Presbyterian Devotions: Godspell Goodies

Psalm 5:11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

I went to our Youth Players opening night of Godspell last evening and I was amazed at the energy, joy, and enthusiasm of all of the young people involved. Godspell has some great songs and is a perfect vehicle to relate the scriptures to a modern audience, but the way our kids have updated the material is fantastic.

Creative Expressions and theater ministry have become important hallmarks of our church and more families are becoming involved in the life, work, and ministry of our congregation. As I watched the young people on stage, as well as those working the sound system and the spotlights, I was just blown away by their creativity and commitment to one another. Sometimes I worry about the future of the church and our faith; and then when I see these youngsters perform, all my anxieties melt away.

I think I understand what the psalmist meant when he wrote that those who take refuge in God will ever sing for joy. At last night’s Godspell performance, I experienced that same joyful feeling.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for our young people and for the new ways, works, and words that they will express and use to carry faith to the world. They are a wonderful blessing to our churches and we pray that You will continue to inspire and excite them through the creative presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Fellow Elders

1 Peter 5:1 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:

Eldership is at the heart of what it means to be Presbyterian. All of our Presbyterian churches are led by our ruling elders and teaching elders. They are called by God to seek the Holy Spirit in a particular congregation and to follow that path sincerely, faithfully, and effectively. It’s one of the great strengths of the Presbyterian system and, when it is employed properly, it makes Presbyterianism a great light amongst Christian denominations.

I love being both a Presbyterian Christian and a teaching elder in the church. I feel connected to the apostles like Peter because of the special, mysterious, and holy laying on of hands that is part of the ordination process. I feel connected to the elders around me, both active on Session and pro-active in the congregation. There is a great sense of team work, responsibility, and faith in Christ that we share amongst us.

I also like the fact that Peter refers to elders as being witnesses to Christ’s suffering, which reminds me that being ruling and teaching elders in the church is never an easy process. We think, we question, and we struggle with our faith. We solve problems, seek answers, and look for guidance from the Holy Spirit. We try to keep the church on the right path, just as the world tries to distract our goals and diminish our effectiveness. We are the gate keepers of the faith and are meant to be the visionaries of our churches. Elders are always looking at the bigger picture and what lies ahead. If we only concentrate on the here and now, we will never reach the blessings yet to come.

These are anxious times for our faith, but if our elders across the Presbyterian Church remain faithful to Christ, uphold His teachings, and live according to God’s Word, then we will not only share in Christ’s glory, but we will also be handing over a strong church for the elders yet to be ordained in years to come.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for the precious gifts of eldership that You have bestowed upon the Presbyterian Church. We pray that the faithfulness, integrity, and spirituality of our ruling and teaching elders may continue to inspire our people and lead them through these uncertain times into future years of bounty and blessing, discipleship and service for Your Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we fervently pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Enduring Forever

Post-modern idealism is heretical.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

I was reading an article yesterday on what has been called post-modernism. It’s a trend that has been affecting our society since the 1990’s. Post modern people think everything is relative and that there are no certainties anymore. What one person experiences, thinks, and believes is just as important, valuable, and truthful as what the next person experiences, thinks, and believes. The hope is that if enough people adopt a post-modern attitude then we will be able to solve all of the conflicts, divisions, and disunity in the world. In other words, an enlightened post-modern humanity can become its own Savior.

And that’s precisely the trouble with this kind of thinking. Christ becomes redundant. He is no longer the Savior of the World, but only another religious teacher. We replace Jesus with our own philosophical and cultural ideals. We idolize humanity and discard the divinity of Christ.

It’s called ‘heresy’ which is a word that post-modernists abhor. How can anyone be called a heretic, they protest, when no one knows the absolute truth? And when people like me write about the insidious nature of heresy in our church, culture, and society, we’re accused of being narrow-minded, arrogant, and insensitive to this post-modern phenomenon that is circulating around the world.

But here’s my two cents on the whole issue: the World has constantly sought to diminish, dilute, and discard God’s Word. Jesus was crucified for His absolutist ideas and uncompromising teaching. The First Christians were persecuted and martyred for their unconditional beliefs and unwavering loyalty to Christ. Do we honestly believe that we know better than those who walked and talked with Jesus? Are we saying that our post-modern views are more valuable than Christ dying on the Cross?

