Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

April 4, 2011

Christianized Karma
by Katherine Britton
Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"...but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you..."– 1 Peter 3:15

Christians give really good hugs during trials and tragedy. As my own family has experienced recently, the body of Christ has long arms to embrace those in need, easing the burdens of bad times. The church at work offers silent – and strong – evidence of grace when we pick each other up off the ground.

Now, imagine for a moment that your community didn't provide any support during a trial. Imagine that instead of offering encouraging words and providing meals or other support after a tragedy, the whole community pulled away. Imagine if they acted like you were a disease they didn't want to catch while you shouldered the burden alone. And not only that -- they believed that your problems were your own fault, pure and simple.

That's karma at work. And it's a lonely road.

A missionary couple recently visited our church before heading to London, where they planned settle in an immigrant community that's mostly Hindu. The wife expressed her desire to see people set free from the bonds of karma. That caught my interest. I'd slipped into viewing karma through an Americanized lens, as a pseudo-Christian philosophy of reaping what you sow (Galatians 6:7). Faithfulness and selfishness often have their rewards in this life, after all, and good deeds are often repaid with a smile and expression of gratitude if nothing else. Karma may not be the full picture, but it seemed like an innocuous truism to me.

The missionary went on to describe the ugly side of karma, in which the community pulls away from its members who are suffering. Lose a job? It's a karmic effect – you must have cheated your employer or at least talked badly about him. Did you – heaven forbid – lose a child? Somehow, that's your fault too, as the universe balances out some evil you've done. If such horrible things are somehow your fault, it would also make sense for people to pull away. That's the bond of karma.

Christians rely on the promise that "all things work for the good of those who love God" (Romans 8:28). We fight to believe that, while "no discipline seems pleasant at the time... later on it produces a harvest of righteousness" (Hebrews 12:11). Like Job, we may never know the reason for our earthly suffering. But we know that, because of grace, suffering is not a quid-pro-quo retaliation for our sins. Even our suffering has been redeemed by God's grace through Christ's supreme act of love.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Unlike the Hindu system of karma and its effects, we know even our pain is used by a loving God. Because of that, we have real hope for tomorrow – because our future doesn't depend on us! No matter what trials we experience, we can rest in the knowledge that even when we are not good, God is. That's mercy, and that gives hope. Are you ready to give an answer for that hope?

[Judy Harder]

April 5, 2011

True Love for the Poor
Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13: 34

Lent is a time when believers not only meditate on Christ's suffering, but they reach out to those in need.  In light of this practice, I want to share an experience  my husband and I had this weekend with a special group of Christians who understand the command to love one another at the deepest level. My husband and I spent a recent Sunday afternoon at a home run by The Little Sisters of the Poor.


The Little Sisters of the Poor are a religious order dedicated to the care of the elderly. St. Jeanne Jugan founded the order in revolutionary-era France. Like so many other founders and foundresses of religious communities, she didn't set out to start an order. She simply saw a need in her community and answered God's call to meet that need through her own life.

St. Jeanne Jugan's work with the elderly began in her teens when she would beg on behalf of the elderly poor. As a young woman, she rejected a sailor's proposal, sensing God had consecrated life in mind for her even though she did not know all the details yet of how it would play out. After years of living a life of prayer and service, she realized God wanted her to serve the elderly in particular. As more and more aging and poor came to her doorstep, young women joined her in service and the order began.

Today, the Little Sisters have homes all over the world. My husband's grandmother now lives in one. This is what brought us to our local Little Sisters.

I am not an expert on caring for the elderly, but I've certainly visited nursing homes before. My most memorable experiences occurred during my own grandmother's stays in several local nursing homes. I know how dismal these places can feel.

Our visit to the Little Sisters was anything but dismal. Everything was so peaceful and well-kept. The nuns, in full habit, were eager to meet me and the rest of the extended family. My husband's grandmother, already settled in to her new place, used her new walker to give us a tour of the place. It was neat to see her walking faster than I'd ever seen her walk.

