very people who had placed Him on the cross.

From His example we learn a sure definition: Meekness means turning our passion into a focus on God and letting Him work the way He intends. When we do that, we have the promise of an inheritance that can be compared to nothing else.

Further Reading

Psalm 37

Matthew 11:29

[Judy Harder]

September 6, 2010

What Are You Working For?
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17, NIV

It's Labor Day. And if you don't work in any arm of the retail, food, transportation or service industries—or any other type of enterprise that's on the clock—then you just might have the day off. 

If so, then maybe you are:

a)     Relaxing by the pool

b)     Sleeping in 'til noon

c)     Enjoying an end-of-summer vacation

d)    Celebrating your job

What? You didn't answer "d"? I'm shocked! Okay, so neither did I. And that may or may not say something about how we view our work.   

So, if we don't think about our work on Labor Day, does that mean we're not thankful for our jobs? Or does it simply mean we are choosing to focus on other things on a day off? Like relaxation, family, friends, projects around the house, shopping or travel.

Either way, Labor Day is a day when many of us have the opportunity to take a break from the normal daily grind. Some of us may very well need that clean mental break from work and need to clear our noggins and not think about what we are usually doing on a Monday. 

But then maybe some of us should take some time to consider our work, the labor of our hands, and what it means to have a job. Your heart attitude is sure to help give you a clue.


A few of my friends who are unemployed right now are probably viewing Labor Day in a completely different light. I know they'd give their right arm to have any sort of employment that pays. And I know what that feels like. I, too, have been unemployed at one point in my life. And I discovered that if I never taste another 99-cent bowl of instant noodles again, that that will be just fine with me.

During my "out-of-work" days, I remember thinking about what it was like to be employed. What did I miss about my job? What was I looking for in a future job? And what was the purpose of work in my life?


Today, I am employed again (obviously), but I don't often think about work like I did when I was without a job. I mostly think about what I am getting (as in salary, vacation, benefits) rather than what I am giving. And I'm sure that if you are currently in a difficult job situation, then you might be struggling to understand (or accept) the bigger purpose of why God has placed you there and hasn't yet changed your circumstances.

Perhaps some reflection is good for us both today. Is a job something that should be viewed as a blessing in our lives? The way by which we can reach others for Christ? The way by which we can support ourselves and our families? The way by which we can give back to God with our paychecks, by tithing to our church or to ministries or by helping individuals and families in need?

Let's turn our work on its ear and starting seeing labor as Ephesians 5:20 reminds us: "Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Author and poet J.G. Holland said, "God gives every bird its food, but he does not throw it into the nest." As believers, our lives on earth are not a vacation. We were designed with a purpose and God has plans for each of us to work in and for his Kingdom. But you and I must choose to be willing, to be used and to serve someone other than ourselves. Reflect on your job today and see how the Lord wants to use the work of your hands for him.

Further Reading

1 Thessalonians 5:18
Hebrews 13:15

[Judy Harder]

September 7, 2010 

Outdone by an Atheist 

Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. . ." - Romans 1:21


There's something I admire about Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and their New Atheist kin.

This group of philosophers fervently believes that not only is belief in God foolish, but inherently and immanently dangerous to modern life. For that reason, they are a vocal bunch. Dawkins and Hitchens have published multiple books and never fail to cycle through news headlines every few months. Biological evolution is their starting point, and they argue for what they might call the greatest common good for humanity - in a word, reason. They live and breathe a fully realized Enlightenment philosophy, where man is king with his knowledge and reason as his scepter.

As a Christian, I couldn't disagree more with this worldview, but I still admire its proponents for a character trait that I often lack - spiritual honesty.

Dawkins, a biologist and vociferous author of The God Delusion, displays a passionate dedication to his nonbelief. He is not content to exorcise God just from the domain of science - for him, it's an all-or-nothing debate which allows not a hint of spirituality. Assuming there is no God, as he believes, then all childish expressions of faith must be done away with. That means down with church, mushy "spirituality," and anything else that smacks of the supernatural.

