Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

December 26, 2011


Walking the Floodwall
Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com

"And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." – Luke 2:52

I have a confession to make; last Sunday I skipped church. I actually had a very good excuse though; I wanted to spend more time with God. I know that sounds pretty strange, and I'm certainly not saying Christians should start ditching on Sundays, but that morning as I was getting ready to leave I couldn't help feeling (much to my surprise) that the Holy Spirit didn't want me to go to Church that day.   

So instead, I stayed home and started reading the Bible. I'd only planned on reading two chapters that morning, but I ended up reading eight. Occasionally I'd re-read passages to let the words sink in or underlined verses that stood out to me. After I'd finished, I went outside and started walking. There's a floodwall near my apartment that acts as a kind of jogging trail, and as I made my way across it, I talked with God.                 

I just started praying, telling God about the things going on in my life. My worries, my hopes, what I was grateful for, I let it all pour out as I made my way to the end of the trail. To be honest, it was the closest I'd been to God in a long time. Looking back on it now, I can see God has a sense of humor. Not only did I spend three hours meditating with God, (an hour and a half longer than my usual Church service) but the first chapter I read that morning was Luke 2, which contains one of Jesus own experiences with our Heavenly Father .   

"After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you." "Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them." – Luke 2: 43-50

Sometimes, Church can become a ritual. We go, we sing the songs, we sit through the sermon, and then forget everything once we've left. We allow our Sunday services to become our faith, and our time with God starts looking more like something out of a self-help seminar. But God doesn't just want our attendance on Sundays, he wants us. I think this story in Luke to shows us what our time with God should really be like.

For Jesus, his Father's house was a place of safety, a place where he could grow and mature, a place to listen and at the same time be heard. So the next time you go to Church, don't go out of habit, but apply the lessons to your life, and when you sing, sing for Christ.             

Intersecting Faith and Life

Take a day and spend some personal time with God. Pray and meditate on his words.

Further Reading

Luke 2   

[Judy Harder]

December 27, 2011

Want Vs. Need
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him." 1 Samuel 1:20, NIV

Did you get what you wanted for Christmas? Or did you get what you needed?

What we want and what we need don't often go hand in hand. There are things that I have wanted for a long time now that apparently the Lord has not seen to be necessities in my life just yet. I know he knows what is best for me, but it is still hard to wait. And it is difficult not to look longingly at what others have received and wonder why I cannot be the recipient of such things as well.

This kind of struggle is not new to any of us. And Hannah, who we read about in the first chapter of 1 Samuel, is a great example of how to live when what you want is not yet something God says you need.

For years Hannah had wanted to become a mother. To bear a child. To give her husband, Elkanah, a son—just like his other wife, Peninnah. Being barren was considered a disgrace for a woman in those times, so Hannah most likely felt ashamed and alone and perhaps like a societal outcast. Instead of turning away, though, Hannah took her sorrow and her request for what she wanted to the Lord.

We don't know for sure how long she waited (perhaps years)—and we don't know the exact purposes of God's timing in her life—but we can still learn a great deal from Hannah's example.

She was persistent and continually sought the Lord.She did not give up and stop asking the Lord for what she wanted. Like clockwork, Hannah kept bringing her request to God, year after year (v. 7). No doubt her want continued to drive her to the Father and most likely deepened her relationship with him.
She was blessed with a lifeline.I am quick to forget that the beauty in the midst of Hannah's pain is that Elkanah loved her very dearly. I am sure this buoyed Hannah when she may have wondered if God would ever answer her prayer for a child. God was gracious in giving her a loving husband (v. 5, .
She did not give in to ridicule or naysayers.Even when Peninnah (who was fruitful and had children) taunted her because she was barren, Hannah did not add insult to injury (v. 7). She did not retaliate when ridiculed for her condition or her faith. 
She shared her "want" and was encouraged by others.When the high priest Eli observed Hannah praying in the temple and inquired as to her condition, she shared with him what she was asking of the Lord. Eli encouraged her and asked God to answer her request (vv. 12-17).
She gave back to God what he had given to her.When God blessed Hannah with a child, she did not cling tightly to him. She kept her promise, let her son go and dedicated him to the Lord (v. 11, vv.21-28). That is model faith!
Like Hannah, are you waiting on the Lord to give you something you want in your life today? A new job? Reconciliation in your marriage? Blessing in your finances? A cure from illness? To find your soul mate? Victory over an addiction? A baby?

