Why I-40 should be permanently closed...

Especially with motorists like this driving through Knoxville...

Christian Screensaver: Time to Retreat

I'm going on a three day retreat tomorrow in the Cherokee forest...



This is my visualization of my prayer time.

Muslim Cleric Says Christian Women Should Wear Veils.

Outspoken Muslim cleric Taj al-Din al-Hilali has claimed that the Bible "mandates" the wearing of the veil by Christian women. Writing in a new book, Sheik Hilali, who lost his job as mufti of Australia after comparing scantily clad women to uncovered meat, argues that the Bible and the Koran make similar demands of a woman's modesty.

Hilali, who remains the head of Australia's largest mosque in the south western Sydney suburb of Lakemba, says the purpose of the book is to show the commonalities of Islam with the Jewish and Christian faiths when it comes to women's modesty and clothing.

In the soon to be published The Legitimacy of the Veil for Women of the Scripture - Evidence of the Veil in the Bible, he points to references in the Old and New Testaments to women wearing a veil. "

Through this, I hope to raise awareness and understanding and eliminate apprehensions and misunderstandings about the veil," news.com.au quotes him, as saying.

Read rest of the story here…

Sunday Sermon: A Holy Helper - John 14;15-21

Yesterday, we held an elders’ retreat here at the church. We’re working on a few important ideas about how to strengthen our church’s commitment to Christ, His Kingdom, and His ministry in this part of Knoxville. It was an important start to a series of quarterly meetings which will help us seek God’s path for our congregation in the years to come.

It’s crucial that all our elders work together by discovering what God’s will is for our wee church. We have to keep focused on what God wants us to do for Him. Too many churches these days are being swayed by the culture around them. They want to fit in with society and use marketing ploys to bring people into their organization, but not necessarily the Kingdom of God.

At the moment there’s a controversy stirring in West Knoxville because an independent church has sent out fliers stating that they will give all their new visitors a $20 gas coupon for coming to their church. I don’t know what their true intent is with this gimmick, but they’re desperately trying to get people to walk through their doors using greed as their marketing tool. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if the church was called The Cas Walker Memorial Church.

15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

This is why it is important for our church elders to work on the direction that God is leading our church. If we don’t prayerfully look for God’s guidance, we’ll end up following market trends, which will lead us away from God and stop us from obeying Christ. We have to put Jesus at the center of everything we do. We don’t exist to please ourselves; Christ allows us to exist because we try to please Him.

When Jesus was speaking to His disciples in this passage from John’s Gospel, He was doing it just before He was arrested. He was trying to cram in as many lessons and as much advice as possible before He was taken, tortured and crucified. He knew that it was important to use the intensity of the situation to drive home some very important points that would become the hallmarks of the Early Christian Church. And, in this instance He said to them: if you love me, you will obey what I command.

Now, that’s normally what a mother says to an impatient child, “if you love me, you will do as I say.” Or perhaps a loving spouse may say it this way, “if you trust me, you will support me.” It’s laying down a special condition for the relationship to flourish. It’s not an ultimatum, it’s an invitation. It’s not about control, it’s about co-operation.


On this day, in the same year that our church was founded, way back in 1877, President Rutherford Hayes withdrew Federal troops from Louisiana. It was the last act of Reconstruction after the end of the Civil War. For more than twelve years after the war, the troops were in place to forcefully quell any rebellions, and to make sure that the Union did not fragment again. It took twelve years to maintain that peace and because the majority of Southerners all over the Confederate States laid down their arms, the Union remained intact.

It may not have been a perfect peace – the old prejudices wouldn’t really be removed for another 100 years, but it was a start of American people from all over the States beginning to love the Union and Constitution of the United States. The people proved that they loved America, as we still do today, by upholding the laws of this dear and precious land.

And so it was the same for Christ’s disciples, to prove that they truly loved Him, they had to keep His commands. And the same applies to our church today, which is why our elders came together to seek God’s Will and to follow Christ wherever He wants us to go.

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever-

During our conversations yesterday, our elders were asked the question: why do we want to bring people to Erin? It’s a good question because it makes us focus on what our intent, what our purpose is. Their answers were excellent: we’re here to bring people to salvation, to help them to learn more about Jesus, so that they can go out into the community and bring even more people to salvation.

Other purposes were attached to that answer: to help one another in times of trouble; to show kindness and love to each other; and to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. That last point raised a whole new question: what is the Holy Spirit and how do we seek its guidance?

When Jesus was talking to the disciples, He told them that God was going to give them a special Counselor, one who would be with them forever. The main role of the Holy Spirit was to give directions to the disciples throughout the rest of their lives as they went out into the entire world to preach the Gospel and teach Christ’s truth. The purpose of the Holy Spirit was to coach them day by day, situation by situation, and mission by mission so that Christ’s influence and teaching would grow in the world. And they successfully followed their coach because what started two thousand years ago with 11 disciples and dozens of others has now become a world wide church of 2 billion people.

That’s why it is very important for our church to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in all that we set out to do. It’s very easy to let go of God and embrace the world. It’s much harder to follow Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to set the course of where we are headed. But if we want to remain true to the Gospel and loyal to Christ, then we must be open to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in our midst. To do other wise, is to follow a false gospel; to seek our own way is to walk away from Christ.

It’s like the baptism vows that we all took this morning. If we want to see them fulfilled in young Aaron’s life, then Steve and Tracy are going to have to keep coming to church and allowing Aaron to eventually go to Sunday School or Enrichment. But it doesn’t just depend upon them; we’ve got to do our share by maintaining this church, recruiting teachers of faith, supplying our classes, giving our resources, sharing our time and investing parts of our lives with young Aaron. If we do not do this, then how will Aaron grow up to be a Christian, a servant of the Lord, and a loyal subject in God’s Kingdom?

So we seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit in session and throughout the entire congregation to ensure that Aaron, and all other children in our midst will grow in faith and one day, perhaps as a teenager, he will confirm the promises that his parents have made here today. If we allow the Holy Spirit to coach, direct, and lead us, then these beautiful promises will be fulfilled.

17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.

Finally, after asking the disciples to show their love by following His commands and telling them that they will be gifted with the Holy Spirit, Jesus warns them that the world will not accept this experience. The world will be blind to the presence of the Spirit and will not accept the Spirit’s existence.

This is Christ’s way of telling the disciples that even with the Holy Spirit as their special Counselor, things will not be easy. Just because the Holy Sprit is with them does not mean that trouble will not come their way. In fact, in many cases in the Early Church because Christians were filled with the Spirit, they were harassed and hunted down, persecuted and imprisoned, arrested and executed.

And this should serve as a warning to our wee church. When we seek the Spirit’s counsel and do Christ’s bidding, obstacles and stumbling blocks are going to come our way. Things will not be easy if we seek to accept Christ’s truth, preach the Gospel, and share His message with the surrounding community. It will be hard to do so, because many hearts are hardened against Christ and the world does not want to be challenged by our faith.

April 27th is a date that has seen events which has led to people standing up for their rights and fighting the world.

In 1773, the British parliament passed the Tea Act, which led to the Boston Tea party later that year, which in turn led to the War of Independence.

