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 There are so many voices telling us that our faith is outdated, our beliefs have no relevance, and our devotion to Christ is deluded.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: Battling Bitterness

Malachi 3: 15             “But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.”

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The greatest foe against faith is not unbelief; it is actually bitterness. Bitter people find it hard to truly believe in God because it seems as though He has not lived up to His side of the bargain we call life. Resentment and bitterness fragment faith and can eventually destroy it altogether. It is the fiercest foe that the Church has to face. It is the most damaging opponent that Christians have to conquer.

A tragedy, such as the loss of a loved one, can overshadow someone so much that, in the midst of their grief, they bitterly cry out against God’s goodness and grace. A major disappointment, from a Christian leader, family member, or friend, can also lead to an unresolved bitterness against God’s people. And even unfulfilled dreams can be a bitter experience to faithful people, especially when they see evildoers prosper. It’s like a spiritual slap in the face, which leaves the believer unappreciated, unnoticed, and unhappy.

Faith is not enough to face down bitterness. Hope and love are also required to reclaim bitter hearts and diminish resentment. The hope that we have in God’s everlasting justice and mercy reminds us that evil will not triumph eternally. The love that we experience from God through Jesus and His followers comforts and reassures us during the toughest and bleakest of times.

I think that St. Francis of Assisi best described this process of beating bitterness through his own wonderful prayer:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 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: God's Global Warming

Acts 21: 24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread.

Despite the recent surveys telling us that the demise of Christianity is imminent, the word of God continues to increase and be spread. Did you know, for instance, that there are presently more Christians on this planet than at any other time in the history of the world? Did you know that Christianity is the biggest religion on earth – it outnumbers its nearest rival Islam by 2 to 1. Did you know that Christianity is the fastest growing religion in Africa?

Perhaps not, because we tend to think about Christianity in Western or American terms. American Christianity only makes up about 5-7% of the world’s Christians. We are so parochial and narrow sighted. We think that our ways are God’s ways when in fact Africa, Asia, and South America have more worshippers, church members, and followers of Christ in each of their regions of the world.

I guess that means that when God looks on earth and Christ sees His followers, American Christians are at the back of the crowd. That’s kind of humbling and yet it’s also wonderfully reassuring. I wouldn’t like to think that our consumerist Christianity was the best that our faith has to offer.

Maybe it’s time to learn from other Christians in different parts of the world who constantly face hunger, famine, disease, and persecution. In the West, we tend to be restless and unsettled, unsure of our faith and treat it like a commodity. Perhaps if we went to bed hungry at night or faced the horrors of sickness with scarce resources our faith would be substantially different.

I suppose this devotion is a wake up call for me as well as for you. Despite our weak and watered down Western Christianity, the word of God in other parts of the world continues to increase and be spread. So let’s get with the program, people!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we tend to look at our own faith through our own blinkered eyes. Instead of seeing a vast world of Christian people, we focus on dwindling denominations and a diminishing influence on Western society. One day in the future, missionaries will come back to this land from Africa, Asia, and South America to reintroduce our society to Your ways, Your words, and Your works. Thank You, Lord, for ever increasing and spreading the word of God throughout the world. 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.