1 00:00:02,650 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Life Audio Welcome to the Crosswalk Devotional. We are so 2 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: glad to have you listening with us here today. Today's 3 00:00:16,980 --> 00:00:21,250 Speaker 1: topic is about training superstitions for real faith. We will 4 00:00:21,290 --> 00:00:38,150 Speaker 1: return after a brief message from our sponsor. Trading Superstition 5 00:00:38,330 --> 00:00:43,190 Speaker 1: for Steady Faith Written by Sophia Bricker Read by Rochelle 6 00:00:43,310 --> 00:00:48,630 Speaker 1: Alberti Bible Reading When this became known to the Jews 7 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 1: and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, 8 00:00:52,540 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in 9 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:57,260 Speaker 1: high honor. Acts 19.17 NIV A Card and a Cross 10 00:01:03,060 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: These were the two items I regularly kept with me 11 00:01:05,980 --> 00:01:08,650 Speaker 1: during my first year of middle school, or junior high 12 00:01:08,709 --> 00:01:12,130 Speaker 1: as it is sometimes known. The card bore the picture 13 00:01:12,170 --> 00:01:14,509 Speaker 1: of St. Patrick with a blessing printed on the back, 14 00:01:14,990 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: which I kept in my pocket or bag while at school. 15 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: But the cross? I wore it every day, regardless of 16 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:26,679 Speaker 1: outfit or occasion. Like the card, it was Celtic-inspired, an 17 00:01:26,860 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: Irish pewter cross with a clover in the middle. To many, 18 00:01:31,100 --> 00:01:34,710 Speaker 1: this could have looked like an attestation to faith. Far 19 00:01:34,830 --> 00:01:37,569 Speaker 1: from it. At the time, I did not know or 20 00:01:37,630 --> 00:01:41,130 Speaker 1: follow Christ. Instead, I found comfort in the strength that 21 00:01:41,170 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: these items seemed to hold, as if the presence of 22 00:01:44,750 --> 00:01:48,500 Speaker 1: the card or necklace could protect me. I was bullied 23 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,780 Speaker 1: relentlessly in middle school, so perhaps the superstitious possession of 24 00:01:52,820 --> 00:01:57,810 Speaker 1: these items was a grasp at safety. Regardless, these items 25 00:01:57,850 --> 00:02:01,380 Speaker 1: held great power in my mind. I had mistaken a 26 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:06,320 Speaker 1: symbol for the truth being symbolized. Only later did I 27 00:02:06,380 --> 00:02:08,820 Speaker 1: learn that the power of the cross or the example 28 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:12,639 Speaker 1: of a saint's life comes only because of the crucified 29 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:17,910 Speaker 1: and resurrected Christ. Some Jewish people did something similar during 30 00:02:17,990 --> 00:02:21,169 Speaker 1: the early days of the church. In the book of Acts, 31 00:02:21,450 --> 00:02:25,750 Speaker 1: we read about itinerant exorcists, the sons of Seba, attempting 32 00:02:25,790 --> 00:02:28,700 Speaker 1: to invoke the name of Jesus through Paul's name to 33 00:02:28,740 --> 00:02:32,640 Speaker 1: drive out demons. Undoubtedly, they had heard about the power 34 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:35,140 Speaker 1: of Christ to free people from the control of spirits 35 00:02:35,580 --> 00:02:38,739 Speaker 1: and so assumed that merely saying his name would work 36 00:02:38,780 --> 00:02:43,580 Speaker 1: to drive away the demons. They were mistaken. One day, 37 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: the evil spirit replied to the men attempting to drive 38 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: them out. Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, 39 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:55,900 Speaker 1: but who are you? Acts 19.15 NIV Instead of leaving 40 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,530 Speaker 1: victorious that day over the realms of darkness, as they 41 00:02:58,560 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: had attempted to, They were left beaten and bloodied, Acts 19.16. 