Dawkins is painfully honest. As intelligent design proponent Phillip Johnston writes in Against All Gods, he has an "irrepressible habit of saying what he thinks to be the truth, even though he knows that his in-your-face atheism horrifies his more prudent allies" who still concern themselves with public opinion.

Contrast Dawkins' adamant denial to recent surveys of young Americans, who are wishy-washy at best. The majority of Millennials (young adults ages 18 to 29) would rather be called "spiritual" than "religious," though they'll still identify as Christians. Press them much harder, and their appearance of Christianity fades even faster. Two-thirds say they never rarely or never pray with others, attend worship services, or read the Bible.

What about biblical mandates to continue to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), to consistently meet together and fellowship (Hebrews 10:25), and to love God's word (Psalm 119:11)? Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, summed up Millennial spiritual like this: "The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith."


What does it say about "Christians" when an atheist outshines us in zeal for his beliefs? We become like the "fools" Paul wrote of in Romans. The subjects of his rebuke weren't just the pagans and atheists - they were also the Jews raised on the truth but denying its real power. They included Pharisees and the "wise" who knew their Bible memory verses and failed to take them to heart. They were the professing faithful, the practical atheists. 

One of my favorite explanations of holistic Christian belief comes from C.S. Lewis. He wrote, "I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." What a fitting analogy - if Richard Dawkins ever experiences a Damascus Road conversion, I think he'd agree with Lewis. We naturally respond to the sunlit world differently than we respond to the world at night. We see differently, more clearly. We make decisions based on what we can see in the light. We can't help but filter our world by the sun's effects. That same response should happen with our faith. 

Dawkins understands - more clearly than many Christians - that belief is not confined to one area of life. Rather, it touches, informs, and transforms every area. Do we believe that?

Intersecting Faith & Life:  The New Atheists put me to shame when it comes to zealous belief. If they can have such passion for such a hopeless worldview, why don't we have a far stronger passion for a faith that provides hope and a future?

[Judy Harder]

September 8, 2010 

Christian Marriage: "The Most Excellent Way"
Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

And now I will show you the most excellent way.  If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal...
1 Cor 12: 31, 13: 1 NIV

Have you ever found yourself in a room of marriage cynics? The comments sound something like this:

1. Wait as long as you can to get married. Live your life before you have to give it up!
2. Marriage is hard.
3. Marriage just doesn't "work" for most people.
4. My husband doesn't... (fill in the blank here with unmet desires)
5. I wish she wouldn't... (fill in the blank here with built-up frustrations)

There's a lot of negativity out there about marriage. I'm sure I haven't even covered the full spectrum of comments. It's enough to give a bride an anxiety attack.

What kind of credence should we give to such comments? I've had to think about this a lot lately. I mean, am I really just a blind idiot entering into a broken, unfulfilling institution? Looking around at the broader culture, it can sure seem that way.

But, not long after I got engaged, a married coworker slipped into my office. She shared: "You'll hear people tell you how awful marriage is. Don't listen to it. Trust me, a marriage centered on Christ is very fulfilling!"

Then I ran across this inspiring article titled More Than a Table for Two: The Difference a Christ-centered Marriage Makes by bride Stephanie Duncan. She observes:

Our culture tells so many stories of relational wreckage.  Instead of learning love from a Personal Being, a secular marriage too often practices love not as a sacred quality but a sentiment divorced from its very Creator.  In a sense, they are borrowing an attribute that belongs to a God they don't know and exercising a representation of a spiritual truth they don't believe.

This disconnect from the Author of Love seems to be at the very root of why there are so many marriage cynics out there. After all, scripture tells us clearly "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4: 19). How on earth could we love another human being at all, much less for life, if we're cut off from the source of all love? 

