On The Road to the Decapolis - Road Trip With Jesus Series

This devotion is written by J.D. Walt and is entitled, “Do You Believe in Demons?” J.D. Walt is the Executive Director of Seedbed.com.

MARK 5:9-20

“9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”

CONSIDER THIS

When you have a quantity of demonic spirits with capability to possess a herd of two thousand pigs and they are all living in the same person you have an impossible situation. But if there’s one thing we know from reading the Bible, it’s that nothing is impossible with God.

Jesus specializes in chaos. He walks right into the jaws of chaos and brings forth order. He did it earlier in the deadly storm on the Sea of Galilee. In today’s text, he takes on the chaos of unimaginable demonic possession. Imagine the storm on the Sea of Galilee with all its chaos raging inside of a single human being. That’s what he’s facing.

Before we go further into this Gospel we need to ask ourselves a couple of questions. We need to take a bit of a reality check. First, do we hold to a biblical view of the world with categories for visible and invisible? Seen and unseen? How about natural and supernatural? What about demonic beings and angelic beings? The Bible does not set out to prove these dimensions of reality. It assumes them. Given the scientific age in which we live, many are dismissive of the biblical worldview as a relic of pre-modern times. I am not one of those people. I have neither an overly simplistic nor a highly sophisticated understanding of the categories inherent in a biblical worldview. That said, believing in an unseen reality strikes me as a fundamental requirement of faith and a prerequisite for biblical Christianity.

I trust in the veracity and the authority of the Bible. When Scripture speaks of the Holy Spirit, I believe it. When Scripture speaks of demonic beings, I believe it. When Scripture speaks of angelic visitations, I believe it. While my understanding of such realities continues to grow, my faith in the biblical revelation of the nature of reality, past, present and future; visible and invisible remains as fixed as the sun. This is not blind, easy, believism. It is the hard fought, time tested fruit of faith. Many God-fearing Christians remain agnostic on these matters, content to live out their lives with the conviction of a hung jury. While I don’t want to insist on belief in demonic spirits and such as essential to saving faith, I do believe that robust growth in the Christian faith requires one to lean trustingly into the biblical world view rather than accepting the easy agnosticism of our age.

Here are the basic contours of my own developing theology of the demonic, all of which I see at work in today’s text. First, demonic presence distorts human identity. Second, apart from the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit, human beings are defenseless against demonic forces. Third, the reign of Jesus (a.k.a. the Kingdom of God) means the present power of the Holy Spirit to provide protection from and aid to prevail decisively over demonic forces. (i.e. “Deliver us from evil).

Resources:

On The Road to Caesarea Philippi - Road Trip With Jesus Series

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from Pastor Mark Morrison. Pastor Mark serves as the director of Shepherd Ministries. You can find out more information about Shepherd Ministries here.

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

On The Road to Bethany - Road Trip With Jesus Series

“Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

With these seven words, tension infuses the story.

Jesus had escaped an attempted stoning and arrest in Jerusalem and had retreated to an inconspicuous place with his disciples. His whereabouts appear to have been known by his friends, the sisters from Bethany, Martha and Mary. When their brother, Lazarus, fell ill, the sisters sent a message to their friend Jesus, letting him know of the situation.

It’s interesting to note that the language of the message is vague. No names are used, no locations given. Only the simple statement, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”

“He whom you love.” What intimacy these words hold, what tenderness. No further explanation was needed for Jesus to understand. Lazarus was ill. His friends needed him. They were in Bethany, near Jerusalem, where the authorities were waiting for an opportunity to arrest and kill Jesus. If Jesus was to go to his friends, he would have to leave his place of retreat and risk being caught. Was it worth the risk?

Jesus’ initial decision to not go to his friends seems to imply that the risk was too great. The sisters seemed to understand this as well. Notice that they did not ask Jesus to come to them. They simply informed him of Lazarus’ illness. There seems to be no indication that they expected Jesus to join them. When Jesus stayed in the place where he was, perhaps no one was surprised. Perhaps his disciples were relieved.

Imagine then their confusion when, two days later, Jesus announced that they would go after all. They tried to dissuade him. Why now, Lord? Don’t you think it’s too dangerous? Lazarus will be all right without you. But Jesus knew what they didn’t. He knew that Lazarus was dead. How did he know? Was this a mark of his divinity, that he would have knowledge of events without being told of them? If so, why had he needed the message from the sisters? Did he not also know that Lazarus was sick in the first place? The story does not answer these questions for us, and so the mystery builds.

Why did Jesus wait until his friend had died – his friend, the one whom he loved – before going to him? If he was willing to take the risk of being seen in public, then why did he not go earlier when he could have comforted Lazarus, could have said goodbye, or even could have healed him? The answer Jesus gives is meant for the reader as much as for the disciples: “…so that you may believe.”

Martha was the first to greet Jesus as he approached the home of his friends. With so many people in the house, Martha left and met Jesus along the way. Was she hoping to protect him by meeting him privately? Was she hoping to avoid the chaos and disruption that his presence might cause in her village?

How Martha’s words must have pierced Jesus’ heart. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Did Jesus have the same thought? Had he wrestled with his decision to delay his coming? Did he already know what he would do, or did he, in his humanity, know only the moment in front of him?