In 1940, the Nazi leader Himmler ordered the establishment of Auschwitz Concentration camp, which led to the Polish uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto, and the Allied Nations fighting against the fascists, which in turn led to the establishment of Israel for holocaust survivors and displaced Jews around the world.

And in 1989, almost twenty years ago, and how soon we forget, the brave students of Beijing took over Tiananmen Square in China, fearlessly walking in front of military tanks, in a noble effort to bring democracy to their nation. To this date, those same students are imprisoned in terrible conditions, which is one of the reasons that I will refuse to watch this year’s Olympic Games. How can we have an international sports gala and joyfully cheer on our athletes in a land where people of different political persuasions and religions are still being oppressed, subdued, and killed?

So, what have we learned today?

If we truly love Jesus, then we will honestly obey His commands.

When we need guidance for our lives and especially the church, we need to seek the Holy Spirit’s counsel.

And when we obey Jesus and follow the Holy Spirit, we should not expect the world to welcome us with open arms. Instead we should be prepared to stand up for what we believe in and not surrender our faith to the wiles of the world.

For as Christ says: Whoever loves me will be loved by My Father, and I also will love them and show Myself to them. And after all is said and done: is that not why we want to bring people here – to be saved from the world and loved by God? Amen.

Prayer

4 Minute Devotions: Friday Night War Cry

Late on Friday nights, during my old drinking days, you would usually find me in a pub with a whole lot of other hardened drinkers. We would swap stories and tell jokes, take the mickey out of one another, and generally have loud conversations that annoyed the rest of the people in the bar. The drunker we got, the louder we became. The more whiskies that we drank, the less our brains would operate. I think I enjoyed myself at the time, but I was usually too drunk to know.

Isaiah 8:9 Raise the war cry, you nations, and be shattered! Listen, all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered!

Towards the end of the evening, a person from the Salvation Army would come in and sell their weekly newspaper, “The War Cry.” The Salvationist went from table to table, successfully selling their bundles of papers because no one wanted to offend them.

Usually, we would by a “war Cry” between us at the table and then we would read the articles. We would all laugh at these stupid Christians, in their stupid uniforms, selling their stupid newspapers. We thought that we were way too intelligent for all that Jesus stuff, but it had a weird affect upon us; we would all start to talk about God, life, and meaning.

Sometimes I would take the paper home with me and when I was sober the next day, I would glance at the articles. For a couple of minutes I would reflect upon my own life and where it was heading, but then I would start to think about which pub I would go to drink in the evening.

I cannot say for certain that the “War Cry” had any affect upon me and led me back to Christ. But perhaps seeds of faith were being planted by God for my eventual rescue from alcoholism.

That’s why I like to write these devotionals because of the seed planting that mysteriously occurs in other people’s lives. I’ve had emails from readers all around the world telling me that something I’ve written helped them through a crisis or enabled them to reconnect to God. It’s a wonderful blessing, but it all belongs to God. He’s the One who started the process on Friday nights, in Scottish bars, more than thirty years ago.

Prayer: Lord God, Your ways are mysterious and it’s only when we look back that we can see where You were leading us. Thank You for shaping, forming, and directing our lives. Thank You for Your Holy presence throughout our days. In Jesus’ Name, we gratefully pray. Amen.

4 Minute Devotions: A New Oprah - why Christians should be wary.

In the next couple of weeks, our church will be studying a book that has been highly recommended by Oprah Winfrey. It’s called “A New Earth” and is written by Eckhart Tolle. He writes about a new evolutionary spiritual transformation that he believes will take place this century amongst enlightened people. He draws from the teachings of Christ and Buddha, as well as the theories of Carl Jung. It’s a typical new age type of book, but his hope is that it becomes sacred scripture in the years to come.

Podcast version here

I’ve read the first chapter and already I’ve come across several areas where Tolle’s teaching misinterprets Christ. He relies upon his own feelings about Jesus as a great teacher and messenger to make his points. He does not proclaim Christ as the Son of God or Lord of all creation. Tolle also avoids calling our mistakes sinful; instead he declares them to be a form of madness which, in effect, does two things: it takes away personal accountability and it discards the need for Jesus to die for our sins.

John 16:33 "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

The book troubles me and I am sincerely sorry that Oprah has become involved and infatuated with this false teaching. It is countering Christ’s message and duping many women into believing the old heresy that salvation comes from within us.

I will be leading a ten week discussion about the book to show people where it dangerously digresses from Christian teaching, in order to help them avoid the pitfall of accepting popular superficial spirituality, as opposed to the deep meaning of Christ’s Gospel.

The discussions will take place at the church on Monday nights beginning May 5 and on Sunday mornings on May 11. I’ll also be starting a new online study class during the week of May 5 -11, so if you would like to be included, please send me an email at pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. Put “A New Earth” in the subject line of your email.

Some people may wonder why I am tackling this. It’s because in every generation, we have to defend our faith from misconceptions, mistaken beliefs, and misleading spiritual teachers. It’s properly called Apologetics, and has been in existence ever since the New Testament was written down.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are our Holy Teacher and Sacred Guide. You are the Prophet and Messenger of the Gospel. But You are also much more than these – You are the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and the Only One with the words of eternal life. Keep us focused on Your ways and keep us away from false teachers and superficial celebrities, whose teachings are not Your own. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Jesus Screensaver: A New Earth

A stained glass rendering of Christ's new heaven and earth, as opposed to Eckhart Tolle's new age nonsense and Oprah's weird ways.



Digital glass design for a new Church window

4 Minute devotions: Going Paddling

I used to love “going paddling” in the Firth of Clyde before it connects with the Irish Sea. Each summer, Evelyn and I would take our kids down to the beach to build sandcastles, look for shells, and “go paddling” in the water.

Podcast version here

Only adults went paddling – usually adult men. They went down to the shore with their children, took off their shoes and socks, rolled up their trousers to above the knees, and sometimes tied a clean handkerchief like a bandana to their heads. They paddled along the shore line, knee deep in the water, looking after their swim-suited children who were swimming, playing, and laughing in the sea. The purpose of the beach paddler was to keep their children from going too far out.

I loved it and often wish each summer for those halcyon days to return. I enjoyed watching my kids play, and of being their protector from the mighty sea.

Ezekiel 47:4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist.

Today’s verse from Ezekiel reminds me of those days, but it’s also a picture of the depths of faith that we each have in God. I remember an old pastor giving a tremendously simple sermon on this passage, in which he challenged the whole congregation to review their relationship with God. “Have you a faith that is ankle deep, knee deep, waist high, or over your heads? Are you willing to trust God completely, or just a little bit at a time?” It was a great sermon and one that I have cherished in my heart for decades.

So, I guess the message for us all this morning is this: are we prepared to be deeply faithful to God and surrender ourselves to Jesus, or are we still inclined to just “go paddling” on the shore line of commitment?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You know what we face this week, what fears we have, and what our faith commitment is to You. Help us to reach out to You completely, so that when we are confronted with hard choices and serious decisions, the depth of our faith will enable us to take the right action. Thank You for Your protection and guidance, Your counsel and presence with us each day. In Your Holy Name, we faithfully pray. Amen.