I would also like to read the book that instigated the article - Rebecca Price Janney's Then Comes Marriage?: A Cultural History of the American Family (once we're done with Fr. Wojtyla's "greatest hits" of course). Janney is a "theologically trained historian" who sets out to put American family life in perspective by debunking some of the myths fueled by 1950's pop culture. Duncan shares: 

Rather than condemning the culture, Janney turns this scenario on its head by placing the weight of responsibility on Christians to display "the most excellent way" and shine all the brighter... After intriguing tales of bride ships, Victorian modesty, and feminist activism, Janney brings her readers to the conclusion that the restoration of the American family is up to the saints.

In other words, challenges to marriage are nothing new. But no matter the era, Christian couples can help others see "the most excellent way" (1 Cor 12) of true love. What a wonderful mission for married life!

Of course, it's a bit presumptuous to think that just because you're Christian, you can start preachin' and teachin' marriage seminars. So I appreciated Duncan's thoughts on how she and her fiancé want to take up the challenge to redeem the crumbling state of marriage. She shares:

Zach and I may not have company china or the kind of house that can accommodate a church retreat, but we will get to know our neighbors.  In August we plan to run a 5K together to support the local crisis pregnancy center, and once we find a church we plan to get involved.  This is not because we think we have anything fantastic to offer, but because we feel that opening our lives to others is part of spiritual obedience and we want to start this habit now.

I couldn't agree with this approach more. Normal people doing normal things to grow closer to God, each other, and as a result, shine a light in the surrounding community. Fiancé and I look forward to joining Stephanie and Zach in this "most excellent way."  Christian marriage may not translate into the "most easy way" or "the most obvious way," but I suspect the Christ-centered journey will be the most joyful way. And hopefully we'll take a few people along the road with us.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Are you frustrated and exhausted with the constant political wrangling over the definition of marriage? You may feel there is little you can contribute to the issue, but as a Christian, your life is a witness to the world of Christ's love. If you're married, your marriage is also a special witness of Christ's love. Are you living in a way that allows His love to shine clearly and brightly to a hurting world?

[Judy Harder]

September 9, 2010

Simon Says Walk by Faith
Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Jesus said... "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
Matthew 16:24

You remember how to play Simon-Says, don't you? It's probably been a few years. It's the children's game where a leader gives verbal commands that are to be followed if and only if they are preceded by an explicit statement of permission bearing the warrant of mighty Simon himself. Non-"Simon-Says" commands are worthless, and following them only gets you in trouble.

Aside from being fun (for a few minutes anyway), the game also helps kids work on motor skills, coordination, listening skills, manners, and respecting authority. But shhhh... don't tell them that.

I'm not convinced the game's so popular these days, as everyone's more interested in raising leaders than followers anymore, but I digress.

Let's just look closely at the three actions in the verse above, which begins not with "Simon Says," but rather "Then Jesus said..."

1) Turn Around ("let him deny himself..."). This is what denying one's self is all about. Repentance. Seeing things God's way. Going from darkness to light. Playing the fool for God. Even the notion of playing a child's game is apropos here, as we must not use our own adult human knowledge and wisdom to accomplish this step, but instead we die to self and come willingly in faith like a child.

2) Bend Over, Stand Up ("take up his cross..."). When you pick up the cross, you have to set down other burdens, the other things that you tend to think define "you." Taking up your cross does not equal the burden of being you, your identity. You are indeed unique, but each day you should take on something new from Christ that makes you more like Him.

3) Go Forward ("...and follow Me"). Following = sacrificial living. It's advancement toward a Kingdom goal. In Matthew 8:1 we find that when Jesus "had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him." He had just finished teaching them; they had received instruction from one who had no place to lay his head and was feeding thousands on mere loaves and fishes. Moving forward in the Kingdom can only involve putting others in front of self. Is it really all that foreign to us? People sacrifice all the time to climb ladders in their career and for other personal goals. Why not sacrifice without the ladders?