The Word of God, as the writer of Hebrews states, is living and active. It cuts through our post-modern idealism and narcissistic society. It penetrates our self-absorption and disturbs our one world philosophies. It challenges our cherished ideals and upsets our self-centered 21^st century sickness that heretically separates us from God. We don’t like it; we fight against it; and we defiantly won’t embrace it.

But when post-modernism has turned to dust, God’s Word and Christ’s Gospel will remain. And so long as the wheel of Time turns, people of all ages, cultures, languages, and races will come to Christ and accept Him personally as their Lord and Savior. Heretics may come and go, but the Word of the Lord endures forever.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Christ of History and the Savior of the World. Kingdoms may rise and fall, ideas and philosophies may emerge and diminish, but Your Gospel and God’s Word endures forever. Forgive us for embracing false ways and preserve from allowing heresy to harm our faith. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Calloused Hearts

Christian hypocrisy is alive and well in the Bible Belt.

Matthew 13:15 ‘For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'

Not exactly ‘Gentle Jesus, meek and mild’ stuff, is it? I wager that if Jesus was to step into a mainstream church pulpit today and preach what was on His heart, the congregation would be squirming in the pews and vow never to return again. To call religious and spiritual people callous is a bit disconcerting and yet that is precisely the kind of Christians we are raising in the Western Church today.

Okay, so you were looking for a word of encouragement or an affirmation of God’s blessing in this devotional, but the pastor is now meddling with the spiritual comfort zone most people have created for themselves. I’ve heard people talk the talk for years and they live deluded Christian lives. I’ve seen countless people busy themselves with other things, but as far as Sunday worship, Bible study, or prayer are concerned, you would think you were asking them to move a mountain!

Oh they are full of good intentions, but we all know that the pathway to Hell is paved with good intentions. I just wish that Jesus was around in the flesh and that those who constantly make excuses could meet Him face to face. Then I wouldn’t get shot down as being the messenger of His words. Jesus could take the flak for Himself.

So the challenge for us all is this: what are we going to do about our calloused hearts and self-centered excuses in the Western Church? When are we going to start living as Christians instead of wannabe followers of the Faith?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are not always meek and mild; in fact in the Gospels You are very confrontational and fiercely straight-forward. Somehow we have mixed up our ideal image of You and have begun idolizing ourselves in the process. Revive our faith! Reclaim our souls! Restore us to God! Get rid of our good intentions and replace them with real commitment. In Your Holy Name, we fervently pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask questions about today’s devotional, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Outside the Box

Psalm 37: 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this.

Our congregation is about to embark on a new adventure. We are trying to raise $1 million in order to renovate our church in such a way that the next generation of church members will not face mounting bills which will limit their mission. We’ve come a long way to get here and sometimes people don’t truly understand how much effort it takes to keep a church growing.

During the last fourteen years, we’ve seen a steady increase at Erin. In contrast, our denomination (PCUSA) and Presbytery have been diminishing. Previous pastors had followed the denominational path and subsequently the church stopped growing. Erin took a great risk in 1995 when I was invited to be the pastor because my thinking would usually be outside of the denominational box.

I know that throughout the years some people have left because I don’t toe the denominational line, but my response to them is this: would you have rather had a mediocre church that was dying, or would you prefer a church that has constantly grown and has a dynamic future?

I’ve mentioned before that our wee church is at a major crossroads. We stand at the threshold of a new and vibrant future, but in order to progress forward we need to get over the past. If I’m expected to totally give of myself to this campaign and this church, then I cannot keep looking back. I’m committing my way to the LORD and focusing on the future of this congregation. I firmly believe that if everyone else gets on board, then God will truly do great things here.

Finally, I had lunch with the local Presbytery Executive last week and he sees how important our work is at Erin. He asked me to consider being a part of the New Development Strategy for Presbyterian churches in our area. Toeing the denominational line has not helped to grow our local churches. He wants someone involved who can “think outside the box.” I see that as an affirmation of what I have tried to accomplish here with the people of Erin and by the Spirit of God. It’s nice to have a PCUSA representative officially recognize what’s happening here. Maybe we can help other churches to do the same.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the One who permits churches to grow and Your Holy Spirit’s presence is essential for those congregations who would grow in the future. Without You, we are just another religious club trying to keep afloat. Help us to think outside of the box and go outside of our church in order to find where Your Spirit is working in the midst of our community. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Clean Water

Proverbs 11:25 A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Our church has a team of four people traveling to Guatemala tomorrow. They’re going on a special mission to find a site in a small village where a clean water well can be established. The team has been in training for months and they’re all excited about providing such a wonderful source of refreshment and health for the local community.

