Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

November 6, 2009

Available and Vulnerable
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

When we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge.  There is great freedom in this. ...  When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide who and when we will serve.  We become available and vulnerable.

—- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline

When I first read the words "available and vulnerable" in the above quote, my mind immediately went to what a personal ad might say.  But in this case, it would be a "personal servant ad" in the fictitious Ministry Daily News ...

AVAILABLE AND VULNERABLE ...
SWF seeks 24/7 ministry opportunities.  Creative, outgoing and loves serving the King of Kings.  Leadership skills in abundance, but also comfortable as a team player in group settings.  Local projects are a plus, but will consider long-distance.  No task too menial or small.  Money, time and personal agenda not a problem.  Ready to sacrifice and serve at a moment's notice.  Acclaim and reward not required. 

Well, if only that were accurate, right?  What seems to stand in the way of me living a life of true service and being "available and vulnerable" like this is just plain old me.  I'm not unlike James and John who also struggled with what it means to serve Christ:

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him.  "Teacher," they said, "we want you to do for us whatever we ask."  "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked.  They replied, "Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory" (Mark 10:35-37).

They wanted the honor and the visibility.  But what they didn't get, at this point, is what is also required in Christian service:  sacrifice.

"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said.  "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"  "We can," they answered.  Jesus said to them, "You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant.  These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared" (Mark 10:38-40).

Only Christ could bear the wrath of God's judgment and die in our place on the cross.  Only his blood could atone for our sins.  As Christ followers, James and John shared in his sufferings (as do we all).  But their places of honor would be determined by God. 

Instead, 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).

Some of us might say, "Oh, but I love to serve!" and "I have a servant's heart!" or "I serve whenever I can!"  And perhaps we truly do.  OR ... perhaps we serve only when it feels right, only when the popular people are involved or only when it works out with our schedule or only when it is for a cause that is "big" or only when it involves traveling to an exciting destination.  See how we can easily place these perimeters and try to control when and how and whom we serve?  I do it, too.  If I'm serving, then it's going to be on my terms.  But that's not true service ...

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:14-17).

Washing someone's feet.  Think about it.  That is truly making yourself available and vulnerable.  Especially if the condition of the feet are rank and unpleasant to behold.  To me, foot washing represents the tasks that I don't want to do.  It's the ministry opportunity for the person who drives me nuts.  It's the service project that cuts into my "more important" appointments.  It's the mission of mercy that will cause my finances to be stretched beyond my comfort zone or will require me to give up some of my belongings for someone else.  It's the less glamorous, undercover giving opportunities that no one ever sees or hears about.  By and large, it's something that—in my flesh—I just don't want to do.

True service is not a feeling, but a way of life that is patterned after Jesus Christ.  Will you give of yourself and make yourself available and vulnerable?  Let us learn to serve our Savior as he has served us.   

Intersection of Faith & Life:  If you are ready to serve like this—if you are ready to let go and quit gripping so tightly to your life—then ask God to present an opportunity to you right now.  Ask him to open your ears, eyes and heart so that you will recognize and accept whatever he is calling you to do. 

Further Reading:

"Rise" by Robbie Seay Band

Slow down, be still
Let go, we will
Be here, be now
Slow down, be still
Breathe in, refill
Be here, be now

If you choose to love
To know that the call
Is to give all you are
To give love away, away
Rise, rise, people of love rise
People of love rise, give yourself away
Rise, rise, people of love rise
People of love rise, give yourself away
Give yourself away, give yourself away

Slow down, just breathe
Be still, believe
Be here, be now
Slow down and see
It's all you need
Be loved and free

And to hear the call, is to give your love away
And to hear the call, is to give your love away
And to hear the call, is to give your life away
Is to give your life away

We're not safe, we're not safe
But we will rise

[Judy Harder]

November 9, 2009

We Are Idol Factories
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Entertainment Editor

Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
Habakkuk 2:18, NIV


"We are idol factories."