We saw the handicap accessible chapel where a service is offered every single day - and the sisters will even wheel your bed in if need be. As we stood outside the chapel, another resident zipped by in her walker. A nun smiled and mentioned how she is always visiting the chapel to pray for her many grandchildren. We saw the calendar filled with events and visitors. We saw the handrails, wheeled chairs, and even the salon - every detail of the place's design was focused on allowing life to be lived to the fullest.

Beyond the practical details that make life easier for the elderly, the attitude that each human being has inherent dignity and worth permeated the place. The nuns were attentive to everyone, young and old, no matter how healthy or sick. As mentioned above, the residents were bright-eyed and social. Nobody was a burden or a lost cause (or a cause at all, for that matter). A small sign at the front desk showed a smiling picture of one of their residents who had recently passed, expressing gratitude for her and asking for prayers.

The Little Sisters of the Poor are immersed in the realities and complexities of aging day in and day out. And they are just one of many unsung organizations that reach out to those in need, not just once during Lent, but every single day for as long as they are needed.

It's true that the Little Sisters' lives are not glamorous. They receive no earthly reward - not even a high-paying salary - and yet they are happy, beautiful women and interesting conversationalists. These women have created an environment of love and expert care that so many other facilities struggle to achieve, and it's precisely because of their love for Christ.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Is God calling you to increase your service to others? Pray about ways you can reach out to others in need this Lent.

[Judy Harder]

April 6, 2011

God's Will: So Simple it's Hard
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

Rejoice always;
pray without ceasing;
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"God's will for my life"... how often have you pondered that notion? Studied it? Read untold books about it? Know people who torture themselves trying to locate it?

Well, here we have an obvious chunk of it, even compact and useful just as we like things to be, tucked away at the close of Paul's first letter to the church at Thessalonica. "This is God's will for you...," it says.

Well, yes, it says that, and it sure is pretty - almost poetic - but is it deep enough? Shouldn't there be more? Is it practical?

Okay. Then let's go Old Testament. Prophetic. Action-oriented. Micah 6:8 says, "He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

It's still simple, still bunched in a group of three, still indicating that there's no big mystery way far out there which must be solved before we know how to act or decide, or how God wants us to act or decide.

So why do we seek for more?

I think it's because the ridiculously simple, paradoxically enough, is ridiculously hard, and we know it. G.K. Chesterton famously said, "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried."

We could spend a lot of time discussing the ins-and-outs of how easy or hard God's will is, and where else in His Word we can find snippets of it. One woman from my Bible fellowship class is fond of asking during our lessons, "What does that look like?" Let's ponder on that for a minute here.

The situation is this: you've been sent on a missionary journey via a clear calling from God. The resources were there, the people willing. You are leading your group through a city when you encounter a psychic who keeps taunting you. After a while, through calling on the name of Jesus you cast out the evil spirit within her. Hooray! Score one for the Lord, and your group! But alas, there is no praise here, because those who had been making some cash off the now-set-free woman's powers aren't happy with you. They drag your group before local law enforcement, have you beaten, and thrown into prison. Hey now!

At this point, I am saying, "God, this is NOT your will. YOU made it very clear we were to come on this trip, and we even did a miracle for you! Now we're injured, in jail... I don't even know how I'm going to get home much less continue to be effective for you from here! I want a telephone, I want a lawyer, and I want you to reveal your ACTUAL will, right now, and suffer no more discomfort while doing what you sent us to do!"

And with that, my missionary journey would come to a close. But not the Apostle Paul's, not as we have it recorded in Acts 16:16-40, which is one of my all-time favorite passages. Paul, who knew God's will better than I, and practiced it, knew to "rejoice always." And so, bloodied and with his feet in stocks, he sings. Seriously, he sings hymns of praise. He also knew to "pray without ceasing," and so, in verse 25, that's exactly what you find - Paul and Silas praying... at midnight, even.

