Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life

Defend the poor and fatherless:

do justice to the afflicted and needy.

Deliver the poor and needy:

rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 82:3-4

Henry David Thoreau once described the metropolis as "a place where people are lonely together". This loneliness is not the result of an absence of people; rather, it is due to a lack of genuine caring relationships.

If that observation was true of the past, it has become increasingly so in the present; and the prediction is that it will become alarmingly more so in the near future. In 1950 there were only seven cities in the world with more than five million people. Only two of these were in Third World countries. Today there are over 34 cities with more than five million people, 22 of which are in the Third World. And by the middle of the 21st Century, there will be nearly 100 cities meeting that criteria, with 80 of these in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The author of this text, Franklin North, was a Methodist minister in New York City. He wrote this hymn in response to a request from the Methodist hymnal committee for a hymn about big city life, which Pastor North knew well and to which he was most sympathetic. The hymn first appeared in 1903 in the publication The Christian City, of which North was the editor. Father, help us to be people with sensitivity and compassion.

WHERE CROSS THE CROWDED WAYS OF LIFE
Franklin Mason North

Where cross the crowded ways of life,
Where sound the cries of race and clan
Above the noise of selfish strife,
We hear your voice, O Son of man.

In haunts of wretchedness and need,
On shadowed thresholds dark with fears,
From paths where hide the lures of greed,
We catch the vision of Your tears.

From tender childhood’s helplessness,
From woman’s grief, man’s burdened toil,
From famished souls, from sorrow’s stress,
Your heart has never known recoil.

The cup of water giv'n for You,
Still holds the freshness of Your grace;
Yet long these multitudes to view
The sweet compassion of Your face.

O Master, from the mountainside
Make haste to heal these hearts of pain;
Among these restless throngs abide;
O tread the city’s streets again.

Till sons of men shall learn Your love
And follow where Your feet have trod,
Till, glorious from Your Heav'n above,
Shall come the City of our God!

Read Zechariah 7:8-10; Matthew 10:42, 22:9; Luke 4:18; I Peter 2:21
Confess to ignoring others' pain because we are too busy, too lazy or feel too awkward to help.
Determine to become better acquainted with a person from another culture or ethnic background (or, in our case, perhaps a different sorority/fraternity). Perhaps invite his or her family to your home for dinner and fellowship. 

Ask God to help you think globally, to understand and LOVE the multi-cultural world Jesus died to redeem.

Pray that we would "learn His love" and "follow where His feet have tread." 

O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. 

And what does the LORD require of you? 

To act justly and to love mercy 

and to walk humbly with your God."

Micah 6:8

Go labor on: Spend and be spent,

My joy to do the Father's will;

It is the way the Master went,

Should not the servant tread it still?

H. Bonar

As God's representatives, we must make it our life's mission to make the invisible Christ visible to lost and needy people through both word and deed. We can do this most effectively by dealing justly with others and by showing compassion and understanding to those who are less privileged than ourselves.

This hymn, published in 1879, comes from a period of religious history in America when there was much emphasis given to the social implications of the Gospel. The Civil War had ended and the country was in the midst of a great industrial revolution. As is often true in such times, the individual was often exploited in the name of economic progress.

Many of our country's clergymen became enthusiastic champions for the cause of social justice. One of the recognized leaders of this movement was Washington Gladden. It was always his conviction that it was the duty of Christians to seek to "elevate the masses not only spiritually and morally, but to be concerned about their social and economic welfare as well." Although Gladden was widely known in his day for his persuasive preaching and writing, he is remembered particularly today for this one hymn text, which teaches us so well that our service for God must always be based on an intimate fellowship with Him.

O MASTER, LET ME WALK WITH THEE
Washington Gladden, 1836-1918

O Master, let me walk with Thee,
In lowly paths of service free;
Tell me Thy secret; help me bear
The strain of toil, the fret of care.

Help me the slow of heart to move
By some clear, winning word of love;
Teach me the wayward feet to stay,
And guide them in the Homeward way.