A couple of years ago, we would never have attempted such a mission, but we had a family who came into our church that had been supporting a Guatemalan school in the same region. Their enthusiasm and knowledge became a touchstone of interest for our church people. We started to support the school on a regular basis and then helped to finance sending a college student team for a week’s mission with the village kids.

These were great projects but we also wanted to do something that would have a lasting effect on the whole community. That’s when someone on our mission team was inspired by the Holy Spirit to suggest training an engineering team to build the water well. It would mean that the kids at the school and in the village would have access to clean water, which would diminish the amount of parasites they suffer from, increasing their health, and lengthening their lives.

So the Word of God is fulfilled in a beautiful way. The original church family, who generously gave of their time, talents, and resources to the Guatemalan school, has now refreshed the mission life of our church, which in turn is now refreshing the lives of an entire village. God truly works in mysterious ways!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we give You thanks for the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in lives of church people. We thank You for motivating generosity and concern, compassion and goodness which helps and saves other people in far off lands. May we always look for opportunities to refresh others in our community and across the world. And may we also know of the life changing refreshment of the Holy Spirit in our congregation. In Your Holy Name, we pray.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Bible Bumper Sticker

Lectionary Verse

Psalm 20:4 - May God give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. (NIV)

I've got my favourite bumper-sticker Bible verse on my car again. It's today's verse from Psalm 20. I printed it out in large letters and put it on the inside of my back window. Once again, when I'm stopped at traffic lights, I'm seeing people write down the verse and smiling. I guess that during these uncertain times, people find it's good to know God is with them.

That also reminds me of one of the names that we know Jesus by: "Emmanuel", which means "God is with us." I only knew one person who was called Emmanuel in my whole life. I met him in senior high. He was one of the brightest mathematicians that I have ever known. Whenever any of our grade had problems with our math homework, we would say to one another, "Let's ask Manny. He'll know the answer." And he did.

So why was he called Emmanuel? Were his parents ultra-holy? Did they believe that their son was destined for great things? No. They gave him the name when he was born and they saw him for the first time. Manny was a hunchback, so I guess his name was a prayer for God to be with him throughout his life. When you're only four feet tall in senior high and look different, the world can be a hard place. But with a name like Emmanuel, you can stand ten feet tall and know that God sees your beautiful soul and accepts you as a child of God.

After senior high, Manny used his mathematical skills and became a highly sought-after computer programmer.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, each day we ask You to be with us, but sometimes what we're asking is that You accompany us wherever we go. Help us to understand that we are meant to follow You, and that when we pray for You to be with us, we are not only needing You to be near us, but we are ready to rise up and accompany You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart, aka Stushie, is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He writes and sometimes podcast the devotional blog page "Heaven's Highway."

Today's image is taken from John's Psalms Project Artwork, some of which is on public exhibit this month in Knoxville.

Presbyterian Devotions: In Deep Water

Matthew 14: 28 "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

There’s an old joke in Tennessee that the last words of many a redneck are: “Watch this!”

I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling that the Big Fisherman Peter was more of a redneck than the Bible lets on. I’ve heard many sermons about Peter’s faith and how he stepped out on the water to try to prove to Jesus how loyal he was, but somehow I get the feeling that Peter is just showing off to the other guys in the boat. He wants to be exceptional and show the others how important he is to Christ, so when he calls out to Jesus and asks Him to command the fisherman to walk on the water, I really think Peter is saying to the rest of the disciples on the boat: “Watch this!”

I also wonder if Jesus smiled at that request. Peter was being audacious and I can just see Christ shaking his head good humouredly and laughing because He knows what is about to happen. At some point, He’ll have to help Peter from sinking below the waves, but Jesus knows how reckless Peter is. I guess that Jesus is using the event to teach Peter a lesson about pride. The Big Fisherman wants to impress the others with a supernatural act of faith, but he is really putting his life at risk and getting into deep water – literally.

