Church devotion: In Christ Alone - Romans 5:18

Romans 5:18  Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

            The other day one of my Facebook friends sent me an article concerning my denomination, the PCUSA. It was about our Committee on Song’s rejection of the beautiful contemporary hymn, “In Christ Alone.” It was expected to be included in the new hymnal, mainly because congregations like my own love to frequently sing it. However, it was rejected by the PCUSA committee because the original writers of the hymn, Keith Getty and Stuart Townend, would not allow the lyrics to be changed.

            The original song contains the lines:

“Till on that cross as Jesus died

The wrath of God was satisfied.”

The Committee proposed an alternative:

“Till on that cross as Jesus died

The love of God was magnified.”

Some members of the Committee were repulsed by the idea of God being wrathful; the original lyricists would not permit their words to be changed because they believed it would change the entire theology of the whole song.

            It’s moments like this which cause me to question the road that my denomination is traveling down. We seem to take great offence of being reminded that we are sinners, condemned by a just and holy God, in need of total and absolute salvation. If we do not acknowledge or understand the depths of our sinful depravity which is offensive to God, then we will never accept the need for salvation from our sins.

            I admire Getty and Townend for their insistence on keeping to the original lyrics; I deplore the Committee on Song for having surrendered Reformed theology and replacing it with New Age mentality. It’s a sad day for the church when we go into denial about the wrath of God, the gravity of which sent Jesus to the Cross instead of ourselves.

            As a much better pastor than I will ever attain to be once wrote, “Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession.... Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Discipleship.

Question for personal reflection

Do I honestly believe that my sins have no eternal consequences? Do I really feel as though God will forgive me of anything through repenting of nothing?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we stand condemned as sinful creatures under a holy and perfect God. Without You, we would have no forgiveness; without Your bloody sacrifice, we could not be redeemed or restored to God. In You alone, we have salvation. Keep us from taking Your grace for granted by reminding us of the terrible cost. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of my 2013 Easter drawings called “Outside a City Wall.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7027482543_2af1a2c5f8_b.jpg

Church Devotion - Struggling - Romans 3:20

Romans 3:20  Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

We all struggle with sin. There is not one of us who lives life perfectly, so in God’s eyes, we are unholy, imperfect, and just not good. We can justify our sins and make excuses for our mistakes, but that just compounds the difficulties in our lives and our relationship with God.

Most of us just want to be happy and hope that God understands when we fail Him. We want to be loved and tolerated, accepted and embraced by God, without being challenged or changed. We want our choices to be approved and our lives to be given an A+, but that’s a sinful delusion and selfish way of dealing with life. We are not at the center of God’s great universe; we are not God’s sole focus in the world. We are sinners who do unholy, unworthy, and ungodly things. We are careless creatures who cast God aside when He gets in the way of getting what we desire, and living the way that we want.

Thankfully, God knows us better than we actually understand ourselves, which is why He sent us His Son to die for our sins, in order that all things could be redeemed, reconciled, and restored perfectly to Him. Great sinners like ourselves need a Great Savior. Who else but the Holy Son of God can forgive our sins and bring us back to God? In all of the universe, there is Only One; in All of Creation, there is just One Savior: Jesus Christ.

Questions for personal reflection

What is my most repeated sin? How can Jesus forgive me, and empower me to overcome that persistent sin?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, forgive our foolish and imperfect ways. Pardon our sinful and unholy words. Challenge our lives and change us for the better. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Nativity drawings called “Royal Baby.” If you would like to view a larger version of the image, please click on the following link: http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5535/9349348586_0ba6664023_b.jpg

Church devotion: Called to Belong - Romans 1:6

Romans 1:6    And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Yesterday, we had a couple join our church during the worship service. They have been coming to our congregation for over a year. They were brought to us by God through the Creative Expressions ministry that our church presents. Their teenage daughter is talented and she enjoys being involved in our theater groups. It is a joy to have them all become part of who we are; it is wonderful to give them a place where they each feel that they belong.

            Throughout the week, we all meet people who are just trying to get through life. They struggle with keeping their families together, holding down a job, or advancing their careers. At times, we all feel isolated and vulnerable, overwhelmed and alone. We wonder what life is all about and question whether it has any real meaning. During those ‘ontological’ moments, having a church family can fill the emptiness we experience. Being part of a faith community and finding a place where we belong, can bring about a great deal of well-being to our hearts and minds, as well as our bodies and souls.

            If you’re feeling lonely today, then please think about seeking a regular community of Christ’s people. Allow yourself to be called by Christ to a congregation where you can find meaning and purpose for your life. Permit the Holy Spirit to break down any self-imposed barriers or individual anxieties that you may have about fitting in. Let Jesus do for you what He does best: let Him reach out to you and lead you; let Him restore you and love you.

Questions for personal reflection

Am I currently feeling isolated and alone? Will I allow Jesus to help me find a sacred place where I can belong?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, You know us completely and understand all that we are currently feeling. Take us by the hand and lead us each day. Open our hearts and minds to the blessings of Your Gospel. Allow us to seek and find a community of faith where we can truly belong. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is John’s latest summer drawing, simply called “Sunflower.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3775/9286182601_90208dc399_b.jpg

Challenging devotion: Instead of Listening - Acts 27:11

Acts 27:11       But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship.

