Inspiration

[Judy Harder]

April 23, 2009

Bursting the Bubble
by Meghan Kleppinger

"...We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness."
2 Peter 2:3

Washington D.C. is a politically powerful city and it's easy for young professionals working there to get carried away by all of its bells and whistles. As a recent college graduate who experienced this firsthand, I found that it doesn't take long to adapt to the culture. It's an exciting place to be, but the problem with becoming a full-blown Washingtonian is that too often, people forget why they are there to begin with.

Most people move to Washington to support a cause or to work for a politician representing a state. I, for example, worked for a non-profit that worked to preserve family values, and many of my peers worked for their state senators or representatives.

To help pop the D.C. bubble we were living in, several of us developed the discipline of reading our hometown papers online each morning. By reading the Richmond Times-Dispatch every day, I was reminded of my roots, culture, where I was from, and for whom I was really working. This practice, along with repeating our mantra, "this isn't the real world," enabled many of us to start each day in Washington as Virginians, Pennsylvanians, Texans, etc., representing the states we called home.

Sometimes life gets tough, circumstances cause confusion and doubt, purpose becomes unclear, and faith seems irrelevant and far removed from everyday struggles. It doesn't take much for the line between the world we currently live in, and the promise of our eternal home, to become blurry -- it's those times when "home" with Christ sometimes seems so far away.

For me, these bleak moments almost always coincide with periods of times that I've stepped away from praying and spending time in God's Word each day.

It's not that prayer and study act like a magic formula changing my circumstances, though sometimes God does change them; usually, it is simply this set aside time causes me to regroup and change my perspective of the circumstances.

God is greater than man. He's our creator, sustainer, and He's in control of everything. He loves us, gives us purpose, and promises us a future with Him. This life is temporal and is nothing in comparison to spending eternity with Christ. How do I know these things? It's all in God's Word.

Revisiting scripture and praying on a daily basis acts as a needle bursting the bubble I live in. Like reading my hometown paper each day, scripture reminds me that this world doesn't own me. No matter how long I'm on earth, it's not my home and I'm not here to represent it -- instead, I need to be an ambassador for my Father until it's time to go home to Him.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Go to God's Word to rediscover who you are in Christ, your purpose, and most importantly, to remember where home really is.

Further Reading

Think about Heaven Now

[Judy Harder]

April 24, 2009

Are You Glowing?
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16, NIV

You have to love Facebook, right? What was once meant for social networking amongst college students is now sweeping across the generations.  Even my mother is using it! 

Well, thanks to this new way of connecting, this past weekend a single female friend of mine uploaded a new photo that featured herself alongside a smiling young man. 

My friend was beaming. Glowing! And I just knew something was different about her. Her whole countenance radiated good news. So I was compelled and had to know the backstory. I then contacted her and made plans to meet for dinner next week. I can't wait to hear what is happening in her life!

Meanwhile, and speaking of "radiation" ... in my Bible study group we have been reading in the book of Revelation, and we're on the home stretch in chapters 21 and 22. What has stood out to me is the fact that there will be no sun and no moon in heaven. The light sources we have needed on earth since Creation will no longer be necessary in The Holy City, the New Jerusalem: 

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp (Rev. 21:23).

There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light (Rev. 22:5)

We will be in the presence of God and will "see his face" (Rev. 22:4). That's just incomprehensible to me. We will experience God's glory with no veil. No mediator. No separation. Amazing!

Moses is one of the few who has experienced God's glory in person, when they communed on Mount Sinai (Exod. 34). In my Bible, the verses that describe his countenance are titled "The Radiant Face of Moses" ...

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD. When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and he spoke to them. Afterward all the Israelites came near him, and he gave them all the commands the LORD had given him on Mount Sinai (Exod. 34:29-32).

Granted, in these times we're not afraid of people when their faces are glowing. (Well, unless they're extraterrestrial. But you get my point. ...) When we see someone who is beaming, we know that there is a reason. And we are a curious people and want to find out what is behind this change in countenance.

