Presbyterian Devotions: The Joy of Jesus - 1 John 3:13

Ecclesiastes 1:3           What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?

1 John 3:13                  Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

Being a Christian in today’s world, even in the Church, is not easy. There are so many voices telling us that our faith is outdated, our beliefs have no relevance, and our devotion to Christ is deluded. The world wants to walk its own way and do its own thing; it does not need to be hampered by honesty, obstructed by obedience, or kept back by Christianity. The followers of Christ have had their moment in the sun; now it’s time for 21^st century people to make their mark and joyfully jettison Jesus.

Make no mistake about this: the world hates Christianity because our faith confronts evil and challenges sinful choices. The Gospels constantly tell us that we live to please God, whereas the world constantly demands that we live to please ourselves. In the world’s eyes, preachers are party-poopers and disciples are demonized. The Bible is a cosmic joke book and the scriptures are not sacred anymore. The world, the flesh, and the devil have infiltrated the Church, so that we are no longer People of the Book or Servants of the Kingdom. We have become citizens of the world and demi-gods of our own making.

Jesus told us that this would happen. In His parable of the sheep and the goats, He warned His followers of the Judgment to come. And with regard to the End Times, Christ told His people of a terrifying moment when two people would be together; one would be taken into glory and the other left behind. If we dismiss this as being irrelevant or put it to the back of our minds, we will never be ready for when that awful time comes. We will be left behind.

Christianity is a hard faith to follow. It takes a great deal of perseverance and discipline, as well as a whole lot of devotion and dedication. When we get it right, we live an abundant life and center our choices on God. When we get it wrong, we merely exist and doom our souls to destruction.

That’s why we need Christ as our Savior. We don’t need to hide from Him because we can confess our mistakes, re-direct our ways, and receive His grace. The joy of Jesus is this: while we were yet sinners and enemies of God, He died for us so that we might be forgiven and restored to God’s everlasting love.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we are sometimes tempted to capitulate and give up on the basics of our faith. The world constantly pressurizes us into conforming to its ways. Give us the strength to persevere in the face of cultural adversity, and grant us the courage to remain faithful to Your ways and words. 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, send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s drawing is John’s latest picture called “Boston Bound.” It is a crayon drawing of the Boston skyline from the Bay area. If you would like to view a larger version, please visit the following link:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6143/5948796658_990048bfef_b.jpg

Presbyterian Devotions: Sacred Title - 2 Corinthians 1

2 Corinthians 1:3       Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

It’s one of those foundational beliefs that separates us from the rest of the religious world. I’m talking about the Fatherhood of God and the Sonship of Christ. It’s a distinction that Jews and Muslims will not accept. It’s a spiritual fact that distinguishes who we are as a people of faith.

Some people and pastors think that this is not important and in the interests of political correctness and language equity, they would rather that we stop calling God “Father” and instead use the neutral term of ‘Creator.’ The difficulty with this is that the First Christians, who died for their faith, saw this as a basic belief that distinguished Christ from other would be Messiahs and spiritual leaders.

We may think that this distinction is unimportant in a modern cosmopolitan world. We may be able to compartmentalize our beliefs into acceptable cultural phrases to suit the world. We may be able to do all of these things and change ourselves, but we will never be able to change that basic eternal and sacred relationship that Christ has with God. Jesus is His Holy Son and God is His Almighty and Everlasting Father.

The apostle Paul knew this fully, understood it, and proclaimed it in his wonderful letters. Christ in the Gospels continually referred to God as Father and even Daddy (Abba). If this wasn’t true, then Christ was deceiving Himself and His followers. And how could He even call out for mercy upon those who crucified Him, with the famous words: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” if this was not the case?

The Fatherhood of God maintains who we truly are as Christians. If we reject it, then we are molding God into our own acceptable form and shape. The word for that is idolatry.