Each of us has something we want in our lives. But is up to God to decide if this is something we really need. May we continue to come to him with joy and thankfulness, as we acknowledge that he knows what is best for our lives.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you know that God has already given you what you need for this very day? Ask him to help you accept his plans and timing for your life—even when you don't understand.

Further Reading:

James 1:17, NIV

Matthew 7:11, NIV

[Judy Harder]

December 28, 2011


Reversing Babel
by Katherine Britton

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. - Romans 15:5,6

Coca-Cola created a cultural meme of epic proportions with a TV spot in 1971. You've probably heard it. The brand jingle "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" met such popular appeal that it merited a full song minus the Coke references. The New Seekers took their happy song high on the Billboard Hot 100 that same year, as people sang along with the hilltop melody. In case you've forgotten the original jingle, a few sample verses:

I'd like to teach the world to sing
in perfect harmony.
I'd like to buy the world a Coke,
and keep it company

I'd like to see the world for once
all standing hand in hand.
And hear them echo through the hills
for peace throughout the land.

It's the real thing
what the world wants today,
That's the way it'll stay
with the real thing.

This utopia of happy people might've been a little exaggerated (the song originated as a marketing campaign, after all), but the underlying ideal of unity clearly resonated with people. If Coke happened to be the original vehicle for such peace, love, and happiness, okay then. It's a delightful ditty that manages to communicate our need for unity and connection. But is unity alone enough?

Coke's marketing was clever, but not original. At its heart, the commercial and subsequent song celebrated a humanism that was also secular. Its message was for the people, by the people -- and by their creations. From that point of view, the message was the same as the message of Babel. In that instance, men united to sing praises from another hilltop. The praises were their own - praises of a unified people so in sync and powerful that they could rival the gods.

You know what happened next.

Matthew Henry's commentary observed of Babel that "unity is a policy but it is not the infallible mark of a true church." Babel was partially constructed before God decided to deal with their pride and disobedience, and looked plenty successful for a time. Call it a common grace that we have the ability to build relationships that work even in a fallen world. Even Babel - and Coca-Cola - can do that. Our attempts, however, may only work for so long.

Babel failed when its people "forgot their place" and sought their success, reputation, and a good life elsewhere than where God had commanded them. Their unity was founded on something temporal. As such, it was no matter for God to drive a wedge between the people and send them away from each other. That was his original command. He had told them to fill the earth, not stay in one place and build a single city for all humanity. Apart from his purposes, they had no real unity... only a secular humanism to temporarily stick them together.

While God can drive apart, he also has the power to bring people together for his purposes. As I talked about last week, the miracle of the Gospel doesn't just bring us back to God - it brings us back to each other. Matthew Henry's commentary says this:

As the confounding of tongues divided the children of men and scattered them abroad, so the gift of tongues, bestowed upon the apostles (Acts 2), contributed greatly to the gathering together of the children of God, who were scattered abroad, and the uniting of them in Christ, that with one mind and one mouth they might glorify God.

The Gospel brings us back to our right place. Observing our need of grace orients - and unites! - us towards Christ with other believers. Then, something crazy can happen. Babel reverses itself.

Babel happened when people took a superficial unity to the extreme, and ended up judged by God for their disobedience. Pentecost, with its universal call to repentance in Christ, forged a permanent unity between people who had little in common.

*This devotional originally ran January 6, 2011.

Intersecting Faith & Life: What holds our relationships together? Are we building our unity around a happy song that might ultimately disintegrate? That only works so long as we, so to speak, agree to sing exactly the same tune, words, and song. But when our focus is on living life to glorify God, we get something far more encompassing. That's enough to hold us together through the smaller disagreements here on earth. Babel's day is over - the miracle of Christian unity has taken over.