One of the pastors at my church said this in his sermon last Sunday, and I wrote it down and underlined it. I immediately took this statement to heart, because I know that I am truly gifted at making idols. It's a skill that required no college degree or specialized training. 

It just comes naturally to me, placing other things, people, ideas or goals ahead of God in my life. In fact, I can make an idol out of something probably faster than you can switch on your 73-inch, flat-panel, plasma HDTV with surround sound. Actually, maybe even faster, because I've improved over time.

I heard this "idol factory" illustration just a day after having breakfast with a dear friend who I had not seen in several years. As we were sharing about our lives and what God was teaching us, she told me that she had gotten rid of her cable television. "Why is that?" I asked. "Because I spent too much time watching The Food Network, and before I knew it it was time to pick up the kids from school," she admitted.

At first, I chuckled a little. It seemed pretty harmless. What's a wasted day or two spent watching The Food Network, and how harmful really could that channel ever be? 

Without cable, my friend went on to say that she's now more productive during the day as a stay-at-home mom. She's reading more. She's getting back to the writing she's been wanting to work on, and she's focusing more on what matters to her family and how she can best serve them and their needs as a wife and a mother. Basically, she's gotten her priorities back in order.

Whoa. All of that from not watching a channel that really does have some good information on it. But, it just goes to show that that is how easy it is for us to make idols out of anything in our lives.

Don't laugh or discount this notion. 'Cause we all do it. Your weakness or idol may not be The Food Network. But just insert whatever or whomever it is that occupies your thoughts and your time. What or who is that you could spend hours focused on and not realize that the time has flown by? What do you think about the most when you're away from it? What controls your schedule? Can you look back and say you are glad that you spent your time or expended your efforts in this manner? Is any of this honoring to the Lord?

I bet you can come up with a list pretty quickly, can't you? I sure can. And I'm ashamed to see what occupies my thoughts and my time (and how much of it is wasted). I'm making idols left and right in my life. And it's time to have a fire sale. Get rid of the clutter that doesn't amount to anything of value for the Kingdom. And get back to what should be the sole focus of my worship: God.

The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks us this:

What is the chief end of man?

And the answer is ...

Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

If I sifted each of my priorities through this question-and-answer filter, what would my life look like? Of what idols on the assembly line would I need to cease production?

As the foreman of my life, the Lord issues a pink slip each and every day to me. Am I surrendering to his authority? He doesn't want me to keep the idol factory in business any longer in my heart. I know that only he can help me shut it down and focus on worshipping him.

Intersecting Faith & Life: We all have prominent idols in our lives, and they're usually the ones we look to get rid of first. But what about the more hidden idols-ones we are blinded to in our lives? They are just as destructive as those that are obvious. Ask the Lord to reveal your idol factory's entire inventory, so that you can make changes in your life starting today.

Further Reading

Romans 11:36, NIV
Psalm 144:15, NIV

[Judy Harder]

November 11, 2009

A Hump Day Meditation
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture Editor

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!" - Psalm 118:24

It was not a good way to start off the week. Monday had me sick at home with a cold instead of heading to the office. My husband came home with the announcement that he had a case of the Mondays too. It was definitely a day of joining the Mamas and the Papas in singing, "But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes / You can find me cryin' all of the time." We both went to bed early and hoped for a better Tuesday.

Tuesday was not Monday. That was about its only advantage.

Today, though, is Wednesday. Happy hump day! At lunchtime, I will mentally congratulate myself for making it halfway through the workweek. Friday is already beckoning in the distance, where it was just a speck on the horizon on Monday. Oh Monday, Monday, can't trust that day. But today, rejoice! We're getting through our responsibilities on the job and on our way to thanking God for Friday.

Unless, well.... God, you do realize that Mondays are a direct result of the Fall, don't you? A curse on mankind even greater than that thorns and thistles? You do know how much we suffer on account of that day, right?

"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Plenty of days begin with me hitting the alarm and wishing that psalmist had stuck with writing about shepherds and sheep. How foundational, and yet how forgettable, is the truth that we wake up every day with a glorious choice - do we view our time as our own, or as another day to serve the Lord?