How To Tame a Dragon

The Olympic Games are just a season away and within the next couple of weeks athletes from around the world will be competing for places on their national teams. For years, many of these young people will have been preparing themselves to physically and mentally peak during this summer. They will have lofty ambitions and seek to gain international reputations by the winning coveted medals for their countries.

They will represent the best of humanity’s strongest, fastest and most competitive people. They are the elite athletes of the world. Throughout the summer, the hype, publicity, and commercial exploitation of the Games will take place in practically every nation on earth. Theoretically, it will be a time to lay down our arms and pick up our running shoes. It is a quadrennial event when we aspire as a species to live at peace with one another and joyfully compete. The Games symbolize the greatness, grandeur, and godliness of humankind.

But there is a shadow over this year’s Games. The host nation, China, is an unworthy venue for the Olympics. China’s human rights abuses, religious persecutions, and contempt for democracy and liberty makes it the 21st century’s equivalent of Nazi Germany. Despite giving assurances that they would do something about these internal problems eight years ago, the Chinese authorities have instead increased their inhumane practices of political executions, religious intolerance, and tyrannical policing of their nation.

In a civilized world, the evil excesses of China should not be condoned by presenting the Games in the heart of an oppressive regime. The dictatorship of Communist China dishonors the heart, spirit, and majesty of the Olympics. They are abusing the privilege of hosting the World. They should be held accountable for their human rights atrocities and boycotted for their abuse of religious minorities.

I will not watch the Olympics, nor will I esteem any new sporting records or applaud any athletes who accomplish their goals. I will not buy into the “let’s keep politics out of sports’ mentality that passes for civilized sophistry amongst sports commentators, newspapers, and television channels. China, under its present totalitarian leadership, is a bloody stain upon human rights and freedom. I will not make myself a hypocrite by watching an oppressive nation use the Olympics as propaganda to deceive its own people.

In the 20th century, the whole world made terrible mistakes by allowing Nazi Germany to host the Olympics. It seems that in the dawn of this new century, we are about to embark on a course that will see us make the same mistakes. If there is no boycott of the Games by our leaders, then we had better prepare ourselves for war in the next decade, because the Beijing will treat our acquiescence as decadent weakness, just as Hitler did in the 1930s.

Remember this: after the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games, the tyrannical Soviet Union collapsed within a decade; but three years after the participation of all nations at the 1936 Berlin Games, the World was involved in total war.

If we do not learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat history.

Movie review: Penelope - Fun for all the Family

If you want to see a good film this week at the dollar movies, go and see “Penelope.” It’s a great family movie, highly entertaining, and you’ll come out of the theater feeling much happier.

Christina Ricci is absolutely gorgeous in the movie, which is all about a young heiress who is under a family curse. Her piggish features leave her isolated in her home, whilst her parents try to find a willing husband for her.

Catherine O’Hara plays yet another quirky and obsessive mom, whilst current Scottish heartthrob James McAvoy plays a drifter who falls in love with Ricci’s Miss Piggy.

Reese Witherspoon plays a comical role as a UPS dispatch rider and she has some of the best one-liners in the movie.

The film has a talented cast and I would give it five stars for great family entertainment and its happy ending. It may not have been big at the box office, but this has the potential of becoming an annual TV movie classic.

And after the movie, the kids can go to the official website at http://www.penelopethemovie.com/ for more interactive fun.

Muslim Extremist Jailed in Britain

Home grown Islamic activist jailed for four years for threatening British and US forces, and inciting fellow Muslims to form terrorism cells in UK.

As reported by The Independent

By Cahal Milmo
A Muslim activist who became known for his publicly expressed extremist views was jailed for four and a half years yesterday for terrorism-related offences committed during a series of inflammatory speeches at a London mosque.

Judge Nicholas Price said that Abu Izzadeen, 33, a British-born convert to Islam, was a "leading light" in a group of men who used a gathering at the Regent's Park mosque in November 2004 to call for volunteers to fight British troops in Iraq and appeal for funds to finance insurgents abroad.

The former BT electrician, who is a father of three, achieved notoriety after refusing to condemn the 7 July suicide bombers. He also heckled the then Home Secretary John Reid as he gave a speech in east London in 2006. He was one of six men from the al-Muhajiroun group convicted of taking part in the speeches, which coincided with US forces besieging Fallujah in one of the bloodiest battles of the Iraq war.

Read the rest of the story here…

Religious Battles and Illegal Conversions in India

Christians in Northern India threatened with fines and imprisonment for converting local Hindus. Governor of Rajasthan vows to fight punitive religious legislation.

As reported by Religious Intelligence

By: George Conger.

THE CHURCH of North India has welcomed assurances from the governor of Rajasthan that he would block an anti-conversion bill passed by the state legislature.

Speaking at All Saints Cathedral in Ajmer, Gov Shailendra Kumar Singh said India’s secular government respected “all religions equally.” Last month the Hindu nationalist BJP party, which controls the Rajasthan state assembly, passed a bill over the protests of the opposition Congress Party prohibiting conversions to Christianity by “use of force, allurement or fraudulent means.”

Those found guilty of procuring “fraudulent” conversions would be jailed for up to five years and face a fine of £600.

"Some religious and other institutions, bodies and individuals are found to the involved in unlawful conversion from one religion to another by allurement or by fraudulent means or forcibly which at times has caused annoyance in the community belonging to the other religion," stated the bill. "In order to curb such illegal activities and to maintain harmony amongst persons of various religions, it has been considered expedient to enact a special law for the purpose."

However social harmony between faiths “could be brought only through our good behavior and not by bills and legislation,” Gov. Singh told the Easter congregation.

Drawing from the Bhagavad Gita, Gov Singh noted that the Hindu god Krishna had told Prince Arjuna that all are equal in society, and that one’s true “dharma,” or right way of living, is to fulfill one’s responsibilities.The free practice of one’s faith “brings mutual confidence,” he noted, and would “create an atmosphere of love and brotherhood.”

The Bishop in Rajasthan, the Rt Rev Collin Theodore said the Governor’s words “came as a reassurance” as Christian leaders in the northwestern Indian state fear the new law would be used to persecute missionaries.

Read the rest of the story here…

4 Minute Devotions: The Divine Attributes of GPS

I’ve never been in a car with GPS (Global Positioning System), but it must be fascinating. I’m traveling to a funeral this morning in a remote part of East Tennessee and I’m worried about getting lost. I’ll look at some maps and even have Mapquest print me out a route, but this is one of those occasions that I wish I had a GPS in the car. I could do with a mechanical voice telling me which way to go in order to get there on time. I’ll just have to depend upon my map reading skills and instinct. As a last resort, I’ll even stop at a gas station and ask for directions!

Podcast version here

Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

I love this verse from Isaiah. It encapsulates what we all need in our lives each day. We all go through times of trouble and anxiety, confusion and fear. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, before we made any decisions, we could hear a still, small voice telling us what to do, how to proceed, and where to go?