In our lives, we will radiate whatever it is that is consuming our hearts and minds -  despite our circumstances and whether they be good or bad. And the closer we walk with our Father each day and seek fellowship with him, the more we will bask in his glow and reflect his irresistible light to others around us (1 John 1:7).

Is that your aim today? Like my friend, I hope that others can see a glow about me, so that they will ask what is different in my life. Let us purpose to make the most of our time here on earth and to seek the Father's face, so that he may shine through us. 


Intersecting Faith & Life: Look in the mirror. Are you glowing? Would someone know there's something different about you just by your countenance? Take inventory of how you spend your day. Set aside a specific time in your schedule to ensure you are walking "in the light." Hopefully by your example and by your "glow" as someone who has spent time with the Lord, you will encourage others to do the same.


Further Reading

Psalm 27
Isaiah 60

[Judy Harder]

Crosswalk.com - The Devotional

 
April 27, 2009

Seeking God for the Right Reasons
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor


For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  Philippians 1: 21

I ran across an article a couple years ago that really touched me. In her piece "A Change of Plans," Lindsy Pike details the excruciating decision to call off her wedding to a man she loved dearly. Reflecting on the mix of pain and peace that comes with any situation where we must give up something precious, Pike rewinds a few centuries to Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Isaac:

"God promised to give Abraham a son and finally, after years of waiting, God came through, with Isaac. Why in the world would God ask Abraham to give up that gift? In my opinion, it is for the same reason He asked me to call off my wedding. God wants us to love Him more than we love His promises. The minute we get those out of order, He readjusts us."

While we don't really know the mind of God in Abraham's situation, Pike's simple thought sheds light on a struggle I think all of us encounter at some time in our lives -- the struggle to love God above everything else, even His blessings. God wants us to love Him because of who He is, not what He can give us. Yet, how often do we confuse our love of God's promises with love of Him? How often do we see Him as the divine blessing machine, ready to dole out happiness on our terms? The popularity of "prosperity theology" reveals how easy it is for believers to twist love of God into the pursuit of earthly happiness.

To be honest, it's not just greed that gets in the way of loving God. It's also a limited understanding of who God is. I used to wonder how some Christians could sit for over an hour praying. Is God really that interesting? I'd wonder. This type of thinking reveals a fundamental flaw in how I perceived God, and I think that flaw is what keeps many from coming to Christ in the first place. It's easy to see Him as limited like we are limited. It's easy to forget that God is truly our all in all. As C.S. Lewis once said, "God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing."

Still, had I not gone through a similar situation, I might not have believed Pike's sincerity when she says: "I am thankful for His grace that saved me from ruining my life by pursuing my dream."

In a "reach for the stars, be anything you can be" culture, the idea that pursuing any dream could ruin my life seems foreign. The more I think about it, though, the more I see that living outside God's will -- even if it is for a "good reason" -- is a recipe for failure.

Yet, when we give up our dreams for something greater - for Someone greater than ourselves - we begin to see we can trust God no matter what. We find solace in the incredible peace that comes with knowing that even if life here includes sorrow or dreams unfulfilled -- which it very well could -- there is a God that transcends not only all that's missing in this life, but also all the good this life has to offer.

Intersecting Faith & Life: This week, do something for God without expecting any reward or blessing in return.

Further Reading

John 16: 33
Author Debunks Prosperity Gospel Myth

 

[Judy Harder]

Crosswalk.com - The Devotional
 
April 28, 2009

How I Came to Enjoy Raisins
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.
1 John 2:10

Worst advertising slogan ever: "Two scoops of raisins in Kellogg's Raisin Bran." Blech. But apparently it worked on my mother, who bought the stuff like it was going out of style, while referring to delicious breakfast desserts such as Lucky Charms and Crunchberries as "cardboard." So unfair. So there I sat, choking down my raisin bran, or even oatmeal cookies with raisins in them, always suffering the same horrible fate: the bran or cookie part would be chewed and swallowed before the gooey chewy raisins, leaving me a mouthful of not-nearly-as-tasty goop.

I despised raisins. Thought about writing Kellogg's and telling them that backing off to one scoop would be plenty (nothing like getting to the bottom of the bowl and finding no flakes, only 10 little black things. Ew).

