Daily Devotions: Troubling Ourselves

I’m going to an African-American church this Sunday afternoon to preach at a special service. Black prayer week begins on Sunday and this year the African American community is focusing on AIDS and its impact on their people. I’ve been invited as one of the preachers to give a message about how poorly the Church responded to AIDS sufferers in the 1980s & 1990s, and how that negatively impacted the credibility of the Church across the world.
Podcast version here

Too many pastors and churches were too quick to pass judgment on HIV sufferers and AIDS victims. Instead of acting with compassion to those who were dying, we showed hostility and hatred which sadly is still evident in some congregations. We were too quick to say that God was punishing the gay community instead of using it as an opportunity to show the love and grace of Christ. We were too willing to create outcasts and lepers among those who were already on the margins of society.

Bible Verse of the Day

Joshua 7:25 Joshua said, "Why have you brought this trouble on us? The LORD will bring trouble on you today."

The trouble that we created with our self-righteousness is hard to overcome. Instead of asking AIDS sufferers and victims to seek the Lord’s forgiveness, we have to seek their pardon of our foolishness. If the Church wants to regain credibility in the world, it will have to act humbly and show contrition to those we hurt and damaged. If we cast aside this opportunity to seek the grace of God in those we treated ungraciously, then the Church will never be healed of the brokenness that we caused. One day the AIDS virus may be effectively cured, but will the Church still be the last victim of this disease?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive our arrogant and foolish ways when we become self-righteous and hypocritical. Enable us to see the trouble that we have caused to other people, other groups, and other communities across the world. Help us to seek their forgiveness and teach us lessons of humility, contrition, and grace. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

United Nations Warns of New Food Crisis

Conservative Leader says that Food Security should rank alongside Energy Policy and National Security.

THE UN World Food Programme (WFP) is to hold an emergency meeting in Rome today, as rising food prices across the world threaten to create a new constituency of millions of city-dwellers who are unable to afford basic foodstuffs.

The Organization for Economic and Co-operative Development (OECD) has warned that food prices could rise by between one fifth and one half over the next ten years.

The sudden leap in the worldwide price of grain and other basic foodstuffs could mean that millions of hitherto relatively affluent people in cities would not be able to afford food, Greg Barrow, a London-based spokesman for the WFP, said on Tuesday.

He said the key factors behind the price-shift were:

• demand for meat from India and China, as their economies grow. Feeding livestock diverts grain stocks from markets;
• high oil prices, which have pushed up the costs of oil-based fertilizers and the cost of transport;
• arable land that has been switched to bio-fuel production, and so is lost for food supplies;
• weather extremes caused by global warming, which have damaged farming in the developed countries that supplied the global market.

Read the rest of Bill Bowder’s article here…

Religious News: Turkish Theologians Reinterpret Sacred Islamic Texts

Turkey is preparing to publish a document that represents a revolutionary reinterpretation of Islam - and a controversial and radical modernization of the religion.

The country's powerful Department of Religious Affairs has commissioned a team of theologians at Ankara University to carry out a fundamental revision of the Hadith, the second most sacred text in Islam after the Koran.

The Hadith is a collection of thousands of sayings reputed to come from the Prophet Muhammad. As such, it is the principal guide for Muslims in interpreting the Koran and the source of the vast majority of Islamic law, or Sharia.

But the Turkish state has come to see the Hadith as having an often negative influence on a society it is in a hurry to modernize, and believes it responsible for obscuring the original values of Islam.

It says that a significant number of the sayings were never uttered by Muhammad, and even some that were need now to be reinterpreted.

Read the rest of the story here…

How a Teenager Changed Scotland

How a Scottish teenager touched the hearts of her people with her resolute faith, and enabled them to overcome their persecutors during the Killing Times of the 17th century.
1 Corinthians 1:27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Podcast version here

Margaret Wilson was eighteen years old when she gave her Christian testimony. She and her younger sister Agnes used to visit an old lady, Margaret McLachlan, in the village of Wigtown, Scotland. They enjoyed her stories and shared prayers together, and all three loved the Lord completely. They lived in troubled times, but their friendship and faith that they shared was personal and beautiful.

One day, however, the elder Margaret was arrested by the King’s dragoons and charged with being a dissident. She was ordered to swear her loyalty to the King and his prayer book, but the old lady refused, knowing that it would cost her freedom. Her trial was quick and her sentence was cruel. She was to be chained to a post and drowned by the incoming tide of the Solway Firth on the banks of the town. During the arrest, someone informed the authorities about the two Wilson girls and they were also arrested, judged, and sentenced to death.

Gilbert Wilson, the father of the two teenagers, was frantic. He practically sold everything that he owned and borrowed from friends and family. He rode to Edinburgh to buy his daughters’ pardon. He managed to raise one hundred pounds, which was the equivalent of a lifetime of earnings in his day. Sadly, Gilbert could only buy back one of his daughters, so he chose the youngest, Agnes, who was only thirteen years old.

On the morning of 11 May, 1685, the two Margarets were chained to their posts. As the tide came in, faster than a running horse, Margaret McLachlan quickly succumbed to the mighty force of the waves. Young Margaret Wilson had been chained nearer to the shore, from where her friends and family begged the young maiden to recant of the National Covenant by swearing loyalty to the king. Even her own mother frantically pleaded with Margaret to give up her faith in order to save her young life.

The town officer tried to intervene and held young Margaret’s head above the closing waters. He asked her to pray for the king, to which she answered: “God save him, if he will, for it is his salvation I desire.”
Her relatives clamored for mercy, but the officer asked Margaret once again to renounce the Covenanters.

Summoning all of her energy and faith, this wee lassie of no nobility, prosperity or esteem, calmly replied: “I will not, I am one of Christ's children, let me go.” Soon after, the waves overwhelmed her and she drowned.

God chooses foolish things to shame the wise and weak vessels to shame the strong. Both Margarets are known to the Scottish people as the Solway Martyrs. And even today, when their stories of injustice and cruelty are told, we are in awe of their courage, devotion, and faith. Margaret Wilson may have been a young and carefree teenager, but she will be forever known in history as a remarkable and faithful servant of Christ.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, throughout the centuries You have called upon people to witness to Your words and ways. Sometimes people, young and old, have sacrificed everything in order to be faithful to You. In this day and age, Lord, we have trouble in making the same commitment and we forget the true cost of the faith that we place in You.

Challenge and change our lives today, so that we may effectively witness to Your Power. Keep us from being fearful and insecure. Help us to be faithful and sincere. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Melted Hearts

There’s a new report from the Pew Research Council that is showing a decline in the numbers of people who are Protestant Christians. Protestantism, which has shaped American identity for generations, may soon become a minority faith. In the 1980s, 65 percent of Americans called themselves Protestants; today that number is down to 51 percent. Only 43 percent of those aged 18-29 say they are Protestant.

Podcast version here

The reasons for the decline are many and it means that local congregations have to work harder to grow in faith, commitment, and size. Protestants, especially Presbyterians, can no longer take it for granted that their voices are being heard. In fact most of the figures show us that we are consistently being ignored. Whatever theological tussles and scriptural squabbles we have in our denomination may seem important to us. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, we’re outdated, unimportant, and insignificant.

It seems like we have been hit with a mortal blow. For some people, this will just make them want to give up. Instead of making faith a lifetime commitment, people are choosing to make church going a life-style choice. Rather than give of their time, talents, and resources to Christ’s mission, people want to spend time, effort, and money on themselves. It’s hard to overcome this sort of spiritual ambivalence. It seems to be, according to these statistics, far easier to let go of the Church and give up believing in Jesus.

Personally, I think the Church has been dealing with the here and now too much, forgetting about the future and hereafter. More pastors are into preaching prosperity rather than salvation. More congregations are looking for life style enhancements instead of life changing conversions. We are meant to be the Church in the world, but sadly we’ve let the world come into, and take over the Church.


Bible Verse of the Day


Joshua 7: 5b They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted and became like water.



When the Israelites were defeated at Ai, their hearts melted with fear. They no longer had the strength or commitment to go on fighting their enemies. They lost their faith and confidence in God, and even Joshua was depressed by the defeat. It was a turning point for the people. They could go quietly into the night and be lost forever, or they could turn back to God and look for His guidance. They had to revive their faith and fulfill their destiny, or they could retreat across the Jordan and return to the desert.

