Category Archives: Daily Devotionals

Daily Devotionals by Cross Points Church

Justice! by Pastor Andy

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Psalm 82:1-8 NLT

1 God presides over heaven’s court;
he pronounces judgment on the heavenly beings:

2 “How long will you hand down unjust decisions
by favoring the wicked?

Interlude

3 “Give justice to the poor and the orphan;
uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute.

4 Rescue the poor and helpless;
deliver them from the grasp of evil people.

5 But these oppressors know nothing;
they are so ignorant!
They wander about in darkness,
while the whole world is shaken to the core.

6 I say, ‘You are gods;
you are all children of the Most High.

7 But you will die like mere mortals
and fall like every other ruler.’”

8 Rise up, O God, and judge the earth,
for all the nations belong to you.

What is justice?

As a country, collectively, we ask what will make us great (again)? We’re all asking – no matter what side of the aisle we live on. Is it a wall? Is it deportation? Is it immunity? Is it open restrooms? Is it more tolerance? Is it less tolerance?

What is justice?

The question goes far beyond our American borders. It reaches out to European counties asking these same questions. Do we open our borders? Do we rescue migrants at sea? Do we deport some but not others? Do we bail this country out or let it sink?

What is justice?

It’s not just America or Europe, it’s the world. What is worse? Be oppressed or oppress others to survive?

What is justice?

It’s not just the here and now around the world. The cry for justice has been through all of history and through all people groups.

Justice begins and ends with the marginalized in society – poor, oppressed, orphan and destitute. As Pastor Chris said on Tuesday, it’s messy. Sometimes there is a reason…a fault, and it’s not pretty. Sometimes no one is at fault, but it is just as ugly.

But when the time arrived that was set by God the Father, God sent his Son, born among us of a woman, born under the conditions of the law so that he might redeem those of us who have been kidnapped by the law. Thus we have been set free to experience our rightful heritage. You can tell for sure that you are now fully adopted as his own children because God sent the Spirit of his Son into our lives crying out, “Papa! Father!” Doesn’t that privilege of intimate conversation with God make it plain that you are not a slave, but a child? And if you are a child, you’re also an heir, with complete access to the inheritance.  -Galatians 4:4-7 The Message

God has more than justice on His mind. Redemption is first priority. God wants the mess redeemed – orphans adopted, the oppressed set free, the poor clothed and the destitute filled with hope.

This is justice.

Justine isn’t not about walls or bathrooms or borders or deportation. It’s so much more. It’s about redemption.

Redemption is justice because none of us deserve grace.

23For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.24Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  -Romans 3:23-24 NLT

Yes, Jesus is returning with a sword of fire, but not now…not yet. Now is a different justice.

Now is the justice of entering into a mess seeking redemption so God can be glorified.

My challenge to you. Being just, go out seeking redemption.

Redeemed | Big Daddy Weave

Messy Involvement by Pastor Chris

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Don’t forget

Deuteronomy 10:17-19– “For the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.18 He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. 19 So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.

God shows special kindness to the orphan, and He expects His people to do the same.
We have received so much from God it should not be a problem or a stretch to show it to others, especially those in need.

But far too often it is.  We get so consumed and bogged down with the details of our lives that we fail to see what God is wanting and needing us to accomplish in the here and now.

As Pastor Dave said Sunday and in yesterday's devo, we have a responsiblility to help those with messy lives around us and to do what we can as individuals and a church to help them get "cleaned up".

Again, we all were messy at one time or another.  We all were slaves to sin.  But God plucked us from this mess and provided a way out.
 

Galatians 4:4-7– But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. 5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. 6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”  Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

We have been adopted into His family, and what a privilege it is.

Involvement

My parents became foster parents when I was growing up.  I was in high school when this began.  I wasn't sure what to think about kids, I didn't know, LIVING in our home.
I am glad they did.
We had many children pass through our home: Chris, Jeffy, Nicole, Manny, Michael.  

And then there was "Sarah".

Before Sarah came into our life, her dad had shot Sarah's mom and then himself.  All while Sarah and her baby sister were in the house.

Sarah was 2 years old.

To survive, she lived on dog food for about 2 weeks.
That is how long it took for people to notice these 4 people were missing. 
The baby did not survive.

That is messy.

How awesome that God placed Sarah in our home for a time.  A Christian home.  We were able to provide stability while arrangements were being made for her relatives to adopt her.  We loved her and cared for her like she was a member of our family.  She was one of us.  She is in our photo albums.
God "ensured" that Sarah would recieve Justice. Hope. Protection. A Future.

As a father of five, I am in awe of my parents for getting involved in these lives while they had five of their own children to raise.
They decided to get involved in “messy” lives and do what they could to help.  They were able to be a point of stability for these children as they awaited adoption.

Remember, as Pastor Dave reminds us: 
Every number has a name, every name has a story, and every story matters to God.

James 2:14-17– What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

What is so exciting is that God has called us to  this work!!
We have received so much from God it should not be a problem or a stretch to show it to others, especially those in need.
So what are we to do?

I encourage you to visit the Care Portal site that was mentioned in church last week.   
We have been adopted into His family, and what a privilege it is.  God did not forget us.  Therefore, we should not forget the orphan.

Let's get involved in the mess!!