I guess that’s why we should read the Bible more often. It helps us to build up our faith and knowledge about God’s words and ways. If we are familiar with the scriptures, then we will know how to make better choices in our lives, and how to choose the best paths that will please God. You could say that with the Bible in our hearts and minds, we have a divine GPS within us – God’s Perfect Scriptures – that will help us to overcome our fears, show us what to do, and help us to fulfill our dreams. If we make and take time to really read and steadily study the Bible, then I firmly believe that we will hear God’s voice in our hearts, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for Your Holy Book which has inspired and directed our people for many generations. Give us a heart for learning about Your ways and works. Enable us to be empowered and guided by Your sacred words, no matter what we face. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Jesus: The Trouble Shooter

There’s a lot of trouble in the world right now. People are rioting in under-developed countries because they can’t afford to buy food. Prices for staples such as bread and rice have reached astronomical prices that some communities are in danger of starvation. This is not being caused through famine or shortages, but because they cannot earn enough each week to feed their families anymore.

Even here in the United States, the wealthiest nation on earth, working families in Atlanta are having to go to church food banks to help them out. They cannot afford to keep up with gasoline prices, but they need their cars to keep their jobs. So they need to get food for the weekend from charity organizations.

And some seniors in our society are suffering, too. Medical prescriptions and essential supplies are becoming so expensive that people are skipping to take what they need, in order to make their pills and capsules last a little while longer before refills are required.

Who cares about these things? What has happened to our country, and our world that we’re faced with so many shortages? Who is getting rich off the backs of the poor, the hungry, and the economically oppressed? Why is this happening, and what do we need do to change this?

Personally, I think it is all symptomatic of people turning their backs on Christ and idolizing money. It may be too simple a diagnosis for most people, but let’s consider the facts: ever since society started too become more secular, more anti-religious, and more atheistic, the world has become a very scary, more violent, deeply troubled place. As our churches started emptying, so has the goodwill and prosperity of our people. Doesn’t anyone see a pattern here? Am I making this all up to score some “I told you so” points?

John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.”

We need to evangelize as churches and get people reconnected to Christ. His presence saved civilization for 2000 years. Do we really want to turn back the clock and re-enter a time where survival of the fittest and the law of the jungle operates throughout the world? Are we really that ornery, stubborn, stiff-necked, and essert, that we won’t admit to ourselves that this fifty year experimentation with secular instability and militant atheism is ruining the hopes and dreams of a peaceable kingdom? Have we so bought into consumerism and its material world that we are now consuming ourselves and that other people don’t matter anymore?

People, whether we like it or not, whether we can accept it or reject it, the simple truth is this: Jesus is, and always has been, the answer to our woes. When we start believing in Him and applying His commandment of loving one another, then we will work together to overcome this mess that the secularists, materialists, consumerists, and atheists have created. Only Jesus can overcome our troubles. Only He can lead us back to salvation.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for rejecting Your counsel and accepting the world’s ways. Pardon us for putting you in a box and keeping You confined. Help us to recognize that the diminishing of our faith means the increase of trouble for the world. Help us to turn the world around by changing our communities with Your Living, Loving presence. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Atheists – The Real War Mongering Killers in the World

A lot has been said attacking religious people in the world for causing wars and killing people. Atheists are quick to point out the European wars of religion, the Crusades, Armadas, and other historical conflicts which testify to the evil of religion and that all rational people should divest themselves immediately of maintaining faith in God. All of humanity’s woes, they preach, can be traced back to the offenses of religion.

Oh yeah? So we should become rational, 21st century enlightened atheists and ditch religion, because atheism is going to save the world?

In the 20th century alone, over 50 million people were slaughtered by atheism.

Adolph Hitler, Nazi atheist, murdered six million Jews because of their religion and possibly 3 million more people who were gypsies, minorities, handicapped, and homosexual.

Josef Stalin, Communist atheist, massacred over 20 million people under his dictatorship.

Mao Tse Tung, Chinese atheist, murdered up to 23 million people under his atheism.

Phol Pot , Cambodian atheist, killed over 3 million people under his atheistic regime.

Do you see a pattern here? The atheists are telling the world that religion is wrong and that belief in God leads to wars of religion.

And yet in one century, atheists managed to kill more than 50 million human beings in the pursuit of atheism.

Give me God any day, compared to the rational tyrants of atheism.

4 Minute Devotions: Overcoming Addiction

One of the saddest things about addiction is that the consequences of feeding a habit can destroy our dreams and annihilate our ambitions. When I left High School, I could have gone to Stirling University to study history. I met with the leading professor of the History department, and he interviewed me, along with a few other candidates, early in the spring of 1975. I was guaranteed a place and looked forward to becoming a student in the heart of historical Scotland.

Podcast version here

But my addiction got the better of me and I gave up my dreams. When the acceptance form came in, I ripped it up and went out to look for a job. In my heart, I wanted to go to Stirling, but I didn’t want to give up my boozing friends or the pubs I frequented. Regrettably, I set aside something special, in order to feed and maintain my alcoholism.

Bible Verse of the Day
Job 6:13 Do I have any power to help myself, now that success has been driven from me?

I’ve known people to do the same and I’ve watched them destroy themselves, year after year. I want to reach out to them and tell them that God has the power to wrench them away from their addiction, to transform their lives. I want to protect them from giving up on their dreams, nursing their fears, and embracing their disease. I want to tell them that life with God is much, much, much better than life with a bottle, a drug, or porn.

I am truly thankful to God that despite my selfishness and stupidity, He took a hold of me and turned my life around. I may not be the historian that I once desired to be, but I am happy with where God has led me. It took a lot of hard work, prayer, self-examination, and revelation to get me to this place. Anyone who is addicted can also do that, but only if they first surrender themselves to God. What I discovered was this: if you want God to change your life, you can’t hold back anything from Him.

I know that there are some of you who are reading this who have similar problems. If I can help you find God, then please email me. There are also some of you who are carrying the burden of an addicted love one. My prayers are with you. Get help. Find a church that cares. Let God carry you for a while. There’s nothing that is too big for Him. There is no problem that He cannot help us overcome.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, today we need You to live up to that Divine Title of ‘Savior.’ We need You to save us from ourselves, our addictions, our fears, and our burdens. We are tired of trying to do it on our own. We are weary and exhausted, stressed out and alone. Come to us and save us. Free us from our fears and help us to hold on to You, so that our lives, dreams, and hopes can be renewed. In Your Holy Name, we earnestly pray. Amen.

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

Christian Video : Blindness

Christians are very bad at pointing out other people's mistakes. This video and song that I wrote and produced tried to make us aware of our self-righteous ways. It's called "Blindness," referring to the spiritual arrogance and blindness of our church people today.



If you can't see the video player, click on this link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz6whQRXyzk

I'd be interested in your comments.

4 Minute Devotions: Shock and Awe

A pastoral friend of mine suddenly died this morning and I am deeply saddened by it. He was about the same age as me. We used to meet for lunch on a regular basis as a part of a small group of pastors. My other peers are just as shocked as I am. He was such a good friend to all of us, and we’re all going to miss him.