As I see it, we have a straight forward choice before us: revive and survive, or deny and die. I don’t know about you, but I don’t intend to give up. There’s too much at stake, and there are too many souls that still need to be saved.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You command us to go out into the world to make disciples of all people, bringing them into Your Kingdom. Call upon us today to reach out to our families and friends, our neighbors and colleagues in loving and faithful ways that will attract them to You. In Your Holy Name, we live and pray. Amen.

Terrorism is un-Islamic say Muslim scholars in India

The Darul-Uloom Deoband in India, considered the most influential school for Islamic law in Asia, on Monday denounced terrorism as being against the teachings of Islam and said it was likely to impose a fatwa against it during a conference of clerics from India and abroad, media reports said. The head of the powerful seminary, Maulana Marghoobur Rahman, said terrorism was completely wrong and thoughtless, and contradicted Islam's concept of peace, the NDTV network reported, quoting from his address to 10,000 clerics from religious schools - known as madrassas - and foreign delegates.

Speaking at the institution, some 150 kilometers north of New Delhi, Rahman also criticized the Indian government, saying that policing of madrassas and students was unjustified and went against the secular character of the country. Meanwhile, scholars said the conference was likely to decide on a fatwa against terrorism and adopt a declaration denouncing terrorism.

Read the rest of the report here…

The True Cost of Freedom

As I drove home late last night, I listened to a news report on the car radio. It was all about some legal aliens in California who were complaining that the process to become naturalized citizens was too slow. About a million of them had applied last year and they fully expected to get their citizenship in time for this year’s Presidential elections. Because of the sudden increase in the number of applicants, the bureaucracy was swamped. In order to cope with this, about three thousand new jobs with the INS has had to be created. And the price for the process has now been increased from $475 per person to $650.

Podcast version here

Applicants were told that it would take about a year before they would be contacted, so now they are protesting about the time involved, as well as the costs to become a citizen. They also feel as though they are being victimized because they will not get to vote in November. They are demanding that things be changed in their favor.

When our family decided to become American citizens, it was our way of saying “thank you” to the people and nation that had embraced us as legal immigrants. We knew that it would cost us a lot of money and we understood that it would take a great deal of time. We were just so happy to be given the privilege and special opportunity of doing this. We never took it for granted. We never demanded it as a right. And we certainly didn’t grumble about the amount of time it took.

Two years later, we stood in the local courthouse and proudly took our citizenship oaths. Friends from church were there to witness the event, and we felt very privileged to have received such an honor in our lives. It was a wonderful occasion and a remarkable threshold in our lives. It was not a decision that we have ever regretted, nor have we ever taken our liberties for granted since then.

Bible Verses of the Day
Numbers 11:4 - 6 The rabble with them began to crave other food, and again the Israelites started wailing and said, "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost--also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna!"

Those protesting applicants in California must be very selfish people. They remind me of the grumbling Israelites in the wilderness. Everything was provided for them by God – their food, their survival, their deliverance – and yet the Hebrews still complained about their treatment, about how long they were traveling, and about how they longed for the good old days. God gave them everything they needed and yet they still wanted more.

The path to citizenship is worth every dollar spent and every day of waiting. It should never be an easy process and applicants should show more respect to the wonderful nation that is bestowing citizenship upon these legal aliens. Sometimes the best things in life are not free; sometimes we have to be patient before we receive them.

For us Christians, becoming a servant in the Kingdom of God is the same thing. The high cost of Christ’s sacrifice bought us an everlasting opportunity to be restored to God’s love. To get there, we need to surrender ourselves to Jesus and submit our lives to His Authority. We cannot take it for granted and we must not demand it as a right. It only comes to us when we yield our hearts, minds, and souls to Jesus, by accepting Him as our Savior, Lord, Judge, and King.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to give our lives to You in ways that will honor Your mission and glorify Your Father in Heaven. Prevent us from taking You for granted and keep us from misinterpreting Your sacred words. Help us to place our hearts into Your Hands, and our souls into Your Spirit. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Sunday Sermon: What The World Needs Now

There’s a new book coming out, called the “Third Jesus.” It’s written by Deepak Chopra who is this generation’s equivalent of Von Daniken. He writes a lot of best sellers about spirituality, especially of the New Age variety, and I have no doubt that this book will soon reach number one on the Times best sellers list.

It’s sad that this kind of junk theology can become so popular and soaked into the precious souls of millions of modern people. They lap up this kind of godless garbage and pore over its contents without opening up the Gospels to find the real Jesus. They would rather read the warped interpretations of a Hindu guru-author whose cosmology makes them feel special. Chopra is a bit like Oprah when it comes to the theological world – it’s all about feeling good about yourself and discovering the god within you, instead of feeling good about Christ and the God around us.

Here’s what Deepak has to say about Christ, or more precisely the Three Christ’s that we know:

First, there is the historical Jesus, the man who lived more than two thousand years ago and whose teachings are the foundation of Christian theology and thought. Next there is Jesus the Son of God, who has come to embody an institutional religion with specific dogma, a priesthood, and devout believers. And finally, there is the third Jesus, the cosmic Christ, the spiritual guide whose teaching embraces all humanity, not just the church built in his name. He speaks to the individual who wants to find God as a personal experience, to attain what some might call grace, or God-consciousness, or enlightenment.

In other words, all that the world needs now is a Hinduistic Cosmic Christ and jettison the Christ whose church embraces and engages the world in the midst of its poverty, brokenness, and sin. For those of you who don’t know, this is classical Hindu teaching where the poor and miserable are neglected, whilst the priestly and noble classes are worshipped and exalted.

Deepak is so far off the beaten track as far as real Christianity is concerned. He’s falling into the old trap of syncretism – trying to get Christ to fit his theories instead of trying to fit his life into Christ’s ways. Deepak may be successful at selling millions of books with his meaningless mumbo-jumbo, but as far as doing the work of God’s Kingdom – well, let’s put it this way: you’ve got to be in it, to spin it.

Let me show you how today’s scripture reveals to us the One Complete Christ, and not the Three Jesus’ that Chopra is promoting.

Look at verse 6:
6 Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.

What does this tell us about Jesus historically? It reveals to us that Christ was a human being. He was tired and he was thirsty. He had walked for several miles, going from one town to the other. It was the sixth hour, which meant it was the middle of the day. Christ’s energy was sapped from the heat of the mid day sun. He needed to rest his weary feet. He needed to stop and relax for a while. And he desperately needed something to drink.

This is the historical Jesus. This is a man who is weary and exhausted; tired and thirsty; hungry and all alone. What Jesus needs now is a kind word and a smile, and a refreshing drink of cold water.

Now we didn’t need Deepak to tell us that – we didn’t need his convoluted book to let us know that Jesus existed and was a frail human being just like the rest of us. All we had to do was read the Gospel and, lo and behold, there He is! In fact, Jesus is so human, so much of a pathetic, weary man that He has to turn to a woman to help Him out! Just another typical guy, needing a woman to take care of Him.

But what about this Second Jesus that Deepak writes about? What about this Son of God who institutes a new religion for devout believers?

Well, let’s look at the passage again. Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for water. Jews were not supposed to ask Samaritans for anything. It was beneath their dignity. Samaritans were unclean, unwashed, unholy people who were thought of as disdainful idolaters by the orthodox Jews. Because Jesus was a Rabbi, He should never have associated Himself with this Samaritan woman. And even worse, her own people didn’t even associate with her, which must have meant that she was immoral and adulterous, shameless and sinful.

But tired and weary as Jesus was, He wanted to reach out to this woman spiritually. Instead of being annoyed at her, Jesus says this to her:

10 "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

What does this mean? What is Jesus trying to reveal to her? He’s letting the woman know that He is not just a Jewish man looking for a strange woman in a strange land to help Him out. He’s beginning to minister to her, to rouse her curiosity, and to attract her soul to Him. He’s reaching out to this woman, who has been abandoned by her own community, with kindness and compassion, respect and dignity that she hasn’t known in such a long time. He’s having a conversation with her; He’s connecting to her heart and soul, not her body and beauty. He’s helping her to confront her past in order to heal her. He’s intervening in her life, in order to save her from herself.