Our wee church is about to embark on a large financial campaign and some people are worried that we may be taking on more than we can handle. To tell the truth, I’ve had a few concerns about the same things. However, I realize that this campaign is more than just foolishly walking on water or becoming overwhelmed by the amount we need to raise. It is a calling which this present generation has been given by Christ.

It’s not a double dare or an audacious act of pride; it’s a response to what Christ plans to do with our church in the years to come. We’re being given an opportunity that only comes to a minority of mainstream churches. Jesus is not asking us to walk on water, He is calling us to prepare the way for a future generation of believers, whose mission and ministry work will be a lot harder. If our present generation can give them a campus and a building that is well-equipped and highly renovated, then they will have a grand opportunity of making more disciples for Christ in years to come. In other words, we are being asked to make the sacrifices necessary now for people that we do not even know.

We are not walking on the water to make ourselves look good, nor are we saying to the other churches around us, “Watch this!” We are just following Christ’s plan and allowing Him to grow His Kingdom through us, our resources, our time, and our talents.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You call upon us to follow You and sometimes You ask us to make sacrifices. Help us to obey Your bidding and fulfill what You desire. Empower us to act courageously and consistently, not foolishly or feebly, in matters of faith. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Prebyterian Devotions: A Faithful End

How a local funeral became a place of blessing after a tragic plane crash.

Psalm 145: 14 The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

Podcast version click here

I was at a funeral last night. The deceased had been tragically killed in a plane crash last weekend, on the very same day that his son was getting engaged to be married. I went to the funeral because the mother of the dead man is a member of our congregation. It was a very sad event for her because she also lost her daughter to breast cancer last year. She has now survived both her children.

I wondered how the pastor would conduct such a sad service to the devastated family. I prayed for him constantly throughout the service. He was an old minister, who was also a dear friend to the family. I could see that he was deeply affected by this tragedy, but his years of pastoral experience enabled him to gently lead the whole gathered community to celebrate the life of the deceased and, at the same time, still retain faith, hope, and love for God.

Towards the end of the service, the elderly pastor asked the congregation to share some thoughts and memories. A beautiful letter, written by the deceased’s wife, was read and some other people shared their personal stories. The last speaker was the son of the man who died. He very courageously thanked everyone for being at the funeral and added these words: “You have all confirmed for me that my father was the person I always knew him to be.” I have never heard of a higher compliment being given to a father by a son.

In the midst of this tragedy, we all wondered how we could celebrate and endure such a loss. And yet God, in one of His mysterious ways, provided all of the ingredients, people, and thoughts necessary to enable the family and friends to be lifted up. It was a remarkable experience and for me it proved the promise encapsulated in this verse: ‘The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.’

Perhaps you feel downhearted or disappointed today. Maybe you’re a bit depressed and feeling low. My prayer for you this day is that God will come to wherever you are, and gently lift you up in body, mind, heart, and soul.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, in the midst of our sorrows, be our Comforter. During times of trouble and tragedy, be our Strength. And in those dark moments when we feel down or depressed, isolated or alone, be our Friend. Both now and always. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Picturing the Psalms

Luke 24:45 Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.

I regularly suffer from insomnia, so the chances are that you’ll find me reading, writing, or drawing late at night. I do this to keep my mind occupied and to weary my eyes so that eventually I will fall asleep.

For the past two years, I have been working on a special art project. I’m trying to create a drawing for each of the 150 psalms in the Bible. As I read each psalm, I ask God to help me choose the right verse in order to create a symbolic drawing. Once I feel that he ahs shown me what to do, I start putting my crayons onto paper. Each time I finish, I feel fulfilled.

When I first set out to complete the project, I thought it would only take me 150 nights. I was so wrong. It’s probably going to take me about three years to complete the project. Last night I completed Psalm 79, which was a tough one because it’s all about God’s wrath.

I don’t know what I’ll do with the project once I have finished it. In the meantime, I hope that those who come across my picture psalms on the internet will be drawn closer to God. It’s my way of trying to follow in Christ’s footsteps to help people open their minds, so that they can understand the scriptures. Sometimes a picture can convey the message that can’t be done with hundreds of words.

When Christ opens our minds to the scriptures, He does this to affect major changes in our lives. The Bible is not just a collection of ancient stories, it’s a living document that’s meant to shape our ideas, formulate our decisions, and influence our choices each and every day of our lives.