[Judy Harder]

Dec. 29, 2011

If Only
by Sarah Jennings, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new."
Revelation 21:5

I've never known anyone that claimed New Year's was their favorite holiday. The media shows flashy images of jubilant crowds forgetting their cares as they count down until midnight. After the ball drops, lovers kiss, friends embrace, and the partying continues into the wee hours.

In various real-life conversations, the consensus seems to be: New Year's isn't quite as fun as the TV makes it look. Many note the anti-climactic nature of this holiday, and have foregone the party scene for quieter evenings that may or may not last until midnight.

I think New Year's brings so many mixed emotions because New Year's (and birthdays) remind us that we are creatures limited to time. With the passage of time we not only sense our mortality, but most of us have accumulated personal losses or regrets alongside our precious memories. And time's indifferent, methodical nature does not allow us to go back and have a redo.

In a conversation last winter, a friend shared a perspective on time and eternity that really changed my approach to New Year's. A wise pastor once shared with her, "We struggle with time because ultimately our souls weren't meant for time. Our souls were meant for eternity, in relationship with an Eternal God."

Although I can't even begin to wrap my mind around the logistics of eternity (what is it like to have no beginning and no end?), my friend's comment gives me hope. Our linear existence is not "it." This, of course, doesn't mean we can approach time in a careless manner. Certainly God, the Creator of time, cares how we spend it. But our discomfort with the passage of another year points to a God who is bigger than the limitations of time and who loves us enough to prepare us for a day when we will no longer be bound to its limitations either.

But what of the regrets, the wrongs done, and the losses? These things seem set in stone, and like real stones they often weigh on us in our attempts to make fresh starts.

In the book of Revelation, we see that God, from His throne, continually makes all things new (21: 5). Once again, it's kind of hard to wrap your mind around a God who is bigger than time, Who can bring good out of a past we no longer have access to. But our pasts and all the failings and imperfections contained in them don't faze a God whose goodness knows no bounds. Although we are limited, God's grace is not.

When I look at it this way, I have to ask myself: "Why would I, a creature powerless to change the past, want to hold on so tightly to it? Why not give it to the One who can actually do something about it?!"

Can you hand your past over to the Eternal One in the coming year? Are you willing to surrender your present and your future as well? I know this without a doubt – surrendering your life to God is something you'll never regret.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Enjoy a peaceful New Year's Eve knowing the future is in God's Hands.

Further Reading

Psalm 96: 1-2
2 Corinthians 5: 17
Face the New Year Without Fear, by Adrian Rogers

 

[Judy Harder]

December 30, 2011

A Mathful God?
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor
God doesn't count us; he calls us by name. Arithmetic is not his focus.
Romans 9:28, The Message

Thank God that he calls us by name, that our names have been written in the Book of Life. He knows us intimately. We are not just numbers to him, as the scripture above reminds.

That said, have you ever looked at the face of a calculator and marveled at how completely God is involved in all of those functions? He adds, he subtracts, he multiplies, he divides. Positives, negatives, rationals, irrationals, imaginaries, radicals... all indicate some aspect of God and what he does, how he interacts with his creation.

Let's take a look at some examples of the most basic of these functions, and how they suggest a perfect sum of completeness and trust. He's worked it all out. The numbers add up. The whole world - its time and history and future - is well calculated, and safe in his hands.   

ADDITION

Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. --Acts 2:46-47, NAS

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. --1 Corinthians 3:7, KJV

"Nothing in Scripture and in the life of Christ could be clearer: Wealth is not an objective of the spiritual life. When we encounter money on the path of life, we are encouraged to do one of three things with it: Turn and walk in the other direction; pick it up and give it away; or use it for the necessities of life. It's this last part that I think has become skewed over time. Our list of 'needs' is much greater today than it was in 1900 and their list of needs were certainly greater than during the time when Christ walked the Earth. Now I know that here in the year [2010], it is countercultural to give money away. It is countercultural to seek your security in things that aren't man-made. But, remember what Jesus promised, 'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you' (Matthew 6:33, NKJV)."  --Steve Scalici, "Should Christians Strive for the American Dream?"