And this is what Christ does through the church, in the world, generation after generation. His words, His ways, His work continues every single day through the life, ministry, and mission of His church on earth. Our dogma reveals to us that Jesus is the Son of God and through Him alone salvation is found. He institutionalizes and sustains the Church, in order to make the world a better place, a loving place, a compassionate place. What the world needs now is this Jesus who reaches out to the outcasts and embraces sinners, in order to bring them in from the fields of sin to the compassionate Kingdom of God.

You know recently I was upset with an American Episcopal Bishop who apologized to the Hindus in India for the 200 years of Christian mission in Indian society. “There are enough Christians in the world and we are sorry for trying to convert your people to our faith.” What a load of Universalist baloney!

I am not sorry that 200 years ago missionaries went to India to try to convince people that worshipping trees and rivers, stone idols and thousands of god and goddesses was wrong. I am not sorry that Christian missionaries stopped the sacrificial slaughter of babies to appease vengeful gods. I am not sorry that Christians sought to stop the acts of ritual suicide that took place, where widows old or young had to cast themselves onto the burning remains of their dead husbands. And I am certainly not sorry that Christian missionaries worked with and helped the millions of people who lived in the gutters of cities like Bombay and Calcutta and were treated as human filth and manure just because they were born as pariahs – outcastes – who had no chance of changing their inhumane treatment by the other Hindu classes.

Jesus is the Son of God and we are His church in the world, which is called to reach out into the world to bring His Gospel of repentance and restoration, compassion and confrontation to all people. The Historical Jesus is the same as the Institutionalized Jesus - we just have to keep reading the real Gospels, instead of the book-marketing baloney that Deepak Chopra and his New Age, Prosperity Gospel cronies keep churning out.

Finally, we come to this Third Jesus of Chopra’s book – the New Age Cosmic Christ – the One who speaks to individuals who want to have a consciousness of God, but as Chopra said on CNN the other day – not necessarily as part of a personal relationship, more of a spiritual awareness that God exists. In other words, giving us the ability to know of God, but not to be influenced, guided, or even judged by God.

When Jesus speaks to this woman at the well to engage her in a conversation and to eventually confront her sinful ways, He does so in order to affect a godly change in her life. He’s not doing it to pass the time of day or to wile away the hours in small talk, Jesus speaks directly to this woman to get her reconnected to God, to redeem her from her foolish choices, and to restore her to God’s love and favor.

Christ doesn’t talk to her to make her aware that God merely exists; He talks to her because, although God is displeased with her sin, He has not stopped loving her. This isn’t about merrily co-existing in the universe as Creator and creatures; this all about the reason why God created us in the first place – to have a loving, caring, and everlasting relationship with Him. That’s why Jesus says He has Living Water – water sustains all life on this planet – but God’s Living water in Christ sustains all eternal life in the Universe!

13 Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

This is the Cosmic Christ that Deepak mentions, but not a Cosmic distant, uncaring, uninterested Christ – that’s Hindu theology – this is the One, True and Living Christ – who gets thirsty on a hot day, who preaches to lost souls, who offers eternal salvation to all who come and drink with Him! There is no such thing as a Third Jesus – just as there is no such thing as a third World, another false Hindu theology – we’re all part of One World and we all are called to believe in One Christ – historical, traditional, and cosmological – all Three in One!

The rest of John Chapter 4 deals with the confrontation and conversion of this Samaritan woman. In Christ, she finds what she truly needs – the love, mercy, and forgiveness of God. She takes this message back to her own people, who have shunned her and made her an outcast. Eventually, her own people are converted as well. They say to her: "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."

In other words, they make the connection with Jesus and place their lives and souls into His saving hands. The challenge we face today is this: are we willing to do the same?

Stushie is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee

Britain Becoming An Atheist Society

London • Freedom from religion in Britain is becoming as important as freedom of religion, according to a United Nations investigation into religion in the UK.

In a 23-page report published yesterday, a UN rapporteur claims the 2001 Census findings that nearly 72 per cent of the population is Christian can no longer be regarded as accurate. The report claims that two-thirds of British people now do not admit to any religious adherence.

The report also calls for the disestablishment of the Church of England. The role and privileges of the established Church are challenged because they do not reflect "the religious demography of the country and the rising proportion of other Christian denominations."

The report also warns that measures to combat terrorism in Britain could be undermined because of discrimination against Muslims.

According to the report into the freedom of religion and belief in the UK, there is an "overall respect for human rights and their value." But the report warns that Muslims in particular face screening, searches, interrogation and arrest.

Read the rest of the article here…

Daily Devotions: Grace Gifts

At our monthly Session meeting last night, one of our elders gave the devotional. She read from a similar passage of Paul’s on this subject of gifts, using the new Message version of the Bible. The elder reminded us that we all had different abilities and skills which blended together to form a strong body of spiritual leaders in the church. She also told us that our talents and resources were given from God not for ourselves, but to be used as channels of His grace in and to the world. It was a good lesson and one that we all need to keep remembering, reviewing, and applying in our lives.

Bible Verse of the Day

Romans 12:5 …so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

Perhaps today or over this weekend, you will find yourself in a situation where your gifts can be employed on behalf of someone else. Perhaps God will lead you to a certain place, at a certain time, to use your skills, experience, and resources in ways that will show God’s compassion and grace, mercy and love to other people. Whatever that moment is and wherever it may occur, pray that God will open your eyes and spirit to such an opportunity. Be His hands and feet, His voice and heart to those who need to be reassured, embraced, and encouraged.

Who knows? By doing this you may help someone else to reconnect to God, so that they may also use their grace gifts to help others and expand the Kingdom of God.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You call upon us to serve You in the world, to help other people, and to love our neighbors. Help us this weekend to apply Your lessons of love and to show Your compassion and grace through the gifts we share and the support that we give. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotions: The Sheriff

Sheriff McEwen was a faithful supporter of the church and a merciful dispenser of justice. I got to know him when he and his family moved from Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, to the countryside of Ayr. He regularly attended the church in Maybole and I was impressed by his personal faith and knowledge of scripture.

Bible Verse of the Day
Acts 10:42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.

He grew up in the Apostolic Church, which was a bible centered and prophecy orientated movement that lasted about a hundred years in Britain. I think there are a few remaining churches in the United Kingdom, but most of the ones in Scotland have all closed.

When Sheriff McEwen moved from Maybole to a new house in Troon, he asked me to perform a special service. The Apostolic Church had a set list of prayers, scripture readings, and blessings for a new house. He wanted me to come by and follow the prescribed formula. I was delighted to do so and made the appropriate prayers at the thresholds of each room and at the entrances to the house. The Sheriff and his family followed me around the home and we recited some prayers together. It was a unique ceremony and a sacred time. I felt the goodness of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit amongst us.

Before I left for America, Sheriff McEwen gave me an old book of Apostolic prayers from his church. It had been handed down from person to person for over 80 years. Inside the book’s cover are the names of those who owned it before. I am the fifth person to be given that honor. I still have it in my study at home and use it occasionally for inspiration and meditation. I mainly cherish it because of Sheriff McEwen. He was a man of discreet character, fair judgment, and sincere faith.

Whenever I think about Christ being the Judge of the earth, I know that He will be righteous and merciful, absolute and full of grace. He will fully uphold God’s laws and compassionately dispense His grace. We need not fear His judgment nor be afraid of His power. If we have placed our souls into His hands and surrendered our hearts to His love, then He will embrace and forgive us, redeem and restore us to God’s Holy Kingdom and Everlasting Delight.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You have invited us to become Your own followers, servants, and disciples. We can freely choose or reject Your ways. Help us, this day, to place our lives into Your care and to dedicate our time, talents, and resources to Your Ministry and God’s Kingdom. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotions: Tax Season

Because it’s an election year, there’s a lot of talk about taxes. One politician says there will be no more taxes, but doesn’t clarify if he’ll increase the present ones. Another candidate for the Presidency talks about a Fair Tax (although personally I think that is an oxymoron). As the scramble for voters continues, the promises about decreasing taxes increases, probably in direct proportion to how soon a nomination can be made.

Bible verse of the day

Matthew 22:21 "Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's."

In Christ’s time, taxes were paid to foreign invaders who were loathed by the Jewish people. It’s bad enough giving your money to the government, but it must be a hundred times worse giving it to a foreign government. That’s like saying to the invaders, “Thank you for destroying our country. Here’s some money to make you even stronger.”