Podcast version here

When death hits us like that, it can give us a jolt of reality. It reminds me of my own mortality and makes me question my own readiness for meeting the Lord suddenly. I don’t want to get morbid here, but it’s something that we all shouldn’t leave till it’s too late. Being prepared to come face to face with Christ is the most important thing in our life. And no matter when our death comes, it’s always too soon.

Bible Verse of the Day

Revelation 22:7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

That’s why I admire the first century Christians. They lived with the imminence of Christ’s Second Coming among them. They firmly believed that Christ’s return was just around the corner. They hoped it would happen in their own lifetimes and were ready, willing, and able to serve the Lord at a moment’s notice.

I don’t think that the same can be said for our present generation. After two thousands years of waiting, we will be totally shocked when Jesus re-appears. And yet, as I’ve written somewhere before, Christ’s Second Coming will happen for all of us the split-second after our deaths. One moment we’ll be passing over as the result of an accident, at home, or in a hospital bed; the next second we’ll hear the blare of almighty trumpets and suddenly realize that Christ has already come. That’s why we need to be ready here and now, because if we leave it to there and then, it will be too late.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for taking You for granted and putting Your imminent Return to the back of our minds. We are sorry for disrespecting You and we ask that You enable us to properly prepare our hearts and souls for Your sudden arrival in the world. In Your Holy Name, we wait and pray. Amen.

Stushie's Latest Song: Blindness

I recorded my latest Christian song for the album, "Church of the Holy Moon." You can download and listen to the MP3 at this link:-

Blindness

It's part of a sound recording project that I've recently started. I've uploaded five songs to Amie Street website for the proposed album. It's beginning to make some money. Who would have thought that home recordings could do that? Wow! You can find them at

http://amiestreet.com/artist/55579

BTW, all the voices on the song are mine.

Sunday Sermon: Hearing His Voice John 10:1-10

Someone broke into a car in our neighborhood last week. It happened during the day when the subdivision was empty and quiet. The thieves broke the lock and stole some important items out of the car. No one heard or saw it happening, but it has left our street feeling vulnerable. People are now wary of leaving their cars on the subdivision roads and everyone is suspicious of strangers coming into the neighborhood. It was a rotten thing to happen to a happy neighborhood. It has left us all feeling insecure and unprotected.

Thieves violate the common trust of the neighborhoods and communities that they rob. They disturb the peace of the people and tear up neighbors emotionally. They become a scourge of society and sadly, because of the times we are in, theft and robbery are increasing. It’s a form of domestic terrorism and it’s something that we all have to combat by being good neighbors and looking out for one another.

1 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.

In today’s passage, Jesus talks about thieves raiding the spiritual sheep pen of His followers. He’s talking about quack preachers and con-artists, phony gurus and shady characters who seek to fleece the flock and mislead the faithful. They come into the church with their own credentials and ambitions, their own personal creeds and twisted gospels. Instead of being committed to Christ, they are committed to their own esteem and well-being. Instead of following His words and ways, they do what they like and love what they do for themselves. They’ve got no interest in being servants of God and followers of Christ; they’re just in it for themselves and they end up in preaching their own Gospels to justify their own lifestyle choices.

Who do you mean, John? I hear you ask: Joel Osteen is one – he preaches a prosperity Gospel that is more about realizing the American Dream than getting into the Kingdom of God. He mesmerizes thousands of people in his church each week and millions of folk on TV across the country. He uses his $20 million smile and preaches to the camera. He talks about people getting blessings from God and becoming rich through being faithful. He parades about like a marionette puppet expressing a glossy magazine type of Gospel that has nothing to do with the real Christ. And the trouble is this: millions of folks lap it up and pledge their souls to Osteen’s Gospel, not realizing that they have given up faith in the One, True and Living God.

And whilst I’m meddling here instead of preaching, I may as well mention Oprah Winfrey. She used to be a Christian, but all her wealth, fame and popularity has gone to her head and ruined her heart. She’s now promoting a book called “The New Earth” by a new-age spiritual guru called Eckhart Tolle, who wants to start a new religion in which people will no longer be overwhelmed by the Cross of Christ, but will overcome the Cross and live by their own spiritual enlightenment. In other words, Oprah and Tolle are sidelining Christ and His sacrifice in order to promote their own devilish ideas and unchristian opinions. If ever there was a living example of Matthew 16 v 26, it’s Oprah – what good will it be if a person gains the whole world, yet forfeits their own soul?

Do not be deceived folks, Osteen and Oprah have this in common – they are spiritual thieves who will rob you of your faith and lead you away from Christ. Starting soon, on Monday nights and Sunday mornings, I’m going to lead classes on this book “the new Earth” and show you where the dangers lie. And I’m not doing it because I’m jealous of their wealth, influence and popularity, I’ll be doing it because I’m called to guide you through these snakes and vipers, lions and wolves that come to us in sheep’s clothing.

4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.

The best way to avoid these false prophets is to keep listening for Christ’s voice in their messages. If He isn’t honored, respected, worshiped and glorified by these kind of preachers and celebrities then you can guarantee that Christ is not speaking through them.

That’s why I preach from the New Testament and the Gospel week after week. It’s to tell you about Christ, His message, His ways, and His lessons. I’m an Old Testament scholar with an Honors degree in Hebrew and was first in my class for translation. I could stand up here Sunday by Sunday and tell you the OT stories in ways that you’ve never heard and give you great linguistic insights into Hebrew words that you’ve never known, but that’s not what I was called to do –

My name is John Stuart and I am a preacher of the Gospel. I’ll preach about His words, not mine. I’ll talk to you straight about Christ being the Only Way, not Oprah’s way; of Him being the Only Truth, not Tolle’s truth, and of being the Only Life, not Osteen’s lifestyle. My purpose of being the preacher at this church is to give you enough information about Jesus, so that you’re attracted to Him, and can begin to hear His Voice in your lives.

When Jesus talks about the sheep knowing and listening to the shepherd’s voice, He’s talking about us hearing Him in our lives. When he teaches His people about the sheep following the shepherd, He’s trying to make them understand that they should follow Him if they want to be with God. It’s plain and simple, and it’s not difficult to see, but it’s too simple for some people, too common and too easy to believe. They want something complicated, unique and individual. They want something elite, exceptional, and edifying to themselves. They don’t want to listen to a mere Shepherd, and they certainly don’t want to be followers. If anything, like Oprah, they want to be their own gods, where they become the Center of the universe and not mere followers, servants or slaves of Christ.

It’s like a billboard that I read this morning coming to church. It’s promoting a new church and has a picture of a sofa on it. It boldly proclaims that Redemption is a real, comfortable church. Comfortable? There’s nothing comfortable about the Gospel or Christianity! The teachings of Jesus Christ are the most meddlesome, confrontational, in your face religious teachings that the world has ever known. If church becomes comfortable, then we have allowed spiritual thieves and congregational robbers to come into our midst.

I wonder how comfortable Jesus was when He was dying in agony on the Cross? I wonder how comfortable the first Christians were when they were plunged into boiling oil or ripped apart by wild beasts in the Coliseum? I wonder how comfortable Christian missionaries were when they were attacked and beaten, tortured and killed no matter where they took the Gospel too? If you want a comfortable church, then go visit Redemption Church , but don’t expect to be redeemed or saved there – that would be too uncomfortable.