Flash-forward a quarter century. I'm having a similar issue to the raisin problem with people. Specifically, I'm loathe to admit, some Christian people. No, I haven't been eating them, but sometimes, I do find us hard to swallow. Part of the problem, ironically, is my job! Here at Crosswalk we often receive angry emails from fellow Christians who don't like the movie we reviewed, the way we said something, the ad we ran, or the author we allowed to appear on the site. Criticism's fine, even justified; I just have a hard time when it comes with a "You call yourself Christian?" or a "Have you even read the Bible?" punch to the gut.

Sometimes it feels as if we Christians are concerned more with hammering home universal truth no matter how bluntly, or railing against _(fill in the blank)_ than genuinely loving people and meeting needs. Of course, the obvious irony here is that I then, looking in the mirror, find myself in short supply on genuine love myself. Which is not where Christ wants any of us to be. In fact, in Revelation 12:10, the title "Accuser of the Brethren" is given to our enemy Satan at his judgment. Yikes. Do I really want to claim that monicker for myself?
So what does this have to do with raisins? Well, recently I discovered I kinda like the shriveled little things! I pack 'em for snacks, and eat them with the kids. I like the nutritional value, the fiber, the chewiness. What's changed? My tastes? No. The raisins? No. Not the packaging, not the flavor, not even my effort (I'm not choking them down because they're good for me, I genuinely like them). I realized that what has changed is my perspective. It didn't happen overnight, but about the time "Craisins" (dried Cranberries) came on the scene, I began enjoying all sorts of dried fruits. And here's what I noticed: I like cranberries, ergo I like dried cranberries. I like apricots, therefore I like dried apricots. I love grapes, so obviously I... hate raisins? That didn't seem to make logical sense. Maybe it was time to give raisins another try. Maybe I shouldn't even think of them as raisins. Maybe I should just think of them as "dried grapes!"

That may sound extremely silly... but it worked! I felt like I had come into the light. The texture was suddenly different. The way I savored them changed... everything. And a fun new world of food possibilities has re-opened to me, simply thanks to a different way of looking at something.

1 John Chapter 2 talks about Light, who it comes from, what it helps us do, and what it shows about us when we walk in it. Light is a perspective-changer. It reveals the true nature of hidden or darkened things. It doesn't change them, but it can and does change how they appear, how they are perceived, and the details we notice. Our verse today says, "Whoever loves his brother lives in the light," and I think it also works backwards: "Whoever lives in the light loves his brother." It's not going to be easy for me to see fellow redeemed sinners - especially the angry ones - as Jesus does, but it's clearly possible, and commanded, and in the raisin example it wasn't about my efforts anyway - just turning on a light.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Who's got your goat? Have you ever tried seeing that individual, group, or faceless internet personage in a different light, from a different perspective, or even as God sees them? Have you considered how you might look different to others in a new light? Try filling these blanks in for yourself: "I like ____(x)_____, therefore I like even __________  _____(x)_____."

Further Reading

John 1: 4-11
Light and the Nature of God, by Regis Nicoll
How to Deal with Angry People, by Gary Chapman

[Judy Harder]

April 28, 2009

Don't Bother Me with Details!
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture

So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an
inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.
-- Joshua 11:23

Every so often I take out my old "Dear Diary" from when I was eight years old, and thumb through it for the sake of hilarity. Most entries go something like this:

"Today I woke up at 7:47 a.m. Then I ate pancakes for breakfast! I love pancakes! Then I did school, and I brought my magnifying glass with binoculars with me to co-op. Then we played outside in the afternoon. I scraped my knee when I fell off my bike, but I rode all the way around the house on the grass!"

Riveting, no?

Amusement carries me through about three "Dear Diary" entries, and then the skimming begins. After I've read through a week of what I had for breakfast, I'm usually done observing my former status as a "cute kid." Every little detail that I thought was so important when I was eight just doesn't thrill me now.