Because the Jews hated paying taxes to Caesar, some miscreants used this as a means to trap Jesus. He was becoming too popular, so His opponents tried to set Him up. They asked Him whether or not it was lawful to pay taxes. If Christ plainly agreed to pay the taxes, He would be portrayed as a collaborator. If He disagreed with paying taxes, then He would be denounced as a dangerous usurper.

Jesus was in between a rock and a hard place, but He dealt with the situation beautifully. If the image on the coin was of Caesar, then obviously it belonged to Rome. And since it was an image, devout Jews would have nothing to do with holding on to graven images. Or as Jesus put it so succinctly: Give to Caesar what is his, and give to God what is God’s.

Sometimes as Christians we are faced with similar dilemmas. We try to be faithful to Christ without being mean or confrontational in the world, but sometimes the world does things that confronts or demeans our faith. It’s a hard path to walk, but Christ understands. It’s a road that he traveled many times in His own life.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we really want to be effective Christians in and to the world. Sometimes we fail because we allow our pride and anger to usurp our faith and destroy our good intentions. Grant us strength and determination to be all that You wish to become as servants in God’s Kingdom, and as witnesses in the world. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Daily Devotions: The Watchmaker

As a boy, I was fascinated with a watchmaker's store in Glasgow, Scotland. When I entered the store for the first time, I saw a faded picture of the watchmaker standing in Red Square, Moscow with the Kremlin behind him.

What was his intriguing secret?

Podcast version here

Jeremiah 51:50 “You who have escaped the sword, leave and do not linger! Remember the LORD in a distant land, and think on Jerusalem."

His watchmaker’s store was right beside my bus stop for going home. Whenever I went traveled into Glasgow’s City Center, I would get off the double decker bus at this store. There were lots of second hand watches in the window and you could see the watchmaker busy working each day. He had microscopic eyeglass to see the working of each watch and he delicately held small instruments in his hand.

On rainy days, when I stood waiting for my bus home, I watched him studiously and was fascinated by his craftsmanship. Sometimes I was so mesmerized by what he was doing that I almost missed my bus. I wanted to own a watch, so that if it ever needed repair, I could come into his shop and have the watchmaker fix it.

Years later, I got that opportunity. I had one of those old digital watches that blinked red lights to indicate the time. I needed to have the battery changed and so I entered the watchmaker’s store for the first time. It was quiet and peaceful. On the wall behind the watchmaker was a faded photograph of him standing in Red Square with the Kremlin in the background. And when he asked me what I wanted, he spoke to me in broken English with a heavy Russian accent. I was amazed.

I showed him my digital watch. He just shook his head, took it from me, and quickly fixed it. I could sense his frustration and, as I handed over the money for the battery, we both realized that the world was changing. Within a couple of years, his store was gone. I guess people didn’t need his services anymore.

I think he must have missed being back in Russia. I didn’t know what brought him to Scotland and sometimes I wonder if he was an ex-spy, on the run from the KGB and protected by British Intelligence. Whatever made him leave his native land, he still remembered it and even though he was in a Western land during the height of the Cold War, he must have kept that photograph proudly displayed in his store for years.

When Jeremiah preaches to his people, they all know that they are going into exile. The Jews of that time believed that God was tied to the land, so when they left the Holy Land, they thought that God wasn’t coming with them. Jeremiah’s prophecy was a clarion call to his people to keep the Lord and Jerusalem in their hearts, no matter what they experienced or wherever they ended. In other words, he was telling them to keep the faith.

In the midst of our own trials and troubles, sometimes remembering God and keeping the faith can be hard. But if the spiritual experiences of many millions of people over the centuries is anything to go by, those two precepts are extremely helpful, supportive, and encouraging.

Prayer: Lord God, You are the One, Holy Constant throughout Time. Across the history of the world, Your Presence has strengthened and uplifted our people. We pray that in our own trying times, we may also depend upon You to deliver and sustain us through our troubles. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Sunday Sermon: What Must I Believe? John 3:16-18

I cannot imagine Evelyn and I ever giving up our children for anything in the whole world. At the moment, both our daughters are in New York City for the weekend and will be returning home later today. They’ve both grown up in Knoxville and this church, and through the attention, love, and care that they have received from Erin Church, they are now beginning to discover who they are and what God wants them to become. They might roast their parents’ hearts from time to time, but we would never give them up or sacrifice them for anything in the entire world. And I’m certain that every parent in this sanctuary would heartily agree when it comes to their own sons and daughters. We all love our children dearly and we would all give up our lives for them.

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

But God works in mysterious ways. He deeply loved Jesus His Only Son and God was well pleased with His life, ministry, and mission. And yet, when it comes to making a final choice between saving His Son from the agonizing death on the Cross and saving the world from sin, God chooses the world. Instead of rescuing Jesus who loves Him completely, God chooses to save the world that totally disrespects Him. Rather than shield Jesus from the shame of Calvary, God sacrifices His Son for a shameful world.

That’s absolutely crazy and if there was an inter-galactic Social Service department, God would be up on charges of child abuse and possibly murder. It’s just not natural, so I guess it must be the divine way that God deals with things. None of us would do it, but God does: which leaves us asking this question: WHY? What so good, so unique, so unusual about humankind that causes the God of all Creation to sacrifice His Son. Why does the Most Supreme Being in the Universe leave His Son on a Cross to die? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t we be the ones sacrificing everything in order to placate, appease, and please God?

Way back in 1972, on Feb 17, on the very same day that President Nixon flew out from Washington to China, the British parliament voted to join the European Union. It didn’t have much of an affect over here, but throughout the British Commonwealth, it was a major decision. You see Britain was at one time at the heart of the British Empire and all its territories like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand exported a lot of their produce to the United Kingdom. When the British Parliament decided to join the EU, it was sacrificing the productivity and economies of Commonwealth countries all over the globe, in order to sustain itself. When I was a child, I can remember eating Canadian bacon and New Zealand Lamb, but when Britain became part of the European Union, they couldn’t be found in the supermarkets or grocery stores. The Mother Country sacrificed its Commonwealth children in order to sustain itself.

When God sacrificed Jesus, He wasn’t sustaining Himself. He was sustaining the world, as wicked and as wayward as it was. In the Good Old Testament days, when God got fed up with sin and sinners, all He had to do was stretch out His arm and smite them. God even tried to destroy the whole world once, flooding it completely, whilst only allowing eight to survive His wrath.

But this time, God fulfilled the plan of salvation by sacrificing His One and Only Son. It’s almost as if He’s stretching His own faith to its absolute limit. After all, is there anything worse than the death of a dear child?

John 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Let me give you an example of this:

One of the saddest prayers that I have ever heard was voiced by a mother in her seventies, whose fifty year old son had just died of cancer. It occurred in the church sanctuary, during a special mid-week prayer time. The church was open in the morning, to allow people to come in and quietly talk to God. In the background, a tape was played, which included some favorite hymns and contemporary choruses. I happened to be in the sanctuary at the time, doing my own prayers and devotions.

One of the songs on the tape was an upbeat version of Psalm 63. Its repeated refrain was “because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” In the middle of this song, the aged mother made a heart felt cry: “How can your love be better than life, Lord, when You have taken my son away from me?”

It was one of those holy moments when the reality of life confronts the reality of God. The woman’s heart was bleeding with grief, and her faith was being sorely tried. Each time the tape played the song’s refrain, she would ask that disturbing question. When the tape finished, the mother got up silently and left the church sorrowfully. I wanted to reach out and help, but something stopped me. It wasn’t the right time, and neither was it my place to answer a question directed to God.

The following Easter, our church held a Good Friday service. Usually during Holy Week, we held a Maundy Thursday service, but I thought it would be good if we tried something different. When I preached about the Cross that night and talked about God losing His Son to death, and feeling the grief of that separation, it was as if a light went on for the grieving mother. For the first time, since her son’s death, she could relate to God. He shared her heartbreak and knew the emptiness, hurt, and grief that she bore. God’s love was indeed better than life, not because it was holier or more perfect; God’s love was better than life because it was grounded in the reality of pain and suffering, loss and loneliness, sadness and grief.

Some of us may be carrying a grief that continues to hurt us and separates us from God. Perhaps if we remember that God understands our wounds because He experienced the same, it will draw us closer to Him, instead of keeping us at a distance.

