Crosswalk.com--The Devotional

[Judy Harder]

Read Leviticus 14 – 15

Highlights:

After reading these chapters, you will discover how awful sin is in the eyes of God. "Separation from sin" are the key words in today's Scripture. God expects His people to be "clean" clear through — not just in outward appearance.
This is the Law for all manner of plague of leprosy. . .To teach when it is unclean, and when it is clean (Lev. 14:54-57).

The disease of leprosy made a man unfit for society, separated him from the place of worship, and even forced him to leave his home and loved ones. He shall dwell alone; without the camp (13:46). He was an outcast and had to confess himself: Unclean, unclean (13:45). He defiled everything and everyone he touched.

Just as the leper was banished from the place of worship and the assembly of Israel, so the unsaved sinner is shut out from Jehovah's presence because of his defilement. He is unfit for fellowship with God.

If, by the mercy of God, a leper was healed, he still could not be restored to his home, society, or worship until after the priest pronounced the leper healed. Then two birds were brought for sacrifice. One was slain and its blood mingled with living water, symbolic of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God in operation through the living Christ who died on Calvary's cross. Then, the other bird was dipped into the water, mingled with blood, and was set free to fly into the sky — symbolic of Christ's resurrection and His ascension into heaven. It further symbolized that when the sinner is cleansed, he is free. The power of sin is broken, and we no longer have to live under the condemnation and power of Satan.

The cleansing and restoration of the leper foreshadowed the precious work of our Savior, who cleanses us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). The leper was helpless to pronounce himself cleansed. The priest had to first go forth out of the camp (Lev. 14:3) and make the sacrifice for the leper's cleansing and restoration.

Throughout the entire ceremony, the leper did nothing until after the blood was sprinkled (14:7). Even so, after a sinner confesses his sin and is cleansed by the blood, he is brought into fellowship with God and is a redeemed worshiper.

And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put forth His hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed (Matt. 8:2-3).

Thought for Today:

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God (Rom. 12:2).
Christ Portrayed:

By the priest who made atonement for a cleansed leper (Lev. 14:20). Our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (reconciliation) (Rom. 5:11).
Word Studies:

14:8 tarry abroad, delay outside, stay outside his tent; 14:23 unto, in front; 14:32 whose hand is not able, who cannot afford; 14:38 shut up, quarantine; 14:41 within round about, all around inside; 15:19 put apart, keep separate, in a state of impurity.
Prayer Needs:

Pray for International Broadcasts: In memory of Iva Ann McElroy (Dr. John A. Hash's mother) • Staff: Barbara Bivens • Country: Russia (146.5 million) northeastern Europe and northern Asia • Major language: Russian • Religious freedom • 55% Russian Orthodox; 9% Muslim; 1% Protestant (Baptist, Pentecostal); .8% Shamanist/Animist; .6% Buddhist; .5% Roman Catholic; .5% New Religions (e.g., Hare Krishna); .4% Jewish; .1% Old Believers; 32.1% Agnostics/Atheists/Others • Prayer Suggestion: Ask the Lord to show you what to do, and then be willing to do it (Acts 9:6).
Optional Reading: Mark 9

Memory Verse for the Week: Ephesians 3:17

[Judy Harder]

What Are You Looking At?

Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18, NIV

In "a previous life" and in a different job, I worked in a bull-pen situation.

For those of you who have not experienced this type of work environment, imagine this if you will:

A narrow room of maybe 100 x 400 feet. Four or five windows along the length of one wall. Exposed brick. Hardwood floors. High ceilings. Open-concept layout with desks for about 10 people.

Employees hollered across the room at one another to relay information, instead of phoning or instant-messaging. And most of the time, we would all just roll our office chairs across the floor to make our way from desk to desk.

Add in 10+ hour work days, music blaring (at each work station), phones ringing, keyboards click-clacking, voices chatting, a disco ball that came out after dusk (no kidding) . . . and well, you get the picture. Crazy as it were.