The missionaries on this journey got out of God's way by doing the simple things that God had willed for them to do, so that God was free to let fly with His own big, complex, miraculous will for everyone else. An earthquake shakes open the prison, snapping chains in the process. Prisoners, however, stay where they are. A jailer, about to kill himself, holds his sword, and moments later accepts Jesus into his heart. Then his family joins the flock, all because those he had persecuted chose to "love kindness."

At every step of the journey, Paul, Silas, and their companions chose to walk humbly, give thanks, and do what was just (speaking of which, once officially released, Paul did have some words of justice regarding their citizenship and treatment for the magistrates).

It's absolutely amazing to me the ways that God plans to accomplish His Will (big "W") on earth. His will in my life has already been decided. It is my job to walk humbly, get out of the way, always be in prayer, always rejoicing no matter what situation I'm in. But how often do we come back to the same situation, sitting in my car, simple traffic jam, me needing to be somewhere, telling God, "Did you not ordain that I should do such and such today? Or get this amount of work done so I can spend this amount of time with my family? Then this is on you unless you make such-and-such happen now!"

Sigh... how many miracles have I missed?

No, God's will for my life isn't difficult to know. It's just frustratingly hard to do if self is at the center. And that's the crux of the very question itself, "What is God's will for MY life?"

Perhaps when we get out of the way, we shall see better.

Intersecting Faith & Life: How long will it take to learn the lesson that even if I know I am doing God's will it doesn't mean everything will appear to go smoothly along the way? That there are purposes I either don't know or am unwilling to consider could be a part of inconvenience? If you're like me, start learning today by making note of every story in the Bible that suffers a delay, interruption, inconvenience or other problem before the payoff. (Hint: start with guys like Joseph, and Abraham...)

Further Reading

Acts 16
Micah 6:8
Stop Wrestling, Start Serving: The Non-Mystery of God's Will

[Judy Harder]

April 7, 2011

The Hunger: Is It in Y'all?

by Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"...like newborn babies, [you all] long for the pure milk of the Word,
so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation..."
1 Peter 2:2, NAS

A recent Crosswalk Devotional ("The Hunger: Is It in You?") highlighted the passage above and encouraged us to take an honest look at our personal degree of hunger for God's Word. The command in 1 Peter 2:2 seems simple and clear enough: "Long for the pure milk of the Word." But not so simple and clear in the text is the fact that the command is a second-person plural. So it actually reads: "You all long for the pure milk of the Word..."

If it seems like I'm dwelling on the tiniest detail of grammar, hang in there. Remember that Jesus affirmed every detail of Scripture is significant. So, let's take a closer look at this.

At first glance, we see 1 Peter 2:2 as directed toward the individual, as if to say, I cannot grow and I cannot have a healthy appetite for God's Word as long as I harbor any of the sins mentioned in the text (i.e., malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander). And while that's certainly not a false idea, such an emphasis on the individual leads us away from applying the passage to its intended place—the whole church community.

Since the "you" pronouns in 1 Peter 2:1-3 are all plural, the Scripture is actually emphasizing the church's collective experience of growth. In other words, healthy growth ought to be the normal course of life together. The Christian life is not a solo journey, but about being involved in each others' lives. It's about each believer being nourished by the truth of God's Word and ministering that Word to others. My friend, Jonathan Leeman, puts it well when he says that the Word ought to reverberate throughout the body.

While regular corporate times of teaching and worship are important, a church isn't to be merely a "Sunday service machine." That kind of thinking can produce an unhealthy assembly of strangers. First Peter 2 says that wherever we find an unhealthy church there must exist some degree of malice, deceit, hypocrisy, and slander. These are relational sins, and they quench the collective body's craving for spiritual nourishment. There can be a lot of well-crafted speech, fine music, and maybe even increasing numbers; but if there is no community of healthy relationships there will be no real growth.