That’s why God sacrifices His Only Son. He doesn’t want to deal with us at a distance. He doesn’t want us to be separated from Him forever. God loves the world and its entire people, but because we are so prone to be sinful and faithless, deceitful and proud, we end up putting ourselves against God, instead of being for God. And no matter what the circumstances, our background, our culture, our country or tradition, we can’t justify our sins before the Holy, Sacred, Perfect and Supreme Being in the Universe. That would be the equivalent of a flea standing before a wooly mammoth and blaming it for having so much hair, causing the flea to bite. We cannot stand before God and expect Him to hear what we have to say. It doesn’t work that way. The Only Way that we can get God to listen is through Jesus: He is our Advocate; He is Our Savior; He is the One who restores us to God’s favor and love.

John 3:18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

And this brings us to the last point from this passage. Whoever believes in Jesus is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already – why? Because he has not believed in the name of God’s One and Only Son.

A lot of people miss this part of what Christ says to Nicodemus because they don’t want any judgment or condemnation to be a part of Christ’s ministry. They like the ‘love one another’ stuff and look to be accepted by Christ totally. They don’t want to make any exclusive commitment to Jesus as their only Savior and Lord. They also want Him to fully accept their lifestyle choices. And heaven forbid, if any of Christ’s followers ask them to change their ways.

An example of this occurred the other day when NBA star Charles Barkley was asked about his reasons for supporting presidential candidate Barack Obama, instead of Hillary Clinton or any of the Republican candidates.

"I've got great respect for Sen. McCain, great respect, but I don't like the way Republicans have taken this country," said Barkley. "Every time I hear the word 'conservative,' it makes me sick to my stomach, because they're really just fake Christians, as I call them. That's all they are."

"I think they want to be judge and jury," Barkley said. "Like, I'm for gay marriage. It's none of my business if gay people want to get married. I'm pro-choice. And I think these Christians, first of all, they're not supposed to judge other people. But they're the most hypocritical judge of people we have in the country. And it bugs the hell out of me. They act like they're Christians. They're not forgiving at all."

Yes, Christians of all persuasions can be judgmental and unforgiving at times, but when the true word of God is preached and the Gospel gives us an either/or, the world condemns us as being judgmental, unfeeling, and unchristian. But we forget that when it came down to the basics, Christ could be as conservative as anyone. After all, how would you interpret what He says to Nicodemus: whoever believes is not condemned, but whosever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s Only Son – tell me honestly folks: is that a liberal, progressive statement or basically a religious conservative one?

Charles Barkley may have trouble with conservative Christians being judgmental; but I put it to you, he would also have the same trouble with Jesus being forthright about what we must believe.

In the end, we must all make our own choices about what we must or cannot believe, but realize this: at the end, based upon those beliefs, Jesus will decide where we will go. After all, He sacrificed His life so that we could be given a choice. Without Him, we would not even have that opportunity.

In Christ’s Name, Amen.

Saudi Woman Facing Death Penalty for 'Witchcraft'

AN AMERICAN civil liberties group has written an open letter to the King of Saudi Arabia, urging him to pardon a woman sentenced to death for witchcraft under Sharia law.

Fawza Falih was condemned to death by a court in the town of Quraiyat after confessing under interrogation to having used sorcery to bewitch people. Witchcraft is not a crime under the Saudi penal code, however Sharia, or Muslim religious law, forbids its practice.

“The fact that Saudi judges still conduct trials for unprovable crimes like ‘witchcraft’ underscores their inability to carry out objective criminal investigations,” the Middle East Director of the New York based NGO, Human Rights Watch, Joe Stork said on Feb 14.

“Fawza Falih’s case is an example of how the authorities failed to comply even with existing safeguards in the Saudi justice system.” Human Rights Watch has urged King Abdullah to pardon Falih, arguing that her confession was coerced, the legal proceedings flawed, and the ‘crime’ not one recognized under law.

Saudi Arabia’s religious police, the Muttawa, arrested Falih in 2006, and after 35 days’ detention and interrogation, she signed a statement confessing to having been a witch. However, at trial Falih repudiated her confession, saying it had been extracted under torture. Human Rights Watch also charged the Saudi woman’s trial was flawed, alleging misconduct on the part of the judge and prosecutor.

Read rest of the article here

The Biggest Snitch in the Universe

It looks like the devil is the biggest snitch in the universe. According to a verse from Revelation, he accuses us before God and probably takes great delight in doing so. He knows every temptation that we have surrendered to, and every sin we have committed. He just loves it when we give in and he glories in telling God how wicked, sinful, and unfaithful we are. As I say, the devil is the biggest informer in all of creation. He knows he is going down to the abyss and so he just wants to take as many unfortunate sinners with him as he possibly can.

Podcast version here

Bible verse of the Day

Revelation 12:10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

Jesus, however, in stark contrast to the devil, is the Supreme Advocate for His followers. He also knows all of our guilty secrets and shameful mistakes. He knows every wrong word we have spoken or deceitful deeds we have taken. He just loves it when He can stand before God and intercede on our behalf. He glories in telling God that we are one of His, no matter how wicked, sinful, and unfaithful we may have been. He is the greatest Advocate and Savior that the world can ever experience. He knows that He is going to enjoy God’s love and Kingdom forevermore, and so He just wants to take as many sinners with Him as He possibly can.

You see the difference? Well, for it to make a difference in our lives, we need to trust Jesus. We need to place our hearts and hopes, our lives and love, our future and faith into Christ’s Hands. We can’t justify our mistakes and sins before God. We don’t have that power or authority. But Christ does and He will use it effectively to restore us to God’s pleasure and to receive us into God’s Kingdom.

It’s His call to make and our choice to take – which one will we choose?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know us completely and yet You never let us go. You took up a cross and gave Your Life so that You could take away our sins and grant us eternity. Thank You for being our Advocate and Savior, our Lord and King. Help us to go out into the world today to encourage others to make that same commitment of faith and receive these blessings from You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Valentine's Day nixed in Indonesia

Valentine's Day banned by Indonesian Islamic Council

Indonesia's highest Islamic council has declared Valentine's Day celebrations illegal, while a ban was issued by authorities in West Sumatra province on observing a holiday in hotels and restaurants, local media reports said Thursday.

Ma'ruf Amien, chairman of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), warned the country's Muslims the celebration of Valentine's Day is 'haram,' or prohibited by Islam.

Amien, who is also head of the council's commission of edicts, said the romantic holiday encouraged drunkenness and other types of immorality. Meanwhile, West Sumatra's Bukittinggi municipal administration banned residents from celebrating Valentine's Day on grounds that such celebrations were contrary to local Minangkabau traditions and Islam, The Jakarta Post reported.

'The Valentine's Day celebration is not our culture as it usually relates closely to immoral acts where, during the celebration, young couples tend to hug and even kiss each other. This is an immoral act, right?' the Post quoted Ismet Amzis, Bukittinggi's deputy mayor, as saying.

A ban was imposed by the administration on cafes, restaurants, hotels and other tourist sites planning to hold Valentine's Day celebrations.The city administration also planned to shut down a number of tourist spots, including the city's tourist icon Jam Gadang, which were known to attract visitors on Valentine's Day.

Some 100 public order officers would be deployed to closely monitor cafes, restaurants, hotels and other public places Thursday, and authorised to detain amorous young couples found on the streets or at tourist sites, Amzis said.

Holy Week Screensaver: Aztec Tennebrae

Clash of cultures: Aztecs and Christians - death and dying - sacrifice and saving

Daily Devotions: The Dream

I had a beautiful dream last night which I have kept in my heart all day. I was standing on top of a high hill when suddenly the ground beneath me gave way. For some reason I was sliding down the hill at high speed, headed for a swamp at the bottom. As I reached the swamp, I braced myself for the impact by lifting up my knees to shield my body.

Podcast version here

I started channeling through the water at a fierce rate, but I never got wet. I was afraid that when I stopped moving I would begin to sink into the swamp. Inevitably, I slowed down and felt being sucked under the black water. All of a sudden, and this will sound crazy, two elderly ladies in a flat bottomed boat rescued me. As they hauled me up on to their boat, I felt an amazing peace. Then I woke up.

Bible Verse of the Day

Acts 10:17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate.