Perhaps you’re at a new crossroads in your life and you need help to make the right decision. Pick up your Bible and look at the Book of Psalms. As you read the personal spiritual trials of people in the past, ask Christ to open your mind to the scriptures. At some point, He will lead you to a verse that speaks to your heart and helps you make the right choice.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know everything about our lives, so when You give us guidance from the scriptures, You are perfectly and fully informed about our circumstances. We pray that You will open our minds to Your words and our hearts to Your ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

If you would like to see the progress that I’m making with the Psalms project, please visit the following link online: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/sets/72157603288751629/

You can also see my other artwork at http://www.stushieart.wordpress.com

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Picking on Paul

1 Corinthians 15:2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

It’s very theologically fashionable these days to bash Paul and his writings. I come across many people who want to discard any of Paul’s statements and just concentrate on the Gospel. After all, these people insist, “why should I listen to Paul when Jesus can tell me everything I need to know?”

What they really mean is that they want to practice their faith on very loose terms. Their whole theology tends to be summed up in two neat phrases: ‘Jesus loves me this I know’ and ‘I’m OK ,You’re OK.’ It’s a very infantile form of faith and one that has no merit in God’s Kingdom.

You see if our faith was very simple and agreeable to everyone, Christ would never have been crucified and people like Paul would not have been martyred. We need to take seriously what Christ and Paul both have to say, because they’re working off the same page. Christ dies to save the world and then chooses Paul to spread the Gospel. What Paul writes doesn’t come from him alone – it all originates in Christ.

That’s why when we read a statement like ‘by the gospel you are saved’ with the condition ‘if you hold firmly to the word I preached’, we have to take them both together. The Gospel is not just a collected bundle of holy stories about Christ, the Gospel is an invasive forceful word of God that challenges our lifestyles and changes our souls for all of eternity.

Paul also gets it right when he states “otherwise you have believed in vain.” People are constantly diluting the Gospel to suit themselves and end up with no salvation. They believe what they want to accept, and end up with a cozy version of an uncomfortable faith.

So the challenge for us today is this: what Gospel do we believe in? Our own or Paul’s?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we are so fiercely independent these days that we become indignant when Your teaching or Paul’s writings interfere and meddle with our lives. We sometimes resent the constraints that the Gospel places upon us, but instead of accepting Your words, we make up our own ideas and opinions. Forgive us, Lord, for disrespecting and disassociating ourselves with You and Your Chosen Apostle. Help us to honestly reevaluate our commitment to You, Your Church, and Kingdom. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: Faithful Foundations

Psalm 11:3 When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

Our modern Western Church is facing a dilemma and we are at a turning point in our history. For centuries, Western Christianity has been one of the most dominant forces on the planet. Much of history has been shaped by the ideas, beliefs, and teaching of the Western Church, and our modern civilization would not exist today without it.

The crossroads that we have come to has a lot to do with our foundational beliefs. People no longer apply them in their everyday lives. In fact, we have so “dumbed down” the teachings of the Church that many of our own people would find it difficult to recite the Lord’s Prayer, list the Ten Commandments, or even name all the Twelve Disciples of Jesus. It’s almost as if we’ve given the importance of those sort of things over to the church professionals and so long as they don’t meddle with our individual rights, opinions, or beliefs, we can all live in harmony.

Sadly, that was the condition of the Church before the Reformation. People let their priests hold the keys to salvation and biblical knowledge. Church people tolerated ignorance and illiteracy, placing too much authority into the hierarchy of the church, rather than paying attention to the substance and foundations of the Christian faith.

I have been a pastor for almost 25 years and I would love to say that Christians have become more dedicated, influential, and effective. Sadly, the reverse is more often true: people talk the talk, but really don’t care to walk the talk.

If God allows me to pastor for the next 25 years, then I think I’ve got to work on establishing foundations of faith in the lives of the people I serve. It may not be as exciting as being innovative or creative, but it will have a lasting effect. After all, if the foundations of our faith are being so easily destroyed through our desire to be accepted by the world, then what is the point of being a Christian? To make a difference in the world, we’ve got to be different.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to focus on the foundations of our faith. Give us the grit and determination to follow through on applying our beliefs in our everyday encounters and circumstances. Re-teach us the merits of our faith and put us back on the right track. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment about today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: After Emergent - the Post-Emergent Church?