Hump day mentality reveals the underlying attitude that we resent being "owned." On most days, we think we only resent that someone or some entity owns 40 hours of our time during the week. But what about when we consider that our time belongs to the Kingdom of God? Then who is that Monday mentality railing against?

That question brings us to the weekend - our time. Those chores that can wait just a little while longer, that new novel that has to be read, those boxes that don't really need to be unpacked, that church service that needs to end precisely at noon. Do you sometimes find yourself in a passive-aggressive resistance to that time constraint during your weekend, like I do?

As I wrote last week, a little book is again confronting me about how I view my stuff, my time, my resources, and my God. I'm asking myself whether I'm living my life as a stewardship of what God's given to me or as an owner who has rightfully earned all that she has. And I'm discovering little roots that keep me more attached to this world when I should be - including the belief that my time is my own. When it's my time, I'm scrambling for every morsel of me time, and hoarding it like a personal treasure.

Contrast this to the express vocation of the psalmist: "My tongue will speak of your righteousness and of your praises all day long." (Psalm 35:28)

How's Wednesday looking for you?

Further Reading

Dueteronomy 4:9
Joshua 24:15
Dreading Monday? Take a Fresh Look at Sunday

[Judy Harder]

November 12, 2009

Scripture to Comfort
by Meghan Kleppinger

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4, NAS

If you have ever suffered a broken relationship and/or heart, the loss of a loved one, or any number of other devastations, than you know about "that" pain.

It's that pain that originates in the bottom of your stomach and initially feels like a big numb ball. Later it develops into a raw gnawing that can only be equated to burning stabs of fire. It makes it way up through the intestines and finally settles in the throat, choking out all attempted spoken words and creating such an excruciating sensation that tears are sure to follow.



Like any other person who has spent more than a few days on this planet, I know "that" pain well. It comes quickly and when it does, it's difficult to believe that it will ever go away. It brings about sorrow, grief, and as it eventually begins to fade away, it brings guilt.

This has been a tough year for my family. We've lost friends and recently, just a few short weeks ago, my grandfather. I know I'm not an anomaly and that people all over the world are suffering a similar pain, so as I began to pray about what I should write about for this week, I started thinking about what has really been helpful for me during these times.

Friends and family have been great, but most, of all, scripture has been comforting me. My hope is that the scripture I share with you will be beneficial to you as you grieve or that you can use it to minister to others who are suffering.

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." (John 14:27)

"And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:5)

"The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed n spirit." (Psalm 34:18)

"The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:17)

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (Psalm 147:3)

"And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."  (Revelation 21:4)

And finally...

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

Intersecting Faith & Life: Go to the Word of God for comfort. In the words of Matthew Henry, ""The Word of God gives us great help in attaining the peace we need. It is living, very lively and active in seizing the conscience of the sinner, in cutting him to the heart, and in comforting him and binding up the wounds of the soul. It is powerful. It convinces powerfully, converts powerfully, and comforts powerfully.""

Further Reading

Revelation 21:3-5
Why Does God Comfort Those Who Mourn?
Learning True Comfort

[Judy Harder]

November 13, 2009

How to Get Up When You're Feeling Down
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31

At this time of year, a lot is heading downward.

Leaves are falling. Temperatures are dipping. And with the time change, the sun is setting a little earlier. For many, these changes bring about depression, lethargy, fatigue and other problems. In its most serious form, it adds up to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

But symptoms such as these don't occur just in the fall or only at times when there is less sunlight. In their lesser form, these feelings can come about quite easily in day-to-day living.

Like when an unkind word from a co-worker crushes your spirit and sets the rest of the work day into a tailspin. Should you be surprised? Or when your best friend is the one who is getting married or having a baby or got a promotion. And you got... nothing.

Or perhaps you've said yes to organizing and leading every church committee, every parent-organized school event, the community Bible study and your neighborhood's monthly block party. Your mind is mush, your body is shutting down and you have nothing left to give.