This was my life for about a year or so. But somehow, I learned to focus and get my job done despite all of the distractions. Looking back, I have no idea how I did it. I even did some writing while in this type of environment! Go figure. Most people require peace and quiet so that they may collect their thoughts and let the creativity flow uninterrupted. But in my situation, I had no choice. It was sink or swim.

Thankfully (and as fun as they actually could be at times), those circumstances were only temporary and didn't last long. Nowadays, I have my own office again and am able to get my work done in a relatively calm environment. But you know what? I have trouble focusing!

Unbelievable, I know. But when I do a little personal inventory to figure out what's distracting me, I see that it's mostly internal and all in my mind.

There's no one rolling past me in their chairs. No phones ringing or loud music playing. The noise is only in my head. Life issues, mostly. In fact, I just made a list of ten things that are distracting me right now and feel like they are sweeping over my life. They all seem to be crashing in and keeping me from the task at hand. They are "demanding" my attention and my natural response is to drop what I'm doing. To worry. To grow anxious.

Much like the disciples did when a storm overtook them in the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 8:23-27), I am not putting my faith in the Lord. "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Jesus asked them. I must ask myself the same question today. If God has power over all of nature, doesn't he also have control over all of the elements affecting my life? A thousand times yes!

"What kind of man is this?" asked the disciples after Jesus calmed the storm. "Even the winds and the waves obey him!

What signifies "the winds and the waves" in your life today? No matter what we think we see overtaking us, let's resolve to put our faith and our focus in what is unseen: the Lord of all creation, the Almighty God.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Make a list of everything that has got your mind tied up in knots today. Pray through these items and ask the Lord to help you not be overwhelmed and to fix your eyes on what is eternal.

Further Reading:

Hebrews 3:1, NIV

Proverbs 4:25, NIV

[Judy Harder]

St. Polycarp: Christian Hero
Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5: 12

Christian. When you hear the word, what images come to mind? It's too easy for me to approach the faith only in a modern context.

But there is so much more to professing faith in Christ than what we see today. Whenever I need a little dose of context, I read about heroic Christians from other eras. This week, I came across a Christian in a unique position: he was among the first generation of Church leaders after the apostles passed away.

St. Polycarp, a 2nd century bishop of what is now part of Turkey, was a disciple of John the Apostle. St. John, often known as the "beloved disciple," was privileged to stand at the foot of the Cross. He knew and cared for Mary, Jesus' mother. He was in the upper room after the Resurrection and was a member of the original twelve.

St. Polycarp was one of the first Church leaders who did not get to do any of these things. Perhaps this seems like an easy position to be in. After all, Polycarp knew those who witnessed Christ's life with their own eyes. But being a second generation Church leader wasn't a comfortable position. It meant you were entering unknown territory - territory filled with disputes and heresies that threatened to destroy Christianity in its infancy. These leaders had to place incredible faith in the Holy Spirit to guide them.

Not only did Polycarp and his peers face disagreements within the Church, but they also faced pagan persecution from the outside. During this time, Christians were called "atheists" because they rejected the predominant polytheistic beliefs of their culture. In these early days, pagans would burn Christian "atheists" or feed them to wild animals.

Polycarp stayed grounded by keeping his focus on Christ. He was known for being very tough on heresy but gentle on fellow believers who disagreed with him on non-essential details of the faith. When the eastern and western churches could not agree on how and when to celebrate Passover and Easter, Polycarp did not force the issue with other leaders when it became apparent that both approaches were true to the gospel.

St. Polycarp also relied heavily on a deep prayer life. He prayed specifically for people he encountered and the needs of his particular era. He was committed to leading his fellow Christians effectively and never sought glory for himself.

Although Polycarp was well-loved and respected by both pagans and Christians, he was keenly aware that one day he may face martyrdom. When his time finally came, he was already eighty-six years old, and he went willingly. He could have pledged his allegiance to Caesar to save himself, but instead Polycarp told his captors, "If you imagine that I will swear by Caesar, you do not know who I am. Let me tell you plainly, I am a Christian."