 

 

The Least – by Pastor David

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Elevation – Here as in Heaven


There are four different groups of people in Scripture that the Bible repeatedly addresses as those to whom God is passionate about. The four groups are; **widows, orphans, the poor and the foreigner.** (Psalm 68:3-5, Psalm 10:17-18, Jeremiah 49:11, Deuteronomy 10:17-18)

These groups are highlighted over and over as to the ones that God defends, protects and watches over. In fact, He calls the Israelites to devote resources and compassion to each. (Psalm 82:3-4, Exodus 22:22-23) That theme is then repeated in the New Testament. (Matthew 7:12, James 1:27, Acts 20:35, Galatians 2:10)

With this as a backdrop, we need to fully understand that mere personal spirituality is not what God is fully looking for. We cannot simply rely on our own spirituality and think we are being fully pleasing to God and accomplish the mission He has for us.

Let me put it more bluntly. It’s easy to go to church, have personal devotions at home and live a pretty good life. But, that’s not what God has called us to. That is close to hypocritical and pharisaical. God has called us out of our comfort zones and into the world. _He calls us to action, not just words._

Today, something sparked within me that is reverberating in my spirit. I preached a message about the orphan and the messy lives of people and was hit directly with the mess. I encountered someone whose life was a mess — whose family situation was all but tragically torn apart. Kids were involved in the mess and those kids were experiencing the challenges of decisions they never made.

My thoughts began to formulate…are we as a church ready to help the messy? I hope we are. But honestly, I’m not sure.

I can say this, we have a small alms team that distributes finances and helps those whose lives are messy. I’ve watched the alms team closely for about 2 years. Without a doubt, they excel at helping the messy. But are we as a church ready to roll up our sleeves and go the distance. It’s a prayer I’m formulating and something I’m beginning to wrestle with God about.

I do know this, God is looking for us to not only love Him but to love others. And it doesn’t mean we just love with words, we must love with our actions.

What does it mean for you love others (the orphan, the widow, the foreigner, the poor) with actions, not just words?

Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing by Pastor Matt

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Song: Only Wanna Sing

Artist: Young & Free

Purity, but really…

1 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, 2 “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” Mt 15:1-2

While they’re talking about purity, they’re not really talking about purity. For the Pharisees, the main thing was their tradition. On the surface, their traditions appeared to be focused on all the right things…like purity. In this case, the purity rite of ceremonially washing before they eat.

I’ll bet the Pharisees would have loved Ikea. There’s a perfectly crafted nook and cranny to meet every conceivable purity need.

They often get a bad rap (Pharisees…and Ikea). But sometimes I think the Pharisees give expression to that little part of me that I’d rather ignore. I mean, if I’m honest, I like traditions too. Especially those traditions that help me parse the difference between right and wrong, pure and impure. It’s just easier when everything has it’s place – even if the instructions are all pictures, no words!

Honoring Parents, but really…

3 Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? 4 For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’6 In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. 7 You hypocrites! … Mt 15:3-7

But Jesus pushes back. And he uses one of the Ten Commandments to make his point. Honor your parents.

While Jesus is talking about honoring parents, he’s not really talking about honoring parents. He’s talking about hypocrisy. About valuing tradition over command. About so emphasizing tradition that you miss the spirit of the command.

It’s about the Heart

And so he says,

16 “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. 17 “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. 18 But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. 20 These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” Mt 15:16-20

If only it were as simple as washing hands! But the heart is hard and messy work.

So, go ahead! Enjoy those delicious Ikea cinnamon rolls…but pay attention to your heart! Especially what’s flowing out of it.

Kingdoms at War by Pastor Andy

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Matthew 18:21-35

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold–along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned–to pay the debt.

“But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.

“His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”  

That’s A Lot of Dough!

In 2015, the average salary in the United States was between $23,000 – $48,000. The median would be $30,500 per year. In this story, according to the King James Version, the man owed 10,000 talents. Both words have deep significance.

Ten thousand was the largest numeral in the Greek language, and a talent was the largest unit of currency of the day. In literal terms it meant this man owed 200,000 years worth of an average man’s wage.

In 2015 terms, this man owed $6.1 billion.

One time I was in debt $100,000 from a business deal gone bad. That stung. I thought I would never get out of the pit I dug. It was only 61,000 times less than what this guy faced.

For him, there was no hope. This guy was up a creek with no paddle in a boat full of holes, and a 10,000 foot waterfall was moments away.

Kingdoms at War

The story isn’t about money though. It’s about two kingdoms at war.

The Kingdom of God is in direct opposition to the kingdom(s) of this world. The deeper you dig into the teachings of Jesus, the more obvious this becomes.

God’s Kingdom is about mercy.

“Then his master was filled with pity for him…”

God operates out of a “mercy first” policy. He forgives when we don’t deserve it. He pardons the sins of the worst sinner. God grants grace upon grace to His creation.

This doesn’t match the kingdom of our every day life. That kingdom says, “You owe me.” Period. No debate.

Do you need a more clear an example than this man? He walks out the gate, sees a man who owes him a fraction of this debt, and he assaults the man.

“He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.”

We read this passage with horror, but why wouldn’t this servant act this way? It’s the culture he lived in (we live in). You owe me! I don’t care what you say. I don’t care what you do. I don’t care about you. You owe me!

Where Do You Live?

Which kingdom are you living in? Are you from the Kingdom of mercy first, or are you dwelling in the kingdom of you owe me?

Forgiveness is releasing the debt owed to you. One of the most difficult challenges in life is truly forgiving someone who has truly hurt you. It’s why Jesus commands Peter to forgive 490 times. I don’t forgive my enemy (or my brother) one time only, but I forgive each time the hurt returns to my heart. That can be over and over and over again.

Search your heart. Are you holding a debt against a friend, a neighbor, a family member? They probably owe you, but will you show mercy anyway? Will you forgive?

Allow the Kingdom of God to enter into that relationship. Forgive.

Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains) | Crowder