O Master, let me walk with Thee,
Before the taunting Pharisee;
Help me to bear the sting of spite,
The hate of men who hide Thy light.

The sore distrust of souls sincere
Who cannot read Thy judgments clear,
The dullness of the multitude,
Who dimly guess that Thou art good.

Teach me Thy patience; still with Thee
In closer, clearer, company,
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
In trust that triumphs over wrong.

In hope that sends a shining ray
Upon Thy straight and narrow way,
In peace that only Thou canst give,
With Thee, O Master, let me live.

Read Amos 3:3; Matthew 25:31-46; Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 2:5-7

Ask God to open your eyes to the needs of others.

Ask God to open your eyes to what He is doing.
Actively seek to do for someone at least one good deed that you might otherwise be hesitant to attempt.

Rise Up, O Men of God!

"Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God." Philippians 1:27-28

Our world is filled with much suffering--physical, social, emotional, and most definitely spiritual. Often we close our eyes to these painful situations that are all around us. It is much more comfortable to associate only with those who live as we do. This kind of attitude within the church will turn any body of believers into nothing more than a religious club.

If we want to represent our Lord with integrity, we must not compartmentalize the church's mission. We are told to go to the highways and hedges, not just to leave an advertisement in the yellow pages. Soul winning and social responsibility are woven intrinsically together and constitute an inherent part of the ministry. A starving person needs both his stomach as well as his soul cared for. Christ's earthly ministry is a prime model of an ideal balance of caring for body as well as the soul of needy individuals...showing Christian charity for the "physical" so that they are willing to be reached spiritually.

The author of this call-to-action text, William Pierson Merrill, was a minister of the Gospel. He served churches in Philadelphia and Chicago, and he pastored in New York until his retirement in 1938. Merrill wrote "Rise Up, O Men of God!" especially for the brotherhood movement within churches in 1911. Merrill was also a prolific writer of hymn texts and theological books.

An important secret of individual happiness is to be employed continually in doing something of eternal value, to be "done with lesser things", to be totally involved in serving "the King of kings". And even the cup of water given in Christ's name will not go unrewarded (Matthew 10:42).


RISE UP, O MEN OF GOD! 

William P. Merrill, 1867-1954

Rise up, O men of God!
Have done with lesser things.
Give heart and mind and soul and strength
To serve the King of kings.

Rise up, O men of God!
The kingdom tarries long.
Bring in the day of brotherhood
And end the night of wrong.

Rise up, O men of God!
The church for you doth wait,
Her strength unequal to her task;
Rise up and make her great!

Lift high the cross of Christ!
Tread where His feet have trod.
As brothers of the Son of Man,
Rise up, O men of God!

Read Deuteronomy 11:13-32; John 12:26; Acts 20:28; I Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 6:7
Confess to not always conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel; to closing our eyes to the painful situations around us; to not giving our hearts, minds, souls and strength to serving the King of Kings.

Receive God's forgiveness through Christ on the cross.
Determine by word and example to be a challenge to the members of your church by being more aggressively involved in an outreach ministry to your community, representing Christ in meeting physical needs and thus drawing them to seek the answer for their spiritual need.

Ask for the Spirit to give you courage and boldness to do so.  

O For a Faith that Will Not Shrink

Mark Lawrence Gallery

"The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.'" Luke 17:5-6

When the world seems at its worst, Christians must be at their best. ~Author Unknown

Discouragement can easily cause our faith to shrink, and we may even at times consider quitting our service for God. 

One of the chief characteristics of spiritual maturity is the ability to persevere--even in the face of adversity. God often permits difficulties to come into our lives simply to allow our faith in Him to become stronger. A faith that is never tested and strengthened soon becomes a shrinking one. But if our faith is real, it will stand every test and prove to be an overcoming faith.

This hymn text, which is an exposition of Luke 17:5, is from William Bathurst's Psalms and Hymns for Public and Private Use. The song was originally titled "The Power of Faith". The first three stanzas describe a victorious faith amidst some of the most difficult circumstances in life. The final stanza affirms the believer's desire to have such trust that even now life becomes a foretaste of Heaven itself.