Even in her grief, Martha spoke with the faith, courage, and resolve held by women throughout time – matriarchs, caregivers, mothers and sisters. She grieved her loss, and she grieved that which might have been, and in the same breath she said, “But even now…”

But even now, Jesus, I believe. Even now, Jesus, I know you are favored by God. Even now, Jesus, I know you are able. In this darkest moment when hope is too late, even now, Jesus. Even now.

In response to this humble, broken, powerful faith, Jesus spoke words of hope and life. He responded to Martha’s faith with a promise of life. Not a faraway life, not a distant dream of resurrection at the end of time, but a glorious revealing of resurrection standing in front of her, of life that she could see and touch. A future hope and a present reality; a future reality and a present hope. Martha, do you believe this?

Martha responded to Jesus with one of the most significant statements uttered in all of the Gospels. “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” Even now, with her brother in the grave, with her friend in danger, with her world turned upside-down – even now, Martha believed.

After Martha’s stunning confession of Jesus as the Messiah, she makes one last effort to protect Jesus by discreetly telling Mary that he was waiting for her. Mary does not appear to have the same sense of discretion as she bolted from the house to find Jesus, causing the gathered crowd of mourners to notice and follow her. We can imagine Martha’s frustration at such seeming carelessness.

The sisters are presented differently in the story. Whereas Martha had held a firm resolve and confidence even in her grief, the picture painted of Mary is one of a distraught and emotionally vulnerable woman who is overwhelmed by her sorrow. In their own ways, both women sought the presence of Jesus. And Jesus responded to each woman according to her need.

Mary greeted Jesus with the same plaintive cry as her sister – “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” But, unlike Martha, Mary cannot continue. Instead, at the feet of Jesus, she weeps.

Mary’s weeping seems to be pivotal in the story. Her weeping, along with that of the Jews who were mourning with her, evoked two simultaneous emotional responses from Jesus. As he witnessed the depth of Mary’s grief, he was “greatly disturbed in spirit” and “deeply moved”. While the entire story is full of emotion and tension, this is the first time that we see Jesus demonstrate an emotional response. After the tension of his own endangerment, the weariness of travel, the loss of Lazarus, and the sadness of Martha, Jesus reached his own emotional breaking point when he witnessed the overwhelming, unbearable grief of his friend, Mary.

Jesus did not say anything to Mary. Perhaps, as is so often true in times of immense grief, words were simply inadequate. Instead, as Mary knelt weeping on the ground, Jesus asked those around him where Lazarus had been buried. In a haunting echo of the words that defined Jesus’ ministry, the people replied, “Lord, come and see.”

And Jesus wept.

Upon arriving at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus proceeded to speak with boldness and clarity. Any hesitation to act on behalf of his friends was now gone. Jesus acts decisively and with a clear mission. Was it Mary’s grief that brought him such clarity? Was it the people’s response, seemingly benign yet filled with meaning, to “come and see” – the closing bookend to Jesus’ ministry? Or did Jesus know all along what he would do when he reached his friend’s grave?

Perhaps it was Martha’s understanding of Jesus as both God and man that allowed her to live with such seamless integration of the spiritual and the physical. Moments earlier, she had confessed her belief in Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Messiah. Now standing at her brother’s grave, she gently reminds the Messiah about the stench of death. Jesus meets her concern evenly by reminding her about the glory of God. This is all the reminder that Martha needed, she who “even now” believed Jesus, and so the stone was taken away.

As the tomb stood open before them, Jesus offers a curious prayer. We might notice that Jesus does not ask for anything in his prayer. He does not pray that God would do anything. He simply thanks his Father for having heard him. He then quickly adds that he knows his Father always hears him – but he said it anyway for the sake of the crowd. What is it that Jesus thanks the Father for “having heard”? Is he referring to a previous prayer? Is he referring to the disturbance in his spirit? To his weeping? The story does not tell us.

What is clear from Jesus’ prayer, though, is that he wants those in the crowd to know who he is. He wants them to believe. This is significant! Jesus was already wanted dead by the authorities. He had already retreated to a low profile in order to stay alive. Now, face to face with the grave, he is ready to step into his identity with boldness, come what may. In a moment that marks the climax of the book of John, Jesus “cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ [and] The dead man came out…”

Lazarus’ resurrection tipped the scale of Jesus’ life. In this moment, Jesus acted decisively to give his friend life, knowing that by doing so he would garner the attention of the people and the hatred of the rulers. His life was already on the line. The resurrection of Lazarus, performed in front of a crowd just two miles from Jerusalem, sealed his fate. Jesus knowingly sacrificed his own life to save his friend’s.

“Love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” - Jesus

Resources:

*Visio Divina is a contemplative practice that allows us to notice the Holy Spirit’s invitation through art. Spend some time looking at the image. What are you drawn to? What shapes and colors hold your eye? What do you resist in the image? Do you sense a connection between the image and the passage that you read? There is no need to force a connection; simply be receptive if one should come to you. Lastly, do you sense an invitation in the image? What might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to?

On The Road to Jericho - Road Trip With Jesus Series

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from Pastor Mark Morrison. Pastor Mark serves as the director of Shepherd Ministries. You can find out more information about Shepherd Ministries here.

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

On The Road to Samaria - Road Trip With Jesus Series

This devotion is written by Dan Wilt and is entitled, “Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us? Two Disciples On the Road To Emmaus.” Dan Wilt is a contributing author for Seedbed.com.

CONSIDER THIS

It is the first Easter day. The stirrings, the whispered conversations, the wide-eyed looks of shock and disbelief, the to-ing and fro-ing and post-resurrection scene after scene and the Easter grapevine . . . are all just getting started.