The dream puzzled me and I inwardly asked God for an interpretation. This is what I think He gave to me.

The hill represents my strength and pride, ego and arrogance. The quake is God’s way of getting my attention and sliding downhill indicates the poor choices and bad mistakes I have made in my life. The swamp represents death and oblivion. The raising up of my knees indicates a time of prayer and the water, which didn’t make me wet, is my baptism. Slowing down and sinking represents me getting older and experiencing death.

But what about the two ladies on the boat? The boat is the church. The elderly ladies are called Faith and Hope. Now I know that at the moment of my death, whenever it comes, all that I will have left is Faith and Hope…and that will be all that I will ever need.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gifts of Faith and Hope, which sustain us throughout our lives, and which also take us into Your Eternal presence at the moment of our inevitable deaths. Let them keep hold of us when we are fearful or depressed, vulnerable and all alone. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully and hopefully pray. Amen.

US based Company, Blue Q, in 'Jesus' cosmetic row

From BBC News

A leading retailer in Singapore has withdrawn a cosmetics range with a Jesus theme after complaints from local Roman Catholics, local media report.
The range, named Lookin' Good for Jesus, was on sale at three Topshop outlets in the Asian city state.

Catholics complained the cosmetics' marketing was disrespectful, full of sexual innuendo and trivialised Christianity.
About 15% of Singapore's 4.4 million population is Christian.

The products included a "Virtuous vanilla" lip balm and a "Get Tight with Christ" hand and body cream, featuring a picture of Christ flanked by two adoring women.

"Why would anyone use religious figures to promote vanity products? It's very disrespectful and distasteful," the Straits Times newspaper quoted accountant Grace Ong, 24, as saying.

A spokesman for the Wing Tai company, which runs Topshop's outlets in Singapore, told the newspaper it did not want to offend its customers, and withdrew the products last month.

It was not clear whether other shops were still selling the range, which is produced by the US-based company, Blue Q.

Daily Devotions: Thanks, Friend

I once saw an elderly man get hit by a double decker bus. It happened in the middle of Glasgow many years ago. I was returning home from an all night party with a bunch of friends. The old man was coming towards us and he got clipped by the outside wing mirror of the bus. It sent him sprawling to the ground and he ended up in the gutter.

Podcast version here

Bible Verse of the Day
Ecclesiastes 4:10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Everybody gathered around him in a circle, but nobody knew who he was and he just laid there, stunned. Something instinctively told me to get down on my knees, make him comfortable and sit with him. I held his hands and wiped his brow a couple of times and quietly spoke to him. He was petrified and shocked. I was worried that he was going to lose consciousness, which may have caused him greater damage.

So I talked to him about football, about the weather, and about who he was. His name was Alex and he lived on his own. it was getting cold, so I took my jacket off to keep him warm and someone else gave me a jacket to prop up his head. There were tears coming down his face and I thought it was because of the pain. When I asked him if he was sore, he said, “No, I’m weeping because you’re the first person who has talked to me in a long time.”

Pretty soon, we could all hear the sirens of the paramedic teams arriving. They quickly took over, bundled him up, and put Alex on a stretcher. Just before they left, Alex held out his hand to me. He looked me in the eye and quietly said, “Thanks, friend.”

Everyone needs a friend. There are lots of lonely people in the world who just need a kind word and a smile, a short conversation, and a moment of encouragement. Wherever we go and whosoever we meet, let’s try to be a friend.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are times in our lives when we feel lonely and isolated, vulnerable and alone. Grant us good friends who will support and help us, encourage and love us. May we also be friends to those who are alone and reach out to those whom we would normally pass by. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Saudis Nix Valentines Picks

Valentine’s gifts, cards, and red roses were banned today by religious police in Saudi Arabia. Store owners and workers were ordered to remove all red items and wrapping paper from their shelves.

Valentine’s Day is considered as being un-Islamic, along with a few other annual celebrations, so the authorities prohibit its commemoration. The religious police also state that Valentine’s Day encourages forbidden relationships between men and women outside of marriage, which is punishable by law.

Some Saudis, however, surreptitiously celebrate the event by ordering flowers and gifts weeks in advance of the ban. The store owners make deliveries in the middle of the night or early morning to avoid suspicion.

Some Islamic mullahs have also written prohibitive statements concerning Valentine’s Day. The following example comes from Pakistan:

Muslims should avoid celebrating this occasion by:

1- Not expressing joy and happiness on this occasion.

2- Not exchanging red roses, which represent the ‘spiritual love’ of the pagans or the ‘love’ of the Christians. Hence it is known to them as the Feast of Lovers.

3- Not sending greeting cards as some of their cards have pictures of “Cupid” (a child with two wings carrying bows and arrows). This was the god of love of the pagan Romans.

4- Not exchanging words of love and desire in the cards or verbally. Some of the cards contain the words ‘be my Valentine’. This is the Christian concept of this festival after they adopted from the pagan Romans.

5- Not attending dance parties with mixed gatherings.

I guess they don’t know how much fun they are missing…

Atonement: What is it?

Last night at the British Academy of Film Awards, the movie “Atonement” won most of the categories. I haven’t seen it yet, but it looks like an epic, similar to the masterpieces that David Lean used to direct decades ago. It covers a span of sixty years to include both World Wars and the plot involves a scandalous lie that affects the lives and love of two young people. It will be interesting to see if the movie wins any Oscars. If it’s as good as the critics say it is, I suspect it will.

Bible Verse of the Day

Hebrews 2:17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Atonement is not a word that we use very often these days. In the past, it meant the ministry work that priests did to placate God for all of the sins and offenses that the community made against Him. Usually, it involved long liturgical prayer gatherings and ended with an animal sacrifice. Absolution was only given when the priests believed that the rituals were properly performed, and the sacrifice was perfectly made.

These days, we don’t make prolonged rituals of confession or slaughter innocent animals because Jesus is both our High Priest and Perfect Sacrifice. By laying down His Life on our behalf, He perfectly fulfilled what God required for our sins. And by interceding on our behalf, Christ frees us from the eternal consequences of our sins. So when we read about Christ making atonement for the sins of the people, we can rejoice and be comforted because He shields us from the wrath of God and restores us to His Everlasting Kingdom.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the Only One in all of history and throughout the universe who can save us from our sins and release us from the oblivion of death. We cannot do anything to dissuade God from punishing us for our sins, but You can. Be our blessed Advocate and Redeemer. Make atonement for all of our mistakes and misdeeds, as we place our hearts and souls into Your Hands. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Non-Believers Should Not Receive a Christian funeral, says Church of Scotland Minister

A LEADING Kirk minister has said conducting funerals for non-believers is a time-wasting burden on the church and that non-religious services should be provided by the state.

Rev Johnston McKay, BBC Scotland's former editor of religious broadcasting, said ministers were conducting more than 70 funerals a year and at many of them there was "no interest whatsoever" in the Christian faith.

McKay said one funeral he conducted was marred by constant noise from the congregation, one of whom shouted a stream of swear words before rushing behind the curtain with the coffin.The minister, writing in the Church of Scotland magazine Life and Work, said state-run funerals would be welcomed by many mourners, who feel their presence in church is "at best inappropriate and at worst hypocritical".

McKay, a minister for 40 years and clerk to the Presbytery of Ardrossan, stressed he would not refuse to conduct a funeral service for a non-believer, but his comments drew criticism from fellow clerics who pointed out it was "not for human beings to decide who is worthy of God's grace".

As the recognized national church, the Church of Scotland routinely conducts parish funerals for all, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Read the rest of the story here

U.S Episcopal Bishop Apologizes to Hindus worldwide

“There are far too many Christians in the world,” Episcopal priest declares.

The Bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Los Angeles has issued an apology to Hindus worldwide for what he called "centuries-old acts of religious discrimination by Christians, including attempts to convert them" reports India Abroad. The apology was given in a statement read to over 100 Hindu spiritual leaders at a mass from Right Reverend J John Bruno.

The ceremony started with a Hindu priestess blowing a conch shell three times and included sacred chants.

This meeting was the result of a dialogue, started three years ago, between Hindu leaders and Rev. Karen MacQueen, who was deeply influenced by Hindu Vedanta philosophy and opposes cultivating conversions. "There are enough Christians in the world," she said. "What we need to see is more Christians leading an exemplary life and truly loving their fellow man."