After his death, Christians kept his bones in his memory and as a reminder of the persecution the early Christians faced.

In some ways, Polycarp faced situations unfamiliar to us and yet in other ways, his story reminds us that the trials we face today are not as unique as they may appear. If we keep our focus on Christ and our days filled with prayer, we can continue the legacy the faithful left to us almost 2,000 years ago.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Do you find yourself distracted from love of Christ because of bickering in your local church or challenges from those who don't believe? Take a lesson from Polycarp. Spend additional time in prayer this week to refocus, refuel and discern the best way to proceed.

Reference: "Saint Polycarp," Catholic.org

[Judy Harder]

Tsunami of Emotion and Understanding
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

"Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Job 2:9

This week, I came across a story that is all at once heartbreaking and hope-giving, tragic and uplifting, devastating and determined.

This excellent article by the International Mission Board's Shawn Hendricks chronicles what has happened to and through one Christian family on India's east coast since the tsunamis of late 2004. I encourage you to check it out. If you do, it will effectively function as your devotional for today much better than what I am about to write in response to it.

In a real-world account of events straight from the Book of Job, Paramesvaran and Choodamani lost all three of their children the day after Christmas that year. My heart breaks for families who lose one child, much less three. Imagine having lost one of them who was in your arms but who you were just not strong enough to hold on to against the crushing force of so much water.

Imagine being mocked by your friends and family for your faith while you are suffering such tragedy and burying your own offspring.

Imagine being so full of grief you discuss a suicide pact.

But then... eventually... the clouds lift, first for one spouse who is gifted by a word from the Lord about the blessing that her husband survived when so many others did not. Then, later, the husband feels the tugging of the Lord letting him know that his children are safe with Jesus, they're okay, they're full of praise and life.

The real, personable, meaningful faith in God pulls the couple up, and back together. They are blessed with two new children. But beyond that...

...the fact they are alive and together allows them to become adoptive parents to TWENTY orphaned children. Each of them has come to a saving relationship with Jesus, several helping their new father preach the gospel throughout the area.

The example of the family, assisted by donations of Christians around the world, has "brought the Good News into areas that were once unreceptive to Christianity."

The ends of things are truly never known until later. Purpose is often invisible until it isn't. Damaging floods can become cleansing baptisms through the passage of time and reflections from fresh perspectives.

Job refused to curse God and die. He instead decided ultimately to acknowledge that nothing he ever had was his, and that the only thing worth living for was the knowledge that God is awesome, powerful, and beyond our comprehension. And yet, loves us beyond measure.

His story is not just a fable or morality tale. It can seem that way to our modern ears, which are unaccustomed to the reality of THAT much tragedy. But that much tragedy occurs all too frequently around our globe, and when it does, it should not shock me to the extent it did when I read this story. I feel like I should nod knowingly about the cost and fragility of life on this big blue ball, and how despite all the shaking and quaking there can still be a steady security when I give up any notions that I am god, that I am in control, that my job is to do anything with my time here but praise and share, worship and help, live and move and be every minute that he allows.

Intersecting Faith & Life: May God continue to bless the ministry of Paramesvaran and Choodamani, and increase the strength in them that was built from climbing out of their tragic valley. May I not complain today about events that matter not. May I continue to see God's hand in everything as long as I have eyes to take it all in. And should I or my loved ones suffer anywhere close to this much, may we never forget this example of coming out the other side reborn, making ministry from the madness.

[Judy Harder]

February 13, 2012

Yes, Jesus Is Not a Fairy Tale
by Alex Crain, Editor, Christianity.com

"Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." Romans 6:11 NASB

We live in a world in which critics of Christianity consider the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension completely absurd. They count us, His followers, to be fools. They must. They have no other choice. And we do not live by their opinions.

Rather, we pray and live in such a way so that God might use us to open their eyes to the reality of Christ's resurrection. He is Lord of all and is seeing history through to its appointed end. Nothing can change this.