On this bright day, Resurrection day, we meet two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. We know that one is named Cleopas; the other’s name is left a mystery. (Some have welcomed that mystery throughout the millennia; we are given a perfect opportunity to imagine ourselves in the position of the unnamed disciple in the story).

It is a seven-mile walk, and the conversation is focused and pained. The crucifixion is fresh on their minds, and reports have begun to circulate that the battered and pierced body of Jesus was not only absent from the tomb—some of the female disciples were telling stories that angels declared he was alive!

After the last three years of miracles, and sightings of the impossible-made-real, one might think anything is possible.

But pain and suffering of the soul can lead one to doubt, and a tone of disappointment is clearly heard in the song of lament and confusion their spirits are now singing.

In v. 17, we read that their faces are downcast, shadowed by sorrow and gloom. Sadness, disappointment, confusion, seem high—faith that a miracle-of-miracles has occurred seems dreadfully low.

And it is here that Jesus companions them on their journey. It is here that Jesus companions us—when information is partial at best and hope feels like a luxury.

They don’t recognize Jesus, or, as the passage says, they were kept from recognizing Jesus. Their sight may have been limited by the Lord himself, by their ignorance of the true story behind the story of their people Israel, or even by their own grief-laden minds.

No matter the reason, we know that the disoriented spirit can often suffer from a form of inner blindness, an inability to see what is right and true and beautiful in front of us. The brain masks the obvious, and we are propelled into our worst stories, catastrophizing outcomes and beginning to believe that our worst fears are being realized.

It bears noting that all doubt is not stubborn, rigid unbelief. Sometimes, as may have been the case here, doubt is simply the soul seeking better answers than it has known before.

Jesus is patient with the seeking and unsure. He listens, without interruption. The Emmaus Road disciples share as we all should, honestly and without hiding their bewilderment. He listens as they get the story they have come to know out in the open.

Then, Jesus speaks.

Put yourself, for a moment, in the place of the unnamed disciple—what would it have been like to have the resurrected Jesus explain the whole story of the Scriptures, pointing to himself and the promises of God fulfilled in him, all the way through? The moment was wonder-filled enough for them to describe their hearts as “burning within” them.

Hope must have begun to stir their spirits as they listened. They must have never heard, truly heard, the gospel like this before—a gospel that included the suffering of the Messiah before entering his glory—told by the resurrected Messiah himself! Faith may have started to rise like the sun that morning, gradually—yet inevitably.

We know the next part of the story. For the disciples on the Emmaus Road, it took the sight and sound of bread breaking, being given to them by Jesus, for their eyes to be opened.

And opened they were.

Uncertainty is not always the opposite of faith; it is often the precursor to faith when the heart is soft and listening. Jesus knows that sometimes we need answers as we struggle with bewilderment and doubt—but sometimes we need an encounter with his presence far more.

The risen Jesus companions you—accompanies you—on the long and sometimes troubling road Home. And just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, a long listening in his presence can open our eyes to see that he has been right there with us all along.

THE PRAYER

 Risen Lord of the Burning Heart, it is your presence that leads us to true sight, true hearing, of the answers you give along the challenging journey home. We are grateful for your patience, your companionship, and the breaking of our seasons of blindness as you reveal your heart to us once again. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Resources:

On The Road to Emmaus - Road Trip With Jesus Series

This devotion is written by Dan Wilt and is entitled, “Were Not Our Hearts Burning Within Us? Two Disciples On the Road To Emmaus.” Dan Wilt is a contributing author for Seedbed.com.

CONSIDER THIS

It is the first Easter day. The stirrings, the whispered conversations, the wide-eyed looks of shock and disbelief, the to-ing and fro-ing and post-resurrection scene after scene and the Easter grapevine . . . are all just getting started.

On this bright day, Resurrection day, we meet two disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. We know that one is named Cleopas; the other’s name is left a mystery. (Some have welcomed that mystery throughout the millennia; we are given a perfect opportunity to imagine ourselves in the position of the unnamed disciple in the story).

It is a seven-mile walk, and the conversation is focused and pained. The crucifixion is fresh on their minds, and reports have begun to circulate that the battered and pierced body of Jesus was not only absent from the tomb—some of the female disciples were telling stories that angels declared he was alive!

After the last three years of miracles, and sightings of the impossible-made-real, one might think anything is possible.

But pain and suffering of the soul can lead one to doubt, and a tone of disappointment is clearly heard in the song of lament and confusion their spirits are now singing.

In v. 17, we read that their faces are downcast, shadowed by sorrow and gloom. Sadness, disappointment, confusion, seem high—faith that a miracle-of-miracles has occurred seems dreadfully low.

And it is here that Jesus companions them on their journey. It is here that Jesus companions us—when information is partial at best and hope feels like a luxury.

They don’t recognize Jesus, or, as the passage says, they were kept from recognizing Jesus. Their sight may have been limited by the Lord himself, by their ignorance of the true story behind the story of their people Israel, or even by their own grief-laden minds.

No matter the reason, we know that the disoriented spirit can often suffer from a form of inner blindness, an inability to see what is right and true and beautiful in front of us. The brain masks the obvious, and we are propelled into our worst stories, catastrophizing outcomes and beginning to believe that our worst fears are being realized.

It bears noting that all doubt is not stubborn, rigid unbelief. Sometimes, as may have been the case here, doubt is simply the soul seeking better answers than it has known before.