William Hiley Bathurst was a minister who wrote more than 200 hymn texts. The composer of one arrangement of the music, William H. Havergal, father of Frances Ridley Havergal, was also a prominent minister and writer of many hymns.

O FOR A FAITH THAT WILL NOT SHRINK 
William H. Bathurst, 1796-1877

O, for a faith that will not shrink,
Though pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe!

That will not murmur nor complain
Beneath the chastening rod,
But, in the hour of grief or pain,
Will lean upon its God.

A faith that shines more bright and clear
When tempests rage without;
That when in danger knows no fear,
In darkness feels no doubt.

That bears, unmoved, the world’s dread frown
Nor heeds its scornful smile;
That seas of trouble cannot drown,
Nor Satan’s arts beguile.

A faith that keeps the narrow way
Till life’s last hour is fled,
And with a pure and heavenly ray
Lights up a dying bed.

Lord, give me such a faith as this,
And then, whate’er may come,
I’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal Home.

Read Romans 1:17; Galatians 6:9; Ephesians 6:16; II Timothy 1:7

Confess to allowing our faith to shrink when the world's troubles loom large.
Ponder this question--Could I stand to lose everything and still have an implicit faith in God and know with certainty that He is in abolute control?

Ask God to give you such faith.

Step out in faith. Take a risk- today.

Pray

"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." ~James 5:16b

Please continue to pray for:

• Julianne's family, as we they await the test results. Pray for God's peace to blanket the family. For her mom's continued faith in Christ during this scary time. 
• Lorna in Chi Omega. For total and complete healing of her body, for faith and for good spirits. 
• Scotty in South Africa. For continued safety in travels, for God to continue to open his heart to those who are in need, for open doors regarding this golf initiative, if it is God's will.  
• Greek IV. To reflect Christ's humility, grace, boldness and love.

Praise God for: 

• How He worked in our hearts at Greek Conference.
• The students who turned to Christ for the first time this weekend. 
• Community. Friends. Brothers. Sisters.  

Faith is the Victory

"For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4 

Saving faith must always be reflected in a working faith. Our response of faith to the redemptive work of Christ transforms us; but then we need a daily motivating faith if we want to live overcoming lives. To live by faith is to believe with conviction that God's purposes for us will ultimately prevail. In fact, prevailing faith anticipates victory and celebrates in advance! For example, read the Old Testament account of how singers preceded the warriors into battle and the defeat of the enemy was accomplished (II Chronicles 20:20-22).

Our faith does not develop merely through intellectual assent to religious dogma or through wishful thinking. Rather, it is a lifetime commitment to the Person of Christ with a response of obedience to His Word (Romans 10:17).

This hymn of faith and victory was first published in 1891 in the Christian Endeavor Hymnal. The author, John Henry Yates, was a preacher of the Gospel. Ira Sankey, the composer, is often called "the father of the gospel song."

 FAITH IS THE VICTORY
John H. Yates, 1837-1900

Encamped along the hills of light,
Ye Christian soldiers, rise.
And press the battle ere the night
Shall veil the glowing skies.
Against the foe in vales below
Let all our strength be hurled.
Faith is the victory, we know,
That overcomes the world.

His banner over us is love,
Our sword the Word of God.
We tread the road the saints above
With shouts of triumph trod.
By faith, they like a whirlwind’s breath,
Swept on o’er every field.
The faith by which they conquered death
Is still our shining shield.

On every hand the foe we find
Drawn up in dread array.
Let tents of ease be left behind,
And onward to the fray.
Salvation’s helmet on each head,
With truth all girt about,
The earth shall tremble ’neath our tread,
And echo with our shout.

To him that overcomes the foe,
White raiment shall be giv’n.
Before the angels he shall know
His name confessed in heav’n.
Then onward from the hill of light,
Our hearts with love aflame,
We’ll vanquish all the hosts of night,
In Jesus’ conqu’ring Name.