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Is this verse, are these three instructions, hard, or easy? The answer depends on perspective. Quitting smoking looks easy to the non-smoker, but the smoker must take it one minute, one day, one step at a time. Losing weight is a manageable goal for most, but if the focus is on losing 60 pounds in the first day the dieter is fighting a losing battle. Make it your goal to Turn Around, Bend Over/Stand Up, and Go Forward one day this week and see where playing "Jesus Said" takes you.

Further Reading


Shoulder Your Cross
Refusing Directions
Matthew 10:38

[Judy Harder]

 

The Devotional

Sept. 10, 2010

Good without God?
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened."
Romans 1:21

Many are professing quite loudly today that they can be "good without God." And I think that I have a fairly clear understanding of what these people are trying to say. They haven't killed anybody. They work hard. They build community, are compassionate, and give to charity. I suppose that from a perspective in which the God of the Bible is ignored for a few moments, you could easily agree that they are decent people. 

The rub comes, though, when you probe more deeply than the superficial. At the heart of the issue is how we define what "good" actually means. Who defines that? And by what authority? The natural man who claims to be "good without God" is saying, in fact, that he wants to improvise what good means and define it on his own terms.

Now, granted, if Jesus Christ did not rise from the dead and all the claims Christianity are irrelevant, then non-believers are free to live however they choose with no consequences. And that is exactly what most want. But that is a point of view that doesn't exactly square with reality or history.

In the end, man's attempt to redefine good on his own terms has no effect on the definition of good that's been eternally fixed by God.  Romans 1:18-32 powerfully speaks to this, saying that man's very desire to determine for himself what is good is something that God actually mocks, calling it "futile... foolish... and darkened."

Think of it, as harmless as it may seem on the surface, it's really a grave offense for a creature made by God to stroll around on the earth that God made and pretend to himself that there is no God. Such self-centered unbelief actually screams that Jesus, the Apostles and the thousands of martyrs and godly believers through the ages are nothing more than a pack of liars.

Romans 1:18-21 says that the good-without-God kind of people "suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them... For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks." 

Saying these things isn't meant as a beat-down on unbelievers so that believers can somehow feel good about themselves. Rather, it's truth offered in kindness to help people see their condition. It comes down to a simple question: Can a person be truly good when they are calling a good God and good people liars? No, a good person trusts God. A good person doesn't reject the testimony of reliable witnesses. A good person honors God and gives thanks to Him (Rom. 1:21). 

The necessity of giving thanks brings up another type of "good without God" person that exists out there. Romans 1 teaches that not only is the irreligious, outright God-denier in that category, but there is also a religious type of God-denier. Respected Christian thinker, Francis Schaeffer, explains it well in the first chapter of his classic book, True Spirituality. 

He wrote that as seemingly small, insignificant and optional as a thankful heart might appear to be at first glance, thankfulness turns out to be the litmus test for whether or not one really believes in God. If you say that God is a personal God and He is your Father, but by your life you do not trust Him, honor Him and give Him thanks, you're really denying what you say you believe. You're trying to be good without God. The path to true goodness starts then with a prayer spoken of in Mark 9:24. Christ always answers it: "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."

Yes, life is hard. Yes, we live in a sin-cursed and fallen world. Tomorrow's anniversary of the 9-11 tragedy is a stark reminder of that. Things are not as they should be. Still—and this may be a hard truth to accept—faith coupled with thankfulness in all things is not optional. It's essential. Not giving thanks with a plastic smile, but having genuine thankfulness that shows real trust in God through the hard things.

Without faith, man is out of touch with reality. People can only be good with God in His proper place.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
How firmly do you believe that God alone defines good and evil?

What does your level of thankfulness show about the reality of your faith in God?

If you have an opportunity to talk with someone today who is trying to be good without God, relate to him in a positive way about his desire to be good, and direct him to this deeper line of thinking in Romans 1.

Further Reading


How to Know Truth and Evaluate Competing Worldviews by Chris Daniel
Why I Believe in God by Cornelius Van Til
Ephesians 4:17-5:21

 

[Judy Harder]

September 13, 2010


What's Your MQ?