Jesus is patient with the seeking and unsure. He listens, without interruption. The Emmaus Road disciples share as we all should, honestly and without hiding their bewilderment. He listens as they get the story they have come to know out in the open.

Then, Jesus speaks.

Put yourself, for a moment, in the place of the unnamed disciple—what would it have been like to have the resurrected Jesus explain the whole story of the Scriptures, pointing to himself and the promises of God fulfilled in him, all the way through? The moment was wonder-filled enough for them to describe their hearts as “burning within” them.

Hope must have begun to stir their spirits as they listened. They must have never heard, truly heard, the gospel like this before—a gospel that included the suffering of the Messiah before entering his glory—told by the resurrected Messiah himself! Faith may have started to rise like the sun that morning, gradually—yet inevitably.

We know the next part of the story. For the disciples on the Emmaus Road, it took the sight and sound of bread breaking, being given to them by Jesus, for their eyes to be opened.

And opened they were.

Uncertainty is not always the opposite of faith; it is often the precursor to faith when the heart is soft and listening. Jesus knows that sometimes we need answers as we struggle with bewilderment and doubt—but sometimes we need an encounter with his presence far more.

The risen Jesus companions you—accompanies you—on the long and sometimes troubling road Home. And just like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, a long listening in his presence can open our eyes to see that he has been right there with us all along.

THE PRAYER

 Risen Lord of the Burning Heart, it is your presence that leads us to true sight, true hearing, of the answers you give along the challenging journey home. We are grateful for your patience, your companionship, and the breaking of our seasons of blindness as you reveal your heart to us once again. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Resources:

Guest Speakers - Tricia Mason & Stella Bokare - ICCM

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from Special Guests Tricia Mason & Stella Bokare from ICCM. ICCM is a ministry of the Free Methodist Church, helping vulnerable children worldwide to reach their fullest potential, as they embody Jesus’ love through partnerships to provide holistic care. We are so excited to have then with us this week. If you would like to learn more - click here.

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

Living the Hope Shaped Life - 1 Thessalonians Series

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from our very own Casey Flitsch. Casey serves as the Worship Director of CrossView Church. Casey also serves as the Area Director for Snohomish County Young Life.

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

Guest Speaker - Helri & Phuong Caadan

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from Special Guests Helri & Phuong Caadan. Helri & Phuong serve as SE Asia International Missionaries. We are so excited to have then with us this week. If you would like to learn more, or support Helri & Phuoung - click here.

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

Children of the Light - 1 Thessalonians Series

This devotion is written by Matt O’Reilly from his book, “The Letters to the Thessalonians.” Matt O’Reilly is a contributing author at seedbed.com. We hope you will be encouraged.

1 Thessalonians 5:4–7 But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; 5for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. 6So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; 7for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.

Key Observation. Christian behavior should reflect Christian identity.

Understanding the Word. “Remember who you are.” My grandmother spoke those words to me and my brother as she handed us our jackets. We were heading out the door to meet some friends. I have no idea what she thought we might do. Nevertheless, her point was clear. She wanted us to remember that our family had a good reputation. She didn’t want us to damage it. Our grandmother expected our behavior to accord with our family identity.

That’s also what Paul expects of the Thessalonians. You can see his logic in the movement from 1 Thessalonians 5:5 to 5:6. He begins by reminding the Thessalonians of their identity. He wants them to remember who they are. And here Christian identity is described in terms of the future. Christians are “children of light and children of the day.” To identify believers as light-people was Paul’s way of saying they belong to Jesus. For Paul, God has lifted the blinders and led believers out of darkness to “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). Light-people know God because they’ve seen God in Jesus.

Notice also that Paul uses family language to describe believers. They are children of light and of the day. Paul’s original Greek actually used a word that means “sons,” but translators rightly render it “children” to be inclusive of men and women. The importance of family relationships in the ancient world cannot be overstated. You take your identity from your family, and you owe your loyalty to your family. Paul’s use of family language to describe the identity of the group reinforces the deep emotions that would be attached to this new family of God.

Not only are they identified as light-people, they are also day-people. The day in question is the day of the Lord. They belong to Jesus. And the day of his return will be the day that all the implications of their identity in Christ will be revealed. For the Thessalonians, their identification with Jesus makes them a mockery among outsiders. They suffer for it. But on the day of the Lord, they’ll be vindicated. They’ll participate in his resurrection. Their union with him will come to its fullness. But if they are going to make it, they’ve got to remember who they are in Christ and who they are together.

A Life Pleasing to God - 1 Thessalonians Series

This devotion is written by Matt O’Reilly from his book, “The Letters to the Thessalonians.” Matt O’Reilly is a contributing author at seedbed.com. We hope you will be encouraged.

1 Thessalonians 4:1–3a NIV “As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you should be sanctified.”

Key Observation. Holiness is God’s will for your life.

Understanding the Word. Most of us want to know God’s plan. We want direction. We want purpose. What’s God’s will for me? If you’ve asked that question, you may be surprised to discover God’s will is the same for everyone. And it’s summed up with one word—sanctification. Sanctification refers to the process of becoming holy. For Paul, everything else is secondary. If you want to know God’s will for your life, start with holy.