See? We can quickly sink to the depths of despair in our spirits or become quickly fatigued taking care of everything and everyone else and not ourselves. We're tired and weary, stumbling and falling. And ... we're human, after all.

But thankfully, when we are feeling weighted down, the Lord will help us to soar. He is the one who raises us up—not any 12-step plan or self-help book or 10-week audio tape series. Now while these are worthy aids—and God can work through systems and processes designed by men—we must look to him and his Word first for direction in how we should live.

David was a man who understood this. Many passages in the book of Psalms read like his personal diary of sorts and record the times when he felt down and sought the Lord.

He had it right when he said in Psalm 62:5-8: "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."

When we focus on our circumstances and what is or isn't happening in our lives, we will feel down. Like David, we need to go to the One who will lift us up. It is in God alone that we will rise above and find our rest.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What is bringing you down? Is the Lord asking you to make a change in your life? Is it time to simplify in some area? Take some time this weekend for quiet reflection and seek God's direction for what he would have you do.

Further Reading

2 Corinthians 4:7-12

Encourage Yourself in the Lord

[Judy Harder]

November 16, 2009


Unfulfilled Desire
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4: 12 - 13


"For a long time I have not belonged to myself since I delivered myself totally to Jesus, and He is therefore free to do with me as He pleases." ~ St. Therese of Lisieux

Do you have unrealized desires? They have a way of burning up our insides, don't they? Perhaps you wish to be married, but year after year remain single. Or you wish for children, but remain childless. Or maybe you want to write books, but never make any headway.

Confusion and despair over unrealized desires feel the most intense when they seem natural and God-honoring. Doesn't the Lord want me to be married? Didn't He place in me this desire to be a pastor? Didn't God give me these gifts? So why do all the doors remain closed?

I've been noticing a theme lately in the stories of revered Christian heroes. Most of them had personal desires that were put on hold or even went completely unfulfilled - at least from the outside observer's perspective. Some of these desires seemed especially holy.

Take St. Martin of Tours for example. From an early age, this Christian convert's sole desire was to be a monk. But the laws in 4th century Rome required him be a soldier  - an occupation that did not suite him well. Even after the military finally released Martin, his plan to dedicate his life to solitary prayer never played out as he hoped. Martin's unique spiritual wisdom drew crowds to him and ultimately, the beloved monk was ordained a Bishop against his wishes.

St. Therese of Lisieux is another example. This French beauty from the 19th century longed to be a Carmelite nun and a missionary. While Therese's first desire came true at the early age of 15, her second never did. At 22, tuberculosis limited her to her French convent.

Why does God allow some desires to go unfulfilled? There's no simple answer to that question, however, I think it's fair to say that when good desires lay dormant, God does important work through us that might not otherwise have been possible. Paul articulates this when he is torn between two holy desires: a desire for heaven and a desire to continue to build up the Church on earth. Through eyes of faith, he sees how God can work through both outcomes.


I am torn between the two  I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith Philippians 1: 23 - 25


The same peace we see in Paul can be found in the stories of countless Christians who set their personal preferences aside.


In her autobiography Story of a Soul, Therese reflected, "God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. I can, then, in spite of my littleness aspire to holiness." Therese recognized that her earthly desires really boiled down to a desire for God, and while her personal limitations frustrated her, they did not limit God's work in her life. Therese spent her remaining two years on earth "in the mission fields" by praying for and corresponding with missionary priests who drew much strength from her support.

St. Martin of Tours also accepted God's calling with peace in his heart. He made an excellent Bishop in spite of his introverted ways. The key to his contentment? His love for God enabled him to love needy souls more than his solitary lifestyle.


While it's hard to accept that our personal desires sometimes have to be put on hold, it's also incredibly freeing. I think if you had a chance to speak with Paul, Therese, or Martin they'd all agree that life is much more fulfilling when the Creator of the Universe is in control instead of our little selves. What desires can you hand over to Him today?