However the apology has triggered considerable debate among pastors across the US.

Article source: India Abroad

Sunday Sermon: Temptation of Christ

Matthew 4: 1-11 - Facing the Enemy

4 Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

I know what it’s like to live on bread alone. In 1976 I moved into an apartment which I shared with two other guys. I think I was earning about $200 per month. I had to pay my rent in advance and I owed my Dad rent money in arrears, so when I got my paycheck I had enough to pay off my debts, buy my bus ticket for the month, leaving me barely enough to buy groceries.

Because I was an alcoholic, I had a difficult choice for that first month. I could spend my money on beer and whisky, or I could purchase food each week. It was a no brainer for me. I kept my money for drinking in the pub each night and bought a loaf of bread each week. Just a loaf of bread – no butter, no cheese, and no jelly. I lived on dry bread and alcohol for a whole month. It was awful. It was stupid. And it was also dangerous. In all of my life that was the slowest month I have ever experienced and the dumbest. I never ever want to go back to letting alcohol make my decisions for me. I never ever want to experience the hunger that I knew then.

When I read about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness and facing His enemy the devil, I feel some of His hunger and struggle. He was doing it to bring Himself closer to God, not to satisfy His addiction like me. He was focusing on the three year ministry ahead of Him, and not on the here and now. If fasting and being isolated for forty days could help Him remain obedient to God and fulfill His mission, then it was something that Christ needed to do.

But the devil had different ideas. He wanted Jesus to wrestle with temptation and fall under his satanic power. His purpose was to thwart Christ from fulfilling His God given role. If this demon in the desert could conquer Christ right at the beginning then God’s work of salvation would end. Satan would triumph and humankind would be lost forever. Any hope of redeeming the world would be eternally gone.

On February 10, 1968 the hopes and dreams of the U.S Winter Olympic rested upon a young eighteen year old from San Jose, California. She was competing in the Women’s Single freestyle skating and had the whole world on her shoulders. Seven years earlier, in a plane crash, the entire US Skating team had been killed on a trip to Prague for the World Skating Championships. Peggy Fleming was eleven years old at the time and her coach was on that plane. All her hopes and dreams seemed to be over, but Peggy persevered, working out for herself her own routine that would one day make her a champion.

Peggy was hungry to win, but not for herself. She wanted to win for her dead coach and all those skaters who tragically lost their lives. And so, in Grenoble, France, she skated her heart out and won the first ever Olympic skating gold medal for the United States. Her performance wasn’t perfect, but everyone who saw Peggy skate that night were mesmerized by her dedication. She no longer ate the bread of grief and despair; she restored hope and glory to herself, her coach, and to the whole country. Peggy could have given up at the age of eleven; instead she dedicated herself to seven years hard work, determination, and focus that enabled her to face her fears and fulfill her dream.

Jesus also had a dream. A dream of saving the world from the clutches of Satan, sin, and death. He couldn’t give into this temptation. Although He was hungry, He wouldn’t use His powers to satisfy Himself. And so He faced His enemy and told his adversary, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

In other words, Christ was telling the devil that His life had a higher calling, a nobler cause, and a divine purpose than making things easy for Himself. His life was sustained by God alone, not bread, or food, or drink.

7 Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

But the devil wasn’t going to let Jesus off the hook that easy. If Christ wasn’t concerned about His body’s needs, then Satan wanted to show Him that God was. So he took Jesus to the highest post above the temple and dared Him to jump. After all, God had a mission for Christ that had to be accomplished. If Jesus leapt off the temple’s roof, angels would fly down from heaven to make sure that He didn’t have a crash landing. This was God’s Holy Son, in whom He was so pleased. God would do anything to keep Christ from harm. All Jesus had to do was to dynamically show Satan and the entire world that His divine claims and powers were real. If Christ would do something spectacular, then everyone would see and believe He was for real.

Once again, Jesus faces His arch enemy. He confronts Satan’s misuse and abuse of scripture by reminding the devil one of the most holiest commands God had given to His people: "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" In other words, don’t make God into a flying genie or spiritual superman who sorts out all of our problems and reckless choices. God doesn’t exist to be pestered by our wants and wishes, demands and deceits. People, including Jesus, were meant to honor and serve God. If Jesus gave in to this temptation then He would be putting God’s faith in Him on the line. Christ’s ministry was not about God’s faith in Christ; it was, still is, and always will be about Christ’s faith in His Father.

On February 10, 1546, the great reformer Martin Luther wrote his last letter to his wife Kate. His health was deteriorating and she was worried about what the future would bring for her and their family. She was also concerned about the movement that Luther had begun almost thirty years before. Her husband in his usual pragmatic and practical way offered his beloved Kate this spiritual advice in his letter:

Pray, and let God do the worrying. Pray, and let God do the worrying.

In other words, place your fears and worries into God’s hands. He’ll take care of them.

And that’s precisely what Christ is saying to the devil during this moment of temptation. Stan is trying to entice Jesus to take a short cut in his ministry, to begin with a glorious, momentous spectacle that will have the whole world talking and then flocking to see Him. By jumping off the roof of the temple and surviving, Christ will display His divine power and status in a way that people have never seen. And when the angels fly down swiftly to His aid, it will be a wondrous and unforgettable scene to behold.

But Jesus doesn’t fall prey to this grandiose delusion. He will place His life and ministry into God’s hands, but not in the way that the devil would like. Christ will faithfully obey God’s word and fulfill His work of salvation in whichever way God wants. Jesus will not tempt or test God to make a false start or presumptuous act of infamy. Christ will honor God by sticking to His Father’s plan, not the devil’s fame and success for dummies program.

10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

So the devil uses one last strategy and reveals his satanic purposes. In an instant, he shows Christ all the kingdoms, nations and powers of the world. “I can give these to you,” the devil insists, “if you will only bow down and worship me.”

The Lord of flies and prince of darkness shows his contempt for God and the world that He created. Satan believes that he controls the planet and that it is his to give away to Jesus. The wily serpent shows how absolutely deluded he is. He knows who Jesus is; he knows where Christ came from, and yet the devil deceives himself into believing that the world belongs to him. Scriptures, like Psalm 24, tell us that the earth is the Lord’s and all that is contained within it. Satan believes his own tabloid publicity, so that when he stands beside Christ, he shows himself to be so foolish, so stupid, so out of touch with reality compared to Jesus. If ever there is a moment in history when we should feel sorry for Lucifer, it’s at this third temptation. He is offering to Christ that which God alone can give. The devil is duping his own deceitful self.

We are all faced with similar delusions. We keep thinking that life belongs to us, our resources are our own, and that we have the personal power to make ourselves better than we actually are. There’s even a book that some of you may have read, which is full of this nonsense. It’s called “The Secret” and it’s all about attracting power, wealth and success just by positively thinking about it. In other words, we take away the origin, source, and glory of our blessings from God and give them to our own personal ego. We fall into the trap of magic and superstition by giving it new names of personal attraction and positive influence. We steal it from God, just like the devil and we end up deluding ourselves, just like Satan.

Peter Marshall, the Scottish Chaplain to the US Senate prayed it this way: 'Save Thy servants from the tyranny of the nonessential. Give them the courage to say "No" to everything that makes it more difficult to say "Yes" to Thee.'

Ten years ago today, on the thirtieth anniversary of her gold medal win at Grenoble in France, Peggy Fleming was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her response was magnificent and highly encouraging. She stated: “Life is full of challenges. And it’s all about how you face them, how you come through them.”

Faced with what she called "another Olympics, a life Olympics", Peggy decided to share her experience with the public so that other women would be strengthened. Promoting breast cancer awareness has become extremely important to Peggy, and her appearances on "20/20", "Oprah", and other programs have given hope to many cancer patients. That wee eleven year old girl from San Jose, who was devastated by the loss of her coach, mentors, and heroes in the skating world, is now a beautiful grandmother, advocating encouragement, support and survival for millions of breast cancer sufferers throughout the US. She is facing her enemy and in the process enabling and inspiring others to do the same.

Jesus finally dismissed Satan for his contemptuous behavior towards God. Christ wouldn’t listen to his deceitful words anymore and cast him from his presence. His temptations in the wilderness were over and His ministry was due to begin. His focus was upon pleasing God and not Himself, something that we are called to do with our own lives, and especially throughout this holy time of Lent.