Refrain:
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory!
O glorious victory, that overcomes the world!

Read Galatians 2:20; James 2:18; I John 5:1-12; Jude 3

Confess that we too often use our intellect or wishful thinking instead of true commitment when it comes to our relationship with Christ. 

Pray that the Holy Spirit would enable you to obey His word. 

Ask Him to keep revealing to you His banner of love that is over you.
Ask God to make you a vivid demonstration to your friends, brothers and sisters of a triumphant faith in Christ--an exclamation of faith, not a question mark.

Fight the Good Fight

"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 

1 Timothy 6:12

As Christians, one of our chief characteristics should be courage, especially when it involves our spiritual defense of the Gospel. How easily however our noble intentions for this kind of fortitude are changed into attitudes of despair and defeat because of annoying circumstances, the secular media, or disappointment in others. To avoid these courage-defeating forces, we must have our "inner man" renewed daily with spiritual nourishment. We cannot be truly strong if we do not gain the inner strength that comes from God through consistent times of prayer and study of His holy Word.

When John Monsell wrote this hymn text, he provided ten strong imperatives for a triumphant Christian life:
1 - Fight the good fight
2 - Lay hold of life
3 - Run the straight race
4 - Lift up thine eyes
5 - Seek His face
6 - Cast care aside
7 - Lean on thy Guide
8 - Trust and prove
9 - Faint not nor fear
10 - Only believe
Each of these is worthy of further pondering.

John Monsell published a hymnal in 1863 titled Love and Praise for the Church Year. In that song book this hymn first appeared under the title "The Fight for Faith". This respected man of the pulpit was also known as a strong advocate of vigorous congregational singing, constantly persuading his people that congregational singing should be fervent and joyous. "We are too distant and reserved in our praises," he would say. "We sing, but not as we should sing to Him Who is the chief among tne thouusand, the altogether lovely!" Perhaps there is a stronger relationship between our times of joyous praise and our ability to "fight the good fight" than we generally realize.

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT WITH ALL THY MIGHT 
John S. B. Monsell, 1811-1875

Fight the good fight with all thy might;
Christ is thy Strength, and Christ thy Right;
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek His face;
Life with its way before us lies,
Christ is the Path, and Christ the Prize.

Cast care aside, upon thy Guide,
Lean, and His mercy will provide;
Lean, and the trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its Life, and Christ its Love.

Faint not nor fear, His arms are near,
He changeth not, and thou art dear.
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.

Read Deuteronomy 31:6; Romans 8:36-39; I Corinthians 16:13
Seek forgiveness for not making time with God your first priority. 
Allow God to renew your inner man through quiet meditation on His Word and a time of communion with Him daily.
Pray for the Greek IV community that we will individually and collectively grow in our ability to meditate on God's Word, hear His voice and act on His promptings.  

Am I a Soldier of the Cross?

"Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer." 

2 Timothy 2:3-4

The Church founded by Christ has been built on the blood of martyrs. It has been estimated that at least 50 million men, women, and children have suffered a martyr's death since the crucifixion of our Lord. Even today, in our 21st Century "civilized" culture, large numbers of believers live under conditions of harassment, persecution, and--yes--even martyrdom.  According to historical writings, many of Christ's disciples and followers were persecuted by enemies of their Master with the following fates:

Matthew - suffered martyrdom by being slain in the city of Ethiopia
Mark - died at Alexandria after being dragged through the streets of that city.
Luke - hanged on an olive tree in Greece.
John - put in boiling oil. Later branded at the isle of Patmos.
Peter - crucified at Rome upside-down.
James the Lesser - thrown from a pinnacle of the temple, then beaten to death.
Bartholomew - flayed alive.
Andrew - bound to a cross, where he preached to his persecutors until he died.
Jude - shot to death with arrows.
Matthias - first stoned and then beheaded.
Barnabas of the Gentiles - stoned to death at Salonica.
Paul - after various tortures and persecutions, beheaded at Rome by Emporer Nero.