Idealistic? Maybe. But it certainly seems to be affirmed by Scripture. Churches really do work, thrive, grow, and reproduce when they collectively put away relational sins, collectively long for the pure milk of the Word and collectively see it reverberate throughout the entire body.

The place of restoration in all of this is the gospel, not a "do more, do better, try harder" works attitude. If you've led or have been part of an unhealthy, machine-like congregation, draw encouragement from this week's reading in Francis Schaeffer's book, True Spirituality. He discusses the path to healing at the close of chapter eight:

"Most Christians find that the first step in the substantial healing that they can have in the present life is the substantial healing of the separation from themselves that is a result of the Fall and of sin. Man is first of all separated from God, then from himself, and finally from his fellow men and from nature. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ will give an absolute and perfect restoration of all these things when Jesus comes.

But in the present life, there is to be substantial healing. If we call our sin sin, and bring it under the blood of Christ, it is forgiven. This is the reality of restored relationship. Reality is not meant to be only creedal, though creeds are important. Reality is to be experienced on the basis of a restored relationship with God through the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross."

Intersecting Faith & Life: 
Do you see your own spiritual health as something that either helps or hinders your fellow believers? Or do you tend to see it as something that affects primarily you?

What receives more attention at your local church: healthy relationships or "the Sunday machine?"

Further Reading

1 Cor. 12:14-27

[Judy Harder]

April 8, 2011

Laying Bricks
By Ryan Duncan, Editor for TheFish.com

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10: 43 – 45

Sometimes, I get restless. I went to college at Taylor University, a small Christian school in the middle of Cornfield, Indiana. Though Taylor wasn't very big, it strove to serve Christ, and encouraged its students to impact the world for God. During the January term, when you could sleep all day and goof-off all night, Taylor offered something called Lighthouse Missions. Instead of wasting their brief vacation, students became a part of service-learning projects that allowed them to share Christ with a world in need.

When Spring Break came around, and the beaches of Florida were calling, it sent students everywhere from Russia to the neighboring town of Grant County, where they engaged in housing projects, orphan care, and outreach. It was tough giving up those precious vacation days, but it felt good to know you were serving Christ. Unfortunately, after graduation opportunities like these are harder to come by. With a forty to fifty-hour work week, not to mention budgeted money and vacation time, jetting off to some foreign location isn't something you can just do.       

I can remember sitting in church, boiling with frustration because I couldn't just go do something like I had in college. God clearly has a sense of irony, because at that moment the pastor stood up and asked for volunteers to help pack up after the service. My problem? I had become the "wealthy giver." Not sure what I mean? Read this story in Mark 12:

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on." – Mark 12: 41-44

It's amazing how serving Christ can easily become something selfish. I was only interested in serving if it was on my terms, and because of that I let a lot of opportunities pass me by. The truth is that volunteering for a church nursery could be just as important in God's eyes as building houses in another country.         

An old professor once told my class that the kingdom of God is built on willing hearts. When we choose to follow God, we are laying the bricks of his kingdom, and creating a sturdy foundation for others to stand on. So get involved, and if you feel God leading you toward a big opportunity, take it. But don't be too proud to serve in the small places. Sometimes it's the little things that make all the difference.       

Intersecting Faith and Life

What opportunities does your church offer for serving? Take a moment to look them over and see if one is good for you. Churches are always looking for volunteers to help with children and young adults.   

Further Reading

Philippians 2:1-4

[Judy Harder]

April 11, 2011

Are You Walking the Walk?
Laura MacCorkle, Senior Editor

Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. 1 John 2:6, NIV

About five or so years ago I bought a treadmill for my home. No, it wasn't the result of getting sucked into a late-night infomercial's claims. It was simply the by-product of some cost-cutting measures.

You see, I had just moved into my first home and had just paid my first mortgage payment. Realizing that something had to quickly go in the ever-dwindling budget, I decided to cancel my gym membership. And thus, the treadmill was purchased so I could work out more inexpensively—and more conveniently—in the comfort of my own home.