Prayer:                        Father God, we glorify Your Son Jesus Christ in ways that the world does not understand and in words that our Western society finds hard to accept. You sent Your son to the world to show us how committed You were and are towards granting eternal salvation for those who truly believe in Your Son. Help us to once again tear down the barriers of our own making and to cherish You as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and all compassion. In Your Holy Name and by Your Sacred Title 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.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Apple Harvest.” If you would like to see a larger version of the print, please click the following link:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5039769485_3a9d88d5a5_b.jpg

Pastor Stuart has limited edition, signed, and matted prints available.

Presbyterian Devotions: Everlasting Words Acts 6 v 10

Acts 6: 10        But they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

Some people believe that we are living in a post-Christian world where Christ’s ways and words are losing their effectiveness in society and throughout the globe. In places like Britain and all over Europe, secularism is increasing and churches are emptying. People believe more in themselves and get what they want out of life, rather than taking guidance from God or experiencing Christ’s grace.

One thing that I have noticed is that when people become more secular they also become more selfish. The law of the jungle and survival of the fittest take the place of God’s laws and faith in Christ. Greed overrides need; vanity replaces charity; and the love of money overtakes love of God.

Some churches cave in and surrender to secularism and become community centers with small chapels. Some Christians give up on God and follow the maddening crowd. Others become spiritually paralyzed and don’t know what to believe in or do.

Those churches and Christians who remain are the ones who seek God’s wisdom and look to the Holy Spirit to inspire and lead them. They do not stand still nor do they stop growing faithfully and spiritually. They know that Christ’s words are everlasting and no matter how hard the secularists try to kill off Christ, they will not succeed. Christ’s mission and ministries have faced this all before, and once again the Church will reform, revive and be resurrected. The world, society, and the devil may attempt to inflict wounds upon the Church, but they cannot prevail against God’s wisdom, Christ’s ways, or the works of the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, the world may try to ignore You, but it cannot eradicate Your Presence. Society may seek to diminish Your disciples, but it cannot halt Your mission. The devil may even try to cause havoc throughout the Church, but Your ministry will always prevail. Thank You for Your power and we give glory to Your Everlasting Name. 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: Still Amazed

Psalm 66: 5 Come and look at what God has accomplished; how awesome are His works in our behalf!

John Calvin called them ‘the attestations of God’s witness to the world.’ Today we would call them natural wonders, divine intervention, or even great escapes.

One of the challenges that Christians have in this world is how to show other people where God is actually present and working in their lives. Skeptics tend to think that we spiritually sugar coat the truth and wear Rose of Sharon colored glasses. Our reality is seemingly skewed by our stubborn hold on a two thousand year old faith, which has entered into the realm of religious myth and fabricated fable for modern day beings. The world of Wii, Guitar Hero, Twitter, and Facebook has no need for charming parables or a ghastly Gospel where blood and tears, broken limbs and bread redeem the world. If God has any awesomeness left to impress upon the present generation, then He’d better do it through cyberspace, ipods, and anime. A sacred text is no longer needed, but a wicked ability to text while driving would be a major plus.

And yet sunrises and sunsets still attract us. Glorious mountains and the greenest of valleys captivate our souls. Christmas still touches something good even within the least religious among us, and Easter annually fills us with new life, new beginnings, and new wonders.

We may become distracted by the latest gadgets and are constantly obsessed with the latest trends, but God still walks and works among us, testifying to Himself in the most commonplace of natural events – the hearing of birdsong in the quiet of the morning, the rippling rhythm of a mountain stream, or the rushing of waves crashing on to craggy rocks – they all witness to the power and glory, creativity and activity of a God who still cares for His creation and seeks to heal a broken world.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we call You the Son of God because Your words and ways reveal to us the grace, peace, and love of God. We seek those divine blessings in each of our lives, for we pursue happiness and contentment, satisfaction and harmony for our souls. Instead of being restless, help us to be restful. Instead of being distracted, help us to become attracted. Instead of always doing, enable us to become beings. 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.

Today’s image is called “Sunrise Communion.” The artist is also John Stuart, the author of this blog. To see the original drawing on the web, visit the following link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/traqair57/3378486522/sizes/l/in/set-72157614915206379/