In Isaac Watts' time, much persecution was inflicted upon the English Dissenters -- those who refused to join themselves with the official, state-run, Anglican church. Stalwarts such as Isaac Watts became resolute and fearless in their proclamation and defense of the Gospel. "Am I a Soldier of the Cross?" was written in 1724, following a sermon by Watts entitled "Holy Fortitude or Remedies Against Fears". These words are still a challenge for us today.

AM I A SOLDIER OF THE CROSS?
Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Am I a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
Or blush to speak His Name?

Must I be carried to the skies
On flow'ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sailed through bloody seas?

Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?

Sure I must fight if I would reign;
Increase my courage, Lord.
I’ll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by Thy Word.

Thy saints in all this glorious war
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
By faith’s discerning eye.

When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all Thy armies shine
In robes of vict'ry through skies,
The glory shall be Thine!


Read I Corinthians 16:13; Ephesians 6:10-20; I Timothy 6:12; Jude 3

Praise God that Jesus is our Sacrificial Lamb. Praise His Holy Name.  Give glory to He who is victorious. 

Confess that we too often blush at His name. 

Ask God to give you courage to endure anything for the glory and sake of His name.  

Pray for those who are suffering persecution for Christ and the work of the Gospel in difficult areas around the world. 

Pray that the Greek IV community would be unashamed of their faith in Christ and their membership in this community. Pray that we would gladly share our hope and faith with our friends.

Who is on the Lord's Side?

Many of us who were raised in the church grew up singing hymns.  We may know these hymns by rote, but might not have given much thought to their actual meaning.  Others of us may not have grown up in the church, or may not have been raised in a church that sang old hymns, and these songs seem antiquated and superfluous.  However, if we take time to really read these hymns and allow them to guide our prayer life, we will be deeply impacted by the richness of their poetry.  Therefore, for our next set of devotionals, I will use an online resource, Hymn Devotionals. Essentially, this resource focuses on the text of a hymn, the Biblical passages that inspired its author, the biography of the author and prayers that would logically be prayed as a result of communion with God through recitation of the hymn.  


WHO IS ON THE LORD'S SIDE? 
Frances R. Havergal, 1836-1879

"But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." ~Joshua 24:15

As Christians, we are to take our places in God's army and not be ashamed to be counted as one of His. Believers are too often content to sit on the sidelines and merely observe the spectacle. The work of the Gospel, inviting individuals to be personally reconciled with God through faith in Jesus, is an urgent task, not a spectator sport. It demands our whole-hearted, zealous involvement.

Miss Havergal, authoress of this powerful hymn text, was known as the "consecration poet". Her entire life was characterized by simple faith and spiritual saintliness. In spite of frail health, she lived an active life until her death at the age of 43. On her tombstone was the Scripture verse she claimed as her own: "The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." ~1 John 1:7.

She wrote many beautifully phrased hymn texts, including "Take My Life and Let It Be,"  "I Gave My Life for Thee," and "Like a River Glorious."

This militant hymn text by Frances Havergal was originally titled "Home Missions" and was written in October of 1877. It was based on the Scripture setting in I Chronicles 12:1-18, where a very select group of soldiers was preparing to join King David in warfare against the enemy. The poem later appeared in Loyal Responses, published by the author in 1878. "Who Is on the Lord's Side?" has been used for more than a century to challenge Christians to make a definite commitment to follow Christ in spiritual warfare.


Who is on the Lord's Side? 

Who is on the Lord’s side? Who will serve the King?
Who will be His helpers, other lives to bring?
Who will leave the world’s side? Who will face the foe?
Who is on the Lord’s side? Who for Him will go?
By Thy call of mercy, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

Not for weight of glory, nor for crown and palm,
Enter we the army, raise the warrior psalm;
But for love that claimeth lives for whom He died:
He whom Jesus nameth must be on His side.
By Thy love constraining, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

Jesus, Thou hast bought us, not with gold or gem,
But with Thine own life blood, for Thy diadem;
With Thy blessing filling each who comes to Thee,
Thou hast made us willing, Thou hast made us free.
By Thy grand redemption, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

Fierce may be the conflict, strong may be the foe,
But the King’s own army none can overthrow;
’Round His standard ranging, victory is secure,
For His truth unchanging makes the triumph sure.
Joyfully enlisting, by Thy grace divine,
We are on the Lord’s side—Savior, we are Thine!