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37: 4 (emphasis added)


Intersecting Faith & Life:  What dreams have been put on hold in your life? Think of ways God has worked for good in your waiting. Write down one (or more) blessings you may not have received had your original dreams come true.


Further Reading

James 4: 1


Realizing Your Dreams

[Judy Harder]

Nov. 17, 2009

The Hunger: Is It In You?
Alex Crain: Editor, Christianity.com

"...like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
1 Peter 2:2, NIV


Crave is a word of intense longing. According to this text, the type of appetite we are to have for the Word of God is that of a newborn child, desperate to feed. Peter isn't talking about being infants in Christ. That's not his point. Rather, he's simply talking about hunger. He is talking about desiring the Word.


The Greek word (epipotheo) means to long for greatly, to earnestly desire and even to starve. Such hunger is natural. All living things crave nourishment. Dying and dead things do not. If hunger isn't present, there's something wrong.

Interestingly, the wrong things that Peter mentions in this passage are not the "big ones" you might think of—the grosser sins of the pagan life. Rather, they are the common everyday vices that destroy relationships. These are the sins that undermine the mutual acceptance and belonging that ought to exist between believers, regardless of skin color, birthplace or position—whether social, educational or economic.

I once heard these sins called "tuxedo" sins because they seem to be tolerated even by people who appear to be most respectable. Because they are so common, we can sometimes think of them as small and harmless. Not so, according to Scripture.

Having Malice? Ill will? Don't we all do that? Yes, but God says: "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor" (Rom. 12:10).

Deceit? God says: "Put away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another." (Eph. 4:25)

Hypocrisy & Slander? Yes, these too need to be put away as God says they:

are characteristics of the devil himself: (Rev. 12:10)
separate friends (Prov. 16:28)
cause strife (Prov. 26:20)
sow discord among the brethren (Prov. 6:19)
destroy neighbors (Prov. 11:9)
can lead to violence and murder (Ps. 31:13)
The truth is, we must be UNTAUGHT these fleshly, ordinary responses that are so deeply rooted in our minds and hearts. Lack of zeal for God and His Word; being bored with or indifferent to the Bible are clear indicators that these sins are still there, robbing us of spiritual nourishment.

Like any good doctor, Peter not only points out the problem but also gives the solution—not striving in our own strength or trusting in our confession of sin but trusting in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The price He paid for sin is enough. We can have forgiveness, cleansing and renewed hunger for the Word in Christ!

Intersecting Faith & Life:

If you have a good appetite for the Word of God and are enjoying daily nourishment from reading it and meditating on its truth, pause and thank God for that clear sign of life, health and maturity. If not, ask God to give you eyes to see what may be keeping you from longing for His Word.

Further Reading:

Eph. 4:25

Rev. 12:10

Prov. 16:28

Prov. 26:20

Prov. 6:19

Prov. 11:9

Ps. 31:13

[Judy Harder]

November 18, 2009

The Misbegotten Search
by Katherine Britton, Crosswalk.com News & Culture editor

This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live." - Amos 5:4

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

On a recent trip down memory lane, my sister and I laughed about our short careers as archeologists. We were big on dinosaurs, finding Noah's Ark, learning about the tells being excavated in modern Palestine, the works. I was fascinated by these artifacts, and I dragged my younger sister into my dust-gathering antics.

After I saw the first Indiana Jones film, the hunt for my own artifacts began in earnest. I knew just where to start. Logically speaking (to an eight-year-old), fossils were likely to pop up where you least expected them. After all, how long had King Tut's tomb remained unopened? Or how about those Native American arrowheads my grandfather found on his property? I knew that Native Americans had traveled my area pretty well at some point. And probably dinosaurs too. I firmly believed that "dig and ye shall find."

Being well-versed in archeological techniques and protocol, I knew that all good artifacts were likely to crumble as soon as they breathed the 20th century air. So we didn't actually dig. We brushed.

With thick, kids' craft paintbrushes.

At the dirt.

Under the backyard swingset.