SUBTRACTION

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! --John 1:29, NAS

If you subtract from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will subtract your part from the Tree of Life and the Holy City that are written in this book. --Revelation 22:19, MSG

"Our spiritual engrafting provides an eternity of new life. While the struggles of our present earthly existence cause momentary, light affliction, the life to come for those who are in Christ Jesus will last forever. There will be no more heartaches, no more pain. He has taken our heart of stone and replaced it with a heart of flesh. He died so that we might live."  --Peter Beck, "Engrafted for Life"

MULTIPLICATION

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. --Hebrews 6:13-14, KJV

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. --2 Corinthians 9:10, NAS

"I would be afraid to bring children into this world if I did not know God. But because I know God, I am free to encourage you to have children... God's people are the ones who ought to be bringing a godly seed into this world. What does the world need? Jesus. How are they going to hear if the light goes out?"  --Adrian Rogers, "Bringing Children into the World"

DIVISION

So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. --Ezekiel 47:21, NAS

And the people of all the nations will be gathered before him. Then he will divide them into two groups, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. --Matthew 25:32, GNT

"God is in the business of division. As in creation, He divided whatever was necessary in order to bring order. He divides light and darkness today also. That is why His people are in this world but not of it. God's children are separated from the world as they are sanctified, or set apart, for the things of God. As Christians, we think of the Lord as One who wants to make "everything ok" or to bring peace to a given situation. However, the Lord Jesus clearly said that He came to divide. 'Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword' (Matt. 10:34)."  --Tonilee Adamson & Bobbye Brooks, "Division"

The Sum of the Equation

I know that whatever God does will last forever; there is nothing to add or subtract from it; and God has done it so that people will fear him. --Ecclesiastes 3:14, CJB

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD." -- Job 1:21, NAS

You can't take any of this stuff with you. Enjoy it and praise God for all of it. Instead of counting widgets, count blessings, count it all joy. Let him do the math of your life: be your accountant, buyer, salesman, financial planner, marketer and profiteer.

[Judy Harder]

January 2, 2012


What Is True Spirituality?
Alex Crain
Editor, Christianity.com

"When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate."
Genesis 3:6 NASB

It seems clear to me that the root of all human sin is unbelief. Doubt. I've heard people argue that the most basic sin is pride, and well, I suppose that's somewhere lurking on the other side of the coin. But if we start at the beginning of the Bible, the Genesis 3 account shows that Eve first doubted God. That was her sin. After her unbelief came the outward act of disobedience.

Francis Schaeffer, commenting on this, said: "By her doubting she called God a liar. Eve doubted... mankind in revolt doubts God" (chapter seven, True Spirituality).

On the contrary, the person who is at peace with God does not doubt Him. Rather, he/she trusts God. Schaeffer says this is the simplest way to describe true spirituality: it is believing God.

But it is more than just believing God at one isolated point in life. It is believing God and having ongoing belief in Him. There must be moment-by-moment personal communion with Him.

God created us to be relational, not mechanical. Healthy relationships depend on good communication. But communication is an always-in-flux, moment-by-moment kind of thing. That is why all our mechanical efforts at the Christian life fail. It's not about reading a set number of chapters of the Bible each day. It's not about praying for so long.

No. What is needed first, and what inspires trust is, throughout the day, seeing before us the most basic teachings of the Bible:

God exists and He is personal.

God is holy and sin will be judged, but Christ's atonement removes the guilt of sinners.

We are saved from condemnation by the finished work of Christ, and we are brought into a proper relationship with God in a personal way.

We are joined to Christ spiritually.

We can enjoy communication with the Creator on the basis of what Christ has done. (1 John 1:5-9)

These truths don't change, regardless of how I feel at any given moment.

The rediscovery of believing God and these truths moment-by-moment is what lifted Francis Schaeffer out of a long, dark season and re-energized his life.

