Tell it, Lord! - Crosswalk the Devotional - April 18

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Tell it, Lord! by Shawn McEvoy He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting in the tax office; and He said to him, "Follow me!" [Matthew 9:9]( In the margin of my [Bible]( next to [Matthew 7:11]( is a notation dated 9/1/90. It says: "I love verses with exclamation points!" That particular verse, in case you were wondering, says, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" I wonder why editors chose an exclamation point there, and not a question mark. I also wish I knew the inspiration or emotion that prompted me to make the notation. All I know is that it would have been made during the first or second week of my sophomore year of college, and at the time I was a Youth Ministry major. And that the sentiment has continued. Coming across that notation again recently prompted me to look up more verses in which Jesus is credited with having expressed some extra "oomph." Of course, the original manuscripts were not inscribed with modern punctuation marks. Those have been left up to various translators through the years. In my New American Standard Version of Matthew's Gospel, however, the emphasis has been added to several statements the Lord made, and some of those may be categorized as follows: Rebuke of Temptation [Matthew 4:10-11]( Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" Then the devil left Him... [Matthew 16:23]( But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's." Rebuke of Hypocrisy [Matthew 23:23-39]( "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!... O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!... Behold, your house is being left to you desolate! For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" [Matthew 11:18-19]( "For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon!' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." [Matthew 12:12]( "Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath." Stern Warning [Matthew 9:30]( "And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, saying, "See here, let no one know about this!" [Matthew 6:23]( "But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!" Regarding Spiritual Warfare [Matthew 8:32]( And he said to them, "Begone!" And they came out, and went into the swine..." [Matthew 10:24-25]( "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the slave as his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more the members of the house!" Stirring to Faith in Action [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( You May Also Like: [10 Ways Your Clothes Reveal Your Heart at Church]( Meg Bucher It’s easy to quickly judge generations and choices, but it’s not our duty. The one thing we can be certain about time is that it’s fleeting, and our time to love on people in the name of Jesus is limited. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Should I Attend a Gay Wedding?]( Dr. Roger Barrier I've loved my niece her whole life and care about her partner. If I attend their marriage, however, I feel I’m lying by showing support for an unholy union. And if I don't attend, future relations may be forever damaged. Please help us sort this out. [CONTINUE READING →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe From This Email]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2021 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 500, 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.com - The Devotional. [Link](