John UpChurch, Editor, Jesus.org

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (Matthew 5:7, ESV)

You probably think of devotionals as being hands-off daily activities, challenging but not interactive. Bet you didn't know you'd be getting a test. Don't worry. The test is simple to take whether you're reading or listening. I simply want us, you and me both, to measure our MQ.

What's that? Well, when accessing brain power, people often measure IQ. That's the test you take involving trains travelling at various speeds and phrases like "Tomato is to Tennessee as lemon is to blank." The MQ, on the other hand, measures something much more important: our mercy quotient. According to Jesus during His Sermon on the Mount, we're happy or blessed when we show mercy because we get mercy right back. Our MQ will reveal how faithfully we're keeping to that standard.

Ready? Good. To show you how this works, we're going to compare ourselves to a famous biblical example. We'll add and subtract points based on how much mercy he shows. You can then apply this to your own life.

Section 1: Imagine you're on the run from someone who absolutely hates you—not because of anything you've done, but because you're going to take his place and he knows it. God told him. This guy figures he can simply kill you to thwart God's plan. He's obviously a bit crazy, but as long as he's kicking, he's still God's chosen leader of your country. One day, while you're hiding in a cave, this guy wanders in to use the bathroom and stands—unguarded—only a few feet from you. You have a sword; he's distracted. Add 10 points for not taking the opportunity to kill him. No points for slicing off a chunk of his robe to wave in his face.

Section 2: After that guy dies, you eventually become king. Add 10 points because you were genuinely sorry he died.

Section 3: In addition to your devotion to God and penchant for songwriting, you bring to the throne a collection of wives and concubines—several of them. One night, while out for a stroll, you see a woman bathing and are quite interested in what you see. You find out she's married. You don't really care. Subtract 10 points. (If you're keeping score, we're down to 10 points).

Section 4: For some strange reason, this woman you saw becomes pregnant. The problem? Her husband is out fighting a war for you. You panic, recall him from the frontlines, and try to get him to go see her. He doesn't, since he's completely devoted to you. Instead of confessing and suffering the consequences, you send him out on a suicide mission. He dies; you marry his widow. Subtract 10 more points.

The final score? That would be 0.

To be sure, the man in question, King David, did quite a few other things as well—some of them merciful, some not so much. Despite David's failings and occasional lack of mercy, however, God showed mercy to the king. And that brings us to a big question: If David wasn't always merciful and Jesus said we'll receive mercy when we're merciful, why did David get more than his fair share of mercy?

Why? Because God's not fair.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  If God were fair, none of us would receive mercy. When we examine ourselves—honestly—we'll find time after time when we don't show mercy to others. We cut that guy off on our drive to work because he wasn't going as fast as we wanted; we hid the last of the creamers at the office so that we could have them and no one else; we took pleasure in finding out that our least favorite politician got booted out of office. Mercy's hard.

Thankfully, God doesn't weigh our lives on a scale or keep a point tally for us. We don't have to score ten mercy points before He shows us mercy. While we should always strive to live by the standard Jesus laid down, God shows mercy even to those who don't. After all, He sent His Son not because we had built up enough mercy points, but because we had failed miserably.

God's not fair, and we should thank Him for it. And that's an MQ you can count on.

Further Reading

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

The Message and the Messenger: In Sync with the Heartbeat of God

[Judy Harder]

September 14, 2010 

Attack Week!
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.  For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:1-3, NIV

Just like shark attacks, life attacks rarely give you advance warning that they're coming and getting ready to take a big ol' bite out of you.


Am I right or am I right?


Because when's the last time you got a "save the date" card in the mail for the next attack in your life? For the relationship blow-up you're about to have with a close friend? Or a bounced check that you thought you had enough funds for in your account? Or the car accident that came out of nowhere on your way home from the mall?


Earlier this summer, during the exact same week as Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" (I mean, what are the odds?), I experienced what I called "Attack Week" in my family.