Unfortunately, I've have a tendency to take the same approach to certain portions of Scripture. You know the ones I'm talking about -- "This is what Moses had given the tribe of Gad... from Heshbon to Ramath Mizpah and Betonim, and from Mahanaim to the territory of Debir." All the territories and distances and kings of what city etc. are very much like those breakfast entries. That's nice, God, but frankly, I don't really care anymore.

I didn't think it was possible to make a sermon out of such details, but a pastor proved me wrong on Sunday. In fact, he made a sermon out of all nine chapters detailing which tribes and clans got what land when the Israelites finally took Canaan. And -- unbelievably -- I found myself reveling in the "inane" details.

Consider that this doling out of territory was 600 years in making. A promise made to Abraham 600 years before this moment, before Egypt happened, before Abraham even had an heir of his own kin. Six hundred years later, God's promise that Israel would possess the land of Canaan finally comes through -- and in all that time, God has not lost sight of the details. In the midst of this plan that span more than half a millennium, the Lord of Israel comes from the span of heaven and picks out every plot of earth that every clan will inherit.

We serve a God who controls both the universe and the finest breath of wind, who orchestrates all of history and the little details for our lives. Nine chapters about plots of land? Apparently, he cares enough about the details to include them in divine revelation. And yet how often do we pass over these same details tucked away in Scripture -- even when we're searching for assurance of God's hand in our life!

As Abraham Piper writes, "It's true that knowing Michmethah is east of Shechem ranks very low in the list of facts that are important to know from the Bible. But it matters, because the sum of all the dull details that God has accomplished proves that whatever he promises, he will do."

Further Reading:

When the Bible Is Boring
the-ol-o-gy
Joshua 21:45
Joshua 23:14

[Judy Harder]

April 30, 2009

Against Church Shopping
Mike Pohlman, Editor, Christianity.com

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV

A new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life details just how fluid religious commitment is among Americans. The survey, however, only confirms what the casual observer of religon in the U.S. already knows: we are a fickle people when it comes to religious affiliation. Here's how the survey opens:

Americans change religious affiliation early and often. In total, about half of American adults have changed religious affiliation at least once during their lives. Most people who change their religion leave their childhood faith before age 24, and many of those who change religion do so more than once. These are among the key findings of a new survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life. The survey documents the fluidity of religious affiliation in the U.S. and describes in detail the patterns and reasons for change.

Responding to the survey Time magazine's Amy Sullivan summarizes why some people switch religious homes:

With all those options, choosing a church (or mosque or synagogue or temple) isn't just a matter of theology for many Americans. They might decide where to worship because they adhere to a broad tradition -- like Protestantism -- or because they are drawn to a particular denomination, subdenomination or even an individual congregation. Or they might choose based on location or children's activities or the quality of preaching or music or potluck offerings. The concept of church-shopping itself is uniquely American.

Our consumer-oriented culture has trained us to think choosing a church is like picking a cell phone plan: find the one that meets all my needs while offering me the best "deal." But choosing a church is not like picking a cell phone plan or restaurant or movie or television show. 

It is one thing to switch from Coke to Pepsi because one of the two happens to be on sale, but quite another when we leave a church simply because one down the street has a better coffee bar in the foyer. In other words, choosing a church should be primarily "a matter of theology." This requires a whole new way of thinking. A consumer oriented mind-set by definition holds weak loyalities to any one thing. The consumer mind must be ready to move quickly to the latest best deal or new thing. The theologically-oriented mindset is strongly tied to foundational doctrines and is not easily moved. The former is fickle and mobile; the latter is committed and grounded.

So how do we begin to treat church unlike the way we determine what coffee to buy at Starbucks?

1. Recognize the consumer orientation of American culture. See it for what it is and don't pretend we're not living within it. Instead, we must learn to not be conformed to this world (cf. Romans 12:1-2). The best way to do this is to "set our minds on things above" (cf. Colossians 3:1-4) through consistent Bible study, prayer and fellowship with other believers. But it also requires shunning many of the fallen habits of the world. Discernment is needed.

2. Resolve to find a church based on matters of first rather than secondary importance. For example, what does the church believe about the gospel? The Bible? God? Christ? The Holy Spirit? Church leadership? How these questions are answered should be what drives us to a particular local church not how good the potlucks are on Wednesday night (as important as that is!).