If you’re wondering why Paul thinks this way, consider that he grew up immersed in the Old Testament. One passage that fills in the picture is found in Ezekiel 36, which anticipates the day God will rescue his people from exile. How did they get to the point of exile? They had given themselves to sin for so long that God had to do something drastic to get their attention: he allowed foreign powers to conquer them and take them out of their land (vv. 18–19). We’ve already learned from Paul that God never gives up on his people, and that’s Ezekiel’s message too. Ezekiel promised the Hebrew people that God would rescue them. But the plan was not simply to rescue them from foreign captivity; God intended to rescue them from their sin—all of it. After all, sin was the root problem. To do that, God would have to change them from the inside out, give them new hearts. He even promised to give his own Holy Spirit to empower obedience. God will make his people holy. And here’s the reason: “the nations shall know that I am the Lord . . . when through you I display my holiness before their eyes” (Ezek. 36:23). Catch that? God’s plan is to show the nations the beauty of his holiness, and the bodies of his people will be the theater where that holiness is enacted.

That means that God must deal with our sin. He must show us the ways our lives aren’t aligned with his character. If we surrender to that work, we get the remarkable privilege of showing God’s holy love to the world. God is faithful. He always does what’s right. He always tells the truth. There’s no duplicity in him. No deceit. He wants those aspects of his character to consistently define the lives of his people. And that’s how God intends to make his character known to every nation on earth, which means holiness is ultimately about mission.

Do you want people to know God’s holy love? Because he wants to show his holy love to other people through you. Think about that. The world will know God is God when his people embody his holy character. That’s his will for all of us. Everything else is secondary.

A Living Witness - 1 Thessalonians Series

This devotion is written by Matt O’Reilly from his book, “The Letters to the Thessalonians.” Matt O’Reilly is a contributing author at seedbed.com. We hope you will be encouraged.

1 Thessalonians 2:1–8 NIV You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.

Key Observation. All of life should be lived to please God alone.

Understanding the Word. Most of us live under constant pressure to please people. Employers, coworkers, our spouse, friends, church members—we want others to be happy with us. That desire is reinforced by constant immersion in social media, which always leaves us craving one more “like.” Paul offers a vision of Christian life that is radically countercultural. He doesn’t live to please people. Paul lives to please God. That’s the focus of 1 Thessalonians 2, and it has big implications for Paul and us.

First, living to please God meant Paul would suffer. His message about Jesus faced opposition. He mentions they had “suffered and been treated outrageously” in Philippi. We learn in Acts 16 that Paul was accused of disturbing the city and encouraging illegal activity. So, the city authorities had him stripped, beaten, and jailed. But Paul didn’t live to please them; he lived to please God. And God called Paul to preach Jesus. Paul lived courageously into his calling, despite the suffering.

We don’t always think of following Jesus as something that takes courage. In North America, we aren’t in danger of being arrested for going to church. We can follow Jesus without fear of physical harm. But there are places in the world where following Jesus does take courage—great courage. In some parts of China, people who become Christians risk being disowned by family or reported to the local government. Evangelism was recently criminalized in Bolivia. If you attempt to lead someone to Jesus in that country, you could be imprisoned for five to twelve years. It takes real courage to follow Jesus in places like that.

Second, living to please God motivates integrity. All of us can think of preachers who are known as tricksters. They promise health and wealth to those who give money to their ministries, and they end up looking like they’re in it for the money. Paul doesn’t want to give that impression. He’s not preaching for the payoff. He’s not doing it for public acclaim. He’s not out to be a celebrity. He simply wants to be faithful. You see, Paul understood that our lives will either commend the gospel or undermine it. If we’re going to tell people Jesus loves them, we need to also embody that love. If we appear to seek our own gain, we hinder the gospel and create barriers to faith for others. Living to please God means living with integrity that commends the good news.

A Church Worth Celebrating - 1 Thessalonians Series

This article is written by N.T. Wright from his book, “Paul for Everyone: Galatians and Thessalonians.” N.T. Wright is a well know biblical scholar, professor, and former Bishop. We hope you will be encouraged.

I hesitated long over the decision. I had to make up my mind whether to admit to the university a student whose grades were not quite as high as we would normally require. She was clearly intelligent, and capable of hard work, but why were some of the grades just a little bit lower than we had expected? Then I thought back to the interview my colleagues and I had had with the student. She had come alive. She was clearly not only interested in the subject, but enthusiastic, and able to take in new ideas and make them her own. Remembering those first impressions vividly, I made the decision. We would admit her to the college. Three years later I was vindicated: she graduated with top honours.

Paul vividly remembers his first impressions of the Thessalonian Christians to whom he writes this letter. Thessalonica—modern Thessaloniki, or Salonica—was, and is, a thriving seaport in northern Greece, roughly 200 miles north of Athens. Paul had come there after preaching in Philippi, further east, where he had been beaten and thrown in prison before pointing out that he was a Roman citizen. The story of that journey is told in Acts 16 and 17.

Though Paul’s normal practice was to begin his preaching in the Jewish synagogue or place of prayer, it seems that most of the people who came to believe his message were non-Jews. For them, there was a double barrier to be crossed before they could accept the gospel. It was not only a crazy message about a man who was dead and then came to life again. It was a crazy Jewish message. Paul must have known, as he went from place to place, that most people who heard what he was talking about were bound to think him mad.

And yet these people had not. Some in Thessalonica, as in most places he went, found that something happened to them when they listened to his message. A strange power gripped them—the power that, Paul would tell them, was the holy spirit at work. They would suddenly understand what he was saying. It would grasp their hearts and minds. Paul and his companions, explaining the gospel to them, would become excited as they saw the message take hold, make sense, and begin its work of transforming hearts and lives. That memory lingered on even though Paul, Silvanus and Timothy had moved south, to Beroea, Athens and now Corinth (Paul doesn’t say so in the letter, but it is likely that he was writing this from Corinth, where he stayed for over two years).