In our lives, what generally causes us to distrust Christ and run elsewhere is that we often think that we have a better way. We think that, somehow, God really doesn't have our best interests at heart. Like Eve, we think that God is withholding something good from us.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
The rediscovery of believing God and these truths moment-by-moment is what lifted Francis Schaeffer out of a long, dark season and re-energized his life. If you've come to see that God doesn't deserve our suspicion, seek His aid to maintain this moment-by-moment walk of faith with Him. 

For Further Study:
Isaiah 30:15 "Thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, 'In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.'"

For further study, read Romans 6-8 and 1 John 1:5-9

[Judy Harder]

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]

January 4, 2012

Look What I Did!
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10, NIV

"So . . . have we talked about me, yet?"

Several years ago, my good friend Jeremy and I would always kid each other with that question during our conversations. It was said after one of us realized we were talking way too much about ourselves, about our accomplishments or about anything that we wanted the other to know so he or she could give up some props and praise.

It was said in jest, but also with an ounce of truth. For we really were so self-focused that the other would periodically enter into the "conversation coma" while listening. You know . . . the whole eyes glazed over, occasional nodding of the head and maybe an "uh huh" every now and then type of thing.

I have gotten that a lot with my friends over the years. But I used to just think, Well, I'm just very verbal and like to over-describe things and tell really good stories . . . so that must be why people can't stay focused on what I'm talking about. Right.

Several times recently, the Holy Spirit has checked me on that interpretation. In one instance, I was sharing with a small group about my "ministry" of reaching out to back-burner Christians. I think if I had just simply said that I feel like the Lord surrounds me with these people and has allowed me to speak into their lives and that's all, then that would have been fine.

But ohhhhh no. I had to go on and on and list example after example of how I had "helped" and "ministered" and said exactly the right words to help a brother or sister see his or her bad life decisions, so that they would get back on track with the Lord.

I didn't realize what kind of a peacock moment this was was until later on. I've also noticed that I tend to be less than humble when it comes to sharing about my acts of service. I won't fall into my own trap and list them all out right here and now, but I sure would love to. Why? Because I want the praise. I want the recognition. I want to feel like Sally Field at the Oscars and know that "You like me . . . you really like me."

And that's where I get it all wrong. The Bible says that the Lord is the one who is supposed to lift us up. Not us.

"This is the one I esteem:  he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word" (Isa. 66:2b, NIV).

Even if no one ever found out what my "good deeds" were or how I prayed for this person or how I gave financially here and there, I should still be satisfied in knowing that God knows. Because everything I do should be for his glory and not my own. It's a tough pill to swallow for someone who enjoys running her own fan club. But Jesus tells us to live counter to our culture and to our fleshly desires.

Let us encourage ourselves—and one another—to seek humility and look to what HE is doing in our lives!

Intersecting Faith & Life: Think about an upcoming good deed that you are planning. Tell no one what you are going to do or afterward what you've done. The Lord knows, you will have glorified him, and he will be pleased. That's all that matters.

Further Reading:

Matt. 6:1-4, NIV

Matt. 23:12, NIV

[Judy Harder]

January 5, 2012


Resolutions and Redemption
by Anna Kuta, Crosswalk.com Editor

"For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

It's that time of year again! I'm talking about new year's resolutions, of course. It's still December as I'm writing, but I guarantee that by the time you read this, I'll already be asking myself what possessed me to come up with such grand, unattainable plans for 2012. (It seemed like a good idea at the time.) Every year I tell myself it'll finally be the year I keep all my resolutions. I mean, come on – how hard can it possibly be to finally set aside an hour for exercise each day, to stop consuming so much chocolate and coffee, and to never sleep for less than eight hours again?

Why are new year's resolutions so hard to keep? I don't know, but it's a lot like another area of life. Let me explain.

Before I became a Christian at the age of 17, I approached my life the same way I often approach new year's resolutions. I would try so hard to do the right things but I always ended up falling flat. I convinced myself that as long as I was the "good girl," I'd be fine, so I tried really hard to live up to certain standards to please everyone, and hopefully God too. The problem, though, is that there's nothing anyone can do in his or her own power to "earn" God's favor.

