Labor of Love - 1 Thessalonians 1:3

1 Thessalonians 1:3 We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (NIV)

                In every church that exists, 20% of the members usually end up doing 80% of the work. Their commitment to Christ and the congregation is a wonderful gift to the faith community. The hours, days, weeks, months, and years of service make a huge difference in the life, ministry, and mission of the entire congregation. Whether it comes from elders or deacons, team leaders or volunteers, their gifts of time, talents, and resources are both essential to the continuing work of the church, as well as being an effective witness of God’s presence, care, and love.

                When the apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Thessalonica, he wanted to commend them for their faithful, loving, and hopeful service to Christ. They were dedicated to spreading the Gospel and also devoted to the well-being of their people. They supported other churches with their gifts and exemplified what it meant to be a Christian in their own community. Paul’s positive words would have encouraged them to be and do even better for the Lord. His commendations were powerful and have been so effective that the churches still survive in the area after more than nineteen hundred years!

                Every one of us who belongs to a church has both the potential and opportunity to faithfully and effectively serve God through the ministries and missions, projects and programs our congregations undertake. All we have to do is personally volunteer and cheerfully give of ourselves, our time, and our resources to build up the church and make our world a better place.

Point to ponder

Am I willing to give my church more of my time and resources? Am I waiting to be asked or ready to volunteer on my own?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, as Christians we are Your hands and feet, hearts and voices in the world today. Help us to see where our gifts and time could be used effectively in our faith communities. Grant us opportunities to serve You through Your body, the Church. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made most welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s early psalm drawings based on a verse from Psalm 85. If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Psalm 85.

Today's devotion: Crowd Pleasers - 1 Thessalonians 2:4

Today’s readings are: 1 Samuel 9:21-27 and 1 Thessalonians 2:1-9

1 Thessalonians 2:4   On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 

I must confess it – I really like Paul’s writing, especially when he is candid about the Christian faith. He reminds his readers that Christians are not meant to be crowd-pleasers or popularity-seekers. We have been given the Gospel because this is the last and best opportunity that humankind has in order to be saved. If we diminish the message because it will either fall upon deaf ears or we will be ‘not liked, then so be it. The Church was not established by Christ to be like the world; it is meant to disturb the people on this planet.

This is why, in despotic nations who are ruled by tyrants, Christianity is oppressed. Evil people like their easy evil ways; when the Church confronts them with the Truth, tyrants and dictators will eventually fall. Christianity is not a cozy religion, it’s a radical faith.

I must also confess that this is why I dislike Christians attacking the Church for being outdated, unhip, and irrelevant. They should do more reading of Church history, for they will soon discover that the Church is anything but outdated, unhip, and irrelevant. Post-modern people may like to delude themselves about how ineffective the Church is, but post-modern people only see what they want to see and are largely very narrow-minded, self-centered, and hopelessly insecure.

As Paul states, the purpose of our faith is to please God, not other people. If our hearts are full of ourselves, then we will have no room for God, which would be a total shame, for God created our hearts to be filled with His love, so that we could enjoy Him forever.

Questions for personal reflection

What have I done with the Gospel that God has given me? What have I still to do with it?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, Your Life is the Gospel, so we are thankful for learning of, knowing, and loving You. Our lives would be totally different without Your presence and influence. Our hope and salvation, as well as our happiness and restoration all depend upon You alone. Thank You, Jesus, for being our Savior and for giving us Your Gospel. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is a new stained glass design that I have created called “Celtic Flame.” It depicts the Holy Spirit descending to Earth on Pentecost. If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3755/12061475774_a3b2ebd4f0_b.jpg

Christians devotions: Routine Recovery - 1 Thessalonians 2

1 Thessalonians 2:9   Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

I would like to get my life back. For the past eighteen months I’ve felt as though my routine has been shattered into a million pieces. I didn’t realize how much of my work would be connected to the building, renovating, and renewal of the church campus. Before we began the campaign, an elder stated that this was the equivalent of going to war. I laughed at that suggestion; I am not laughing now.

However, the church has reached that 3/4s of the way of this process and we are at the point where light can be seen at the end of the tunnel. And once I get this new office cleared of the old office junk, I’ll be able to settle in and get back to what I enjoy most: writing and preaching the Gospel.

I think that the church staff, elders, and members are feeling the same way too. We’ve labored hard together, night and day, week after week, and month after month, to make this renovation work. Hopefully, by this time next year, everything will be totally completed and we can move on into a brighter future. It will be wonderful to concentrate on our own ministries and missions, programs and projects.

When Paul wrote his letters long ago, he tried to inspire and encourage the new churches that had just been established along the Mediterranean. Lives were changed by the Spirit of Christ and the Gospel turned everything upside down. In the midst of all that newness and disarray, Paul wrote clearly and candidly in order to strengthen the foundations of faith amongst those new Christian communities. Without his letters, solid theology, and inspiring words, those churches may never have succeeded. He helped them develop a pattern, a routine, and a ministry that still exists today. He worked hard and long, but the fruits of the labor made it all worthwhile.

Perhaps you’re finding it hard to carry your faith. Maybe you’re experiencing tough times, individual illness, or personal problems. Being a Christian is never easy; being a Christian in hard times can be exhausting. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Good News of salvation, and the God given promises of the New Testament still inspire, encourage, and support us today. Our routines and lives may be disrupted at times, but God’s love and hold on us can never be thwarted nor taken away.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, when our lives are chaotic and out of kilter, be our anchor and mainstay. When our routines are disrupted and our days are problematic, be our Hope and Healer, our Encourager and Enabler. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

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

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Appalachian winter series. It depicts an old shack covered in snow beside an East Tennessee road. If you would like to see a larger version of the print, please visit the following link: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5010/5374651292_96837167f6_b.jpg

4 Minute Devotions: A Great Granda

My grandfather was a fireman in World War 2 in Britain. After working in a bombed out area, and seeing all of the devastation, he realized that his family meant everything to him. A short reflection based upon 1 Thessalonians 3:12

Podcast version here

My grandfather, whom I am named after, was a fireman in World War 2. When the Nazis bombed the houses and shipyards of Glasgow and Clydebank, Scotland, he had to go out in the midst of the carnage, inferno, and chaos, to do what he could to save lives and buildings. After he saw all of that devastation, it gave him a greater appreciation of his own family.

He was a wonderful grandfather who just loved having his children, grand-children and great-grandchildren around him. His home was open at any time to all of us and didn’t matter how loud we were or disruptive, he just sat back on his old armchair and laughed at our antics.

I once asked him what it was like to have so many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. What he said to me is something that I have never forgotten, “Whenever a new baby comes along, John, my heart just increases with pride and love.” If ever I am blessed to be a great-grandfather, I would very much like to experience the same.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

I love what Paul writes to the Thessalonian Church. He’s encouraging them to increase their love for one another and their faith in the Lord. It must have been an exciting time for them, because they were amongst the first churches that Paul had planted. And they must have applied Paul’s words, for to this very day, nineteen hundred years later, Christian churches still flourish in that area.

I think the lesson that we all can learn here is this: if we want to see our own churches grow, we have to be prepared to increase our love of one another, especially when new people come into our midst. If they can experience that our love and fellowship are genuine, warm, and sincere, then why would they want to go anywhere else?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your ever-increasing love. As each generation is born into the world, so Your love increases for the entire earth. Help us to display and express Your love to all whom we meet, especially the newcomers in our churches. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.