So when he looks back and gives thanks to God for them he knows that God was indeed at work in them as the word of the gospel was preached. His vivid memory of those early days, of their response and strong conviction, was clear proof that God had chosen them (verse 4). They had not come to faith by accident. God wanted them to be his beachhead into that part of northern Greece, a beacon of light to illuminate the world around. Though, as we shall see, Paul nursed anxieties about how they were getting on in their faith and life, his bedrock conviction was that God had taken the initiative in grasping them with the gospel.

This is the centre of Paul’s opening thanksgiving. Like most of his letters, this one starts with him telling his readers how he prays for them—a remarkable pastoral move in itself. Writing with his companions Silvanus (the ‘Silas’ of Acts 15:27, etc.) and Timothy, his young assistant, Paul knows he can address the Christians in Thessalonica as ‘the community in God the father and the Lord Jesus the Messiah’. The word for ‘community’ is sometimes translated ‘church’, but it was a common word for a gathering or assembly. What distinguished this community from others was that it was not only located in a particular place, but ‘in’ a particular god—the god who is in fact God, the one true God, known to Jews and Christians as father, and known now in the gospel as the one who sent Jesus to be Messiah and so Lord of the world. As so often with Paul, his opening words and phrases contain, in a nutshell, a good deal that he will spell out later in the letter.

His opening thanksgiving and prayer actually extend, in a rambling sort of way, for over half the letter—to the end of chapter 3, in fact; and there is probably a good reason for this. The church in Thessalonica is very young, probably not more than a few months old. Already they have faced great difficulties; they have been persecuted, and some of them have died (whether from the persecution or from other causes, Paul does not say). By way of rooting them the more firmly in the gospel, Paul reminds them at length of what happened when he arrived and preached there; of the example he and his companions set them; of Timothy’s recent visit and the good report he had brought back. And he does all this within the broad framework of telling them how they feature in his prayers, which they do constantly (verse 2).

In particular, he recalls how, even in the short time he spent with them after the initial preaching, they already demonstrated three things which he saw as signs of life. Faith, love and hope: Paul uses this threesome elsewhere, particularly in 1 Corinthians 13:13, but clearly it was a regular part of his thinking and teaching about basic Christian living.

Each one demands effort. Faith is something you have to work at. It is not a ‘work’ in the sense of a ‘work of the law’ done to earn favour with God, but a work of love, done out of gratitude for grace. It means thinking the gospel through, and bringing our minds and wills into line with it. Love—which, as Paul will show later in the letter (4:9–12), is a very practical thing—also requires the kind of effort we associate with hard physical work. Hope needs patience, which is also demanding.

The Thessalonians had all three. Could the same be said for your church?

Jesus the Gentle Servant - Mark Morrison

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from Pastor Mark Morrison. Pastor Mark serves as the director of Shepherd Ministries. You can find out more information about Shepherd Ministries here.

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

Earthquakes & Landslides - Pastor David Hicks

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from Pastor David Hicks. Pastor David is a retired Free Methodist Pastor and Leader. He served as Lead Pastor at CrossView Church in the early 2000s. We hope you are encouraged by this week’s message.

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

Easter Sunday - Holy Week 2026

This devotion is written by J.D. Walt and is entitled, “An Easter Postscript - One Last Question.” J.D. Walt is the Executive Director of seedbed.com.

Matthew 16:15 NIV

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

CONSIDER THIS . . .

So how are you responding to the question of all questions?

But what about you? . . . Who do you say that I am?

Let’s not make the mistake of just copying down Peter’s answer and turning it into the right answer—as though Jesus were just looking for the correct answer.

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16).

The truth is Peter gave Jesus something way beyond a right answer to an important question. Peter offered Jesus a response to divine revelation. Peter did not react to a teacher with a Sunday school answer. He responded to God by leaning in with his life.

Remember my confirmation class from the early days of this Lenten journey? I told them the story of a wire walker who stretched a wire across a treacherous canyon. In front of a stunned audience, he walked across the wire and back. He asked the audience if they thought he could do it again. They cheered loudly with affirmation.

Then he reached for a wheelbarrow and put it on the wire. He asked the cheering audience, “Who will get in the wheelbarrow?” 

Faith is not believing the right things about Jesus. Faith is believing Jesus.

If Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God, the Bread of Life and the Light of the World, the Good Shepherd, the way and the truth and the life, very God of very God—and if what is on offer here is to be transformed, to be remade in the image of God, into his likeness—we must respond with our whole lives.

Faith is not the right answer. It is the right response.

When Peter said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God,” he was, in essence, responding with the response Jesus had been waiting for: all in.

We asked that question of all questions every single week in our yearlong confirmation class.

It’s why I’m asking you, for Jesus, again today.

But what about you? . . . Who do you say that I am?

Don’t give the right answer. Respond to the revelation. I’ll never forget how one day, months into our confirmation class, I asked the question of questions, and one of our students, Ava Grace, offered this mind-blowing response to the revelation:

“Where’s the wheelbarrow?”

Okay, now it’s your turn!

