Short Devotion - Lip Service - Romans 10:9-10

Romans 10:9-10 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. (NIV)

            Can it just be as simple as that? We only have to say a few words and we’ll be saved forever? Is God willing to give us everything when we verbally acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and believe that He rose from the dead? If that’s the case, then what’s the problem? It would only take thirty seconds at most for everyone to be granted eternal life, so surely we can encourage our loved ones, friends, and colleagues to take half a minute out of their busy day to say these simple, uncomplicated words and receive God’s everlasting blessing?

            It would be easy if we took the words out of context and applied them at face value. However, we have to remember the time, place, and people that Paul was writing to when he first expressed this thought. The young Roman church was located in the heart of the Empire. Allegiance to Caesar was given through a simple loyalty oath – all a person had to say was “Caesar is Lord,” in order to prove their devotion to the Emperor and come under the authoritative protection of Imperial Rome. For most folks living there, this was easy; for the Christian community, this represented a major problem.

            You see to declare ‘Christ is Lord’ meant giving your life, heart, and devotion to a crucified Jewish criminal rather than the almighty imperial Caesar. It was a life or death choice, especially when persecution broke out against Christians. The context means that what Paul is encouraging his Roman readers to do is to displace Caesar with Christ. Under Roman Law, that was both sedition and treason, both of which were punishable by death.

            Now, do you understand what this means for us today? Think about the most important thing that we are devoted to today – it could be family, patriotism, politics, sports, or ideals. Whatever it may be, our allegiance to Christ has to be more than those things. If anything gets in the way of our service and devotion to Jesus, then we displace Him and idolize the other. This is why declaring Christ is Lord and believing in His resurrection is so hard to do. This is why so many people fail to get beyond themselves and fall before Christ. Calling Christ ‘Lord’ means we submit to Him, His will, and His way – we cannot negotiate this and put something else on the same level with Him. If we honestly want to be with God forevermore, it will take up the rest of our lives in worship, service, and devotion to Jesus. If we think that there’s any other way, we’re deluding ourselves. If we think that God will accept anything less, then we’ve ignored the context of what Paul initially wrote.

            Take time to pray about this. Ponder over Paul’s words. Ask yourself if Christ is really real in your life and He is the Lord of your heart. If there’s something else, it will die with you. If there’s nothing else, you will live with Him.

Point to ponder

Is my faith in Christ real or do I spend more time with something else? Am I willing to truly call Him ‘Lord’?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we often take You for granted and justify our choices to be more involved with other things by excusing ourselves. Help us to truly rethink our commitment to You and stop paying lip service. Grant us the courage to make You the Lord of our lives, no matter what changes this will incur. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to respond to this message, please send John an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Epiphany drawings called ‘Magi.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Magi.

Christian Devotions: Prayers for Peace - Isaiah 19 v 24

Today’s Bible readings are: Isaiah 19:18-25 and Matthew 8:1-4

Isaiah 19:25                The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance."

For as long as I can remember, peace in the Middle East has been the goal of every Western political leader, as well as of the United Nations General Assembly. The wars between Egypt, Israel and Syria have been going on for thousands of years. The major disruptions that have occurred in that troubled region affect the well-being of the whole world. But no matter what political deals or mandates from the United Nations are made, without God’s blessing they will never be sustained or bear any fruit.

I’m intrigued when I read the prophecies of Isaiah that were written over 2,500 years ago. They could have been spoken this morning and gone to press this afternoon. The Biblical truth is that there will always be divisions in that area of the world until God finally resolves the problem. In the same chapter of Isaiah, the prophet writes about God sending a Savior and Defender to rescue all of the people from that area – Egyptians, Israelites, and Assyrians. As Christians, we know Who that Savior and Defender is: Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God.

This also means that we, as Christians, should be constantly praying for peace in the Middle East by the conversion of all the people in that area to Christianity. If Christ has to become their Savior and Defender, then they will have to know Who He is and what He can do for them. For almost two thousand years, Christian churches, monasteries, and congregations have existed in those regions. It’s time that we supported them with our prayers, asking God for an almighty movement of the Holy Spirit to sweep over the region, in order to open the heart, minds, and souls of all the people to the life, work, teaching, and ministry of Christ.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, our world and its leaders are constantly seeking ways to bring about a lasting peace in the Middle East. Although their aspirations and work is important, we know that within our hearts that only Your Presence can truly affect the whole region. We ask You, as the Prince of Peace, to send forth Your Holy Spirit among the churches of that area. Enable and empower them to promote Your teaching and to expand their faithful communities so that salvation, peace, and faith may be rediscovered by all Middle Easterners. 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 or ask a question, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Today’s image is one of John’s psalm drawings. It comes from Psalm 80. If you would like to view a larger version online, then please click on the following link: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3312/3615925254_87ab8df8b0_b.jpg

Relgious News: From Human Sacrifices to Gospel Calling

Evangelical Preacher once ate Child’s Heart

Milton Blahyi, a former feared rebel commander in Liberia's brutal civil war, has admitted to taking part in human sacrifices as part of traditional ceremonies intended to ensure victory in battle.