My mom's home was burglarized. Then, we were heartbroken when another family member confessed to being a victim of repeated bullying at work. And at the same time, a dear friend's mother was in the last stages of dying from cancer. It was adding up fast and was almost too much to bear all at the same time.


"You know what?" I said to my mom, as we surveyed the aftermath of damage in her ransacked house, "Shark Week has got nothing on this week. What's a shark bite compared to everything that's attacking our family and friends right now?"


We chuckled a bit, and while it's true that a little levity can help in a tense and trying situation, we really were hurting.   


As the days went by and we addressed each issue of "Attack Week," we also took time to count our blessings. Thank God my mother wasn't home at the time when her home was invaded and that the damage was not any worse. Thank God that my other family member didn't stoop to the level of who was doing the bullying, and instead turned the other cheek and handled the matter with class. And thank God that my friend's mother knew the Lord and knew where she was going when she would take her last breath and leave this earth.


If anything, "Attack Week" taught me to be prepared. At any given time, any of us could go through an "Attack Week" in our lives, and we must routinely check our foundations so that we will know if we are built on something that is steady and secure or if rot has taken over and everything is starting to crumble. When our faith is tested, it shows what we're made of, what we believe and in whom or what we put our hope and our trust.


In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego faced a pretty scary attack themselves: bow down to a 90-foot golden statue of King Nebuchadnezzar or get thrown into a fiery furnace.   


Talk about a test of your faith! But these lads didn't seem to bat an eye and refused to serve Nebuchadnezzar or his gods. Well, that fired up the king and he immediately confronted them and gave them one last chance to bow or burn. 


To which they replied:


"O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:16-18).


"Any questions?" 


Okay, so they didn't say that last part. But their response does demonstrate some serious faith. And even if God had not saved them (keep reading on in Daniel to see what happened!), he was with them in the furnace. He was there during this test of what they believed and during this attack. 


While my family didn't face anything as scary as a fiery furnace during our "Attack Week," at times as we were picking up the pieces (Literally! There were a gazillion shards of glass from a shattered window where the burglars gained entry.) we felt like we were alone. But because of God's Word and his promises, we knew we were not. 


Thanks be to God. He is with us. And we don't need to be afraid.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  The Bible doesn't candy-coat it: there will be suffering in our lives on earth. And it's not if you will undergo attack in your life, but when. So how are you planning for the next attack? Or how can you help someone else who is undergoing attack today?

Further Reading


Psalm 27

Daniel 3:25-30

[Judy Harder]

September 15, 2010

They Will Know We Are Christians By... What?
Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

Whether you think they're kitschy or bold statements, you have to acknowledge that Christians t-shirts sell - and sell well. My must-be-modest adolescent wardrobe was full of them. My teen brothers have a few that play on the name of a certain guitar-based video game. The Christian-to-shirt ratio seemed to dip in college, but you could still spot them on the campus of my Christian alma mater.

Why the popularity? Well, for one thing, t-shirts are more effective if you don't yet own a car that you can slap with a Jesus fish. Or a Jesus fish eating Darwin fish.

The ubiquitous puns on soda, candy, even popular TV shows motivated Christian singer/songwriter to Justin McRoberts create yet another Christians t-shirt in 1999, one with a more ironic twist. His creation read, "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our T-Shirts."

The slogan wasn't meant irreverently (if t-shirts are, indeed, worth reverencing). He explained it like this:

"Jesus prayed that it would be by our love that people would recognize us as belonging to him. In light of this, I think it's quite a bold move to wear a shirt that advertises your faith in Him. Because by doing so, you are claiming to be the most helpful, most ready to listen, the most selfless and most dependable person in the room ... That's quite a bit to live up to.

"That's why I created the shirt slogan 'They Will Know We Are Christians By Our T-Shirts' in 1999. It was a tongue-in-cheek way to say that I hoped we were known for far more than that ... Whether or not we are a people who market well should be entirely secondary to whether or not we are a people who love well. That was the intended plan."