            One of the biggest frustrations that pastors experience occurs when their advice is ignored or treated as unimportant. I’ve had my share of those moments in both Scotland and the USA. Being part of a voluntary religious organization, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell people that their ideas, philosophies, and understanding about God, the Bible, or Christ is wrong, or at least off the beaten track. They often want God to fit in with their own personal choices and shape Christ into something that He is absolutely not. They don’t want to hear that God’s ways are not their ways. They don’t want to listen to Christ’s words either. As long as their lifestyles are tolerated and approved, then everything about God and the Church is okay. As soon as their choices are challenged, church leaders are stigmatized as being control freaks, or the Church itself is deemed to be no longer relevant in their lives.

            I wonder if Paul felt a similar frustration when the centurion, pilot, and owner of the doomed ship ignored his remarks. He was given incredible insight from God about the proposed voyage. He told them that the ship would be wrecked and that their lives would be endangered, but instead of embracing what Paul had to say, they ignored him and went on making the wrong, disastrous choice.

            It’s not easy being a Christian in today’s world. It’s sometimes not easy being a Christian leader amongst Christians either. Things in Society and the Church may be heading towards an almighty collision of faith vs. culture. I guess the only question that we will all have to answer when this occurs is this: who will I listen to – God or the World?

Questions for personal reflection

How often do I bring Christ into the major choices that I make in my life? Do I always listen to Him?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, keep us from wrecking our lives with foolish decisions. Guide us each day and help us to make better, more faithful choices. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s ‘Southern Scenes’ series of drawings. It features the Plantation Road on Pawley’s Island, with Spanish moss hanging from the old oak trees. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4114/4891285135_f7ee928fc9_b.jpg

Bible devotion: We All Make Mistakes - Acts 26:20

Acts 26:20       First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds. 

We all make mistakes, but it’s what we do about them that counts in God’s eyes. There’s a creeping a-moralism in our churches and society right now that says “it is okay to make mistakes, God understands, so there’s no need to repent or change our ways.” We’ve become so addicted to ourselves and our own understanding that we’ve sadly forgotten how to repent.

Now I am just as guilty of this than anyone else. Some days, I slack off in my prayers; I abbreviate my requests; I take God’s mercy for granted, so I end up justifying myself and setting aside my guilty feelings. I suppress any inward call to truly confess and personally repent. I try to shut God out, but only end up isolating myself from Him. Eventually, I have to come to God and speak to Him about what I have left unspoken or unprayed. I get no peace until I do this; I have no healing from within until I confess to God.

Repentance is for real, folks. It’s something that we must do in order to be Christians. It’s not an optional extra with regard to our faith. If we don’t repent, then we have no everlasting relationship with God. Christ came to save the world from sin, but even He cannot help an unrepentant sinner.

I guess the substance of this devotion is to make us all aware of our mistakes and to come to Jesus with them. If we’re too proud to do this, then we’ll end up perishing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and maybe even physically. We may not want to read, think, or accept this, but unless we understand, acknowledge, and embrace our need to repent, we will never be restored to God through Christ.

Questions for personal reflection

Is there some mistake in my life that I still regret? Have I truly repented of this sin?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we are sinful people who often make mistakes and take Your mercy for granted. Forgive our foolish ideas, especially those that would separate us from You and Your Father in Heaven. Bring us to You, humbly and respectfully; allow us to confess our mistakes and repent of our sinful ways. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is currently the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question of today’s message, please send him and email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is from one of John’s psalm drawings. It’s a depiction of a confessional verse from Psalm 123. If you would like to see a larger version of the drawing, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7085/7207536214_02e9f5ee64_b.jpg

Christian devotion: The Bible Epic Mini-Series - Acts 26:10

Acts 26:10       And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 

The History Channel’s award winning mini-series “The Bible” was one of the most successful TV series ever watched. Its stunning special effects and great cast of actors and characters made the whole show compelling from beginning to end.

Sales for the recently released DVD have been rocketing and because of this success, the producers intend to make a new series called AD – After the Bible - which will tell the story of the First Christians and the persecutions that they endured. I hope that this proposed series is just as successful, because a lot of Christians today don’t really know (or even want to know) about the harsh conditions that our Faith ancestors experienced.

In today’s passage from Acts 26, the apostle Paul continues to witness before the Roman authorities. He candidly tells them of his murky past and how he once persecuted the sect that he now embraced. It was a courageous thing to do because any of the rulers could have refused to listen to his testimony and just send him on to the Emperor in Rome.

Eventually Paul would reach the Eternal City, as Rome was once called, and make his appeal before Nero. Such audacity would cost him his life and he would be martyred about the same time as Simon Peter, the Big Fisherman, was crucified during Nero’s persecution of the Christians.

As we go about our own business today, we should perhaps stop for a moment and consider the price of the Faith that we freely embrace. Without the courage, tenacity, and perseverance of those First Christian martyrs like Peter and Paul, we would never have known about Christ’s Life, Ministry, Teaching, and Resurrection. May we also remind ourselves that it is our duty to be positively faithful and to also persevere in the midst of a pervading secular culture, which is sadly becoming more indifferent to Christianity as each decade passes. The witness to Christ that we display today, may indeed become the foundation of faith that will be needed in the future.

Questions for personal reflection

What do I know about the First Christians? How has their strong faith affected me?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we thank You for the faithful cloud of witnesses who laid down their lives in order to spread the Gospel and expand Your Kingdom. We are grateful for their perseverance in times of persecution and suffering, which enabled them to endure and overcome their unjust and cruel treatment. Keep us mindful of their loyalty to You, and enable us to faithfully witness to Your words and ways in our own current community, culture, and civilization. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask a question or make a comment about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

You can view and even purchase a copy of the Bible mini-series DVD at the following link: http://amzn.to/17DSfTu