One way that God opened my eyes to the truth of Christ years ago was by putting me in the company of a Christian who had moved past his fear-of-man issues and was living out the verse above. I remember that he even explained his faith to me, a skeptic, in terms of Romans 6 as if it were true in present history—in real space and time. It was unsettling.

He had mentioned reading Francis Schaeffer, whose book True Spirituality I am currently working through on "Crosswalk the Devotional." This week, in chapter three, Schaeffer dwells upon the Romans 6 message about the necessity of the Christian to believe that he has really been joined in union with Christ. Schaeffer points out from Romans 6 that this is the essential message of the Christian life.

From what I can tell, skeptics and critics who suspect that Christians are just trying to make them conform to a moral or political agenda really don't know what to do with the undiluted message of Christianity—that of being spiritually united with Christ. Quoting Schaeffer:

This is the basic consideration of the Christian life.
First, Christ died in history. Second, Christ rose in history.
Third, we died with Christ in history, when we accepted Him as Savior.
Fourth, we will be raised in history, when He comes again.
Fifth, we are to live by faith now as though we were now dead, as though we have already died.
Sixth, we are to live now by faith as though we have now already been raised from the dead.

What this means to the true believer is that the world's power to conform us to its way of thinking and living is broken. All things look different now.

Paraphrasing Schaeffer:

How can we conform to that which is so marred, so broken, so caught up in revolution against God? The praise of the world is worthless when one has stood in the presence of God. The wealth of the world is worthless when one has seen the treasure of heaven. What is earthly power after one has seen the reality of heaven and the power of God?

And this is not a matter of projecting our imaginations. We recognize that the Lord Jesus Christ indeed lives in the presence of the Father (Rom. 6:10), and this is where we are called to live, alive to God in communion with Him, in communication with Him—saying "thank you" in all the ebb and flow of life.

When I am dead both to good and bad [circumstances that happen to me], I have my face turned towards God. And this is the place in which, by faith at the present moment of history, I am to be.

When I am there, what am I? I am then the creature in the presence of my Creator. It is though I am already in the grave, and already before the face of God. When through faith I am dead to all, and am face to face with God, then I am ready by faith to come back into this present world as though I have already been raised from the dead. It is as though I anticipate that day when I will come back.

Our primary call, then, is to be alive to God moment by moment. Our "doing good" should not become a thing in itself and thus spoil the most basic call of being alive to the presence of God.

Christ was not raised mythically. He did not ascend into the realm of mere religious ideas. He was raised historically in space and time. He lives presently and sustains all things by the word of His power. The dominion of sin is broken. Because He lives, we can live free from conformity to the world and be alive in the presence of our Creator.

Intersecting Faith & Life: 

Are you joined in union with Christ? Is yours a Christless Christianity that is more focused on your own goals, fears and feelings than what is historically and presently true of Christ?

Further Study on the Validity of the Christian Worldview:
Dr. Greg Bahnsen's peerless lectures: "Basic Training for Defending the Faith" (YouTube)

[Judy Harder]

February 14, 2012

Celebrate Valentine's Day without Being Miserable
By Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor

"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God." – Ecclesiastes 3:12-13

I won't lie -- I was a little peeved when I discovered I'd be writing Crosswalk's Valentine's Day devotional. After all, I'm a single twenty-something in an office full of married co-workers, and for me Valentine's Day is less about the joy of love and more the glaring reminder of what I'm missing. You can probably relate if you're like me. Every wedding invitation, every perky TV rom-com, makes a small voice in your head ask, "What's wrong with me? It's not like I'm asking for some smoking hot individual to pull up at my door in a Mercedes; I just want to be happy."

I wish I had the answers to these questions. If I did, I wouldn't be single. What I can share with you however, is a lesson I learned from the book of Ecclesiastes.

"I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well -- the delights of the heart of man. I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me. I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." – Ecclesiastes 2:8-11

I think one of the biggest challenges people struggle with (or at least one of the biggest ones I struggle with) is keeping "love" from becoming an idol. We keep telling ourselves that once we're in a relationship we'll be happy -- that it's only after we get married that life is truly fulfilling. Hate to tell you this, but that's not true. Just look at Solomon; he had everything a person could ever want.