For a while, I did what I said I would do and what I said I believed: I walked on the treadmill many times a week, and my health and fitness level were good. But pretty soon, the treadmill became more like a piece of sculpture sitting in the corner. It was only looked at, and it gathered lots of dust.

Well, my shake-up, wake-up call came many months later at my annual exam with my doctor. She noted that I had gained a few pounds since the last visit and that my cholesterol level was too high. Well, to say I felt like a failure is an understatement. I cried and was upset with myself, because I knew I hadn't done what I said I would do, and I was left with a poor lifestyle and declining health.

I vowed to make exercising and a better diet a higher priority in my life. And now, many years later, I'm pleased to say that I've kept to my word and feel so much better. I walk (or run) on my treadmill every other day, and I don't have to dust it nearly as much as I used to. And that's a bonus!

A few years before this diet and exercise regimen transformation, I had a spiritual shake-up, wake-up call of sorts. After reaching a low point in my life and coming to a crisis of faith, I made a decision: I have to live what I believe. I have to walk with the Lord. Only he can heal me and renew and reenergize my spirit.

I think I had been stuck sitting in life's "recliner" for many years before then, just watching others exercise what they believed and seeing them growing strong in their faith. I wanted what they had, and I wanted to be filled with the joy of the Lord as well. I knew what I needed to do. I knew I needed to get in God's Word and start building some spiritual "muscle." But I just wasn't doing it. I wasn't walking the walk.

Slowly but surely, though, the Lord drew me closer. I joined a Bible study and began reading more Scripture. I listened more intently to the sermons at church. I began asking questions to older, more seasoned, believers. And God met me everywhere I took a step in order to deepen my relationship with him.

What about you? Are you living with purpose and walking the walk today? Or are you stuck in "recliner" mode in your life and wishing you would feel better inside? If you are willing, God will help you take a step toward greater spiritual health as you seek to truly live in him.

Intersecting Faith & Life:

Meditate on this verse—and the blessings from walking with the Lord—from the great hymn, "Trust and Obey," by John Sammis and Daniel Towner:

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Further Reading:

Psalm 25:4-5, NIV

Proverbs 20:24, NIV

1 John 1:7, NIV

[Judy Harder]

April 12, 2011

Making Faces
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. – Exodus 34:29

Once upon a time, armed with a couple brushes and makeup cakes, I specialized in turning 20-year-olds into 70-year-olds.

My time backstage in the college theater resulted in curious, long-term fascination with age lines and facial features. I more than once found myself ignoring a professor's lecture to study his face – ironically, studying the faces sometimes gave me a clearer insight into who my professor was as a person, and what his expectations might be. I've carried that quirk with me as I meet new people at church, at work, or at massive family reunions.

Here's the thing – sure, everyone gets crows feet as they age, but only some people have the unique quality that upgrades the "wrinkles" into "laugh lines." The eyes in those faces possess a permanent twinkle that makes me wish I had all day to listen to their tales of dare'n'do. Other faces have the stern, vertical jowl lines indicating a person might not have spent enough time smiling. It's easy to spot the people who talk with their eyes just by looking at their forehead and observing how prominent the creases are.

Backstage in college, these observations played an important role in every theater production. As part of the makeup crew, my goal was to create immediate character recognition and visible personality for actors before they even opened their mouths to say their first lines. This was especially important when creating older characters. The artifice of the theater let me speed through the years and imagine – if this sallow character was 50, 60, or 70 years old, what toll would their personality have taken on their expression? Add a line here, a perceived fullness there, a slight curve or shadow, and my college-age friends would (in theory) walk out not as themselves, but as a visual portrayal of a character. The lines served as an outward sign of an inner temperament.

Theater makeup allowed me to put the habits of a lifetime onto someone for just a few hours. After that, an actor could just wash off the brown and crème lines and "old age" foundation. The rest of us wear – and are always creating – more permanent lines.