PRAY

Our Father, thank you for your Son, Jesus. Lord Jesus, you are our Lord and our God. Where is the wheelbarrow? We’re going all in with you. We are growing. We really want to change. And our desire for you is at an all-time high. Come, Holy Spirit. “Lead on, O King Eternal. The day of march is come.”1 Praying in your name, amen.

Resources:

Palm Sunday - Holy Week 2026

This devotion is written by Keith Turner, and is entitled, “The Desperate Cry of Hosanna.” Keith Turner is a contributing author at Seedbed.com. We hope you will be encouraged.

Days like Palm Sunday are particularly difficult for the preacher. It’s not because there is nothing to say. It is because there is nothing to say you don’t already know. You heard the Gospel reading. Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem is about as straightforward as a reading can get. It needs no special interpretation. The last thing you need me to do is to stand up and wax eloquent for 12 to 15 minutes (and not a second longer!) on the meaning of Palm Sunday. Yet, Palm Sunday is here again. The difficulty still looms over the preacher. I find myself wanting to give the congregation something that will make them say, “Huh. I never thought about that before!” But, I am reminded the task of preaching is not to reveal something new. Many times it is to remind the congregation of something true. Certainly, Palm Sunday reminds us of something true, something of which we need to be reminded at least once per year.

Sometimes, we hear an event recounted, and something different strikes us as particularly interesting. As I read the Palm Sunday narrative over and over again, the word Hosanna kept drawing me. Imagine the crowds of people thronging Main Street, Jerusalem, waving palm branches as Jesus rides in on a donkey. Hear them shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Most of us know the word Hosanna well, don’t we? Many of us even sing it every week, “Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.”

We sing it as an act of praise. We sing it with exuberance. We sing it with celebration. But I still remember something I once heard a minister say: “One person’s act of praise may be another person’s act of desperation.” What may come easy for one person may be very difficult for another. Even though we sometimes sing it joyfully, Hosanna is not the happiest of words. It is a Hebrew word meaning, “Save, now!” It is a prayer of desperation, a cry for help. Have you ever cried out a desperate Hosanna? Have you ever found it difficult to praise God? Have you ever forced yourself to come into God’s presence with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise when it was the last thing you felt like doing?

I was in that situation not long ago. I was in a worship setting, and I must confess that from where I was sitting, there was a person in clear sight, toward whom I harbor feelings of deep hatred. Growing up, I was always taught that I was not permitted to hate anyone. The person I hold bitterness toward claims to be a Christian. This person claims to serve the Lord. Nevertheless, seeing this person sitting there put me in a less-than-worshipful mood. If only the person were not there, then maybe my thoughts and my prayers would be a little more holy. But right there, the object of my scorn sat.

When we stood to sing one of my favorite hymns, I found it incredibly difficult to sing. “Join hands, disciples of the faith, whate’er your race may be. Who serves my Father as his child is surely kin to me.” These words are true, no matter how I feel or what I want. I sang the words anyway. It was not easy to praise God. I had to cry a desperate Hosanna. Lord, save now! Save me from myself! Deliver me from my feelings of bitterness, resentment, and hatred. Rescue me from what keeps my heart from joyfully praising you.

Maybe your difficulty comes from a different place. Perhaps it comes from a place of disappointment or from a wearying trial you are facing. Our suffering often drives us to God, but it still never makes it easy to praise Him. This is especially true if our disappointment is toward God. Even so, God is not threatened by our feelings of disappointment or anger. Instead, God promises to meet us in our disappointment and suffering. But, sometimes, we have to praise him in an act of faith that precedes our being able to see that truth. That is where we find God’s faithfulness to be true.

I wonder about the people who flanked the sidewalks of Main Street, Jerusalem on that day. What brought them there? Were they filled with excitement and celebration? For some, that may be the case, but I wonder how many were filled with desperation. Maybe the crowds really didn’t feel like lining along the streets to watch this one-person parade. Given the political climate, they may have even feared doing so. But, they lined the street anyway. Maybe they knew that no matter how they felt or what they wanted, Jesus comes to bring something true—something better than the nightmare in which they lived.

They may have had their reservations about flooding the neighborhood that day, but one thing is for sure: they wanted Rome out of their neighborhoods even more strongly. Overthrow the Romans if you will. Take down Caesar if you can. Many of the people were convinced Jesus came to revolutionize Israel into a new earthly kingdom. They expected the Roman kingdom to be wiped out; the Kingdom of God would be ushered in. It’s a win-win! Whatever it takes, they want the Romans out of there. They are desperate.

But, when Jesus does not meet their expectations, their desperate cries of Hosanna turn into furious cries of “Crucify him!”

Yet, in the irony that is his crucifixion, Jesus still answers their prayer: “Lord, save now!” He draws the whole world to himself. By his suffering and death, Jesus becomes the author of eternal salvation for all who put their trust in him (see Book of Common Prayer, 346). Jesus still brings about a more perfect and complete salvation and inaugurates the true Kingdom of God even when humanity sinks to its greatest evil.

I also wonder who might be flanking the streets of our lives. Who among us may be crying out to Jesus with a desperate Hosanna? Who might the Holy Spirit be nudging us to see? They could be…

The parents standing over the fresh grave of their teenage son, fallen victim in an act of gun violence
Lord, save now!

The single parent lying awake at night having worked three minimum wage jobs and still worrying over how the rent is going to be paid
Lord, save now!

The group of African-American high school students meeting at the local restaurant after football practice only to discover the waiter has put a racial slur instead of their table number atop their check
Lord, save now!