Money? He had more than he knew what to do with. Success? He was King of Israel. Romance? Completely covered, and he wrote an entire book of love poetry! Yet despite all these things, when he wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, his message was, "I am unfulfilled." There is a God-shaped hole in all our hearts, and nothing in this world can fill that void.

So, what does that mean for us? Well, my advice if you're single is to keep your chin up and keep looking. You never know who God is going to send your way. More importantly though, don't let the joy God gives you be defined by your relationship status. God blesses us in a lot of different ways, but as long as we keep "love" on a pedestal, we will never be able to enjoy any of it. This Valentine's Day, whether you're married or single, take a moment to acknowledge and enjoy all that God has given you.

Intersecting Faith and Life

Have a happy Valentine's Day.

Further Reading

Ecclesiastes

[Judy Harder]

February 15, 2012

When You're Not Paying Attention
Laura MacCorkle, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down, because your people, whom you brought up out of Egypt, have become corrupt. They have been quick to turn away from what I commanded them and have made themselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. They have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and have said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.' Ex. 32:7-8, NIV

Years ago I used to live in a different city than my immediate family. And so that meant more time flying the friendly skies so that I could see them.

I remember one time arriving on a flight at an airport and having a longer than normal layover before I would connect to my next flight. I glanced at the Arrivals & Departures monitors in the airport concourse, found my next flight and its gate information and then proceeded to make my way there and park myself at what I thought was the right gate for my flight.

An hour or so went by as I waited, and so naturally I was bored. I got up and answered nature's call, perused the newsstand and bought a magazine, and then picked up a smoothie at one of the food and beverage kiosks. Back in my seat, I soon noticed that it should probably be time for preliminary announcements about my flight. But nothing was to be heard on the PA system.

And then, you guessed it: I didn't budge. I was too comfortable in my prime location seat with a great view of the airport television monitor showing me the latest in headline news. Well, around the 30-minutes-to-departure mark, I knew something was wrong when I hadn't heard bupkis about boarding. So that's when I finally got concerned, loaded up my carry-on and finally walked over to the monitors to find out what I was missing.

Sure enough, my gate had changed. So, I hightailed it to the "new" gate which happened to be in a different concourse. Now I did make the flight, but the moral of the story is this:  I almost missed my flight, because I wasn't paying attention and had turned elsewhere.

I remembered that scenario as I was reading about the Israelites and the golden calf this week in Exodus 32. Just like me, they were waiting—waiting on Moses to finish talking with God on Mt. Sinai and getting instructions from him that Moses would bring back to the people.

Even though they had just been delivered out of bondage in Egypt, they too got bored and stopped paying attention. Soon, they were focused on what would make them comfortable while they waited. They complained to Aaron (Moses' brother who was left in charge) and persuaded him to make a golden calf to worship. And you know the rest of the story of idolatry, debauchery and waywardness.

Now, had I missed that connection in the airport, then I just would have missed that connection. I'm sure I would have figured something out and would have hopped on a later flight and still made it to my final destination.

But when we stop paying attention and miss our connection with God—when the Israelites turned away and went elsewhere looking for someone or something else to worship and fill a void—then we are not attuned to the power of the Almighty. We are not living expectantly in light of the Lord's return. So we are disobedient, and we are missing out on his instructions for our lives.

Jesus will come back again. So check yourself and see if you are really paying attention in the meantime. Then turn your heart toward God, spend time in his Word and humble yourself to receive what he has planned for you.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Like I was in the airport, are you positioned where you shouldn't be in your life today? Consider what you need to change so that you will be focused on your heavenly Father and his instructions for you.

Further Reading:

Isa. 40:28-31, MSG

1 Chron. 16:11-12, NIV

"Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing"

Words: Robert Robinson (1758)

Music: Nettleton, by John Wyeth (1813)


O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

[Judy Harder]

The Real Thing
Anna Kuta, Crosswalk.com Editor

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16).