42 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: Their experience showed that Jesus' name is not a magical 43 00:03:07,380 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: word that could be wielded for a man's purposes. Superstition 44 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:17,750 Speaker 1: cannot replace true faith. One day, every knee will bow 45 00:03:17,810 --> 00:03:21,030 Speaker 1: to the name of our Lord Jesus, creatures and spirits alike, 46 00:03:21,510 --> 00:03:26,790 Speaker 1: Philippians 2.9-11. Even now, demons tremble at the power of 47 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,580 Speaker 1: the Savior. The lack is not in Christ, for He 48 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: has defeated the powers of darkness, making a spectacle of 49 00:03:34,139 --> 00:03:38,710 Speaker 1: them on the cross, Colossians 2.15. But the power is 50 00:03:38,790 --> 00:03:42,910 Speaker 1: in the person, not the name alone. Paul and the 51 00:03:42,990 --> 00:03:47,070 Speaker 1: other apostles could drive out spirits and perform miracles only 52 00:03:47,150 --> 00:03:50,710 Speaker 1: because of Jesus. They knew the Lord and had trusted 53 00:03:50,750 --> 00:03:54,580 Speaker 1: in the salvation He died to give. Of course, today 54 00:03:54,700 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: we are not likely to attempt to invoke the name 55 00:03:57,180 --> 00:04:00,340 Speaker 1: of Christ in the matter of demon possession. Those in 56 00:04:00,420 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: other parts of the world who face more concrete spiritual 57 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: attacks know that the strength to combat the works of 58 00:04:05,820 --> 00:04:10,850 Speaker 1: Satan comes from Christ, not in the act of speaking words. However, 59 00:04:10,970 --> 00:04:13,390 Speaker 1: we could still fall into the trap of thinking that 60 00:04:13,450 --> 00:04:18,040 Speaker 1: certain rituals or objects provide us with safety. Even prayer 61 00:04:18,100 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: can be used in this way when we think that 62 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,669 Speaker 1: the Lord will be more likely to hear us for 63 00:04:22,730 --> 00:04:27,570 Speaker 1: our many words. Matthew 6, 6-8 Let us not make 64 00:04:27,589 --> 00:04:30,910 Speaker 1: the mistake of confusing the symbols for the trees symbolized. 65 00:04:31,589 --> 00:04:34,770 Speaker 1: A wooden cross or crucifix hanging on our wall is 66 00:04:34,850 --> 00:04:39,650 Speaker 1: a strong reminder of Jesus' sacrifice, yet it alone, divorced 67 00:04:39,670 --> 00:04:42,860 Speaker 1: from the person of the Savior, has no power to save. 68 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:46,540 Speaker 1: The Bible we keep by our bedsides contains the precious 69 00:04:46,620 --> 00:04:50,120 Speaker 1: promises of God. It does not convey the promises merely 70 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: by our owning a copy of Scripture. Similarly, we could 71 00:04:54,300 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: study beautiful paintings of believers following Christ throughout history, but 72 00:04:58,860 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: doing so would not automatically make us grow in sanctification. 73 00:05:03,740 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: Symbols and spiritual rhythms have their place as long as 74 00:05:07,279 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: we do not mistake them for the real things, Jesus 75 00:05:11,020 --> 00:05:16,589 Speaker 1: and our relationship with Him. Intersecting Faith and Life Is 76 00:05:16,630 --> 00:05:21,029 Speaker 1: there anything in your life that has taken a superstitious turn? Prayer? 77 00:05:21,550 --> 00:05:25,990 Speaker 1: Bible reading? keeping religious items? Of course, these things are 78 00:05:26,029 --> 00:05:29,669 Speaker 1: good and right, but anything can be used incorrectly if 79 00:05:29,750 --> 00:05:33,510 Speaker 1: treated as a talisman to guard against harm. What might 80 00:05:33,540 --> 00:05:37,900 Speaker 1: you do today to trade this superstition for steady faith? 81 00:05:39,060 --> 00:05:41,540 Speaker 1: What are some practical steps you can take this week 82 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,740 Speaker 1: to invest in your relationship with the Lord as you 83 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:53,190 Speaker 1: would a friend? Further reading Mark 3, 10-12 Acts 8 9-25, 84 00:05:54,010 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: Acts 16, 16-18, Philippians 2, 5-11, Hebrews 2, 5-18. Thanks 85 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,940 Speaker 1: for listening to today's devotional. If you liked what you 86 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:13,160 Speaker 1: heard today, we want to make sure you know about 87 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:17,080 Speaker 1: our sister podcast, Your Daily Prayer. When you follow Your 88 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:20,300 Speaker 1: Daily Prayer in your favorite podcast app, you'll get a 89 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,650 Speaker 1: brand new prayer and devotional each day so your days 90 00:06:23,710 --> 00:06:27,349 Speaker 1: begin in conversation with God. If you're looking to grow 91 00:06:27,430 --> 00:06:30,310 Speaker 1: in prayer or start your day with your heart focused 92 00:06:30,370 --> 00:06:34,430 Speaker 1: on the right things, search for Your Daily Prayer in 93 00:06:34,450 --> 00:06:37,330 Speaker 1: your favorite podcast app and be sure to follow the 94 00:06:37,370 --> 00:06:40,390 Speaker 1: show so you get a new prayer delivered straight to 95 00:06:40,450 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: you each morning.