Sifting Season

I love driving by wheat fields. I can’t say that I have ever been much of a farmer, but I’ve learned a little bit about the harvesting process of wheat. I once heard a difficult period of life thought of as a time of  “sifting.”  The person was referring to Luke 22 where Jesus is talking to the disciples on the night he is arrested. It says,

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:31-32

Devotional Passages for the Week of April 22-29

Sunday: Joshua 24:1-33, Luke 21:1-28, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 13:20-23

Monday: Judges 1:1-2:9, Luke 21:29-22:13, Psalm 90:1-91:16, Proverbs 13:24-25

Tuesday: Judges 2:10-3:31, Luke 22:14-34, Psalm 92:1-93:5, Proverbs 14:1-2

Jesus and Politics 101

It wouldn’t surprise me to hear that TV viewership goes down during an election year. I say that because I can’t be the only one who despises political campaign commercials.  Yes, they are incessant and repetitive, but the thing that really gets to me is the pie in the sky promises of good.  I heard one the other day that communicated that under Candidate A’s leadership, services would be protected and expanded, jobs would be created, the deficit would be reduced, our borders would be strengthened, etc., etc., all while taxes would be reduced.  He should have just thrown in the promise to end world hunger and all children would grow up to be professional athletes.  The sad thing is, this tactic works.  It’s how you get people to follow you.  So much good with apparently no cost to anyone. 

So when I read Luke 14:25-35, where Jesus tells those who are following him that they must hate their families, their own life, and pick up there cross and follow Him in order to be His disciple...

Ain’t No Rock!

It’s a beautiful, 80 degree day here today at Lake Gloria … Summer is on the way and the quiet Rec Deck, Games Lodge and Dining Hall will be bustling with activity and excitement in no time at all.  In fact, I can almost hear the dining hall singing, ringing loudly out the screens and across the lake.  One of my favorites is “Aint’ no rock.”  (which, by the way, is going to be a track on the SB2W Dining Hall Songs project that will drop sometime this year … yep, that’s right!  You heard it here first … we’re putting some of your favorites together for you to enjoy all year long. :) 

Devotional Passages for the Week of April 15-22

Sunday: Joshua 11:1-12:24, Luke 17:11-37, Psalm 84:1-12, Proverbs 13:5-6

Monday: Joshua 13:1-14:15, Luke 18:1-17, Psalm 85:1-13, Proverbs 13:7-8

Tuesday: Joshua 15:1-63, Luke 18:18-43, Psalm 86:1-17, Proverbs 13:9-10

Wednesday: Joshua 16:1-18:28, Luke 19:1-27, Psalm 87:1-7, Proverbs 13:11

Thursday: Joshua 19:1-20:9, Luke 19:28-48, Psalm 88:1-18, Proverbs 13:12-14

Friday: Joshua 21:1-22:20, Luke 20:1-26, Psalm 89:1-13, Proverbs 13:15-16

Saturday: Joshua 22:21-23:16, Luke 20:27-47, Psalm 89:14-37, Proverbs 13:17-19

Sunday: Joshua 24:1-33, Luke 21:1-28, Psalm 89:38-52, Proverbs 13:20-23

Where's The Cross?

Easter is upon us, and no doubt we are reminded of it in store windows, aisles and ads as ubiquitous amounts of bunnies, eggs, pastel colors, and egg hunts inundate our lives.  It is remarkable to me how hidden from view is the cross of our Lord and His resurrection amidst this most important Christian “holy”day.  Christmas is a wonderful celebration of the advent of our Lord in human flesh, but without Good Friday and Easter we would be “of all men most miserable” as stated by Paul in I Corinthians 15:19. 

So where is the cross?  Many people will miss the true meaning of Easter this year, not even once acknowledging Jesus in prayer or considering His sacrifice on the cross.  But if you read your Bible with any regularity, you will find God’s love for sinners and Christ’s sacrifice on the cross from cover to cover.  Often called “the scarlet thread”, you can encounter Christ on nearly every page of your Bible.  Jesus and his sacrifice are prefigured in the Garden of Eden as God slays an animal, shedding innocent blood, in order to cover the sin of Adam and Eve.  We see salvation by God’s hand in the account of Noah.  The story of Abraham and Isaac is a “type” of God sacrificing his only begotten son.  And in a reading from this week, we see a law from Deuteronomy that is carried out over fourteen hundred years later at the crucifixion of our Lord.  Chapter 21 verse 22 and 23 says, “And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God.”  This verse motivated the Pharisees’ request to have the body of Jesus taken off the cross before nightfall (see John 19:31).

This verse from Deuteronomy is referenced in Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’”.  The point of Galatians 3:13 is that Christ, though innocent, died a criminal’s death, taking the curse that we deserved.  We are the ones who have sinned and deserve to be cursed.  We are the ones who have allowed his atoning work to be forgotten amidst the commercialized hullabaloo.  Yet Christ bore the law’s curse in our place, hanging naked on a tree in order to give us peace with the Holy God of heaven.  What an AMAZING SAVIOUR!  Christ died as a propitiatory sacrifice that satisfies the divine judgment against sinners, bringing about forgiveness and justification. But Paul is careful to indicate that the sacrifice does not cause God to love us. The opposite is true—God’s love caused Him to offer His Son (see Romans 5:8; 8:32; John 3:16).

So how about you?  Do you love Him and want to see Him magnified?  It starts with willingly surrendering your life to Him by faith, which will motivate you to declare His love to every creature with whom you come in contact.  Let us keep the cross and Christ’s resurrection at the center of our Easter.

Devotional Passages for Week of April 2-9

Monday: Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30, Luke 9:51-10:12, Psalm 74:1-23, Proverbs 12:11

Tuesday: Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19, Luke 10:13-37, Psalm 75:1-10, Proverbs 12:12-14

Wednesday: Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26, Luke 10:38-11:13, Psalm 76:1-12, Proverbs 12:15-17

Thursday: Deuteronomy 28:1-68, Luke 11:14-36, Psalm 77:1-20, Proverbs 12:18

Did you pick up your cross this morning?

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

The Vertical Piece

At the beginning of every term at camp one of our captains picks up a large log over his shoulder and carries it into the assembly area planting it in the ground.  Then he goes to the mic and tells us that it is the vertical piece of the cross, which represents right relationship with God.  This is exactly the image I have in my head for how our day should begin.  Picking up our cross daily means beginning each day by seeking right relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Every morning we must plant that vertical piece in the ground.  Oswald Chambers says it like this, "Get rightly related to God first, maintain that as the greatest care of your life." Submit yourself, and the day ahead, to God.

The Horizontal Piece

The next captain picks up a smaller log over her shoulder and walks in to place it on the vertical piece.  She says, "the horizontal piece of the cross represents our relationships with others."  The horizontal piece rests upon the vertical piece, just as...