So let's leave any questions of artistic merit aside for a moment and talk about our motivation instead. Do we wear the shirts as an invitation for people to let us into their lives? Or, like McRoberts implied, are the t-shirts our way of copping out or kidding ourselves that we're doing real evangelism?

If the 12-year-old me ever had someone genuinely ask questions about a Christian t-shirt in my collection - not that anyone ever did - I would've broken into a cold sweat and mumbled something like, "Um, well, Jesus loves you, and, uh, here's my pastor's number." That's because there's no background for such a question, especially from a stranger. But what if that question was asked by someone I was focused on loving, helping, and supporting at all times, not just the time I was wearing a t-shirt? Living the Gospel is a lot harder than wearing a t-shirt. But it also makes questions more natural.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

We should never think tools - whether they be t-shirts, Jesus fish decals, or a heady knowledge of apologetics - get us off the hook for real evangelism. Let's commit ourselves to authentic living that follows the advice of St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach the Gospel at all times... and when necessary use words."

Further Reading

1 Peter 3:15
1 Peter 5:5b

[Judy Harder]

September 16, 2010

Pencils in God's Hand
Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength'... 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Mark 12: 30 - 31


Mother Teresa's 100th birthday was a few weeks ago. Even after her death, her legacy continues to inspire. In recent years, convents across the nation have noted an increase in young women wanting to become nuns. The trend seems to perplex and fascinate many mainstream reporters. Even more surprising: research shows that orders where sisters wear the "nun outfit" (veil, wimple, etc) seem to be attracting those under 30 the most.

I am not as perplexed as some by this small but growing movement. I think many youth today are comfortable - even excited - at the idea of forsaking mainstream culture for a greater good. And what more radical way to break out of the trappings of modern life than to don that veil? But in a video produced by the Nashville Domicans titled, "A Divine Vocation," 71-year-old Sister Maria of the Cross shares, "The only thing that would make a person stay in the cloistered life, as beautiful as it is, is a supernatural call and vocation." Sister Maria of the Cross wants viewers to understand that the religious vocation isn't just a "cause," a trend, or a lifestyle choice. Instead, religious life is a calling from God, a special relationship with God that is sustained by His grace only.

Mother Teresa seemed to understand this better than most. So often we are tempted to put her on an almost unreachable pedestal. When our flaws are exposed, we may exclaim, "Well, I am no Mother Teresa, after all!"

But I suspect Mother Teresa didn't always feel like "Mother Teresa" either. She once said, "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Teresa fully understood that her calling in life was not about her personal greatness, implementing worldwide social justice programs, or wearing different-looking clothes. It was about receiving God's love and sharing it with others, and she took no personal credit for the greatness that came from what was clearly God's work.

It may sound strange, but listening to famous and not-so-famous nuns talk about their callings helps me prepare for my upcoming wedding. Fiance and I aren't necessarily more holy than the next Christian. We are pretty ordinary and flawed. It's easy to get wrapped up in that, to start comparing each other or our relationship to the really holy-looking couple sitting two pews over.

But although God created marriage for us in many ways, it isn't really all about us - our greatness or our failings. The rings aren't just to make our hands prettier and the vows aren't private, romantic notions. Christian marriage is a special, public covenant with God designed to draw us closer to Him and offers a unique opportunity to become "pencils in His hand."

In fact, all believers are called to do what Mother Teresa did. We are all called to surrender our lives fully to God and help others know Him more fully. We may never wear rings or special clothing. We may never be famous. Our flaws may show from time to time. But if we allow ourselves to become "little pencils in His hand," God will transform our lives into an incredible love story.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Mother Teresa once said, "Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired." Have you grown tired in your calling? Pray for an increase in faithfulness to God and His calling on your life.

Further Reading:

"Mother Teresa: Become a 'Pencil in God's Hand'" by Mary Poplin