He said the sacrifices "included the killing of an innocent child and plucking out the heart, which was divided into pieces for us to eat."

There had been numerous rumours of human sacrifices during the 1979-93 conflict but this is the first time anyone has admitted publicly to the practice.

Mr Blahyi, 37, is better known in Liberia as "General Butt Naked" because he went into combat with no clothes on, to scare the enemy.

He is now an Evangelist preacher, who prefers to use the name Joshua.

He was speaking to the BBC, after telling Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that his forces had killed 20,000 people.

Read rest of story here…

Effective Resistance: Why American Christians need to be serious about their faith, in order to help persecuted Christians around the world

1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.(NIV)

Peter’s first letter was written at a time when Christians were being persecuted throughout the Roman Empire. Christianity was a fledgling faith and because it was beginning to spread all over the Mediterranean, civil and religious authorities sought to target it and crush it out of all existence.

Peter’s letters were written during the persecutions of Nero, the infamous emperor who reputedly fiddled while Rome burned. Christians were arrested and publicly executed. Even Peter, the Big Fisherman, was eventually crucified during these persecutions. His letters were important because they contained warnings of what Christians were going to experience and what the faithful community had to endure.

In our cozy Western society, Christians are more often ignored as opposed to being persecuted. But in other places throughout the world, followers of Christ are being hunted down and harmed, arrested, tortured, and executed. Yesterday, our Sunday School class was watching a video clip about a Pakistani girl who was assaulted and raped for being a Christian. Despite her unjust beatings and painful victimization, Safeena still holds tenaciously to her faith. She understands what it means to really suffer as a Christian. She knows what it is like to stand firm in the faith.

For most of us, we are going to be busy this week attending to our own homes, work, and life. Persecution is not something that we will experience, however our spirits will undergo satanic attacks and we will be faced with a plethora of temptations. For the sake of Christ, and for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters around the world, we need to be strong, resolute, and faithful. If we are going to continue making a difference in our communities and societies, then we’ve got to start taking our faith seriously. It will require a revival of faith in our hearts and a focused application of Christian beliefs in our homes. In order to help Christians in other lands, we will have to change the world. We change the world a small bit at a time at a time – and that change begins with us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we hardly ever suffer for our faith and we often forget the price that other people pay to witness effectively as Christians in communities throughout the world. Help us to understand that this is not a game or a pastime. Keep us from diminishing Your words, or trivializing Your ways through our indifference and inaction. By the power of Your Holy Name, we make these prayers. Amen.

Knowledge

Audio version here ...

2 Peter 1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge. (NIV)

When I first became a Christian over 30 years ago, all I thought that I had to do was believe in Jesus for the rest of my life. I was quite content to be saved and, for the first time in years, I felt a peace inside of me. I didn’t know then that I needed to grow in goodness and knowledge. I thought that once I became a member of the church, my life would settle down and everything would work out.

But as I traveled the spiritual path of being a pilgrim, I soon realized that there is more to the Christian life than faith. Belief in Jesus made me want to share the good news with other people, but in order to do that, I soon discovered that I had to know my Bible. If I just went out into the streets to share my own experience, then I would be preaching the Gospel according to John Stuart. I needed to know more about God. I had to understand more about who Jesus was, and what He was still doing in the world.

So I started to really read the Bible, but I ended up with more questions than answers. I liked some of the Old Testament stories because they reminded me of Sunday School, but there were some cruel passages that I couldn’t understand. The Gospels were really easy to take in, but when it came to Paul’s letters, I found him too severe and narrow-minded. And then, when I started to read the Book of Revelation, it really spooked me. Images of wicked dragons and monstrous beasts, powerful archangels and cataclysmic disasters kept me awake at night. I couldn’t understand and it frightened me. I felt no better than I did before I gave my heart to Jesus.

And then I started to go to a Bible Study on Sunday nights. Donnie the pastor used his knowledge to explain some of the passages I couldn’t fathom. Slowly and surely, I began to see God’s plan for salvation spreading out across the entire Bible. It was a wonderful time of discovery and realization; it restored my faith and brought back my peace in Christ.

Ever since then, I’ve tried to grow in knowledge about the Bible and I love to share what I’ve learned with other people. I would recommend to everybody, who reads or listens to these messages, to become part of a Sunday School class or a Bible study group. It’s a beautiful way to learn more about God; it’s a wonderful opportunity to grow in faith, goodness, and knowledge.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, believing in You is the best decision we can ever make in our lives. But as well as giving us the gift of belief, You want us to learn more about who You are, what Your mission is, and what purpose You have in store for our lives. Help us to find and join a study group or class that will increase our knowledge about God’s mighty acts and Your work of the Gospel. In Your Holy name, we pray. Amen.