As the granddaughter of an FBI agent, I heard various anecdotes throughout my childhood regarding the job and its practice. One thing that stuck with me was how FBI agents are taught to recognize counterfeit money. They don't spend time learning about all the possible variations that could be manifested in a counterfeit bill, as one might think; they simply studied the real thing.

When someone knows the distinguishing characteristics of real money, it suddenly isn't that hard to spot a fake. It's a principle that applies to other things as well -- recognizing the truth versus any lies. These days in our culture, lies seem to abound, especially when it comes to faith and religious philosophies. Sometimes, the message of Jesus seems to get lost among all the noise.

In 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul says, "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron." It seems like Paul could be describing the year 2012, doesn't it? Everywhere you turn, someone has a new idea of Jesus or Christianity, all claiming to be true. With "deceiving spirits" and false doctrines everywhere, how can we know what to believe?

Paul answers the question in 2 Timothy 3:16: Turn to the Scripture. From Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21, all Scripture is "God-breathed," as the Greek word literally says, and useful for all purposes of the Christian life. This includes doctrine, teaching, correction, knowledge of Jesus, instruction in righteousness, being equipped for every good work. The Word of God is absolutely, 100 percent true – all of it – and it points to the absolute truth of God.

Just as a federal agent with a trained eye of what's real can recognize a counterfeit bill right away, so the Word of God can be used as a measuring stick against falsehoods. In order to spot the lies, it's crucial to know Truth. How do you know Truth? Look to the Scriptures. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Intersecting Faith & Life

Spend some time reading the Bible and learning about Jesus as He is revealed in His Word – so you will be able to recognize things that don't line up with truth.

Further Reading

Romans 15:4

2 Peter 1:20-2:9

[Judy Harder]

February 17, 2012

The Perverse Generation
Sarah Phillips, Crosswalk.com Family Editor

"O unbelieving and perverse generation,"Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you and put up with you?" Luke 9: 41

There is much written today about how the world has lost touch with God and morality. It's easy to view the past with rose-tinted glasses, to believe in "the good old days" or reminisce about a golden era.  We do this in the Church all the time, often pointing to one practice that, if resurrected, would surely turn this generation around.

"If only the women still wore head coverings in church... "

"If only we sang ancient hymns... "

"If only young men and women got married earlier... "

Don't read me wrong here... these issues are important. But the stark reality is, every generation has fallen short of God's glory. Every generation has sinned. Does this sound familiar?

"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."

How often have I been tempted to mutter these words when encountering today's teenagers? But this quote is attributed to Socrates by Plato. Apparently teens weren't doing so well in the ancient world either. The fallen nature of man has followed us through the ages, plaguing the young and old alike. Our broken nature manifests itself in so many ways... from the darkest sins to our lack of basic manners and courtesy.

Jesus himself seemed to grow weary of the sins of his own day. I imagine the opening scripture was expressed with a mix of sadness and righteous anger. During Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday on Feb. 22nd this year, our church acknowledges God's just anger at the end of every service with this chant: Parce, Domine, parce populo tuo;/ ne in aeternum irascaris nobis which translates to: "Spare your people Lord: /Be not angry Lord with your people forever."

But what is the rest of the story? Even as his sinful followers surrounded him, Jesus healed the spiritual and physical afflictions of a possessed boy. We see here that going back to the "good old days" doesn't have the power to save us. It's the person of Jesus Christ who saves. This is the miracle of Easter: The incredible mercy of a God who would be justified in staying angry forever after the golden era of Eden went terribly wrong. He hears our cries for redemption - weak though they may be - and saves us.

Is the world worse today than it was yesterday? Does it matter? God's patience and mercy for our "perverse and unbelieving generation" reveal the depths of his divine love. And those forgiven the most sins have the greatest number of reasons to rejoice.