Read I Chronicles 12:1-18; Mark 8:24-38; II Corinthians 5:11; I Timothy 6:12

Praise God for being our King, our Redeemer, our Savior, our General. 

Confess that we too often do not align ourselves with Christ. 

Thank God for being merciful, patient and forgiving; for granting us freedom; for fighting for us. 

Ask God to help you to do or say something to a non-Christian that publicly identifies you as a follower/soldier of Christ.  Ask Him for the courage to be known as one of His followers.  

Sickened

Today we will deviate from a devotional, mainly because I have things on my mind.

On Wednesday nights Daniel and I attend a Bible study affiliated with our church. We call them kinships.  Each week we alternate which family provides dinner for the whole lot of us.  Yesterday was my turn so I cooked up some yummy chili and pumpkin bread (what else?!).  We piled all of the dinner fixings, Daniel's instruments and Liam (and his paraphernalia) into the car and off we went.  We didn't get very far.

As we drove up our street we drove past a man and a woman who were clearly drugged out of their minds- she, barely able to stand up.  She was leaning against the fence that divides my street from the golf course.  Now, any of you who have seen my house know that I don't live in the greatest neighborhood.  I've always known this about my neighborhood, but to see it up close was very difficult.

She was gaunt, wearing a wife beater and jeans.  She had stringy brown hair and teeth that told me she probably smokes crack or does crystal meth.  She looked like a ghost, or maybe a demon, but certainly not a person.  She was completely vacant...there was not much human left inside her.  She had been stolen away.

My first reaction was to be sickened.  No, not in a "you disgust me" sort of way, but in a "the image of this extreme brokenness and hopelessness makes me physically nauseous" sort of way. I wondered, What in this woman's life could have been so awful that she now prefers living life in a semi-comatose haze. I imagine she may have been abused- physically, emotionally, sexually- I imagine she probably gets abused now...she can barely stand up, how could she possibly protect herself from other people? People who want to take advantage of others because of their own brokenness?

As we drove up the street, happily on our way to our cute little Bible study, I was racked with guilt.  How could we drive to our cute little Bible study to eat our yummy pumpkin bread and sing nice songs, but leave these people in need? Jesus wouldn't do that, right? He would stop to serve them and help them. What's the point of going to Bible study if we're not living out the good news? We made it as far as the corner before I convinced Daniel that we should turn around to see if she was okay.  

I could tell he was uncertain. "What will we do? What will we say?"  "Just tell them she looks pretty messed up and do they need help?"  We pull up to them and ask if they need help. They stumble over to our car and say they'd like a ride.  --Now, here is the conundrum.-- {And this is why Daniel was initially concerned/hesitant about helping them.} Do we transport people extremely high on drugs to, what is probably, another drug house?  Do we potentially endanger our infant son by allowing two drug addicts to sit next to him in the backseat of our car? I am thinking all of these things as the woman is idling next to our car, mouth gaping open.  I am staring at her teeth, ruined by the addictive use of drugs.  I am staring at the tattoo of my Jesus' cross on this man's arm and wonder what Jesus means to him.

Daniel makes the call that we shouldn't drive them anywhere, but perhaps they need an ambulance? She looks really messed up.  The guy doesn't want to hear this. He's afraid we'll call the cops. He's afraid he'll get in trouble.  He changes directions and says his cousin lives just over here, they'll go chill out there for a bit.  Was he lying, just to get rid of us? However, I wouldn't be surprised if his cousin does live in the house he indicated...it is clearly a drug dealer's house, as there are constantly cars sidled up to the curb with their flashers on, apparently making a quick deal.