The visual character sketches I used to create constantly reminded me that people either get "better or bitter" as we grow older. Our attitudes and values subtly reveal themselves on our faces from childhood on. Dorian Gray was a caricature, but actions do tend to work themselves to the surface whether we want the world to know or not.

You can look around to see what a lifetime of self-centered crankiness will do to a person's looks. On the other hand, if your church is like mine, you can also find faces that show a lifetime of peace in Christ. Those faces – and those eyes – are tied to a world that has more than a few difficulties and anxieties, but that's not what shines through. It's the joy of Christ that gives those eyes a constant twinkle.

Intersection of Faith & Life: We ultimately display what's in our hearts right on our faces. Moses experienced this everyday truth in a supernatural way every time he spoke with God (Exodus 34:29-35), when everyone could tell just by looking at his "radiant" face that he had met with God. After his heart had been fully focused on God, his face reflected it. When people look at your face, what do they see? Are you building attitudes and character traits today that you want reflected on your face in a few years time?

Acts 4:13

Proverbs 15:13

[Judy Harder]

April 13, 2011

The Call to Martyrdom
by Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16: 24

St Maximilian Kolbe once wrote, "Beyond armies of occupation and the hecatombs of extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are the victories on the battlefield if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?"

Maximilian Kolbe has long been one of my favorite Christian heroes. A wild-child-turned-convert, he was a Polish priest during the dark days of World War II.  He dedicated his life to boldly proclaiming Christ, traveling as far as Japan in spite of knowing very little Japanese. Ultimately, he found himself at Auschwitz, ministering to fellow prisoners. He died after offering his life in place of another prisoner who had a wife and children. That prisoner – a "nobody" by the world's standards -- went on to be reunited with his many children after the war. Kolbe's life is one of many amazing examples of Christians imitating Christ to the point of quite literally following Him to the Cross.

This coming Sunday is Palm Sunday. This feast day marks the solemn beginning of Holy Week. For our Palm Sunday service, our two pastors and deacon wear red robes – red being the liturgical color of martyrdom. The color is all too appropriate.

Often, when we think of martyrdom we think of dramatic and bloody deaths like the early Christians endured in the Coliseum or the horrors Kolbe faced in that concentration camp. These "red martyrdoms," while inspirational, seem reserved for a select few in far away countries.

Yet, in reflecting on Christ's sufferings this year, I've been pondering our own call as Christians to "take up our crosses" and follow in Christ's footsteps.  In many ways, martyrdom isn't reserved for a few Christians in far away countries. There is a second kind of martyrdom to which all Christians are called, sometimes referred to as "white martyrdom."

White martyrdom is the subtle, but profoundly important "death to self" believers must embrace on a daily basis. It is a call to surrender all to the Lord, to be willing to sacrifice personal pleasures or temporary desires for a greater good. "White martyrdom" is the housewife who shelves her master's degree to stay home with her little ones. It's the husband who does household chores after a long day of work to give his wife a much-needed time to herself. It's the college student who stays chaste in the face of temptation, only to be "rewarded" by the ridicule of his buddies. It's the colleague who puts in extra hours, but never gets extra credit. White martyrdom is the stuff that builds character, the stuff that strengthens "spiritual muscles" – and its rewards may or may not come in this lifetime. Yet God does not fail to treasure each and every thing we do for Him - no matter how hidden or small.

Kolbe's death illustrates an important connection between white and red martyrdom. He was known for personal integrity, for living a life that daily revealed love for his Savior in every little action – long before he was faced with time at Auschwitz. Believers like Kolbe understand that life cannot be compartmentalized. We cannot act saintly one hour, devilishly the next, and say at the end of the day, "Well, on average I am a pretty good person."

No doubt, a life of small, daily moments of "choosing Christ," of constant conversion and submission to the Lord, paved the way for Kolbe and countless other heroes of the faith to choose Christ when it mattered most.