The trouble with people today is this: they want to create their own enlightenment, their own faith, their own religion. They don’t want something that is old and outdated, tested and tried, used and second hand. They want to be different from previous generations and better than traditional ways. They want to ditch the baby, the bath water, as well as baptism and beliefs. They just want to do their own thing. In others, they want freedom from faith and religion, demanding it as a constitutional, civil, and universal right.

Which reminds me, today is Thomas Jefferson’s birthday. He was born April 13, 1743, which would make him 265 years old, had he lived. 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.

We can make up our own ideas about faith in God, but in the end we’re only fooling ourselves and missing out on the greatest gift in the entire universe. Christ says it plainly in this Gospel passage:

9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

You can’t get any plainer, more direct, or simpler than that. If we want to be saved from the eternal consequences of our sin, if we want to be restored to God’s favor, if we want to enjoy everlasting life in God’s Kingdom, then we can only find it in, through, with and by Jesus Christ.

We don’t get it by watching Oprah and buying into her wacky ways: we get it by Christ.

We don’t get it through Tolle’s book or new age mumbo-jumbo, we get it through Christ.

And we don’t get it through Joel Osteen’s smiley and smarmy, sugary and barmy prosperity gospel, we get it through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whose voice we listen to, whose Cross we cling to, and whose grace we adhere to for our salvation, our pardon, and our eternal life. There is no other way; there is no other gospel, there is no other gateway; there is only Christ.

Prayer

Amen.

Gospel Screensaver: I am the Gate

Abstract stained glass depiction of John 10 v 9: Jesus said: "I am the gate. Whoever enters through me shall be saved."

Vote for Tennessee Today: Tomorrow will be too late!

Hi all, something different for a Friday. I'm one of the ten finalists in a funny caption contest. The voting ends today. All the other contestants are calling upon their friends, families & neighbors to vote for them.

They also give me a lot of shtick because I'm from Tennessee, amongst a group of Northerners. Could you do me a favor? Could you visit the following webpage and vote for me, Stushie?

http://www.mattresspolice.com/2008/04/vote.htm

I have to show this lot that living in the South is a good thing.

Thanks!

4 Minute Devotions: No Hesitation

Of all the kings in the Bible, I love Hezekiah the best. He’s under-rated when it comes to biblical kings, but he’s one of the most faithful characters that you’ll find in the good book. In a time when Israel and Judah were dabbling with apostasy and idolatry, Hezekiah is one of the few leaders not to be seduced by the sins of the people. And through his leadership, the Jews are given fifteen extra years to mend their ways before they are punished with exile.

Podcast version here

Bible Verse of the Day
2 Kings 20:10 "It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps," said Hezekiah. "Rather, have it go back ten steps."

I love this part when Isaiah asks him about getting a sign from the Lord. He doesn’t hesitate to ask for a hard sign. He wants real proof that God will do what God has promised, so he makes the task harder by asking for shadows to go backward against the sun’s motion, rather than follow their natural courses. It goes against the law of physics, but our God is an awesome God and in this case, He was really pleased with Hezekiah. The daylight comes and the shadow retreats. Isaiah fulfills the prophecy and Hezekiah is healed. It’s a remarkable moment and a strong testimony to the faithfulness of the old king.

We all ask God to help and heal us at times because we believe in God’s promises. We hope and pray for better things to happen in our lives because we have faith in God’s blessings. But sometimes God knows best and during those moments, it’s hard for us to accept that God will not answer our prayers. Old Hezekiah got fifteen extra years, but no more than that. When it came for his time to lie with his ancestors, God’s blessing was over.

You may be asking God for help today, or perhaps He’s already heard and answered your prayers. Don’t take Him for granted or forget to praise Him this Sunday. Hezekiah faithfully served God before and after his healing, and even faced down a powerful enemy who sought to conquer and enslave his people. It’s faith that counts in the midst of all our challenges – a faith that will last us throughout our lives.

Prayer: Lord God, thank You for the example of Hezekiah and for the blessings that You gave him because of his faithfulness to You. Today, we may face challenges of our own, so we pray for Your presence, guidance, and help to overcome our fears and worries. Be with us in all that we hope to accomplish. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Weddings Too Costly in UK- Marriage is in Decline

THE DECLINING interest in marriage, revealed in official figures last week, has been blamed on economic pressure by leading Christian marriage experts.

From Religious Intelligence

By: Matt Cresswell.

Financial worries are a particular concern, with fewer and fewer young couples even able to afford a wedding after battling rising house prices and student loans.

Their comments come after the figures released by the Office of National Statistics revealed marriage rates in England and Wales for 2006 are the lowest since records began in 1862.

Speaking to The Church of England Newspaper Carol Davies of the Anglican marriage support group Family Life and Marriage Education Network (FLAME) said she was very concerned about the financial pressures. “People have said that couples don’t get married because they can’t afford the increasing wedding costs but now they also have the situation of rising house prices,” she said. “Getting your foot on the housing market is now nigh on impossible.”

Read the rest of the story here…

4 Minute Devotions: Christian Candy

I feel so guilty. I ate a whole giant bar of chocolate the other night. I should have left some for my family, but I wanted all of it for myself. I even felt a bit nauseated before I finished it off, but I knew that if I left a couple of chocolate squares in the fridge, they would be gone in the morning. So I gorged down the whole bar.

Podcast version here.

Hello, my name is John Stuart, and I’m a chocoholic.

Greed makes us all do selfish things. Take the people in Christ’s time for instance. He healed their sickness, cured their lame people, and fixed their broken bodies. He was a cure-all for each of their ailments, so when He talked about going to the other villages, they did not want Him to leave. They wanted to keep Jesus for themselves. They didn’t want to share His power with anyone. If other villages wanted a healer, they could get their own. Jesus belonged to them.

But Christ wouldn’t grant them their wishes. He had more to do with His ministry than remain home as an on demand country healer. He had to take God’s message out into the wider world. His mission was not local; it was international.

Sometimes we keep Christ all to ourselves because of the strength, confidence and guidance that He gives us. These are great personal blessings, but we’re not meant to feed on them alone. We belong to a missionary faith, so each of us has a personal calling to share the Good News and tell others about Christ. Christianity has never been a private, personal belief system that caters to our individual needs. We’re meant to share it with others by inviting them to church, praying for those in trouble, and reaching out to those in need.

Hello, my name is John Stuart and I’m a Christian. Let me tell you about Jesus, my Lord and Savior…

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we love You for loving us, guiding us, and strengthening our faith. Help us to share our experiences and beliefs with our families and friends, our neighbors and colleagues. Give us the courage to fulfill the moments of faith-sharing opportunities that You provide for us. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

4 minute Devotions: Starting Over

I love being a Christian. I love the experience of being a sinner saved by Christ. Without Christ’s grace and mercy, I don’t know where I would be right now. Without God’s compassion, I don’t know where I would end up.