We drive off, having accomplished nothing.  I feel powerless.  How can we help these people? How can I protect that woman?  If I call the police, what will happen? They will get locked up, come down, get out of jail and get high again.   What happens to these people? Do they live life high on drugs and then just die, in a state of despair- or is it just a state of numbness?  Does anyone care about them? Have their families tried to reach them?  Have they given up?

I call my dad, who used to be a police officer.  "Dad, what are our options?" Dad says to call the police because they are an endangerment to themselves and potentially others.  I look up the police non-911 number on my Blackberry.  The website indicates 3 different ways of notifying the police that we've witnessed the use of or dealing of narcotics. I've never lived in a place where the township provides 3 different means of notifying the police about drug use. It freaks me out that we are raising our son in such a place.  It freaks me out because Jesus would live here, but what can I do? I am powerless.

I call the police and give them the tip.  They say they'll drive over to our street to check it out. My dad tells me these people will either spend their lives on drugs and eventually die, or stay in jail, or get clean.  I think the odds of them getting clean seem pretty slim.

When I think of the people I know who use drugs I wonder if they will end up like this. Why do some drug users end up in oblivion while others can manage it and stop using when they want to?  My heart hurts for these people. I am angry at whoever has caused such deep hurt in their lives that they'd prefer to live this way than to feel.  I hate Satan for having the power to destroy lives. I am scared for friends and family who use, for I don't want them to end up this way.

Daniel says he prays for our neighborhood and neighbors every day.  He is the prayer warrior. I am the do-er, and I wonder, is praying enough? Will they know the love of Jesus and the hope we have in Him if we are just praying?  Don't we need to express this love? But how do we do that without endangering ourselves and our son?  But aren't we called to sacrifice our lives in order to love God and neighbor? But aren't I just called to minister to Greek students at an elite college? Doesn't that get me off the hook? Maybe this isn't my responsibility after all.  But I know that it is. But what can I do?

I wake up today, still picturing this woman in my mind, still feeling sick about it.

Pray for this neighborhood. For that woman. For my family. For the brokenness you see in University City- in the homeless community, in the Greek community.  Come, Lord Jesus, Come.

Individual Discouragement and Personal Enlargement

This will be the last day we use an excerpt from My Utmost for His Highest. If you liked these devotionals, you can continue to read it here.  
"One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor." Exodus 2:11

Moses saw the oppression of his people and felt certain that he was the one to deliver them, and in the righteous indignation of his own spirit he started to right their wrongs. After he launched his first strike for God and for what was right, God allowed Moses to be driven into empty discouragement, sending him into the desert to feed sheep for forty years. At the end of that time, God appeared to Moses and said to him, ” ’. . . bring My people . . . out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ’Who am I that I should go . . . ?’ ” (Exodus 3:10-11). In the beginning Moses had realized that he was the one to deliver the people, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in his individual perspective, but he was not the person for the work until he had learned true fellowship and oneness with God.

We may have the vision of God and a very clear understanding of what God wants, and yet when we start to do it, there comes to us something equivalent to Moses’ forty years in the wilderness. It’s as if God had ignored the entire thing, and when we are thoroughly discouraged, God comes back and revives His call to us. And then we begin to tremble and say, “Who am I that I should go . . . ?” We must learn that God’s great stride is summed up in these words— “I AM WHO I AM . . . has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). We must also learn that our individual effort for God shows nothing but disrespect for Him— our individuality is to be rendered radiant through a personal relationship with God, so that He may be “well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). We are focused on the right individual perspective of things; we have the vision and can say, “I know this is what God wants me to do.” But we have not yet learned to get into God’s stride. If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead.

Read Exodus 2-3 

Tell God why you are discouraged.

Pray for deeper fellowship and oneness with God.

Ask Him to enable you to walk closer with Him and to carry out His purposes for you.  Then, through your closeness with Him,

Do the thing He has asked of you.  