3. Persevere in your local church. The consumer will not endure faulty products. But the Christian is not called to a product, but to Christ and His church. And churches are flawed. Why? Because they're full of people like us--people being sanctified. As the apostle said, "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect..." (Philippians 3:12). Indeed, we are a work in progress so love, gentleness, forebearance, forgiveness, patience, kindness, etc. must be what marks us as we learn to live together in local fellowship.

More could be said, but I am convinced that we have a tremendous opportunity to get the attention of our market-driven, consumer-oriented culture by modeling the very opposite behavior when it comes to church. When fickleness is the norm deep commitment will stand out like a shining star at night. When those people close to us see this devotion they may even ask why--with all its flaws--we stay committed to our local church. And when that question comes I pray we will have a reason far more powerful than, "We like the music on Sunday mornings." No, let us say, "The gospel is preached and lived out there. Why would I go anywhere else?"   

Further Reading/Viewing

Ministering in a Church-Hopping Society, Josh Harris (video sermon from The Gospel Coalition 2009 National Conference)
I Love the Church, Brian Borgman
Your Christianity and Your Church, Mark Dever

[Judy Harder]

Crosswalk.com - The Devotional

 
May 1, 2009

That Skip-Over Verse
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV


Today's verse is one that I like to skip over in my Bible, even though it's highlighted. And underlined. And on a page that's dog-earred.

You see, whenever I read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, I can't help but think: Really? Be joyful ALWAYS? And how am I supposed to pray CONTINUALLY? And give thanks in ALL circumstances? Who can do all of THAT?

I'm sure you probably have a verse or two that you really don't like to read or mull over either. But, conveniently, God has ordained it so that I've had many opportunities to put my skip-over verse into action just this past week ...

* When I said "hello ... how are you doing?" in passing to an acquaintance and was greeted with a cold "hello" and a sharp "I'm fine" in response. Ouch. Where's the joy here? What did I do to deserve that kind of treatment? Why doesn't this person like me?

* When funny, but certainly unkind, words flew out of my mouth at the expense of someone else and his feelings. Why, oh WHY, did I do that just so I could make fun of them? And feel better about myself? Obviously, I was not praying while saying.

* When a friend's van, in which she had just pumped a couple thousand dollars for repairs a few weeks earlier was pronounced "dead" by mechanics. How could anyone be joyful in this type of circumstance? I want to greet these mechanics with a "holy punch" on her behalf. Argh!

* When people are difficult just to be difficult and disagree with every factoid or opinion you might share. You say black. They say white. You say gray. They say plaid. Ugh! Am I supposed to be thankful for this? Isn't there some other way I can learn humility? 'Cause I'd be ever so grateful if it was a different circumstance, Lord.

What also stands out to me about 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, is that each thought gets its own verse. I think that this week is the first time that that has registered with me. It's almost as if Paul wanted to give specific emphasis to each way of living:

* Be joyful always
* Pray continually
* Give thanks in all circumstances

These three directives were part of the "Final Instructions" section in Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. He was reminding the church in Thessalonica of how God's people are to live and how our attitudes should not be affected by (or a result of) our circumstances.

This is a hard pill to swallow, folks. At least for me it is. Sure, it's easy to be joyful, praying continually and giving thanks in all things when life is going great, when everyone is your best friend and when the blessings (usually material) are just raining on down.

But what about when you've had a week like I just did? How are you supposed to live like this?

I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Phil. 4:13).

That's the key. God, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, is the one who powers me and helps me to live in this way. And this is the kind of living that God wants for his children. It is his will for us, not our own. And it is that which is pleasing to him.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Please don't skip over 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 like I have a habit of doing. Let it cause you to pause and take some time to assess your current attitude. What is it-or who is it-that's got you not joyful, not praying and not giving thanks? Ask the Lord to soften your heart and change your attitude. He doesn't want to skip over you. And if you are willing, through YOU he can work wonders!