As Ephesians 2:8 says, it's by God's grace that we are saved, not because of anything we could ever hope to attain or accomplish. God's gift of His son Jesus Christ to save us from our sins through His death and resurrection is just that – a gift. Doing all the good, noble things in the world will never earn salvation, and like verse 9 says, nobody could ever think of boasting about such an undeserved gift.

Of course, the desire to do the right things is one result of making Jesus the Lord of your life, but we all continue to mess up because, after all, we are just sinners saved by grace. I still lose sight of it all sometimes and get caught up in the cycle of trying to "out-good" myself and others. This new year, however, in light of any new year's resolutions you may have made (or already broken), join me in remembering the assurance of one thing we never have to work to attain: God's grace.

Intersecting Faith & Life

It's hard to live up to new year's resolutions, but it's impossible to earn God's favor through good works or noble aspirations. This new year, realize and thank God anew for the gift of His grace and salvation through Jesus.

Further Reading

Titus 3:4-7

2 Timothy 1:8-10

[Judy Harder]

January 6, 2012

The Outsiders
by Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him."
Matthew 2: 1-2

Have you ever felt like an outsider? I have. If you saw me sitting at my desk now, you'd see a conservative-looking, young woman. But rewind to high school, and you'd see an awkward, lonely kid wearing super baggy, ripped-to-shreds jeans. I actually skipped my junior year to get out as quickly as possible. College was a turning point, and I will never regret my decision to graduate high school early.

If you've experienced the pang of being the odd one out, you hold a special place in the heart of God. On January 6th, many churches celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. The Epiphany marks the arrival of the wise men after a lengthy journey guided by the star of Bethlehem.

As popular as these guys are in religious art, we don't know much about the Magi. There is no concrete evidence they were kings, no exact number of how many followed the star, no records of their countries of origin, and no official date of their arrival. Historical research indicates they were most likely members of a priestly caste from Persia who practiced a religion called Zoroastrianism.

So why set aside a special feast day to celebrate the arrival of some guys we don't know much about? Precisely because they were mysterious outsiders. Not only did their arrival catch King Herod by surprise and set into motion a series of prophetic events, but centuries later we see the wise men represented God's plan to save all who seek Him, regardless of their backgrounds.

Of course, God's saving plan for the Gentiles didn't go over well with everyone at first. Many of Jesus' early followers struggled with - even protested - this idea that Christ's kingdom would include outsiders.

All this forces me to slow down and think. Who are the outsiders today? And how do I treat them? Do I love everyone as God does? Do I entrust that God is working within others even if their lives don't take conventional paths?

Having had my own taste of being on the outside looking in, you would think I readily embrace all who come my way. Sadly, this isn't always the case. At church, I might see someone dressed unconventionally and make assumptions. Or perhaps I observe a peer that struggles to fit into my social group and put forth little effort to make them feel more accepted. I've failed outside of church, too. I'm ashamed to admit that I have, at times, caught myself embracing a judgmental "us vs. them" mentality when interacting with those who don't practice the Christian faith.

Imagine: What if Joseph and Mary had shut the doors on the Magi? I mean, these guys must have been a strange and unexpected sight to this young, Jewish couple when they arrived. What if they had been scandalized by their arrival, skeptical about their exotic gifts, and informed them they had no business paying homage to their son? Thankfully, they put their trust in God's unfolding plan, and welcomed them. But I'm learning that when I turn my back on those who don't fit into whatever mental requirements I've cooked up, I fail to love, and effectively turn my back on God's will.

Intersecting Faith & Life: One of my New Year's resolutions is to invest some time in those others might normally write off. Can you identify someone in your church or your life that in some way stands on "the outside?" Make an effort to get to know them a little better this week. You may be surprised at the blessings that flow from this new relationship.

Further Reading

Isaiah 60: 1-6
Ephesians 3: 2-3, 5-6