Even those who may want to destroy Christ along with everyone who follows Him
Lord, save now!

Holy Spirit still calls us, just as at our baptism: “Proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. Seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your neighbor as your self. Strive for justice and peace and respect the dignity of every human being.” If you are reading this, and your sweet Hosannas are ringing from a place of exuberance and celebration, then indeed, praise God for it! But, if your Hosannas come from a place of desperation, then take heart! The Lord hears your prayer and does not forget you. For all of us, no matter where we are on our faith journeys on this Palm Sunday, Jesus Christ is hearing our Hosannas and is saving us.

Amen.

Jesus Heals a Lame Man - Pastor Mark Morrison

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from Pastor Mark Morrison. Pastor Mark serves as the director of Shepherd Ministries. You can find out more information about Shepherd Ministries here.

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

The Genealogy of Jesus - Rebecca Minelga

 
 

Every so often, we will have a guest speaker at CrossView Church. We are so grateful for the gifted women and men that serve the Lord through teaching the word. This week we hear from our very own, Rebecca Minelga. Rebecca Minelga is an author and speaker who uses the power of words to navigate the liminal spaces between who we are and who we are becoming. She raises Guide Dog Puppies and two sons–in that order–with her husband in Snohomish, WA. Her books include "To All the Saints: Paul's Letter to the Church at Philippi," "The Covenant: A Study Guide for Deuteronomy," and her latest, fiction novel, "Third and Long," with a sequel, "False Start," coming in March 2026. When not writing, she can be found open water swimming in her local lake, exploring the National Parks with her family, or traveling the world on an adventure!

Usually, when we have a guest speaker, we will not have a weekly devotion. We encourage you to watch the message again at some point throughout the week and to check out the resources listed below.

Blessings on you and your week.

Pastor Kyle

The Genealogy Of Ruth - Ruth Series

This devotion is an excerpt from the book, The Gospel of Ruth: Loving God Enough to Break the Rules and was written by Carolyn Custis James. We hope you will be encouraged.

TWO WOMEN AND A BABY

The miracle birth of Obed is truly the most joyful moment in the book, hailed by the women who celebrate with Naomi. This child renews Naomi’s life. Instead of the dead end she had reached, Obed creates for Naomi a brand-new opening into the future and a vital new kingdom assignment. No one reading the book of Ruth for the first time would ever anticipate such a remarkable turn of events. The women attribute Naomi’s blessings to her foreign-born daughter-in-law with superlative praise. “For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth” (Ruth 4:15, emphasis added). They name the baby Obed, then top off their praise with a punch line: “Naomi has a son!” (4:17).

When Obed is born, the past and the future are joined and all of the loose strands of the story come together. Naomi’s sufferings, Ruth’s vow, God’s mission for each woman, and their true contributions for the kingdom — all unite in one small baby boy, but not in the way you might expect.

Ruth and Naomi each experienced a major turning point long before Obed comes gasping and squalling out of the womb and into their waiting arms. Ruth turned a corner in her life when she refused to abandon Naomi and embraced Naomi’s God. Naomi’s turning point happened when Ruth unloaded a pile of raw barley at her feet and she realized with astonishment that Yahweh still loved her. These are life-changing moments that dramatically alter both women, for despite their losses and their grief, they derive fresh purpose and meaning from Yahweh’s hesed and turn outward to sacrifice for others. This is the power of the gospel in their lives.

Obed may change their schedules, daily chores, and sleeping habits. He ends the physical emptiness caused by the absence of sons in the family, for now Elimelech has an heir. But his arrival in this world cannot account for the profound changes that God works in the hearts of the two widows. Obed does not give meaning and purpose to Ruth, for she had both long before he was born. He cannot end Naomi’s sufferings, for she will always grieve the losses of her husband and sons. But along with opening up for the two women a window on the future, Obed becomes the beneficiary of all that the two women have gained from what they have suffered and sacrificed. He will carry their past with him into the future.

From the mother who gave him birth, Obed will inherit a caliber of faith in Yahweh that doesn’t easily give up, no matter how daunting the obstacles, no matter how impossible the odds. The courageous blood of a risk taker runs through his veins. With a mother like that, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to hear of Obed’s grandson standing up to a giant warrior armed only with a sling and five small stones.

Obed will also learn a lot about sacrifice from his mother. He will hear about all she has done for Naomi. Word has gotten out about the costly sacrifices Ruth made for her mother-in-law. The women of Bethlehem aren’t just spouting overused clichés when they say Ruth is “better than seven sons.” They really mean it. Naomi actually is better off with Ruth than a lot of women who gave birth to what the ancient world regarded as the perfect number of sons.

Older women counted on their sons to care for them, to protect them from exploitation and the harsh elements of society, to be their voice, to stand up for their rights, and to preserve their father’s name and estate by bringing the next generation of male descendants into the world. Ruth did all of those things for Naomi at great cost to herself and in a culture that tied her hands behind her back, denied her a voice, refused her access to the legal system, and regarded her as useless. It was all uphill for Ruth. But she did it anyway. Not even seven sons would have done as much.

Even with the birth of Obed, Ruth continues sacrificing for Naomi. Anyone would say that after everything Ruth did for Naomi, it was time for her to enjoy a little happiness herself. Marriage to Boaz and the birth of a son seem fitting rewards for such an extraordinary and selfless woman. But Ruth still isn’t thinking of herself. She has never veered from her vow.