There's a lot of narcissism going on with Western Christianity. We are more into navel-gazing theology and self-centered systematics than ever before. We want the Church to be what we want and if we do not find the right shape to fit our individual soul, we'll make it into whatever pleases us or we'll go and start a new one.

Western Christianity is dying on the vine right now and we're scrambling to find the last great hope to make us relevant, effective, and heard. Elsewhere in the world, Christianity is thriving because people know that our faith is really about life and death, not lifestyle and dying traditions.

I've read some of what the Emergent classes are producing and it's mere piffle. It's the same old sixties stuff - the 1860s where Enlightenment and evolutionist enthusiasts tried to tell Victorian society that the Church was dying, soon to be dead and gone.

Wrong! Twenty years later, Revival took place, displacing those who were dead certain that the Church was certainly dead. Millions of people were led back to Christ using the tested and tried ways of testimony, witness, confession, contrition, and born again beliefs.

So, I'm looking forward to the up and coming Post Emergent Church. That's when we'll see real revival and a thirsting for the Word of God. Pluralism, progressivism, and pamperism will give way to prophecy, public testimony, and personal commitment to Christ as the True Savior and Only Lord that people everywhere need.

In the meantime, for those of you quaintly stuck in Emergentism, here's the Eagles singing one of their best songs: There's A New Kid in Town.

Presbyterian Devotions: the Tank Man of Tiananmen Square

Psalm 147:6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.

It was the most courageous act that I have ever seen in my life. It took place twenty years ago today in the Chinese capital of Beijing. A young student was standing in the middle of Tiananmen Square in front of a gigantic military tank. It was the modern equivalent of David and Goliath and the whole world waited to see what would happen. Would the Chinese authorities listen to the protests of the students? Would the liberties and freedoms that the young people protested for, be made available to them?

Sadly, the students were massacred and the world did nothing. As usual, the United Nations made a formal complaint and there was some talk of sanctions. But it came to nothing and China, as it has done for a long time, got away with human rights violations. Even today, on this twentieth anniversary of that remarkable historical event in the annals of human dignity and freedom, the corrupt Chinese authorities are clamping down by removing dissidents away from the Square and ignoring the rights of the anguished families who lost loved ones. They are also limiting internet access, so that their citizens cannot read any material about worldwide commemorations of this day.

So much for the Chinese Government’s promises of allowing their people civil liberties to formally protest against the corruption of their leaders. So much for the commitment that was made during last summer’s Olympic Games which hypocritically portrayed China as a modern freedom loving nation. People are still being oppressed, imprisoned, violated, and executed in China and what does the world do? It turns a blind eye for fear of annoying this despicable and dishonorable dragon.

Today I will be praying for the humble people of China. I will ask God to sustain them and to cast their wicked government to the ground. I will pray for Christian pastors in Chinese prisons and for their families to be protected. I will honor the memory of the Tank Man of Tiananmen Square, who faced up to his oppressors and showed the world that human beings have an unalienable right to be free.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You stood up to the corrupt authorities in Your own time and confronted both the political and religious hypocrites who were oppressing Your people. It cost You everything.

Remind us that we as Christians are called not only to follow You but to confront evil and injustice in the world. Give us the courage to speak out and against those governments of China, North Korea, and Myanmar who control their citizens through acts of terror, fear, and oppression. In Your Holy and Powerful Name, we pray. Amen.

If you want to see what actually happened on that historic day, visit the following Youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ToqbHQXg2c

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. He’d love to hear your thoughts on this very important anniversary.

Presbyterian Devotions: Spiritual Downpour

How the outpouring of the Spirit in a church in Knoxville is helping a village in Guatemala get clean water.

Isaiah 32:15 …till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.

Podcast version here:

In a couple of weeks, a small team from our church will be visiting a village in Guatemala. The group is on a mission to begin the process of providing a clean water well for the town. It will be based in a school that our church has been supporting for several years. The team members have been specially trained for the project and hopefully within a short time, the villagers will soon be able to drink and wash with clean water.

Clean water will help the children and their families live longer and better lives. It will enable the school to gain extra funds, for the locals will pay, just like ourselves, for clean water. It should have a remarkable social, medical, and economic impact on the whole community. Not only will the well save lives, it will positively change them.