Getting into God's Stride

From My Utmost for His Highest
"Enoch walked with God." Genesis 5:24a

The test of a man's religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting on.  The worth of a man is revealed in his attitude to ordinary things when he is not before the footlights (cf. John 1:36).  It is a painful business to get through into the stride of God, it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride; but when we have got into it, the only characteristic that manifests itself is the life of God. The individual man is the lost sight of in his personal union with God, and the stride and the power of God alone are manifested.

It is difficult to get into stride with God, because when we start walking with Him we find He has outstripped us before we have taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined into His ways. It was said of Jesus- "He shall not fail nor be discouraged," because He never worked from His own individual standpoint but always from the standpoint of His Father, and we have to learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned by atmosphere, not by intellectual reasoning. God's Spirit alters the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and things begin to be possible which never were possible before. Getting into the stride of God means nothing less than union with Himself. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don't give in because the pain is bad just now, get on with it, and before long you will find you have a new vision and a new purpose.

Ask God to give you the desire to walk with Him.
Confess that union with Him isn't always your greatest desire.
Ask Him for patience to keep at it.
Pray for a new vision and purpose, for yourself and for our community.
Thank God for desiring to walk with us and giving us the Holy Spirit who equips us.

After God's Silence- What?

From My Utmost for His Highest
"Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days." John 11:16


Has God trusted you with a silence- a silence that is big with meaning? God's silences are His answers. Think of those days of absolute silence in the home at Bethany! Is there anything analogous to those days in your life? Can God trust you like that, or are you still asking for a visible answer? God will give you the blessings you ask if you will not go any further without them; but His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into a marvelous understanding of Himself. Are you mourning before God because you have not had an audible response? You will find that God has trusted you in the most intimate way possible, with an absolute silence, not of despair, but of pleasure, because He saw that you could stand a bigger revelation. If God has given you silence, praise Him, He is bringing you into the great run of His purposes. The manifestation of the answer in time is a matter of God's sovereignty. Time is nothing to God. For a while you said- "I asked God to give me bread, and He gave me a stone." He did not and today you find He gave you the bread of life.  


A wonderful thing about God's silence is that the contagion of His stillness gets into you and you become perfectly confident- "I know God has heard me." His silence is the proof that He has. As long as you have the idea that God will bless you in answer to prayer, He will do it, but He will never give you the grace of silence. If Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for the glorifying of His Father, He will give you the first sign of His intimacy- silence.  


Read John 11:1-16
Praise God that He knows better than we do.  
Confess that you do not always trust God and His timing. 
Ask Him to enable you to trust Him more.  
Open up your palms and give over the things you need to entrust Him with.  

The Exclusiveness of Christ

From My Utmost for His Highest 

"Come unto me." Matthew 11:28 

Is it not humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus! Think of the things we will not come to Jesus Christ about. If you want to know how real you are, test yourself by these words- "Come unto Me." In every degree in which you are not real, you will dispute rather than come, you will quibble rather than come, you will go through sorrow rather than come, you will do anything rather than come the last lap of unutterable foolishness- "Just as I am." As long as you have the tiniest bit of spiritual impertinence, it will always reveal itself in the fact that you are expecting God to tell you to do a big thing, and all He is telling you to do is to "come."

"Come unto Me." When you hear those words you will know that something must happen in you before you can come. The Holy Spirit will show you what you have to do, anything at all that will put the axe at the root of the thing which is preventing you from getting through. You will never get further until you are willing to do that one thing. The Holy Spirit will locate the one impregnable thing in you, but He cannot budge it unless you are willing to let Him.

How often have you come to God with your requests and gone away with the feeling- Oh, well, I have done it this time! And yet you go away with nothing,whilst all the time God has stood with outstretched hands not only to take you, but for you to take Him. Think of the invincible, unconquerable, unwearying patience of Jesus- "Come unto Me." 

Read Matthew 11:25-30

Ask the Holy Spirit to show you the "one impregnable thing" in you, the thing preventing you from going to God.  Ask Him to take an axe to the root of it. 

Pray that this Fall Break you will find rest in Jesus who is patient and who will refresh you.  

Pray that our entire Greek IV community will find rest in Him.