Podcast version here

Christianity is a beautiful faith. It makes us recognize that we are all imperfect (John Calvin would say ‘depraved’ and ‘fallen.’), but it doesn’t leave us there. We are given a wonderful life changing opportunity to come to Christ, in order to be forgiven, restored, and renewed. And it’s not just a once in a lifetime experience. We can go back to Jesus time and time again, confessing our mistakes and asking for pardon. We can begin again. We can have hope again. We can start our lives over again.

Throughout the years, I have seen many people, including myself, be transformed by Christianity. The Spirit of Christ has a power that is unequaled in this world. I have seen addicts cured. I have known sinners regain respect. I have experienced dysfunctional families rediscover their love for one another. It’s an amazing process and I thank God each day for His work in my life.

Bible Verse of the Day

Psalm 103:4 …who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

I am far from perfect and, like everyone else, I have my moments of foolishness, selfishness, and unholiness. But when I am weak, Christ is strong. When I fall, He stoops down and lifts me up. It’s a beautiful faith and a wonderful way of getting through life. And that’s why I want to share it with everyone. That’s why I want family and friends, neighbors and co-workers, acquaintances and strangers to learn about Jesus. For Christ is the Only One who can redeem us out of the pits of despair that we dig, by lifting us up with His love and crowning us with His compassion.

Perhaps you’re at a low point in your life and you feel that everything is pointless. Or maybe you know someone who is going through a lot of trouble, sickness or worry. Jesus is the key to lifting you or your loved ones out of that rut, and he is willing to do so, even now. Just ask Him for help and you’ll find that He cares.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, there are times in our lives when we regret the past and fear the future. There are moments when we feel isolated and insecure, insignificant and unimportant. When we experience those things, lift us up and help us to begin again. Grant us Your love and compassion, Your healing and strength. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

A Muslim Swimsuit for Miss Indonesia

Sonya Chaterina loved swimming as a child, but the fun stopped when she reached puberty.'Then we to had to cover our arms, legs and our hair,' said the Indonesian Muslim. 'A bathing suit was from then on no longer an option. I was very disappointed.'

For millions of Muslim women like Chaterina swimming is more complicated than just jumping into the water.

Though most Indonesians practise a tolerant form of the religion, which sometimes incorporates Hindu and animist beliefs, women are still obliged as Muslims to cover their bodies, leaving only their face and palms of their hands exposed.

A regular swimsuit is too skimpy and is considered a violation to Islamic teaching.

Chaterina, 29, a housewife and mother of two, was frustrated at becoming her husband's deposit counter, caring for his glasses and wallet, while he swam with their kids at one of Indonesia's many water parks.Then she met Ait Djajaleksana, a young mother with the same dilemma of not being able to join her daughters in the swimming pool. Djajaleksana, frustrated that she couldn't find a conservative swimsuit in the stores designed a 'from head to ankle' spandex Islamic bathing suit.

'When my wife and I started making this swimsuit, it was merely for personal purposes,' said Anom Djajaleksana, 45, who lives in south Jakarta.'I didn't want to be the one who always has to take our kids to the swimming pool,' Anom said laughing, 'I want my wife to do the chore also.'

Ait's design proved to be a hit, and orders for the suit started to flow in.

Read the rest of the story here…

Pray for China

By: George Conger.

A COALITION of Christian advocacy groups has issued a call to prayer for the persecuted Christian Churches of China following a meeting in Zurich on March 28.

The Zurich Statement “reaffirms the solidarity of the international Christian community with the Chinese faithful, especially the persecuted house church” movement, Bob Fu of the China Aid Association said. “We pray the true religious freedom in China will finally be realized soon.”

The members of the Religious Liberty Partnership (RLP) noted that since the dark days of the Cultural Revolution there had been “advances in religious freedom in China” and that the Communist Party’s recent affirmation that “religious believers have an important role to play in the development of society” were welcome steps forward.

China’s burgeoning Christian population could not be considered a subversive foreign element, the Zurich Statement said, as Chinese Christians were “law-abiding citizens” committed “to the development of the nation of China.” Official statistics published by China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA) state there are 10 million Protestants and 4 million Catholics in China. However, China Aid reports the number of unofficial Christians being 10 times as large.

In a briefing for Community Party cadres and academics held last year in Peking, SARA director Yie Xiaowen reported there were 110 million Protestants and 20 million Catholics in China at the close of 2006. In 1949 there were an estimated 750,000 Chinese Protestants, many of whom subsequently fled to Taiwan and Hong Kong following the defeat of Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces.

Read the rest of the report here…

4 minute devotions: Calling the Unworthy

Isaiah 6:8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

Podcast version here

There’s a beautiful song of this Bible verse called “Here I am, Lord.” I love singing it in church. The first time that I heard it, took place in Scotland when a choir member at the Maybole church sang it as a solo. Both the words and the tune captivated me and I consider it to be a high spiritual occasion each time I sing or hear this song.

The lyrics of the song are beautiful, but the Bible verse is even more wonderful. It’s all about being chosen by God for a sacred mission. In the midst of his unworthiness, the prophet Isaiah is called by God to go to his people with messages and prophecies from heaven. He is given the responsibility of declaring God’s words and thoughts to his own generation. It is an awesome task and whilst Isaiah does not feel worthy, holy, or clean enough to undertake such a sacred task, God purifies and prepares him for the mission.

There are days when I feel so unworthy and unholy to serve the Lord. I remember my background and past sins, which cause me to shudder at times. I often wonder why the Lord has chosen me to do what I do, but then I remember that without His mercy and grace, I could not do any of what He wants.

Perhaps you are experiencing a call to some ministry or mission, program or project for the Lord, but you feel unprepared, unacceptable, and unclean. Take heart because most of God’s leaders in the Bible had a shady past and things that made them ashamed. God does not choose perfect people because there are none to be found, anywhere. He calls us, not because of who we are, but because of what He can make us become. All we have to do is this: when He calls us to ministry, we each answer, “Here I am.”

Prayer: Lord God, You have a purpose for each of our lives. You call us to be ministers of Your word and missionaries of Your Gospel. Open our hearts and minds to Your calling and enable to accept Your ways. In Christ’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Hoots Mon! World Tartan Day is here!

Today is World Tartan Day, so wherever you are in Knoxville, wear your plaids and tartans! Practically everyone in Appalachia has a Scots-Irish connection, so celebrate the day by wearing your most colorful plaids.

In Knoxville, Erin Presbyterian Church will be hosting a Kirking of the Tartans worship service. A piper, a drummer, and some kilted representatives of the Scottish Society of Knoxville will be present. They will be proudly bearing their Scottish clan banners and presenting them for a blessing by the minister.

The worship service and parade begin at 11.00AM. Everyone is welcome to come along, proudly wear their tartans, and enjoy the spectacle!

Erin Church is located on Lockett Road, which is just off Kingston Pike on Bearden Hill.

Weekend screensaver; Emmaus Bread

The resurrected Christ was recognized in Emmaus through the breaking of bread.



Luke 24:30

World Tartan Day in Knoxville!!

Sunday April 6th is World Tartan Day, so wherever you are in Knoxville, wear your plaids and tartans! Practically everyone in Appalachia has a Scots-Irish connection, so celebrate the day by wearing your most colorful plaids.