We live by the word of God and are sustained by Him alone.

We seek to please the Lord and try to refrain from dishonoring Him.

And we worship the One, Triune and Living God, devoting our hearts and lives to the service of His Kingdom in this world, which only belongs to Him. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Sunrise in Sunsphere City

Sometimes the best scenery is right outside your back porch.



Taken earlier this week in Knoxville, Tennessee

How many Utility Workers to change a light bulb?

At last, living proof!




Taken in the morning at Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN

Founding Faith

Most Americans can quote Patrick Henry's famous statement, "Give me liberty or give me death," but I wonder how many of them would identify Henry as the originator of this statement: "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great Nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."

People these days are very quick to point out Jefferson's wall of separation' letter to a Danbury Baptist Church meant that Christianity had no place in the heart of the writer of the Declaration , but are they aware of what is written in Jefferson's personal Bible: "I am a real Christian, that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus. I have little doubt that our whole country will soon be rallied to the unity of our creator." To say that Christianity had no influence over his writing is to diminish Jefferson's personal faith.

Verse of the Day
Numbers 14:40b "We will go up to the place the LORD promised."

And do people also realize that more than half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, who founded the United States, received divinity school training from Christian denominations? We may want to rewrite history and revise the Founding Fathers' intentions to suit our modernistic, non-absolutist, secular morality, but the facts about their lives speak otherwise. Most of the political giants who founded America were Christians, and their faith shaped their principles of fierce independence and rugged radicalism. In fact, in 1774 Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The God who gave us Life, also gave us Liberty."

Indeed, the First Continental Congress during the War of Independence sent for an order from Holland for 20,000 Bibles to ensure that the people and troops could maintain their Christian faith. And during times of trouble and indecision in their meetings, the same Congress resorted to prayer, which the ‘non-believer' Benjamin Franklin also led.

Even George Washington, the Father of our Nation, wrote this in his personal journal in 1752: "Make me to know what is acceptable in Thy sight, and therein to delight, open the eyes of my understanding, and help me thoroughly to examine myself concerning my knowledge, faith, and repentance, increase my faith, and direct me to the true object, Jesus Christ the Way, the Truth, and the Life." And when he addressed the Delaware Indian Chiefs in 1779, he said, "What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ."

These are but a few examples of the Christian beliefs that were held by our Founding Fathers. Those who seek to deny their faith and, subsequently, the founding of the United States of America as a Christian nation, are only imprinting upon the past their own present secular opinions and unhistorical misconceptions.

Finally, let us remember that the Constitution guarantees a freedom of religion, not from religion. It wasn't political secularism that established this clause: it was based on Christian tolerance of loving one another, and doing to others as you would have them do for you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank You for being the major influence over our Founding Fathers’ lives. Without Your words and ways, we would not be here today. Help us to be grateful for the land that we live in and the liberties that we cherish, both of which have been granted to us from You. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Religious news: Egypt Torturing HIV Sufferers

HIV-positive Egyptian men are tortured and chained to hospital beds while awaiting unfair homosexuality trials, a human rights group has claimed.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) decried the "ignorance and injustice" of a case in which a group of arrested men were given HIV tests without their consent.
They were also subjected to anal tests to "prove" their homosexual conduct.

Two of the men tested HIV-positive and are now handcuffed to hospital beds for 23 hours a day, HRW said.
"These men have been subjected to anal examination without their consent which amounts to torture," Gasser Abdel-Razek, HRW's acting director of regional relations in the Middle East, told the BBC on Wednesday.

"Egypt should release the men unconditionally and put a system in place that does not deal with HIV-positive individuals as criminals but as patients who require medical care and attention."

Egypt's Interior Ministry had no immediate comment on the case.

Read the rest of the story here

Finding God in Disasters

Sometimes the Old Testament gives us the impression that we worship a churlish, vindictive God who seeks to smite and destroy His people at the first sign of rebellion. It’s hard for us to comprehend living under such a divine tyrant, especially as we relate to God through the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus. I am so glad to be able to freely worship and adore God through Christ’s eyes; through Moses’ eyes, God must have seemed fierce and terrible.

Podcast version here

Bible Verse
Numbers 14:34 ‘For forty years--one year for each of the forty days you explored the land--you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.'

Our forty days of Lent began on a sad note. We learned that many people lost their homes and more than fifty lost their lives in the thunderous tornadoes that whipped through the South. Looking at the devastation on the news, I can only wonder what the people are feeling. Some are thankful to God for having their lives saved; others are distraught and angry with Him about losing loved ones, their homes, and livelihood. As usual, that same old question, which got the Israelites into so much trouble, will be voiced: Where is God during moments of disaster? Why doesn’t He protect people from such calamities?

Yesterday, I was listening to a report that partially answered those questions. Within hours of the devastations across the South, fire crews, police, and paramedics were quickly working with victims. The Red Cross had already mobilized its first responder teams. And then, tagged at the end of the report, came this news: people in church vans had turned up with food and hot drinks, blankets and supplies. God, through the grace of Jesus Christ, was already at work amongst the people. His love was being given to those who needed to be embraced.

We may never understand why natural disasters hurt, injure, and kill so many people, but at least we still live in a world where Christians compassionately respond to those most in need. And that’s where we both see and experience the caring Kingdom of God in our broken world.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we pray for those whose lives have been devastated by the recent spate of terrifying tornadoes. We pray for all of the families who are affected, and we ask that You surround them with caring, compassionate people. Help us to do what we can by offering support, supplies, and money to bring aid and comfort to the victims. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

When in Rome: A Calvinist Experiences Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. Being a Scottish Calvinistic Presbyterian, I don’t have a lot of knowledge or experience of this Roman Catholic Ritual. However, today I’ve been doing some research on the subject for two Bible Studies that I will be leading today.

I’ve discovered that it isn’t a sacrament in the RC church, but a sacramental, which means it can be given to any penitent sinners, no matter what faith or denomination they belong to. The ashes are normally made from the burning of last year’s Palm Sunday palm leaves. The burning takes place outside of the church at the front door, and four ancient prayers are said to complete the ceremony. The priest makes the sign of the Cross on worshippers’ foreheads heads with the ashes, and the mark is not meant to be washed off until the sun goes down. From what I have discovered, it’s the equivalent of the Jewish Day of Atonement and most of the scriptures that are read come from the penitent Psalms.

Acts 26:18 ‘to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

This morning at the first of the two studies, we talked about the origins and ceremonies of Ash Wednesday. At the end of the discussion, we each wrote down on blank cards something that we regretted in our lives, and placed them in a metal a vase. After saying a prayer of confession, I set the papers alight, reducing them to smoke and ashes. It’s funny, but I felt good, as if I had unburdened myself. One of the participants remarked that the smell of smoke purified the air.

I’m not advocating that we all become RCs and apply all of their spiritual beliefs to our lives, but I will say this: there’s something about Ash Wednesday that feels right. My Calvinistic brain can’t work it out, but I can’t deny what I felt. God works in mysterious ways, and His forgiveness and grace become more mysterious to me as the years fly past.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, today is a special day for millions of people throughout the earth. As they each come to You for mercy and forgiveness, grace and absolution, may they experience Your love and acceptance. Help us this day to be merciful, gracious and forgiving, too. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Giving Up Carbon Emissions for Lent

Two senior bishops are urging people to cut back on carbon for Lent instead of the conventional chocolate or alcohol.

The Bishops of London and Liverpool, Dr Richard Chartres and James Jones, are launching the Carbon Fast at Trafalgar Square with aid agency Tearfund.

They hope to encourage people to reduce their carbon footprint for 40 days.
The scheme aims to raise awareness of global warming to help protect poor communities around the world who are already affected by climate change.

Stark reality
The "fast" involves a simple energy saving action each day, including avoiding plastic bags, insulating the hot water tank and checking the house for draughts.

Bishop Jones, who is vice president of Tearfund, said: "It is the poor who are already suffering the effects of climate change.

"To carry on regardless of their plight is to fly in the face of Christian teaching."

One Tearfund employee will camp outside the charity's offices in Teddington for a week in an attempt to reduce his emissions to that of an average Malawian farmer.

Dr Chartres called for "individual and collective action".

Read the rest of this story here