Of course, a life of "white martyrdom" may not sound very appealing to you. I've always marveled at my friends who thought Christianity to be a crutch – I think my pre-Christian days were easier! But the longer I walk the Christian walk, the more I realize how true glory cannot be separated from some measure of suffering – how Easter cannot be divorced from Good Friday.

Further Reading:

Philipians 2: 6 – 11
15 Ways to Observe Holy Week with Your Family

[Judy Harder]

April 14, 2011

Kill Me Now
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now -- if I have found favor in your eyes -- and do not let me face my own ruin."
Numbers 11:15

...while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die."I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors."
1 Kings 19:4

Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.
Jonah 4:3

What kind of a person feels like this? A schmo like me, at times, sure. Maybe you, or people you know. Surely not the heroes of the Old Testament.

Well, truth is, even God's greatest leaders and prophets got to the point in their respective stories where, even after witnessing indescribable miracles and blessings, their circumstances were so overwhelming, impossible and undesirable their attitude was, "Just kill me now, Lord!" Exhausted in body, soul, and spirit, they cried out that they had had enough. They could go no longer in their own power.

The first quote above is from Moses, who had a People Problem. The wandering Israelites were hungry, and as usual, it fell to Moses to solve the problem. He cried out to the Lord, "Was it I who conceived these people? Was it I who brought them forth?" He looked around and couldn't figure out how to satisfy everyone.

The second quote is from Elijah, who had a Pity Problem. This was a prophet who had just called down fire from heaven, destroyed the prophets of Baal, and witnessed the end of a long drought. But just a few verses later, one vow from one wicked queen has him in such despair that he fears he can't go on like this.

The third quote is from Jonah, who had a Pouting Problem. He'd finally obeyed to the point of going to Nineveh and preaching repentance, but when the Lord relented and stayed his hand rather than destroying the city, Jonah wasn't happy. He folded his hands and "became angry" that the destruction he forecast never arrived.

Consider who these men were and what they had seen, what the Lord had done through them. Moses parted the Red Sea and led a people out of slavery. Elijah stood strong for Israel during a time of tremendous pagan influence, prayed down fire and rain, and actually never died (so chalk up at least one unanswered prayer!). Jonah is one of the first stories we tell our children, about how God provided a great fish to swallow him for such a period as he could learn about obedience and repentance.

Not only that, but these guys all show up in the Gospels, in one way or another. Moses and Elijah are present at Jesus' transfiguration (Mark 9). In Matthew 12:38-41 (NIV), Jesus tells the Pharisees they won't get any sign from him other than the sign of Jonah, foreshadowing the three days He Himself would spend in the belly of the Earth.

But interestingly enough, Christ apparently never felt this way. He knew His destiny was to die, but even so prayed that such a cup might pass from Him. And let's not forget that He is our example, not Moses, not Elijah, and not Jonah, great as they were.

When we feel the way that these guys did, we need to realize that anyone wanting to die is under attack. And our enemy can bring that attack through people, pity, and pouting. It comes when our body is not healthy, our soul is not happy, and our spirit is not holy.

But conveniently enough, Paul shows us a prayer that covers all these bases. He writes in 1 Thessalonians 5, "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass." (23-24).

You aren't alone when you feel like you can't go on, or like you would be better off dead than standing strong in the face of the overwhelming task God has given you, especially when you are weak in body, soul, and spirit, and the enemy is on the attack. And truly, it is comforting to know that some of the Bible's greatest faith warriors and miracle workers shared these feelings. But it doesn't mean they were right. Let us not indulge hopelessness, for it may always be found. Instead, let us remember that we serve a God of hope and of miracles and we follow the One who never copped to people, pity, or pouting, but willingly laid His life down.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Develop a plan that gives you exercise and rest in proper amounts for your body, soul, and spirit, so that you will be less prone to attack.

[Judy Harder]

April 15, 2011

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