Finding the Courage to Be Different - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 6

PLUS...7 Prophetic Words God Has for Us about the End Times  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ &zwnj [Crosswalk.com Logo]( The Crosswalk Devotional  [Devotionals](        [Newsletters](        [e-Cards](      [The Crosswalk Devotional]( Finding the Courage to Be Different By Aaron D’Anthony Brown  “If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you.” [John 15:18]( Against the Grain My father used to say the times have changed, a sentiment I now echo. The world looked so different during childhood; some resulted from my imaginings, and some from a reality long past. Today, the world, especially my country, looks darker, uncertain, and divided. My [faith]( now shines brighter than ever, and I’ve never felt so alone and out of place. I grew up when being Christian was in fashion, even ubiquitous. Kids pretended to be Christian even when they weren’t. Not anymore. Nowadays, many people hide their faith for fear of being offensive. There seem to be fewer open prayers when out in public and less mention of God in school. Abortion. Homosexuality. Race. Transgender. Many other things. Uttering an opinion or a fact that goes against the grain is far more consequential than just taboo. So for those of us seeking to stand firm in the faith, what exactly are we left to do? Finding the courage to be different today comes with consequences like job loss, ostracization, legal repercussions, fines, and maybe at some point, death. It's undoubtedly counter-cultural to be Christian in today’s society. The question is, do we have the courage to be different?  [CONTINUE READING →](            You May Also Like:        [7 Prophetic Words God Has for Us about the End Times](  Debbie McDaniel We don't have to be alarmed. Because He's told us ahead of time what to expect, we know from His word, "such things must happen, but the end is still to come."  [CONTINUE READING →](       [4 Ways to Get Involved in Foster Care and Adoption](  Amanda Idleman There is so much we can do as Christians to step up and redefine what it means to be an orphan in this world. Here are a few ideas of how you can step into this world and start loving these kids in your community.  [CONTINUE READING →](            [Fighting Cowboy Has Johnny Carson In Stitches During 1983 Interview](  GodTube.com Check out the fighting cowboy that had Johnny Carson in stitches during a 1983 interview. The banter between the two may leave you feeling much more excited about the sport of boxing, Johnny Carson, Randall “Tex” Cobb, or all of the above!  [WATCH NOW →](        [5 Things Christians Label as ‘Sin’ That Aren’t Actually Sinful](  Dale Chamberlain  Sin separates us from a relationship with God, as well as each other. The power of Jesus’ resurrection is that sin no longer enslaves us. God has empowered us by his Spirit to fight back against it.  [CONTINUE READING →](                            Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                           How did Ahab eventually acquire the vineyard of Naboth that he wanted? A. the king traded some of his own land with him B. he convinced Naboth to sell C. his wife Jezebel had Naboth killed D. the king took it from him in taxes [ANSWER THE QUESTION →](     [Crosswalk.com Logo](  [Read about Salem Web Network](  |  [Unsubscribe](   [Email Preference Center](  |  [View in Browser](   © 2023 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk. Â