At the same time as the Guatemalan villagers receive and enjoy their well, our own congregation will be looking for a similar spiritual experience. Our building and campus needs to be renovated, so our people will be called upon in this generation to sacrificially give in order to build a well of God’s Word that will influence, attract, and encourage new Christians in our community for years to come.

We await the coming of the Spirit amongst us with the same excitement and enthusiasm as the men, women, and children of that little Guatemalan village. As they receive the blessings of water, we hope to simultaneously receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to make our church a fertile field of faith for the future.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Water of Life and we thank You for allowing us the resources with which we can help a far away village receive the blessing of clean water. At the same time, we praise You for our own challenges and ask that You help us to focus on the spiritual future of our community. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: A New Love

Is love at first sight predestined by God? A story from Scotland.

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Podcast version click here:

On top of my church computer, I keep my old KJV Red Lettered edition Bible. It was given to me by my parents way back in 1977. Throughout the years I’ve kept special cards, poems, and bookmarks within its pages. Every now and then I like to open it up and be nostalgically reminded of people, places, and programs from the past.

Today was no exception and as I looked through the Bible, I came across an old type written invitation to a Social dinner sent by my minister. It reads:

Dear Fellow Members,

So happy and successful was our Congregational Dinner last year that the Woman’s Guild had no hesitation in planning another one this session. Again we ask for your support for this Social Occasion of our congregation which is to be held Tuesday 27^th February, 1979 at 7:30p.m. We celebrate 25 years of the united Guild at this time, so this will be an Anniversary Dinner.

That means nothing to you, but it was the genesis of something that changed my life forever. You see at that Social Dinner, the minister introduced me to Miss Evelyn Smith and as I looked into her gorgeous blue eyes for the first time in my life, I instantly fell in love. I knew then that Evelyn would become my wife.

Thirty years have passed and I still cherish that invitation, which is why I keep it in my old Bible. It was the beginning of a new life for me. Without that encounter, I would not be here writing this devotion today. My life would have been so vastly different, so I am thankful that God created something new at that Anniversary Dinner. Whilst everyone else was celebrating 25 years of a Church Guild Union, God was planning an entirely different union.

Perhaps you need something new to begin in your life. Maybe you yearn for a new start, a new place, or a new career. I firmly believe that God loves to create new things in our lives, so this could be the day that a new and rewarding journey begins for you.

Prayer: Lord God, You are the Creator of all things and the Maker of New Life. Your ways are amazing and we are blessed by Your love, guidance, and grace. Thank You for creating new events, new opportunities, and new experiences in our lives. In Jesus’ Name, we expectantly wait and pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Presbyterian Devotions: The Lost Summer

2 Corinthians 8:14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need.

There was a time in my childhood when my siblings and I were all fostered out to our aunts and uncles. It was during the summertime and my mother had been taken in to the local lunatic asylum. My Dad was unable to stay off his work to look after us and so we were broken up as a family to be cared for by our relatives.

I was fostered to my Uncle Jimmy and Aunt Phamie. They had a large family of their own which meant that my brother Andy and I were taking up precious space and using their resources. We were still too young to understand how much of a sacrifice our relatives were making, but I now realize that their kindness and compassion during that lost summer kept our family from being broken up by the Social Services.

My cousins were great about giving up their rooms and played with us all summer long. It turned out to be one of the best school vacations that I’ve ever experienced. I think it also made me appreciate my wider family and now that I’m thousands of miles away from them, I cherish them all in my heart.

When Paul refers to equality in 2 Corinthians 8, he’s writing about Christian charity. In these tough economic times, Christian charity goes a long way to help others in need. Instead of getting hung up about ordination issues or biblical doctrines, we need to set aside our differences and make war on want, poverty, hunger, and inequality.

If it hadn’t been for my relatives practicing real Christian charity to my family all those years ago, I don’t know where I would have ended up. I guess the challenge for me today is this: where can I best practice the same principles today and effectively use my God-given resources to help others in need?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the blessings that You have given to us each day. Help us to refrain from hoarding and instead to seek opportunities where we can fully practice Your charitable and faithful teaching. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s passage or receive these devotionals via email, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

If you would like to help other people, but don’t know where to start, check out www.kiva.org. It’s an international charity where a contribution of $25 can help families in developing countries set up their own businesses.