In Knoxville, Erin Presbyterian Church will be hosting a Kirking of the Tartans worship service. A piper, a drummer, and some kilted representatives of the Scottish Society of Knoxville will be present. They will be proudly bearing their Scottish clan banners and presenting them for a blessing by the minister.

Scottish pastor John Stuart, who is a regular Monday guest on The Voice (WQBB 1040AM 10-12noon weekdays), will be conducting the service. One of John’s ancestors, Captain John Stuart, was the first Superintendent of the Cherokee nation, and was stationed at Fort Loudon centuries ago.

During the service, Pastor Stuart will explain the story about the blessing of the Tartans, which informally began in the 17th century when the Scots were prohibited from wearing their plaids. Three centuries later, Scots preacher Peter Marshall, who was Chaplain to the Senate on Capitol Hill, revived the ceremony which is celebrated throughout the United States.

The worship service and parade begin at 11.00AM. Everyone is welcome to come along and enjoy the spectacle!

Erin Church is located on Lockett Road, which is just off Kingston Pike on Bearden Hill.

Daily Devotions: Dream Maker

The first time that I came across Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was through a BBC documentary that I happened to be watching one Sunday night. I was a teenager then, so it must have been about five years after his assassination. I can remember watching footage from the march on Washington and hearing his bellowing voice, which sent shivers down my spine. I had never heard anyone speak like that before and even although I was three thousand miles away in another country, the truths Dr. King expressed deeply moved my soul.

Podcast version here

I don’t know what it must have been like to have been here in America during the 1960’s. I presume that it wasn’t an easy time for anyone because of the tension and conflicts that were going on. I guess most people must have thought that the United States was going to perish, and that the dream of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for everyone was about to be snuffed out.

The assassin’s bullet tried to do that forty years ago in Memphis, Tennessee. What the shooter didn’t realize was that the truth cannot be killed. They tried to do it with Christ, almost two thousand years ago and that didn’t work. The ministry of Dr. King and his pursuit for the Civil Rights of all people didn’t die with him either.

Bible Verse for the Day
Matthew 14:31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

At the time of his death, I suppose many people must have doubted that King’s dream would ever be fulfilled. And yet, here we are today, in a year where there’s a strong possibility that the next President of the United States will be a black person. I think Dr. King’s dream is being fulfilled and I believe that he would be proud of what we have achieved. It may not be perfect and perhaps we still have a long way to go before racism is extinguished, but we’re in a much better place as a society than where we were forty years ago.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Dr. King’s life. Although he died too young, he dedicated his life to those of us who enjoy our freedoms today. He was both a true Christian and American that we should all aspire to become. Bless us, Lord, as we continue to follow his dream which, is in fact, what You call the Kingdom of God. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the Scottish pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send John an email at pastor@erinpresbyterian.org. He is delighted to read your feedback and messages.

Tony Blair: Seek Faith, Not War

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has called for faith to be given a central role in tackling the world's problems.

Mr Blair said faith should be rescued from extremism and be a force for progress, in his first speech on faith since becoming a Catholic.

He said politicians found it difficult to talk about faith because they "may be considered weird".

His speech was accompanied by a noisy anti-war protest and silent vigil by Catholic peace group Pax Christi.

Mr. Blair, who converted to Catholicism months after stepping down as prime minister last summer and is now a Middle East envoy, told an audience of 1,600 at Westminster Cathedral he was often asked if faith was important to his politics.

"If you are someone 'of faith' it is the focal point of belief in your life. There is no conceivable way that it wouldn't affect your politics," he said.

Read the rest of the story here…

No One Cares

I was there in the kitchen when Annette’s mom took a massive stroke. One moment, she was laughing and smiling; the next, she had a strange look on her face and her eyes seemed out of control. It couldn’t have happened at a worse time. It was during Annette’s 10th birthday party, when everyone was supposed to be happy and joyful. I remember that within minutes all the kids at the party were ushered upstairs out of the way. We soon heard the sirens of the paramedics, and then about half an hour later, we were all sent home.

Podcast version here

For the next seven days, we all prayed for Annette and her mother. And then came the news that Annette’s mom had died. It was the very first time that death had ever touched our generation.

Annette changed after the funeral. Before, she had been a happy person with beautiful sparkling green eyes that I still remember to this day. She became quiet and withdrawn, and those lovely eyes looked hollow and lifeless. None of us knew what to do or say. We were too young to understand and too helpless to reach out.

Bible verse for today
Psalm 142:4 Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

Annette drifted for a while and grief struck her very hard. I guess she must have thought that no one cared for her life, or that no one was concerned for her. I cannot imagine what she endured during her teenage years, and I’m sure that she still dreads each year when her birthday comes around. Wherever she is today, I hope and pray that she has found the love that she lost, and that her bonnie emerald eyes sparkle with joy again.

There are times in each of our lives when we feel isolated and alone, insecure and vulnerable. During those painful and petrifying moments, God holds on to us, especially when we begin to lose our grip of Him. No matter what we endure or experience, God is there to love and support us, just waiting to guide and embrace us when we are ready to receive Him again.

Prayer: Lord God, today we pray for lonely hearts and sad eyes. We prayerfully ask that You touch those whose lives are wounded by loss and grief. Surround them with people who care, and concerned friends. Help them in the midst of their fears and foes, their despair and depression. In Your Holy Name, we sincerely pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the Scottish pastor at Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

If you would like to comment on this message, he would love to hear from you. Just email John at pastor@erinpresbyterian.org

Daily Devotions: Escaping Envy

Psalm 73:25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Psalm 73 is one of my favorite psalms. It deals with jealousy and envy. The writer feels that he is losing out of the spoils of life and riches of success. He is faithful to God, but not wealthy. He is a good person surrounded by ‘evil’ people who possess more than he owns.

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He’s suffering from clerical envy, or what I call holy jealousy. And I know exactly how he feels. Pastors are meant to be quiet, unassuming, and humble people. We are supposed to be examples of peace, happiness, and contentment. But we’re not. When it comes to our churches, most of us are territorial and always comparing our failures to the successes of other pastors. I guess it’s a mixture of insecurity and narcissism, instead of faith and loving God.

Anyway, if you take time to read the whole of Psalm 73, you’ll know exactly what I mean. The psalmist expresses his disappointment with God and vehemently points out the wickedness of others. He is essentially saying to God, “I have done everything right and been perfectly faithful. So, why aren’t you blessing me, God?” It’s a question that pastors constantly ask, as well as other Christians in their own workplaces.

The turning point in the psalm occurs when the writer realizes that possessions are only temporary and that his life is meant to serve God, not himself. That’s the part that I like the most because it reminds me not to value myself through the things I own, but to count myself fortunate that I am owned by God. In the end, all of my possessions will turn to dust and my ambitions will all fade away. In the end, only God will be important to me.

Prayer: Lord God, I am sorry that I allow envy and greed, jealousy and ambition to overwhelm my spirit at times. I am sorry that my insecurity and desires take away my contentedness and satisfaction with life. Forgive me, Lord, for surrounding myself with possessions that I cannot hold on to, or things that I will have to leave behind. Help me to focus on the eternal goodness of Your love and the everlasting blessings of Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.