Further Reading

Ephesians 5:20
Romans 8:28

[Judy Harder]

Crosswalk.com- The Devotional
May 4, 2009

Love is a Decision
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. Matthew 7: 24-25


The month of May marks the beginning of wedding season. I've attended many weddings among my friends in past years.

These weddings have been the kind of weddings girls dream of throughout childhood. They've been full of sunlight, laughter, dancing, friends, family, flowers, flowing dresses, historic landscapes, and handsome men in tuxes.


In the midst of these fairy tale weddings, though, I've found myself absorbed in the vows more than the frills of the celebration. Watching these young couples pledge their lives to one another somehow transcends the romance of the wedding day. The joining of two lives until death is so sublime many have questioned if such love can truly last or if the idea of finding one's soul mate is just as much a fairy tale as the wedding day itself.

But many a seasoned couple will tell the cynics that while feelings of passion may have initially fueled their decision to marry, much of the success of married life depends not on the whims of feelings or the circumstances of life, but on the free will choice to be together and stay together. To quote the pastor's words during a traditional wedding ceremony, these couples "come freely and without reservation" to each other not just on the first day, but every day of life. And while this daily decision to love the other does not always come easily, combined with God's grace, it allows two people to experience intimacy that surpasses all other human relationships.


You've seen them -- older couples who have twinkles in their eyes and cherish their years together.

As I watched these newly married couples begin their journeys, I couldn't help but ponder how God's design for earthly marriage mirrors our faith walk. Marriage, after all, is one of the most profound symbols found throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Just as couples must enter freely into marriage, Christ freely suffered and died for us, and in turn, our faith journey begins with a free will decision to accept His gift. And just as the initial commitment on the altar requires daily decisions to love for the marriage to thrive, our initial acceptance of Christ leads to a series of decisions to love God and continue to walk in the faith.

Our deacon, reflecting on the verses above, pointed out the emphasis Christ puts on our actions, our will. Even when the storms of life beat us down, our decision to remain committed to Christ and the Christian life will keep us connected to God, helping us navigate the unknowns. And ultimately, the decision to love will allow each one of us to know divine love that surpasses all human relationships.


You've seen them -- individuals facing death or old age with twinkles in their eyes and peace in their hearts.


Perhaps you're going through a dark time where God feels distant. In a culture that increasingly sees divorce as no big deal, you may be finding the decision to stay on the narrow path of faith, to daily choose virtue over vice, exhausting and even foreign.

The good news is that no matter how weather-beaten we get on our journey, God is the perfect Spouse, forever faithful and forever walking beside us even when we stray from the original path. His unwavering grace and love are always available to us, and He welcomes us with open arms when we come home.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Just as God gives spouses the gift of each other in marriage, I've found God often works through others to encourage us in our faith. Think about the people He's placed in your life right now. Is there someone who needs you to walk along side them for support? Or perhaps you're struggling. Take comfort in knowing that storms are normal, and God especially treasures our decision to remain faithful when the decision is made during tough times.


Further Reading

Ex 6: 7
Ps 36: 5

[Judy Harder]

May 5, 2009

My Conversation with a Hedge
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.
The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
Proverbs 15:32-33

Every summer, my wife and kids leave me for three weeks to visit all of her relatives in Texas while I stay home and work. For the first day or two that they're gone, I enjoy my freedom from some of my responsibilities. After that, though, I tend to go a little crazy. Find myself wandering around the house, or doing "improvement" projects I have no business tackling. Making up song lyrics. Or having conversations with inanimate objects.

Last summer, in the middle of their trip, I was trimming the bushes beneath our front windows. The three on the right side of the stoop grow more uniformly than the three on the left. On the left, the one closest to the stairs is healthiest, while the other two, thanks to heavier afternoon shade, don't do as well. Oh, it's hard to tell, because I keep them pruned so that they "grow together" in the middle and stay squared off on the tops and corners. But obviously, the two weaker bushes suffer the pruning less frequently, because I let them grow out to fill in the gaps.

As I was working, their healthier sibling, I imagined, began to speak to me. Or to whine is more like it...

Hey! What gives?

Nothing, my good man. Just time for your monthly trimming.