This expedition lasted for at least a summer, and during that time I firmly believed that we were that close to discovering the next species of dinosaur. The packed dirt and rocks under the swingset did take on some curious shapes - just enough to keep me on the verge of discovery - but the great dig amounted to nothing. And eventually, we moved on to other pursuits.

No one can say we weren't earnest. To the contrary, I firmly believed that I was making the best possible use of my summer, and probably my life. But the search for these artifacts in that impossible place was doomed from the beginning. We had no evidence pointing to such a find in such a place. We had no idea what we were really looking for. And yet there we were, day after day, brushing away the dirt while the swings above us hung abandoned.

As children, such a pursuit encouraged our natural curiosity and taught us a few things about tenacity if nothing else. If I took up my paintbrush today, however, I'd be hailed as less of an Indiana Jones figure than a cracked pot. I know better now, and the effort would be completely inappropriate. And yet... I continue in the misbegotten search.

I am like the child that C.S. Lewis described in The Weight of Glory. He wrote,

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who want to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at sea. We are far too easily pleased.

Intersecting Faith & Life: We've glimpsed the sea, and yet we continue making our dreams of earth. Are you more entertained by the mud pies than the promise of eternal treasure? The search is still on, but it's time to put the childish ways behind us (1 Corinthians 13:11) and seek after the genuine. That's the only treasure worth finding.

Further Reading 


Choosing Your Own Adventure
Matthew 6:19-21

[Judy Harder]

November 19, 2009

Members without a Club
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.
John 14:6

"I don't respect [believers] who don't proselytize. I don't respect that at all. If you believe that there's a heaven and a hell, and that people could be going to hell, or not getting eternal life, or whatever, and you think, well, it's not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward... how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe that everlasting life is possible, and not tell them that? I mean if I believed beyond a shadow of a doubt that a truck was coming at you, and you didn't believe it, but that truck was bearing down? There's a certain point where I tackle you. And this is more important than that."

Wow, great words. Completely sums up what's at stake with Christian evangelism, and why it's so impotant, not to mention commanded. Who said that? Famous pastor? Leading revivalist? World-traveled evangelist?

An atheist. One who later in the same speech will say, "I know there's no God," and "religion does a lot of bad stuff," but who was nonetheless touched by a genuine gesture a simple, normal, respectable gentleman made in giving the gift of a Gideon Bible.

The atheist in question is Penn Gillette, of the famous magic act Penn & Teller. You can check out his story of being offered a Bible following one of his shows on YouTube.

I am sure Mr. Gillette and I - and you - disagree on a lot of things. But he's so right about this. Our pastor was recently addressing some of the tough questions about Christianity in a sermon series, including the one about how can Christians claim to know the true way; aren't all ways equally valid? And he settled on our verse today - John 14:6 - which is our beloved starting prooftext for how Jesus himself stated that no other way would work.

While that is blessedly true, our pastor suggested we tend to have inverted if not perverted the subtlety of the message. We've behaved like we're privileged members of an exclusive club, one that has created all sorts of rules to keep others out. One that gets to tell them how wrong they are. One that should be full of joy and open arms, but is instead full of stern sobriety and pointing fingers. One that nobody would really want to join anyway, even if it were a club, which it isn't. For one thing, we're on a journey toward perfection, and in the same chapter Jesus told his followers that the many rooms in his Father's house were being prepared. We aren't living in them yet. Our clubhouse is not our current home. We have merely started on the journey, and yet...

We forget where we come from.

Christianity is flawed in part because it is full of losers - those who humbly admitted their own shortcomings and acknowledged The Answer was outside themselves. My own father - before his conversion - said he viewed Christianity as a crutch for weak people. "Exactly," was my response. Christ did not come for the healthy, but for the sick. That was us. We have no claim to exclusivity. The message, similar to how eloquently Mr. Gillette put it, is that anyone can be INcluded, provided they believe. Our job is to tell them that truck is bearing down, politely and sincerely. To give the Bible and to have read it ourselves. To model a life not based on legalism or even moralism, but on the joy of every day's opportunity along the narrow road and the freedom we have to choose to follow it or not.