Intersecting Faith & Life:  Have you ever felt so deeply ashamed of your sins that you thought no one could be as bad as you? Take heart. Some of the greatest saints were the worst of sinners. All sins can be forgiven when we call out to the Holy Spirit and ask for mercy. Rejoice in the second chances that come with Easter.

Further Reading

Luke 7: 47

Romans 3: 23

[Judy Harder]

February 20, 2012

Spring Training for Christians
by Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Managing Editor

We don't evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong.
2 Corinthians 5:16, The Message

You've probably heard that God loves baseball. After all, He began his holy book with the words, "In the big inning..." Everyone who loves baseball like the Lord does feels a tremendous rush this time of year with another set of words: "Pitchers and catchers report." For the uninitiated, this phrase signals the official start of spring training, which brings with it new hope, and knowledge that at least there's a thaw and green grass in some parts of our country.

In fact, the game I love, and the game of fantasy baseball off which it is based, are both so prevalent in my mind this week that as I sat down to write this I found my mind wandering. So, noticing that a good friend, fellow fantasy baseballer and pastor was active on his Instant Messenger, I began the following conversation:

Me: I'm sitting here trying to write this week's devotional, but I've got a screenful of stats in front of me, taunting me. Pastor Jay, is there any way I could combine the two? Does our league have any good devotional content?

Jay: Oh, I'm sure we do. How about how we peak spiritually at age 27, like most hitters do?

Me: Goodness, I hope that's not true. How about our Spiritual Slugging Percentage... are we whomping our fair quota of sinners and unbelievers regularly?

Jay: Uh, right... How about how On-Base Percentage equals theological correctness/sound doctrine, and Slugging Percentage equals evangelism, the impact you're making for the Lord?

Me: You're on to something.

There are truly spiritual parallels everywhere.

But as is always the case, snippets of insight and truth are only valuable when applicable. The above only served to remind me that it's time to take a break from my analysis of the statistics of men who play a game, and check in on my own statistics, go through my own spring training of sorts.

Today's verse gives us a starting place for where to look, what kind of statistics are important in the Kingdom as opposed to the diamond. Things like height, weight, vertical leap, 40-yard-dash times, race, creed, color, gender... none of those matter. Here's the checklist we'll be using to see who's gonna make the team this season:

Measurables

On-Base Percentage - Like my buddy said, in our checklist this involves good theology and doctrine. Baseballers like to hear chatter out there on the infield. Are you talking the talk?

Slugging Percentage - Now you have to put the above theology to good use, and walk the walk. How much 'oomph' can you contribute to the goals of the team?

Batting Average - The most you can do is just put the bat on the ball. So many other factors determine if you're gonna get a safe hit or not, meaning you'll probably fail to connect or reach safely at least 70 percent of the time... and that's if you're one of the best. The rest is up to God.

Errors - Can't be avoided, even by the very best of us. What's important is that we don't grow complacent with making them. Biblical ignorance is not an acceptable excuse. Neither is yelling at your teammate for making an error.

Strikeouts and Walks - Both are fine. They reveal effort. The way you know you're off-track is when these become Walkouts and Strikes. I don't need to be leaving, boycotting, quitting, or checking out in the middle of a slump or when the other team is full of punks.

Sacrifices - When the coach calls for you to bunt another person into a more prominent position, will you obediently lay one down? When you can bring in a run by hitting a fly ball for an out will you gladly do so?

Intangibles

Coachability - I can't think of a single reason or supporting scripture for a me-first attitude on the Kingdom Conquerors.

Discipline - To what do you say yes, to what do you say no? What do you fail to do? What do you never fail to do?

Leadership - Look behind you. Is anyone following?

Performance Enhancers - Yes, please. I'm simply not good enough to compete in this game without them. No, not steroids, but the Holy Spirit, and regular Bible study and prayer times.

Intersecting Faith & Life: Watch a sporting event with a younger person this week, and see how many parallels and applications you can make together to our spiritual journey.

Further Reading

Opening Day for America
Finish Strong in the 9th Inning of Life
The Magic of Opening Day