But why? I'm not doing anything wrong. Just sitting here minding my own business. Doing good, doing what I'm supposed to do. And here you come...

Well, just sit still, please. Trust me, I have a purpose here.

Really? Well forgive me for asking, but why doesn't that purpose seem to apply to my lazy, stunted brethren here? All this time and barely a scratch. Maybe a nip, a cut. Nothing lost, no pain.

You're not happy with how your look? Where you're situated?

I'm fine. But that's just it. I don't deserve this cutting and trimming.

You think you planted yourself in this primo spot?

Never really thought about it. I just want to know why you're taking so much away from me and nothing from them.

I told you I have a purpose. You can't see what I can see. In fact, you can't see much at all. You're completely rooted in place. But I've seen all around you and through you, and have since you were planted.

But it hurts. I don't like losing things.

Never having them in the first place, and never really growing, that's not much good either. I have to give extra care and attention to those others. I hope it brings them up to the same level of maturity as you.

Hmmph.

I finished trimming up the hedges, and went my way, unsure I had gotten through. But when I stood back, I beheld something beautiful. I could only hope those under my care understood, had not despised their discipline, and opted to forsake impractical comparison.

Intersecting Faith & Life: The next time you feel like others aren't being as challenged as you are, or like the Lord is picking on you unfairly, consider that you can't see all the perspectives or purposes of the Lord, in your life and especially not in the lives of others. The Lord loves you enough to discipline you, and he knows you're healthy and with enough green growth to handle His pruning.

Further Reading

John 15
Pruning Your Vineyard

[Judy Harder]

May 6, 2009 

Don't Look Too Closely
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
-- Exodus 3:14   

If you look too closely at the world outside the church windows, you're going to be discouraged. I don't need to point out the myriad ways in which the culture has slipped out of the Christian sphere and capitalized on more "diverse" philosophies. You've seen it yourself. It's all wrapped up in the term "post-Christian" -- the culture has decided we're irrelevant.

As Newsweek's editor Jon Meacham put it, "This is not to say that the Christian God is dead, but that he is less of a force in American politics and culture than at any other time in recent memory. To the surprise of liberals who fear the advent of an evangelical theocracy and to the dismay of religious conservatives who long to see their faith more fully expressed in public life, Christians are now making up a declining percentage of the American population."

Compared to a few years ago, the statistics show that American Christianity at large is decidedly smaller.   

Does that discourage you like it does me?

As I've been pondering these sentiments over the last few weeks, I haven't discovered anything that will "save" American Christianity, and I haven't seen much evidence of widespread revival in Hollywood or elsewhere, try as I might to find it. But then, that's the one thing I have concluded.

Maybe we're looking too closely.

Surveys and statistics may be diagnostic of the church as a whole, but they also have the ability to distract. In zooming in on the visible church in the present day, we're subject to a cultural myopia that can distort biblical standards. We are, after all, American -- we're driven by results, and we like to see the results now. The idea of Christians as a "declining percentage of the American population" strikes us as a failure. And maybe it is. But tell me -- where does God enter the picture in that attitude?   

We forget the eternity behind the name the Lord told to Moses. "I AM" indicates the self-sufficiency of a God who is "eternal and unchangeable, and always the same, yesterday, today, and for ever; he will be what he will be and what he is." (Matthew Henry) Meanwhile, we can focus in on this piece of culture around us, fret about our role in it, and forget that I AM holds it all in the palm of his hand. I AM cannot fail, even though those of us down in U.S.A. may see the appearance of defeat. But it's only that -- an appearance.

The hymn "How Firm a Foundation" brings me back to the comforting truth that the Lord is still the great I AM, unshakable in spite of whatever the statistics say.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Let's keep the perspective. We know that Christ has already won the eternal battles as well as the cultural ones through his death and defeat of death. And that was 2,000 years ago. We are called to bring light into the culture, but we are not responsible for the end result. Let's focus less on the statistics and more on I AM. We know the rest will follow.



Further Reading:

Hebrews 6:17-18
Revelation 1:8
Always Losing, Never Lost: Christianity in America