When Jesus told his followers that he was the way and the truth and the life, it was a comfort. He had just told them he would be leaving, but that if they had seen him (and they had) then they had seen the Father, and that "you know the way to the place where I am going."

Intersecting Faith & Life: Comfort others with this verse. There are a lot of hurting people in this world who point to this text as the source of their conundrum with Christianity. Remind them that we're not about keeping people out, evoking a membership privilege to remind them who and what is wrong, or even condemning them to a more dire fate. In fact, it has so little to do with do's and don'ts, and everything to do with grace, freedom, and acceptance. I was lost, and someone pointed me to this road. Many others had tried before, but their words finally took hold and my eyes were opened to see it was indeed the right road. Yours can be too. Pure blood was shed for you as it was for anyone who would accept it, repent, seek forgiveness, know joy. Here's a Bible. Won't you read it and join us on The Way?

[Judy Harder]

November 20, 2009

The End All, Cure All for Hiccups
by Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees ... May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.  Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.
Psalm 119:71, 76-77

Well, it finally happened.  The fall temperatures dipped low enough this week so that I could start drinking a cup of hot tea before bedtime!

So there I was one evening, sitting on my sofa and relaxing after a very full day.  Then I took a premature sip of the piping hot herbal tea.  And then I remembered what I had forgotten across the vast reaches of springtime and summer when iced water is my usual beverage of choice:  hot liquids can very easily bring on hiccups.  Very easily.

Now there are all sorts of home remedies and old wives' tales that people follow to cure themselves from these breathing interruptions:  having someone suddenly scare you, drinking an entire glass of water quickly and without breathing, keeping a spoonful of sugar in your mouth for five minutes, eating peanut butter, etc.

For me, the glass of water method usually does the trick.  But that particular evening, I just didn't want to get up from my cozy spot and go to the kitchen.  I mean, I had the afghan wrapped around me just so, and my cat was perched on my lap—curled up cinnamon-roll style and purring away—and I couldn't reach the remote to pause the movie I was watching.  So ...

What was I do?  Well, I sat there and hiccuped for about an hour.  That's right.  I refused to make any changes because of the hiccup situation.  Ridiculous!  Really.  I knew the simple solution to the problem, but I was too stubborn to get up and go there.  I thought I could handle it on my own, and I did not want to get myself uncomfortable just to get some relief.

Life's hiccups can also be like that, can't they?  There you are, feeling comfy and "secure"—in your finances, in your relationships, in your job, in your church, in your small group, in your health—and then whammo!  Disruption.  Problem is, though, we can't swig some water or ingest some peanut butter to remedy the situations on our own.

But the beauty of these spiritual trials is that they give us the opportunity to quit relying on self and call out to the Lord.  To get off of "the sofa," to take a step of faith, to get uncomfortable and get on our knees while we submit ourselves and trust in him as he carries us through.

The point of seeking out this divine end all, cure all is not how swiftly the Lord will deliver us from whatever is causing disruption in our lives.  It is in the blessing that comes from walking through dark times, when we seek out God and yield ourselves to him.  If you are a child of God and have gone through anything that has shaken your faith, then you know this to be true.  You either draw closer or you drift away.  There is no in-between.

When David underwent times of persecution and isolation, God didn't instantly change his situation after David first cried out to him.  Instead, he worked in David's life and comforted him throughout his suffering, as he drew this warrior-king closer to himself and to his Word (Psalm 18).   

Thousands of years later, God is still the only remedy worth pursuing today.  He is waiting, willing and able to be our rock, shield and stronghold—no matter what hiccups our lives may bring.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Not all hiccups are just minor, momentary inconveniences in our lives.  Some are ongoing, long-term sources of intense pain, heartache and struggle.  Whatever you are experiencing today, don't settle for a self-help cure.  Get up and go to the Father to receive supernatural-strength comfort and peace. 

Further Reading

Psalm 34:17-19

Psalm 55:22